A/N... I want to remind you guys that I said this story would get frustrating, and even though I guaranteed no cheating, I didn't say it wouldn't be a rough ride. Now is the time to HANG IN THERE. Kyra won't be fixed overnight, the bad guy isn't going to magically appear and confess, and Emmett will continue to say stupid shit just to break the tension, because that's what he does. Yes, Edward needed to be reminded that something simple...like PDA...could be helpful to ease not only his wife, but perhaps himself, as well. This Edward has a tendency to overthink shit sometimes. Right? So just hold on...bear with me...and tough it out, because everything that you want is coming...
This is probably one of those frustrating chapters, because it's full of info, trips down creepy memory lanes, and a little bit more history about that old USO tour...
So I'll let you get on with it...but I really need you to read at the bottom...
CHAPTER 7
EDWARD
"Aw, Bells," Kurt whined, as he picked himself up for what seemed the hundredth time. "Must you kick my ass this damn hard so early in the morning? Ed's got coffee, right?"
I grinned, shook my head, and went back to putting the kids' lunches together – even Caleb's. My Bella had woken up with a touch of nerves this morning, because she was planning on telling Kyra her story about Miller. The subject of her torture, the reasons behind my wife's scars made my girl feel weak and anxious. I wasn't too sure she needed to be. Kyra was self-involved, but she wasn't stupid.
"You don't need coffee, Kurt," Bella countered, sounding amused, yet frustrated at the same time. "You need to watch that blind spot I keep catching you on. Someone will hurt you worse than I do if you don't get that crap straight. It won't be a knee in your chest; it'll be a gun. Now...again."
Chuckling softly at the pained expression on Kurt's face, I lined up all lunchboxes at the edge of the counter and leaned in the window to watch her. Bella was tough on him, but she'd had to be from the beginning. He was young – no more than twenty-two – and he had concentration issues due to his bi-polar disorder. She made sure he took his meds, stayed focused, and gave him responsibilities to keep him in line. And he did it for her – to the fucking letter – because she was giving him a chance that no one else would. It helped that all of us liked the kid. He was earnest, quick to learn, and respected each and every one of us.
They were working out right next to the chopper pad. The grass was soft, there was plenty of space, and it was just far enough away from the house that they'd been able to start without waking the kids too early.
I let my eyes soak up the sight of her, because she was so fucking sexy, and she had no idea. She pushed herself in these workouts, using them to keep in shape and to stay sharp. And Kurt would rather be taught by her than the martial arts instructor in town. He trusted Bella, but the big, steroid-popping asshole at the dojo, not so much. I had to agree with Kurt on that one. I'd gone with them to a few sessions. The fucking asshole instructor kept his eyes on my wife's ass, not the fucking lesson, which earned him a few kicks to his groin from my tiny, feisty brunette.
Wearing little black shorts and a tank top, Bella crouched, giving him instructions I couldn't quite hear, but if I knew her, she'd just told him she was about to take his weapon. I chuckled again, because Kurt tried his damnedest to put on a face of concentration. The kid wasn't a fighter, in all honesty, though at this point, he could protect himself fairly well. I wanted to join them, but I was waiting on Rose to arrive to take the kids to Mrs. Cope's.
A tug on my cargo shorts alerted me that I wasn't alone in the kitchen any longer.
"Me see," Sammy commanded, grinning up at me. "I wanna see, Daddy."
He'd been happily watching cartoons in the living room with Bethy and Caleb, the sound low as to not wake Kyra and Cassie. I bent down, scooping my little man up into my arms.
"You want to watch Mommy?" I asked him, pointing out the window, and he nodded slowly.
Just as Rose pulled into the driveway, Bella spun, kicking a strong leg out, and knocked Kurt to his ass. Samuel giggled when she landed on the poor guy...again. Kurt winced at Bella's smug smile, but she patted his face and got up.
"Mommy won," he stated.
