A/N... PLEASE READ FIRST...I think this is the chapter that you're needing the most. In fact, I'm pretty sure it is. For those of you that are going to stick around for this story, let me clarify some things:
I don't write cheating – and that's every definition of the word. Got me?
I never said – in Blood & Glory or Sin & Innocence – that Edward only had one night stands. He never had long term relationships, and he was the one to always end them when things got too serious or clingy.
And I NEVER said – in either of these first two chapters – that Kyra hurt Edward. In fact, even Bella recognized his guilt and called Edward on hurting Kyra.
Now...if you're still with me – because I believe I lost some of you – then let's listen to Edward's story. We'll talk more at the bottom.
CHAPTER 3
BELLA
"Spill, Edward," I ordered, once we were on the highway with Alec's car following behind us. I was glad Emmett and Kurt were with him, because I really needed to hear what had happened between my husband and Kyra Bailey.
Edward laughed once, roughly and humorlessly, shaking his head. "You need details, Bella? Really?" he asked, almost sounding angry, but I knew he was embarrassed.
"Not necessarily details, but I am about to meet a woman that knew you. I'd feel better if you told me what happened between you." I sighed in frustration, gazing out the window as he shifted gears and changed lanes, because I hated it when he shut down on me. "I'm not blind or stupid. I know how you were back then, and she's stunning..."
"She was pretty. Is that what you want to hear?" he snapped, glaring at me briefly, and then back at the highway. "I couldn't tell you what she looks like now. I don't exactly watch MTV."
I giggled, which caused the smallest of smiles to curl the corner of his mouth. "I'm pretty sure our remote only gets Disney and Nickelodeon. Please just tell me..."
He finally cracked a smile at the subtle reminder of our kids, letting out a long, slow breath, but he went quiet again.
"I'll call Emmett if you don't," I teasingly warned him, pulling my phone out of my pocket. "He seemed to remember her just fine."
"Fuck no," he growled, grabbing for my hands. "He doesn't know anything, and what he thinks he knows is fucking bullshit. Just...wait." The inevitable hand shot to his hair nervously, gripping it, before it fell back to his thigh with a muted smack. "When you're over there," he started with a groan, gazing almost unseeingly out the windshield, "there's not a lot to do on down time. Any news from home, anything sent our way from the States was a big fucking deal. We didn't exactly have cable, so DVDs became a hot commodity when families shipped them over. Same went for live entertainment, which was even more rare.
"The USO tours were the one thing we all looked forward to, because they were live. They were real. Once a year, those professional wrestling guys would do a Christmas show. Singers, comedians...people like that...they would tour the major bases – or at least the safest ones at the time," he continued, finally glimpsing my way. "They all required a military escort."
"And that was you," I surmised, watching his expressions flit from angry to something I could never quite place when he talked about the war. It was blank, but it was dark, too. It was an expression that shattered my heart, because I hated the terrible things he and our friends had witnessed, taken part in, and barely survived in that fucking desert.
"Just the one time," he murmured with a shrug. "Normally, I flew men into heavy war zones and picked them up. It's how I was teamed with Jasper, Mickey, and Emmett. Occasionally, I'd fly prisoners to Abu Grahib. I flew in hot and armed, pulling out the same way." He paused for a moment, his brow furrowing; I knew that talking about his wartime experiences was difficult for him. "My chopper was damaged during a run, so it was out of commission. And at the same time, the pilot that flew a transport chopper – you know, the big ones," he said, smirking over at me, and I grinned at his simplifying this shit, because I knew he could rattle off make, model...hell, and probably VIN number. "The pilot was killed, so I was asked to fill in temporarily.
"At the time, I was just happy to have a break from the norm," he went on. "It was supposed to be simple. I was to fly the main members of the tour from base to base, while their equipment was either driven or shipped on a cargo plane. It was safer for them that way, because equipment could be lost, but not a guy you see on TV – or in this case, two comedians and a singer. In the chopper, I could maneuver them quickly and easily if something went wrong or we were attacked. It was only for a few weeks, so I took the orders." His voice trailed off, but he looked over at me.
"How many did you fly around?"
He scoffed, rolling his eyes. "A couple of comedians, a few photographers that were documenting the tour, a camera guy, Kyra, and a few of her...people." The last word came out with a sneering tone and a touch of impatience.
I chuckled, because he sounded just like Carlisle had when he talked about Kyra's fame. Neither men had time for fluffy, frilly, or pretentious bullshit. "Go on," I laughed.
"I didn't know her from Adam, you know," he stated softly, shrugging one shoulder. "I mean, I wouldn't have known she was famous, had they not told me. She was this...small thing surrounded by loud and busy people. She and her assistant... Carrie? Cathy? No, Cassie," he corrected himself. "They were the only girls on the tour. Everyone else was a guy, so they had a rough time. Men can piss anywhere, you know?" he chuckled, glancing over at me.
I giggled, shaking my head at him. "Yes, yes... The world is your urinal. Just tell the story, Edward."
A sharp laugh barked out of him, but he went on. "Kyra had her own personal bodyguard – Gator. Damn, he was a cool bastard. Former Army and straight out of New Orleans...hence the name," he stated with a snicker. "He watched every move those two girls made. He was good. A lot like Alec is on a security job," he murmured, almost to himself.
"Anyway," he sighed, running a hand through his hair, "it didn't take long for the two girls to become overwhelmed by just...everything. And that was day one. It's guns and planes and explosions everywhere. It was desert and sand and just fucking uncomfortable weather. It's blazing fucking hot in the day, freezing at night. And the farther north we went, it just stayed cold.
"No one but Gator paid much attention to them, and that included her manager. He was a fucking prick," Edward stated, rolling his eyes. "Asshole only cared about the right photo op or the right angle the video was being shot. It was a big deal for him...not her. I'm not sure he checked on her one time the whole tour."
"Nice," I scoffed, thinking that celebrities had to put their faith into people that were usually only looking out for themselves.
Edward was quiet for a moment, gazing at the road again. "Every guy was falling at her feet," he said, almost at a whisper. "They acted like they'd never seen a woman, especially one that looked like her and was rich and famous on top of it. It was ridiculous and made her uncomfortable. Hell, she was only in her early twenties," he sighed. "It started the very second I picked them all up. And that was how I got to know her. She'd asked if she could hide in the chopper after she performed or before she went on, and I hid her, or I'd take her to someplace quiet, because she just wanted a moment's peace.
"Yeah, I was attracted to her," he groaned, rolling his eyes, "but I knew nothing could come of it. And I told her that when things...changed. We were in Baghdad, not even a week into the tour, and it was one of the safer places that you could actually go out in public, and one thing led to another."
"Did you even like her? Or did you just feel sorry for her?"
"Both, but she was fun and took in everything with wide, open eyes. She hated most of the attention she received, except for when she was on stage. I'd explain how things were in the war, and she'd talk about the States. She'd met everyone, it seemed, so she'd tell Hollywood stories, or stories about growing up in Pittsburgh. She was...normal. Well, more normal than I was expecting, I guess." He grimaced, gripping his hair again. "We snuck around to do it. And that was probably the thrill of it, too, because we weren't supposed to do...what we were doing. I didn't date military women, and she was like a breath of fresh air – someone feminine, not in uniform. Plus, she felt safe with me. I suppose all of that combined made for a golden opportunity. Her manager hated me and probably suspected something, because he bitched to my CO more times than I could count, but they couldn't prove it. I think Gator and her assistant knew, but they didn't say anything, because Kyra paid them to keep the fuck quiet."
"And when the tour was over?" I prompted him, because I didn't need to know the wheres and hows of their relationship. Edward was a physical and sensual being, so I could well imagine how that shit went.
Edward went quiet again, but his nose wrinkled before he spoke. "I saw it coming," he said softly. "I could see her getting attached as the weeks progressed, despite how many times we talked about the last night of the tour. She'd say that we were just having a good time for the moment, but I could tell she was lying," he sighed, looking over at me. "Shit, sweetness, I was only twenty-three, with way too much time left on my tour of duty, even though a year after that was when my chopper crashed and I was released. And she was about to go back to L.A. to record some new album and audition for a movie or some shit."
"Did you want to make it work?" I asked him, because his voice seemed filled with regret, but I couldn't tell if that was from the way the relationship ended or the loss of it all.
"No," he groaned, shaking his head. "I mean, I don't know. I just couldn't see it how it could work, and I wasn't...in love with her, if that's what you're asking. I liked her, but I just...had to let her go. And it wasn't pretty. She was a mess by the time I flew her back to Jordan, because I had to cut off all ties to her. I'd handled it all wrong, hurting her terribly. And despite how well we got along, she wasn't used to being told no to something she wanted."
I rubbed my temple, trying to absorb the whole story. I knew that Edward avoided long term relationships while he was in the Air Force, because he'd felt that he lived too dangerously – something that carried over to when he worked as a mercenary for his dad. He'd felt that he could be killed, and he'd never wanted someone to "wait" for him; it was hard enough trying to survive over there as it was, never mind worrying about someone back home.
"Fuck," he growled, his hands gripping the steering wheel of his Challenger, "I just wish..."
"Hey," I soothed him, tugging at his right hand until it relented and linked with my left, "I know what you wish...that I'd been there, that I'd been waiting for you. That we'd stayed in touch. You can't look at it that way, baby. You just can't. This...situation happened, and now we have to deal with seeing her again."
Edward had voiced this regret to me more than once. He said that I, of all people, could've handled his being away, his dangerous job better than anyone. I was sure part of that was true – not that I wouldn't have worried myself sick over him, but what I did, what we did for a living gave me a perspective that most women he'd been with had never had. He'd also told me that if he'd had me waiting for him back home, he would've never even looked at another woman.
"Y-You're n-not m-mad? D-Disgusted w-with m-me?" he asked, sounding like the sweet, stuttering, shy boy I'd first met so long ago.