"Yes, she did," I laughed softly, pressing a kiss to his temple, because he couldn't keep his eyes off his mother. He was totally and truly his mommy's boy. Not that I blamed him, but he had a bond with her, just like I had one with Bethy. But my son looked at his mother the way I used to look at mine, so yeah, I totally fucking got it. "You'd better go give her goodbye kisses before you head to Mrs. Cope's, yeah?"
"Yeah," he said in his usual slow, smiling way.
"Yeah," I mimicked him, walking him to the screen door, only to set him down.
His short, chubby legs pumped furiously across the yard, making a beeline straight for his mother. She knelt down, letting him tackle her onto her back, wriggling and squirming up to her face so that he could kiss her. My heart squeezed tight in my chest at how much I loved them sometimes. My family meant everything to me. It had been the reason I'd lost my mind the night before with Bella, because she needed to understand.
Every step, every scar, every pregnancy had been ours – mine and Bella's. It had been a struggle, a fight, and a fucking phenomenal victory to get where we were. Bethy had been a beautiful surprise that neither of us regretted, and Samuel had been the result of a really fucked up situation. He'd been conceived in the middle of Bethy's kidnapping. And Bella had fought so fucking hard to protect him, to carry him, because he'd been so strong, so big that he'd truly taken his tole on her physically, which probably explained how attached they were to one another.
Breaking my gaze away from the yard, I faced the duo in the living room. "Bethy, Caleb...it's time to go," I told them. "Get your lunches and snacks," I said, pointing to the kitchen as they got up from the couch.
"Okay, Daddy," Bethy chirped, looking like a setting sun.
Today's color was orange – an orange floral shirt with a denim skirt, and matching Chucks and hair thingies. Two long braids fell down each of her shoulders as she rushed past me, with Caleb as a younger shadow.
"Yes, Unca Edwurrd," Caleb answered.
He grabbed his lunchbox and bolted out the door to see his mother, who scooped him up to plant kisses on his cheeks.
I looked down at Bethy, who was holding her brother's lunchbox in one hand and hers in the other.
"Piggie back, Daddy," she ordered, smiling up at me.
"Your wish is my command," I chuckled, reaching down to pick her up, but flipping her so she landed on my shoulders with a squeal of delight and her legs on either side of my neck, lunches still in a tight grip. "Watch that noggin' of yours," I told her, ducking out the screen door.
She leaned down to hug my head, gigging and planting sloppy kisses to my cheek. "I forgot the extra 'mooches this morning," she whispered. "Sorry, Daddy."
"Oh, and you're not done, either," I growled dramatically at her. "That's not enough, little sweetness!"
I walked across the yard, holding onto her legs so she wouldn't fall, because she had a tendency to just...trust me. She wouldn't hold on, nor would she even try. Bella took the lunches from her hands so that I could spin Bethy around to my front, pretending to almost drop her, just to hear the hilarious squeak of surprise.
"Now...more!" I ordered, and my baby girl grabbed my face, giving my lips, my nose, my chin, and my cheeks extra love. "That's much better. I wasn't going to be able to face the day without those."
"Now you can!" she sang, puckering her lips for one more.
"I stole one last night, though," I whispered to her. "While you were sleeping."
She gasped, her little mouth forming an adorable circle. "You didn't!" she argued. "D-Daddy, I-I w-was s-saving th-them!"
Bella and Rose giggled softly, turning away, and even Kurt chuckled silently, because Bethy truly sounded affronted. Caleb and Sammy grinned from the car.
"Aw, baby," I whined, shaking my head. "I couldn't help it. I needed them to go to sleep."
Bethy pouted, giving me a slight tilt to her head. Sweet green eyes looked up at me through long eyelashes, and I suddenly was reminded of that cat in Shrek. I wrapped a braid around my hand, tugging it lightly.
"I'm sorry, little sweetness," I sighed, giving her the same look back, and that's when Rose and Bella truly lost it, hiding it behind their hands. "I really couldn't help it. I'll make it up to you. You can take one back."
Bethy's eyes softened, and a slow, wicked grin spread over her face, not unlike one her mother sported occasionally. Tiny hands grabbed my face again, and my cheek was given the sweetest, softest kiss of them all.
"Mine," she grunted with a nod. "I stole it back."