I couldn't help but smile, because that was my Edward. That was someone no one fucking knew, but me. "No, Edward. I'm not. I can't judge you any more than you could judge me on the bartender in Virginia that I dated, or Jake, or that guy I can't remember just after high school, for which I still blame Rose."
He chuckled, glancing over at me. "No, I can't judge you, either, baby."
"Exactly," I agreed, because neither of us were saints prior to our relationship.
We were quiet the rest of the way into Seattle, both of us lost in thought, but as Edward pulled into the parking garage, I turned toward him.
"There is a distinct possibility that we will have to take this case, Edward," I said warily, because I knew Carlisle had called us for something important, not just a security gig.
He shut off the engine and glared unseeingly at the gray concrete wall in front of him. "I know," he whispered.
"Can you handle that? Professionally?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him when his head spun my way.
"Of course I can," he snapped. "I'm not that fucker Jake, Bella. I'm not going to...run back to her...if that's what you're asking me. Tell me that's not what you're asking..." His voice was all commanding, all demanding, and not to be ignored. "I don't fucking cheat. I would never..."
"Well, no... I wasn't asking that, though that's good to know," I said, unable not to snicker at his little outburst of indignant emotion. He was loyal to me to the very end; I was well aware of it. "I'm just saying that there's history between the two of you and obviously some regret as to how things turned out."
"I regret that I hurt her – not that we never saw each other again," he sighed, reaching over to tuck a lock of my hair behind my ear. His eyes lightened just a bit to the soothing, deep green I loved so much. "I-I h-have e-everything I-I c-could p-possibly w-want...right fucking here and at home," he said, starting in his sweet sputter and ending in that perfect, confident tone. "Maybe it's like you said, and she won't remember me..."
I shrugged and nodded. "Maybe. She does date a lot of famous people, Edward," I said, finally understanding his worry about seeing her, because he most likely had been a little mean when he broke things off with her. Edward was easy to fall in love with, so I could definitely understand if she hadn't wanted to let him go. My mind then shifted to thoughts of how this Kyra woman would react if she did indeed remembered him. "We should head upstairs, baby," I murmured, reaching for the door.
"Look at me, sweetness," he said softly, cupping my face. "No one...and I mean fucking no one can compare to you, love. Not for me. I mean it." His intense stare flickered over my face, studying my expression, and I had no idea what it was that he was seeing. "I couldn't give a shit if she's dating, or single, or even if she remembers me and still has feelings, though I can't see that last thing happening. You're Bethy and Samuel's mother. You're my wife – and that means everything to me. Y-You're th-the o-only one i-in th-the w-world th-that t-truly knows m-me."
I had to kiss him for that, so I pressed my lips to his, almost roughly. "I know all of those things, baby, but thank you for saying them anyway," I whispered with a small smile against his mouth, pulling back just a bit. "We should go," I told him, jerking a thumb behind us, because Alec, Emmett, and Kurt were waiting for us.
"Bella, I love...you," he urged, like I didn't believe him.
"Love you, too," I replied, finally opening the door.
The walk through the lobby and the ride up the executive elevator was quiet, though I could tell that Emmett was dying to say something. He was stopped by Alec's rather heavy grip on his shoulder. We stepped out into the front reception area outside of Carlisle's office and were met with a smiling Angela.
"Hey, guys," she sang, beaming and rubbing her large belly. She and Benny, our friend at the FBI, were now expecting their first child.
"Lordy, Ang," Emmett chuckled. "You're gonna pop, girl."
"You know, I told my doctor the same thing," she laughed, smacking at his arm. "You'd better get in there. He's been calling me every five minutes for the last half hour."
"Thanks, Ang," we all said at the same time, which always caused her to chuckle softly.
Carlisle's office was exactly the same as when my father had been running Twi Tech. I was pretty sure he kept it that way out of respect, nostalgia, and probably because he just really missed my dad, his best friend. Large bookcases lined the wall that hid the door to the apartment. Charlie's heavy antique desk sat in the center of a wall of windows that overlooked the Seattle skyline. And the sofa and chairs were still in the opposite corner of the bookcases – only this time, they were occupied by three women. Standing against the wall was a rather lean, athletic looking man, his muscular arms folded across his chest as he eyed all of us filing in.
"Ah, you made it," Carlisle sighed, almost in relief, pushing off the front of the desk he'd been leaning against. "Come in, come in... Let me introduce everyone," he said, setting a hand on Alec's shoulder, but his eyes were on the absolutely stunning woman that was slowly getting to her feet.
Kyra really was pretty, even dressed casually – jeans, a white thermal shirt, and a brown leather jacket. Her dark auburn hair hung down in waves, and her hazel eyes took in everyone that was standing in front of her, especially Edward, who was closing the door of Carlisle's office. On TV, she looked larger than life; in reality, and standing right there, she was about the same build as me. My first instinct was to be excited at meeting her, but my second instinct was slowly taking over – to stop her from staring at my husband.