"That's my girl," I chuckled, wanting to just smother her to death hugs and kisses. There was a part of me that wanted only my family for the day, but I knew it was impossible. We had too much to do. "Be good and be safe today. Okay?"
"'Kay, Daddy. Love you!" she told me, and I set her down to let her clamber into the car.
Once all the kids had screamed their goodbyes, Rose pulled back out the driveway. Bella spun on Kurt, who truly looked the worse for wear, but he braced himself for some more sparring. I shot him a wink from behind my wife, scooping her up into my arms.
"Give the guy a break, sweetness," I crooned in her ear as she burst into an adorable laugh. "You'll hurt him."
Kurt sighed with relief, giving me a grateful look. "I'm going to start on that research, Bella," he said quickly, darting away before she could either argue or scramble down out of my arms.
"Edward," she whined, but her protests were ignored as I walked her back to the house.
"Nope, not listening," I sang, opening my mouth to her neck. "You've worked out. Now you can eat some breakfast, dammit."
Bella giggled, sagging in my arms. Tiny fingers cupped my face, because she couldn't get to my hair due to my baseball cap. "You're the bestest in the whole wide world," she purred teasingly, bringing my lips to hers – and sounding just like our daughter.
I walked her into the kitchen, plopping her down onto the counter.
"What's for breakfast?" she asked in a whisper and a touch of laughter.
"You," I growled, stepping between her legs. My fingers slipped just under the front of her tank top, grazing the sweet, but sweaty skin there. My thumb found one of her old scars and loved it thoroughly. "I'm thinking...chocolate syrup, whipped cream, maybe some...cherries. You need your energy back from all that workin' out..."
Bella laughed, her head falling back, and I took the opportunity to leave an open mouth kiss to her neck. Movement caught my eye in the stainless steel fridge, which meant someone was just outside the kitchen, but I didn't stop. Dragging my lips up to her ear, I dragged my teeth along the spot that always caused her to whimper just a little.
My hand flattened underneath her shirt, pulling her closer to me. My other hand wrapped her ponytail around my hand, forcing her mouth to mine. Warm fingers slipped up my arms and under the sleeves of my t-shirt, and I knew Bella was tracing every swirl of my ink on my upper arm. By now, she had the shit memorized. I claimed her mouth, relishing the taste of her, sweet, salty, and just Bella, finally pulling back to press my forehead to hers.
"Love you, sweetness," I breathed, because her laughter, her happy smile at the moment was too much to resist. I fucking lived for that sound.
"Love you, too, Edward," she sighed, grazing my lips with her own one more time. "Breakfast, baby..." she reminded with an urging tone and a giggle.
"Oh, yeah," I chuckled, stepping back from her, but pointing a finger in her direction. "You make me lose track of shit."
"Yeah, like that's hard to do," she chortled wryly, rolling her eyes. "I still need a shower, you know."
"I'll show you hard..." I growled, starting to step back to her, but we were no longer alone in the kitchen. "Morning Kyra, Cassie," I said, barely letting my eyes drift away from my wife's smug smirk. Her back was to them, but I'd been totally busted. However, I was pretty sure Bella didn't give a fuck, because she was looking at me like I was what she was about to devour for breakfast.
Bella licked her lips, shook her head, and then slipped down gracefully from the counter. "Morning, guys," she greeted with a smile.
Both ladies were dressed casually in jeans and long sleeve henleys, though high end, from the looks of it. Cassie looked like she was fighting her smile, but Kyra's face was expressionless.
"Please, join us. Coffee's made, and I think Edward was about to make breakfast," Bella said, snorting on the last word.
I grinned, shaking my head and turning away from the women in the room. I gathered down mugs from the cabinet, pouring three cups and setting them on the counter.
"Go get your shower, baby," I told Bella. "It'll be ready by the time you're done."
"Sure," she said, standing up on her toes to kiss me. "Be right back."
I nodded, watching her walk away.
I expected a snarky and ungrateful attitude from Kyra by the time I turned my attention to her and Cassie as they took seats at my kitchen bar, but I was wrong. Both were pretty quiet as I pulled out the real breakfast, not the hot fudge sundae shit I'd threatened to pour all over my wife.
"Did you guys sleep okay?" I asked, whisking eggs, starting the bacon, and popping toast into the toaster.
"Yes, Edward. Thank you," Kyra said, and I looked back over my shoulder to see Cassie nodding quietly. "Um...did you find anything last night?"
I shook my head, continuing to work. "No. Nothing. But if the asshole drove up to my dad's, then we destroyed the tire tracks when we came in afterward. No one tried to break in, and it didn't look like they'd come through the woods." I shrugged a shoulder. "We should hear from our guy Wes today, though. He sent the flower and letter off to the FBI lab."
"FBI?" Cassie gasped, practically choking on her coffee.
"Easy," I chuckled, sliding a napkin her way. "He's a friend doing us a favor. Alice will still do most of the computer work. You'll see. I'm sure Bella will take you out there today." I jerked a thumb toward the window, where Gravity's office was already starting to fill up. Makenna had just pulled in, with Mickey not far behind her.
"Why would she do that?" Kyra asked, narrowing her eyes at me.
I took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "This type of case requires everyone to help – especially you. Sometimes, there will be someone around you that you may not suspect. We'll need you two to look at videos, pictures, maybe try to tell us about some past issues. You don't have any appointments today, so the girls and Kurt want to work with you."
"You won't be with us?" she asked, and I rolled my eyes at my stove, because I could hear disappointment.
"No. Emmett, Jasper, and I are going to the arena today to speak with security before your show next week. We also have to stop by some TV station you're supposed to go to in a few days. We need to see a layout of the building, just in case something happens," I explained with my back still facing them.
I plated the eggs, toast, and bacon, reaching in the fridge to grab a bowl of fruit I'd cut up for the kids. I set it all down in front of them, sliding a stack of plates down.
"I see you still cook," Kyra purred with a smile, looking up at me through her eye lashes.
"I have since I was fourteen," I countered, shrugging one shoulder, but glanced up when Bella walked back into the room, looking fresher and slightly amused.
"Yeah, you told me back then," Kyra sighed, "but you never had the chance to show me."
Cassie gave me an apologetic smile, taking a bite of toast. "Thanks, Edward."
"No problem," I told her, giving my wife a wink. "Just in time, sweetness," I chuckled, meaning for both breakfast and for saving my ass, and I swung her up onto a stool.
She grinned, shaking her head, because she'd totally heard that shit. Her smile fell, because she had to tug her shirt back down, but it was the stares from the two other ladies that had caused the room to suddenly freeze. I'd exposed Bella's old scars without thinking.
"Sorry, love," I whispered, kissing her forehead.
"It's all good," she murmured, pulling the bacon closer. "Thanks, baby," she sang with a grin, popping a piece of cantaloupe into her mouth.
"I'm going to grab the guys and get on the road, baby," I told her, kissing her cheek. "Is Rose getting the kids?"
"One of us will," Bella told me with a nod. "Keep in touch. Be safe."
"You, too," I whispered against her cheek. "Love you. You call me when you're done telling them."
"'Kay," she whispered back.
Grabbing my jacket and keys off of the kitchen table, I gave the ladies a wave and headed out to grab the guys. With one last glance back at my girl, I also decided to have the girls keep an eye out for Bella. I was pretty sure she would need them after her talk with Kyra.
~oOo~
BELLA
"No, Alice, you'll have to handle it until we get out there," I said on my cell phone as I cleaned up the kitchen from breakfast. It had been uneasy in the room, because I could see the side glances that both Kyra and Cassie were giving me after having seen my scars. "You need time to run the prints anyway, right?"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah," she chanted in her usual three time manner. "I just was letting you know that Wes wasn't able to get anything off of the flower. There was a partial print on the letter, so I'll set the search now."
"Okay. We'll be out a little later, but you can call me if you need me," I told her.
"You all right?"
"Yup," I sighed, throwing the dishrag back into the sink. "Never better."
"Okay," she said, dragging the word out. "Later."