"Kyra Bailey," Carlisle started, "I'd like you to meet the team from Gravity Investigations...or at least some of them." Starting with those closest to him, he called out our names. "Alec Moretti, Emmett McCarty, Kurt Vernon, my daughter-in-law, Bella Cullen, and my son..."
"Edward," she finished for him, her mouth hanging open in shock. And from the look on her face, despite how long it had been, I could tell she remembered him perfectly.
~oOo~
EDWARD
"Edward," Kyra whispered.
Internally, I flinched, because my hopes that she wouldn't remember me flew out the fucking window.
"You look amazing," she whispered, rushing to hug me.
"Kyra," I greeted with a single nod, barely returning her embrace, before coming to stand beside my father.
Her gaze traveled over every inch of me, like she had the first time we'd met. Only this time, I wasn't a single soldier out for a good time, or wanting to impress her, so it just made me feel uncomfortable. This time, I didn't want the attention. I was a husband and a father, both titles so fucking important to me that nothing else mattered. Anything or anyone that stared, flirted, or tossed innuendo my way was usually ignored, if not treated coldly.
"You two know each other?" my dad asked, his gaze flickering between us.
"Well, holy shit! Cullen," the man in the back of the room chuckled, stepping forward and thankfully breaking the tension, because I felt my wife's body stiffen next to me. "I thought that was you. I didn't even connect you with Carlisle here," he boomed, reaching out to shake my hand. "It's good to see you, Airman," he laughed.
"Milo 'Gator' Carson," I snickered, slapping his shoulder. "How you been, man?"
"Aw, same shit, different day," he scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Well, that's not exactly true, either," he muttered, looking to my dad.
The room had come to a standstill. All eyes were on us, and I could practically feel Bella's assessment of the situation. Emmett was shuffling on his feet, grinning like a loon, and had it not been for Alec's calm demeanor, I think he would have burst into flames. Kurt was just plain star struck with Kyra in the room, but she seemed to be staring my way, as well.
I turned to my dad and Bella. "I flew a USO tour with Kyra and Gator," I explained, causing his eyebrows to shoot up. "It was about a year before my discharge."
"Okay, well, I know that Kyra would like to get settled in some place," he started, speaking slowly, like he was trying to figure out what the fuck had just happened; I knew I'd have to tell him the fucking truth if we took the case. "Gator, this is your show... Why don't you tell them what you told me?"
"Right," he drawled, nodding just once and turning to the women behind him. "Just so we all know each other, Teri Foley...Kyra's agent, and Cassie Winters, her personal assistant," he introduced, and then waited while nods and handshakes were exchanged. His voice was a mix of Southern twang and a touch of Cajun, an endearing sound, once you really got to know the guy. He turned to me, his face sobering. "You remember back in the day how much attention Kyra got, right?" he asked, and I nodded, purposefully not looking her way. "It's a thousand times worse now, and I think she's got a stalker. A real nasty one, from what I can tell."
"Why not take this to the police?" Alec asked, stepping forward, because this was his forte.
"I have...many, many times," he sighed, shaking his head. "They can't prove anything. They tell me that due to her celebrity, the threats could be coming from anywhere. Some have called it fan gifts, and though they appear to be obsessive, they aren't exactly spelling out anything dangerous, because there's no note, no actual contact with Kyra, nothing shows up on video, but I'm at my wits end. I was hoping they would settle down once we left LA, but..." His voice trailed off, and he turned to Kyra, who was looking uncomfortable.
Alec took a deep breath and let it out, rubbing his bottom lip slowly. "What are the threats?"
"Flowers," Gator stated, shaking his head, but his face was fierce when he held up a hand. "I know what you're thinking. That flowers are harmless and come with her popularity, but it's more than that. It's what the flower is and how it's left that scares me."
"What's the flower?" Bella finally piped up, her head tilting up at him.
"Marigolds," he answered.
"Hmm, jealousy and cruelty," she muttered, her brow crinkling. "That's a warning..."
"Yeah, yeah! Exactly!" he gushed, smiling at her, like he was happy that someone else was on the same page with him. "I never thought I'd have to study the meanings of flowers..."
"And how are they left?" she asked him, rubbing her chin.
"Burnt to a crisp and always delivered after I've done a complete security sweep. It's the weirdest fucking thing," he said, his face tinging pink at his language. "Sorry..."
"Don't be. I'm used to it. These boys aren't exactly angels," she snickered, waving a hand at him, and I couldn't help but chuckle against the side of her head, to which she leaned into. "So you sweep the room, the studio, dressing rooms, arenas...but they're still showing up?"
Gator nodded, a wry smile creeping up across his face. "You think it's inside, right?" he asked her, and she nodded. "Yeah, me, too. But I can't find the asshole."
"What's your security situation like?" Emmett asked, his eyes glancing over the women, only to land back on Gator.
"Rent-a-cops," Gator scoffed. "It's not like I can drag a SWAT team with me wherever she goes," he stated, gesturing to Kyra. "They aren't bad guys, but they aren't exactly Clint Eastwood, either."
"You really don't think it's a fan?" Kyra asked, looking up at Gator.
"No, K, I don't. I've told you that," he huffed, pulling her closer and placing both hands on her shoulders. "If I have to sleep at the foot of your bed like a damn dog, I'll figure it out, but I honestly think it's something bigger than a over-zealous fan. I know you're not sleeping..."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair, because despite how badly I didn't want to take this case or to work with a former lover, I could see the curiosity in Alec's face, the concern on Emmett's, and the pure fear on Kyra's. But my wife's expression was completely void of anything I could read.
Kurt tugged Bella's shirt sleeve, pulling her to him. "Bells...there are some...um, cultures that have theories about dreams. The dream of a burning – or burned, in this case – flower means that harm will come to the recipient," he whispered frantically to her, his eyes flicking over to Kyra, and then back to Bella. "He may be right. This could be a threat."
"Alice?" she asked, a wry smile on her face.
"Yeah, well, she was teaching me how to do some research," he chuckled, his cheeks turning pink. "You know how she loves her serial killers..."
"Right," Bella mused, rubbing her temple and studying Kyra, whose gaze had landed on me.
"You haven't seen anything, Kyra?" I asked, tilting my head at her. "Nothing strange? Someone wandering around that shouldn't be? Maybe someone that makes you uncomfortable?"
"No, Edward," she replied, shaking her head, "but we've been getting ready for this new album, so there have been different people around – song writers, musicians, technicians."
"How about phone calls, emails, texts?" Bella asked Kyra. "Anything threatening? Any hangups?"
"Of course, but as soon as it happens, Gator changes my number," she answered. "The paparazzi is always willing to hunt down ways to get to me."
I shook my head, thinking this fame shit was for the birds...or the fucking crazed, I wasn't sure which. My gaze slid from Gator to Alec, and then to my father. "What are you thinking?" I asked him.
My dad bit the inside of his cheek, a wrinkle to his brow as he thought things through. Letting out a slow breath, he said, "I think that while Kyra is here in Seattle for the next month or so, and since she's going to be Twi Tech's responsibility, I'd like to keep her safe."
His answer was not directed to me, but to Bella, because he knew when it came to Gravity, she was the final say. And my father was not stupid by any means, because the whole room could feel the tension rolling off of Kyra and me in waves. It was uncomfortable, nervous, and fucking ridiculous, because we hadn't seen each other in over eight years. Though some of it was coming from Bella, too.
My wife spun in front of me and Alec, but spoke to him softly. "Could we handle this? Safely?"
"Yeah, Bellissima," he assured her with a nod. "I'd want to take total control of security, but if we pulled in everyone on the team, we should be fine. I'd need her entire schedule so we could inspect every building before she steps into it, and a list of people she deals with, because every employee would have to be cleared by the pixie. I don't care how long they've been working for her."
Bella nodded slowly as he spoke, like she'd assumed his answer before he gave it, finally turning her sweet, concerned gaze to mine. "It's your call," she whispered, shrugging a shoulder. "I told you that in the car. If you don't want to take it, considering our prior discussion, then we won't. I'll put her in touch with another security firm, and we'll walk away."
I grimaced, because the other firm she was thinking about was a decent group, and they'd protect Kyra just fine, but they didn't have the resources like Gravity did to find out the cause of the threats. They'd keep her safe, but that would be about their limit. It was possible that the threats would continue once she left Seattle.
I ran a hand through my hair again, muttering, "I don't know."
"If it's about money," Kyra started, but I shook my head and held up my hand to stop her.
"Money isn't the issue," I stated, stopping myself from sounding like an asshole, because my voice was just a touch snippy. I pointed to Bella and my dad. "Can I see you two for a moment?"
Both nodded and followed me out to the waiting area, where Angela was busy on the phone, typing on her computer, and flipping through files all at the same time.
"Guess I was wrong about her not remembering you," Bella snarked, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.
"Hush, sweetness," I groaned, smirking at her shameless chuckle. "Tell me what you think, Bella."
"I'm thinking someone wants to hurt her, that it will eventually escalate to something more than...burned flowers. And I'm thinking she's not telling the whole story." Her answer was quick and to the point. It was without any emotion behind it. Her intuition was as sharp as a razor's edge, and I nodded in acceptance.
"What's that history, Edward?" my dad asked, his voice soft as he jerked a thumb toward his office doors.
"What do you think?" I sniped back, gesturing to the sarcastic laugh my wife just huffed. "I was her pilot during that USO tour, and we had...something."
My dad snorted and rolled his eyes, turning to Bella. "Has my son repented all his sins, sweetheart?"
"For the most part," she chuckled, pulling me to her and linking our fingers together when I started to walk away from them for their teasing. "Are you taking responsibility for her, Carlisle?"
"I am," he said with a nod. "Now that Twi Tech has bought Solstice Music, she technically is in my care." He turned to me. "Can you set aside this...history between you? I just don't think Boyd's Security will be able to help them like you guys can. She's really frightened."