I pocketed my phone, walking around the kitchen and into the living room. Cassie was seated on the sofa, but Kyra was gazing up at a few pictures that Edward and I deemed priceless. They were the photos of our parents, before and after we'd been born. Carlisle and my dad, Charlie, had been best friends from about middle school on, and due to Carlisle's military career and my dad's business, they hadn't been able to get their wives together as often as they'd wanted. When they had, though, Renee and Liz had been instant BFFs. I was pretty sure both beautiful women were plotting to put us together before we were even born, so the fact that we were together, married, and had children made the pictures Kyra was currently staring at all the more special to me and Edward.
"You've known Edward your whole life," Kyra surmised, not looking at me, but strolling to the wall unit to look at the rest of our framed memories.
"Actually, no," I said, smiling when she glanced up at me. "Our parents wanted that for us, but life kind of got in the way. My mother died when I was almost nine. My dad and I lived in Seattle. Edward's mother died when he was twelve, and Carlisle's job kept him pretty scarce. We met then," I said, pointing to the picture of the day I was born. I was curled tightly around a three-month-old Edward, not unlike how I slept next to him now. "And then again when we were twelve and thirteen. He and his dad lived here in Forks. I went to school in Seattle, Edward was shipped off to military school in California, and Carlisle was always traveling, so I never really saw him until I was about twenty-six, when he...when he and Carlisle..."
I took a deep breath and let it out, well aware that both women were watching me. I gazed up at a picture of mine and Edward's wedding day. I'd been seven months pregnant with Bethy, but the pure unadulterated love that surrounded us was what pushed me forward.
I turned back to Kyra. "The guy that's following you, that's leaving flowers for you... We classify him as a stalker, but he's more, Kyra," I started. "What I'm about to tell you will scare you, but I'm hoping you at least listen. This isn't to be taken lightly, because your stalker is showing us signs like we've seen before. He's delusional, claiming that you...owe him somehow. He's smart, because he's able to get so very close to you without alerting you. And he's deadly, because he has every intention of getting to you. Until we study his profile, narrow down suspects, and learn new information, we won't know exactly what we're dealing with, but I..."
"Have an idea?" Kyra asked. "Edward said you know criminals... that you understand this...this thing that's happening."
She sat down next to Cassie, and both women gave me their undivided attention.
"My guess is that he's a serial stalker," I told them, sitting down across from them in the chair, "which means he's done this before, and I'm willing to bet once we're able to really start looking into the people that work around you, study some old security video, and figure out what to look for, we're going to discover there is a trail of...victims prior to you."
"Why do you think that?" Cassie piped up, her brow furrowing as she glanced between me and Kyra.
"Because his letter to you was a true threat," I stated, looking down at my lap. I was wearing shorts, so the scar on my thigh stood out. I rubbed my thumb over it, drawing from the love that Edward had ravished on me the night before. I needed it to get through this next conversation. "Because he sounds like Riley Miller."
Just saying the name made me queasy. I huffed a breath, finally meeting Kyra's gaze. Her eyes, though, were on my leg as I continued to touch it.
"Who?" Cassie whispered, but I went on.
"You need to understand why we've placed all these restrictions, all these rules around you. You need to know just what could happen if you let your guard down for one single second," I explained, my voice just a little too sharp.
I began to talk, and I didn't stop. I couldn't look at them, either. I spoke to some spot on the sofa between them, but they never interrupted, except to clarify something.
Beginning with my job, with Gravity, I told them about Senator Alvarez and his fetish for young girls and spankings. I told them about Charlie, Royce King, and King's reliable right hand man, Riley Miller. I explained how Carlisle had started my business, was someone I could trust, and about a strange phone call from him to stay low and out of sight. And I had to stop for a moment when I spoke of a long shower that I never should've taken, how it had allowed that one brief lapse in caution that let a man into my hotel room just outside of San Francisco.
"Miller was...a monster," I whispered, getting up from my chair. "There's no other word for him. Technically, the FBI now has him labeled as a serial killer, but that doesn't even come close to painting the real picture of him," I continued, starting to pace in the living room.