"I see that," I sighed, letting my gaze fall to my wife. "If we do this... Everyone gets called in. I even need to talk to Benny or Wes at some point. We take over everything, from her schedule to her security. I want Alice on every member of her...her...people."
"And I want her out of Seattle," my dad added. "We'll put her at my house in Forks."
"How big is she?" I asked, because pop culture wasn't something I really paid attention to.
"Huge," both of them answered.
I rubbed my face, but small hands gripped my wrist, and I opened my eyes to Bella's gaze.
"Look at me. If it's no, it's no. Tell me." She studied my face for a moment when I didn't immediately answer her.
I felt I owed Kyra something for the way that I'd treated her, but that in turn made me feel guilty under the sweet chocolate eyes that were waiting for me.
"If it's yes, then I'll call everyone in, and there will be rules, Edward Cullen, because that woman still has feelings for you."
"Bella," I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "That can't possibly be true..."
She laughed, but said nothing more on the subject. "Yes or no?"
My dad and Bella waited, staring at me patiently, and I sighed, completely defeated. "Call them in," I said, waving my hand at her.
"Fine," Bella huffed, her demeanor changing from patient, to all business. "Rules," she said, starting back toward the door.
"What rules?" my dad and I asked her at the same time.
"I don't know yet. I'll probably have to make them up as I go along," she answered, turning to us before she reached the door, a wry and wickedly sexy smile curling up on the corners of her mouth. "But right now," she said in a voice that sounded a touch angry, pointing to the floor, "that woman needs to understand just exactly who the fuck I am."
My dad laughed softly, slapping a hand down onto my shoulder and giving it a rough squeeze as she disappeared through his office doors. "You are in...so much trouble, son. I can't even imagine how much ass kissing you'll have to do."
I rolled my eyes and shirked out of his grasp in order to head back into his office. "Don't I know it."
~oOo~
BELLA
The doors clicked closed behind me, and I was well aware that every eye was on me as I stalked to Carlisle's desk in order to sit down in front of his computer. At the same time, I was dialing on my cell phone.
"Ali's Bar and Grill," she answered with a slight chuckle, and I grinned, pulling the computer keyboard closer to me.
"Hey, pixie, I need you online and at your sharpest. Pronto," I said, clicking open an empty email to get ready to send to her. "And then I need you, Jasper, Mickey, and Makenna at the office ASAP. Wes making an appearance wouldn't hurt, either."
"Oh damn, oh damn, oh damn," she chanted. "Caught a big one, did we?"
My eyes shot across the room to where Kyra, Teri, Cassie, and Gator were watching me with rapt attention. Kyra's narrowed-eyed, studying glare on me did not go unnoticed, either, because she'd completely stiffened when Edward had kissed my head earlier. He'd missed it, but I had not. At all. In fact, from the way that she'd greeted him, I'd been watching for it.
"You could say that," I sighed, trying not to roll my eyes when Edward and Carlisle walked back into the room and Kyra's eyes instantly drifted his way. "This will be...right up your alley," I muttered into the phone.
"Oookay," she said, dragging the word out, but chuckling at the same time as I heard her personal laptop come to life on the other end of the line. "I'm up. Hit me."
"All right, hang on," I told her, setting my phone down and turning my gaze to the room. "Gator," I said, and he stepped forward. "If we do this, I'll need complete and total cooperation on your end."
"Yes, ma'am," he answered with a quick nod. "What'cha need, Mrs. Cullen?"
I smiled down at my keyboard, because I liked him instantly, even from the minute he'd greeted Edward. He'd called me that on fucking purpose. He was sharp and didn't miss a damn thing. He had a sweet Southern charm about him that reminded me of Jasper, but more like Harry Connick Jr. He was lean, but by no means skinny, with light brown hair that fell casually to his forehead. He had a bit of ink showing just below the sleeve of his shirt on his bicep, and he carried himself with a surety that I'd come to recognize in just about all former military men.
"Please, call me Bella," I told him, finally meeting his sweet, eager, deep blue eyes. "I'll need every name of every person that comes in contact with her – makeup, musicians, managers, even down to the coffee runner. I'll need Kyra's itinerary, and I'll need it really detailed. I know she has things that she must get done, but we'll need to know ahead of time every step she's going to take...and for how long. And lastly, you'll have to concede all security measures to Alec and Edward."
Gator's eyebrows shot up, a smirk curling the corners of his mouth, and he turned to see Alec and Edward approaching the desk, but he was already nodding by the time he turned back to me. "You got it. It's done." He turned around. "Teri, you've got the itinerary, right?"
"Right here," she said, pulling a stack of pages out of her briefcase.
Cassie stood up as well, handing over another stack of pages and saying, "And this is the contact list we've drawn up for our time in Seattle."
I took both stacks of papers, starting with the calendar and flipping through it slowly. My nose wrinkled at the things Kyra had to do. It was busy and complicated. It was recording time, live shows, local TV appearances, and photo shoots. And fuck, if there wasn't a possible video to be made in the future. The list of contacts was a little different. There were some names that didn't have a last name attached, and some phone numbers were incomplete or scratched out.
I held up the contact list. "I'll need full names of these people. Everyone will have a background check done on them, and if they don't pass, they'll be released," I told Gator, who was nodding, but the song diva finally stood up from the sofa in the back of the room.
"Wait, you can't just fire my people," she gasped, rushing to the desk. "And some of those people don't have a last name," she argued petulantly. "My hair guy only goes by Godfrey."
"As unfortunate as that name is," I countered, ignoring Emmett's deep chuckle and Alice's giggle that tittered up through the phone in front of me, "I will and I can remove people from your presence. That is...unless you'd like for these threats to continue. Godfrey had a mother, which means he has a birth certificate and a social security number. He wasn't just hatched. If he can't come clean with a real name, then you'll be doing your own hair. Got me?"
Kyra scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning away from me. I noticed that the whole room had stilled. I could well imagine that no one told this woman no if she set her sights on something, especially the four people that worked with her on a daily basis, who were shifting uncomfortably on their feet. She was their paycheck. She was pampered, coddled, spoiled. But she was also in danger, if I was reading these threats correctly.
"Miss Bailey, you can pout all you'd like, but the fact of the matter is... These threats will only continue to get worse," I told her, and she slowly turned around to face me, her chin jutting out in defiance. "Let me guess how this started. One flower, not burned, but complete and perfect. It was maybe left on your pillow or on your dressing room table for you to find. No note. You maybe got two or three of them that way. Then they started coming wilted and dried out. Next thing you know, they're coming more frequently, only this time, they're burned to a fucking crisp." I tilted my head at her, watching as her mouth fell open in shock. I ignored Carlisle's beaming smile of pride and my husband's hand covering his mouth. "Wanna know what I think is next?"
"What?" she whispered, her eyes wide.
"Your stalker will start to slowly reveal himself. You'll get strange texts or hangups on your phone, no matter how many times we change the number. You'll get a note left on your pillow with the next flower, because he will want you to recognize that he exists soon. Hiding behind his anonymous gifts just won't do it for him. He will only get bolder, Miss Bailey. And soon...notes and flowers and texts won't be enough. He'll want to touch you. And that is when the shit will really hit the fan. That is when our job—" I gestured to myself, Alec, and Edward "—becomes extremely hard."
"What kind of damn flower!" Alice screamed from the phone that was still lying on the desk.
"Patience, Alice," I muttered, waiting for Kyra to respond.
"I can't live without Godfrey," Kyra murmured, her brow furrowing.
"Yes, doing our own hair is a hardship to bear, but believe me, most of us survive it," I said wryly, glancing up when even Cassie and Teri snickered softly. "I'm sure if you explained to Godfrey why you need his full name, he'll give it up, because he wouldn't want to lose the famous Kyra Bailey as his biggest client – especially if he loses her permanently to some crazed fan. Hmm?"
She pursed her lips, but finally acquiesced with a nod. "Okay," she sighed, nodding again. "Fine."
I turned back to Gator. "We'll need to remove her from the city," I told him. "No hotels, away from paparazzi, and no outside contact, except for whatever appearances are approved by Alec and Edward."
"Makes sense," he agreed.
"Do I cancel the reservations?" Cassie asked, pulling out her phone.
"No," I told her. "I'll have someone go by and check in for her. We'll let people think she's there, but she won't be." I rubbed my temple, and just before I picked my phone back up, I said, "And Gator, I'll need one of those flowers, please. Preferably bagged and barely touched."
"Yes, ma'am," he said, pulling out his phone and walking away from the desk a bit, where Cassie, Kyra, and Teri joined him.
I picked up my phone. "Marigolds, Alice," I told her, nodding when she gasped and cursed.
"Well, shit. And did I hear you right? This is Kyra Bailey we're dealing with?" she asked, typing away already. If I knew her well enough, she was already running a background check on the superstar.
"Exactly," I sang, smirking at her laugh on the other end.
"And just why do you sound like you hate her, Bellsy?" Alice teased, and I could only chuckle darkly at her.
"Later," I grunted. "Now... I'm scanning some stuff for you. I need you and Makenna on the contacts list immediately. Well, on as many that are complete on here. Kurt will help you when he gets back to the office. I'll have Rose take a look at this schedule of Kyra's. I need to work out a twenty-four-seven watch over her without killing ourselves."
"And just where are you putting her?" she asked.
"Carlisle's house in Forks at night, and with the crew during the day. If I have to lock her in Bethy's tree house to keep an eye on her, then so be it."
"Nice," she muttered. "Okay. Send me what you have. We'll see you back at the office."
"'Kay, bye," I told her, ending the call.
As I used Carlisle's scanner on the documents that I was sending to Alice, all of the boys, including Carlisle, crowded around the desk.
"You really think this stalker will try to get in contact with her? That he'll hurt her?" Edward asked, giving a glance over his shoulder to make sure the other group of people didn't hear him.