I spoke of cabins, basements, and rats. I described my three days of torture, starvation, and thirst. While speaking of the smell of burned flesh, fresh blood, and the feel of being touched without permission, I gazed out my living room window out over my yard. I had to force myself to remember that it was over, that I was home, that Edward's soothing voice was just a phone call away once the story was over.
"Miller kept telling me that I couldn't stop him. He repeatedly showed me exactly what keeping me strapped to a table was doing to him. And he told me it would only be him that I would see." I paused, finally facing the women, who now were on the edge of my sofa, looking rather worried. "Do you hear your letter in there?"
Kyra nodded, as did Cassie, but it was the former that spoke. "Did he... I mean, were you..."
"Raped?" I asked, and she nodded again. "No. I wasn't, but he came damned close," I sighed, sitting down in front of them again. I rubbed my scar again on my leg. "I'm covered in these...mainly my torso. But this one..." I smiled, shaking my head. "This was the last one the asshole gave me, because just as he was about to...finish, an alarm sounded."
Continuing the story, I explained how my girls were working with Edward and Carlisle's crew. I had no alternative but to tell Kyra exactly what those boys used to do for a living. Once I'd told them everything – beach houses, PTSD, mountain cabins, Royce King's arrest, fearless, selfless mercenaries – I sighed wearily.
"What happened to Miller?" Kyra asked, gazing up at me, her face softening a bit.
"He's dead," I stated coldly, nodding once.
The room fell silent. There was a part of me that wanted to run from the house and call Edward, just to hear his voice. And I totally planned to do just that, but not yet.
Meeting Kyra's gaze, I saw awe, nausea, and a whole lot of fear, whether the latter was of me, I wasn't sure, because she flinched when I moved. But I also saw understanding, because she now knew why I'd frozen at the top of some basement steps, why my body was covered in scars, and why Edward was so very protective of me – almost violently so.
"I know that laying low can be hard," I told her gently. "I know that being unable to follow your routine, speak with friends and family, and constantly looking over your shoulder is a pain in the ass. I had to stay in hiding, speak to no one, and avoid being seen at all costs. You can work, at least...not everything, but some things. We will protect you, but you have to do as we tell you. Trust me...I will do everything that I possibly can to keep this guy away from you. I promise," I said, standing up from my chair. "No one should experience what I did. And when it comes to cases like this, Edward and those boys aren't just...private investigators working for me; they become something...else."
Kyra turned to Cassie, speaking softly. "Will you go get our things? We'll need them out at their office."
Cassie nodded and silently stood up and left the room.
Kyra turned back to me, swallowing nervously. "I'm sorry I've been...difficult," she said simply, wrinkling her nose a bit. "I really didn't believe Gator when he said this guy was...more. I've had rambunctious fans before, so I just didn't see the difference, you know?"
"Yeah, I get it. And if we're wrong, and it is just an over-zealous fan, then I'll apologize now."
"But you don't think he is," she stated.
"I don't think he is," I sighed, shaking my head no. "I'd rather be safe than sorry." I started to leave the room, because I really needed to call my husband and grab some shoes before we went out to my office. "Look, Kyra," I sighed, facing her, "I know you don't like me, and a byproduct of that is that you don't trust me. But my experience will help you."
She was shaking her head no, and then stood up. "I don't know you, Bella, and I envy you," she groaned, looking away from me and at a picture of me and Edward at the beach safe house from when we were hiding out, just the two of us. "You have no idea how much he's changed. I hardly recognized him when he walked into his father's office. He was..."
"Cold. Before, I mean," I finished for her, and she nodded. "Yeah, he was that way when I met him. He just...changed."
I could still see her jealousy, and I could tell that she'd meant what she'd told Edward in the car the day before. She'd recognized the Cullen name when she'd heard that Carlisle had taken over Solstice Music. No matter how that very first meeting would've had turned out, she still would've asked about Edward. I wanted to tell her to fucking forget it, but I was too drained from the dredging up of Miller's memory.
"You're lucky," she sighed.