"I do," I said firmly, not looking up from the computer. "Alice taught me a thing or two, as well," I murmured, smirking when he and Kurt chuckled.
"This is gonna be some busy shit, isn't it?" Emmett questioned, picking up the schedule.
"We're starting right now, right?" Alec verified.
"Yeah," I sighed in answer to both questions, hitting send on Alice's email and finally looking up at my boys. "It's more than just guarding her, because she has so much to do. We'll need everyone on this." I rubbed my face, taking a deep breath and letting it out, before looking up at Carlisle. "It's just about September," I said to him. "I'll really need Esme on this, because Kyra's scheduled to stay here in Washington for the next two to three months. Bethy starts school in two weeks," I explained. "And then there's Samuel to deal with...not to mention Caleb," I said, gesturing to Emmett, who was nodding.
If we were going to pull everyone in, then our children needed to be considered.
"Sarah will help, Bellissima," Alec piped up. "You know that."
I nodded.
Carlisle's face was serious when he spoke. "Whatever you need, sweetheart. I'm sure she'll have no problem with that."
My gaze locked with Edward's. "I'm not missing her first day, though."
He grinned, walking around the desk to kneel before me. He cupped my face, his thumbs brushing my cheekbones lightly. "Absolutely fucking not!" he rumbled sexily, pulling me until our foreheads touched. "We'll both take her in, and we'll both pick her up that day. End of fucking story."
I giggled at his language, but his vow was solid. "Okay," I snickered at him, biting at my bottom lip.
"You're fucking sexy when you take control, sweetness," he crooned in my ear, smiling against my skin when I laughed.
"Mmhm," I purred with a smirk, nuzzling his scruffy jawline and inhaling deeply the scent of cologne, fresh cut wood, and clean soap – the smell that made up the deliciousness that was my husband. "Handcuffs," I sang in his own ear. "You know you want it."
The sweetest, sexiest, most hilarious sound escaped him, and his forehead hit my shoulder. It was a mix of a deep and dark laugh, a moan, and a grunt of pure insatiable lust. It was a sound I loved to hear, because it meant that I could still get to him.
"Mean, Bella," was all he said, his hands gripping at my sides, like he was holding himself back.
I giggled, pushing him back by his strong shoulders. "Maybe," I teased, "but we've got work to do. Would you please call Mickey and have her check in at the hotel under whatever name Kyra was supposed to be under?" I tugged the itinerary to me and handed it to him as he nodded and pulled out his phone, not leaving the spot in front of me. I turned to Kurt. "Kurt, honey... Please sit down with Cassie and Teri and go over that contacts list. Maybe they know a few of the names, but they just aren't written down."
"Yeah, sure, Bells," he said, taking the list from me and joining the group that had sat back down on the sofa.
"Amore," Alec called me softly, giving Kyra and her group a quick glance, "I'd like to get them out of the city ASAP, if you don't mind. I'll take first shift at Carlisle's house."
"I'll come with you. Esme and I will meet you there," Carlisle added with a swift nod. "I have a feeling we'll all be commuting from Forks for a while."
"I agree," I sighed wearily, because the road ahead looked tiresome and frustrating. I picked up my phone, dialing Rose.
"Well?" she answered without any preamble.
"We're taking this one," I told her. "I have everyone heading to the office now."
"Okay," she chuckled, and I could just imagine her sarcastically wicked smile. "What's she like?" she asked.
I laughed, humorlessly and darkly. "Oh, Rose... I'll let you see that for yourself," I snickered to my oldest and best friend as she cackled on the other end. "I can't wait until you meet her."
A/N... Now are you guys a little more relaxed? Look, everyone comes with baggage. This Edward and Bella are well aware of each others' pasts, and they accept them. Unfortunately, the past has a tendency to pop up now and then.
If you're wondering why Edward allowed the case...I'm sure guilt has a lot to do with it, but he also is aware that if Bella says the shit will get worse, then it will most likely get worse. He also has faith that his team is the best team and can handle the situation. And if you can't tell, if he didn't stress it enough...there isn't anyone that compares to his Sweetness. Okay?
For those of you readers that I lost, or may still lose after this chapter... Well, I'm sorry to see you go, because I think you're missing a helluva ride. But I can't force you to stay, so it's up to you. I'm sorry to see you go if you stop reading now. However, I can't apologize for the way the story is going, because we're only on chapter 3, and this sequel will require patience and faith for the whole thing to play out. Please try to remember that as we go on.
Oh...and my poor Twitter peeps that caught my rant. Yeah, sorry about that. I love you for boosting me back up, for calming me down, and for helping me see the idiocy of the whole thing. You guy know who you are...and I send big SMOOCHES. :)
Thank you to JenRar, who sends me awesome ideas at the most random times. Oh, and you totally kicked my muse into overdrive. To GooberLou, who threatened to sit on me if I pulled my FF profile, because I was THIS-CLOSE to stopping it all. And to MedusaInNY for all my bloggy things. Love you all.
Next chapter will be Sunday. I hope to see all of you still with me. So until then...Later! :)