"I am," I agreed. "I'll be right back, and then we'll head out to the office."
I walked down the hall, pulling my phone out of my pocket. I couldn't dial Edward fast enough.
"Sweetness," he answered, almost sounding relieved. "How'd it go?"
"Just...peachy," I muttered, snatching my sneakers out of my closet, smiling at his amused and very sexy chuckle. "It went fine. She listened."
"I don't care about her," he scoffed, and I could practically see his beautiful green eyes rolling. "How are you, love?"
"I'm...tired," I admitted. "I just needed to hear your voice after that."
"Okay," he sang dramatically. "Then listen to this shit..."
For the next five minutes, he made me giggle by telling me all about the boys pretending to be news anchors at the TV station, and currently, they were rock stars at the arena. Jasper even got on the phone and ratted Emmett out about some threesome conversation they'd had in the car. By the time a cry of pain echoed through the phone, due to someone getting the shit beat out of them, I was in tears of hysterical laughter.
The phone fumbled loudly, and Edward got back on the line, panting. "I swear to God, I didn't listen to that fucked up threesome bullshit, baby. I-I p-promise. I-I s-swear," he sputtered quietly.
"Oh, Edward," I tried to croon, but it only came out as a chuckle. "We've had that conversation before. I do believe that you and I are fairly selfish bitches, and we don't share. And no matter how fuckhot you are, I'm pretty sure she wouldn't touch me...even to get to you."
His laughter was deep and sexy through the line. "No one touches you," he huffed, but broke into another chuckle. "Wait! Did you just call me a bitch?"
"I did. Now...hurry the hell up and get home to me," I ordered, still laughing.
"Yes, ma'am," he answered through his own laughter.
~oOo~
"Rules," Alice huffed, looking fierce as she slid Kyra's and Cassie's phones toward them. And hell, if she didn't sound like me the night before. "When it comes to communication, there are rules." She rounded he gaze on Cassie, who flinched. "No tweeting, no email, no unauthorized phone calls. From this point on, there will be no more promoting."
"Okay," Cassie breathed, pulling her phone closer, but not actually picking it up. I was pretty sure she was afraid to even touch the screen.
Alice turned her smart, sharp gaze on Kyra. "And you... Who touches your phone?" she asked.
"Well, I... I mean, everyone – Gator, Cassie, Ike..." Kyra rambled off, looking a touch nervous.
The name Ike caused me, Rose, and Mickey to snap our gazes around to her. He was the one person we hadn't met yet and who was due in later that day. Our curiosity was about to get the best of us.
"Sometimes, it freezes on me. And they put appointments and contacts in it for me," she explained nervously.
"Okay, well...new rule for you, too," Alice huffed, rolling her eyes. "If it freezes, you bring it to me. And no one is to touch it from this point on. Someone downloaded a tracking app onto it, and that was how they were aware of where you were. At all times." Alice glared at both women. "As much as I live for technology, it can be a pain in the ass. It's the easiest way for someone to snatch your identity, find out where you are, or steal from you. You have to be careful. Now, I've cleared both phones completely, changed your numbers, and now you belong to me," she smiled evilly, causing Rose to snicker softly from her chair next to me. "Every inbound, outbound, and missed call will record onto that computer," she stated, pointing to the computer room. "Every email, text, and photo will come through me first. I'm filtering everything. Hell, if you can...don't use the sons of bitches at all."
Kurt snorted, glancing up from his laptop and giving Alice an amused smirk. "Wouldn't tracking her calls make it easier to find this guy, Ali? I mean...let her answer it, use it."
"Not at the moment," she answered him, falling down in her chair in front of her collection of computers. "Because this guy has only given us the first taste. And he's writing, not calling...yet. Which reminds me," she said, spinning to face me. "Bells, he's..."
"Dèja vu," I stated simply, ignoring my girls' and Kurt's worried looks. "Yeah, I know. Which makes me think there's a history out there to be found, but finding it is the problem."
"Okay, so what are we working on today?" Makenna asked, leaning on the table next to my arm.
I took a deep breath, looking around at my crew. "Kurt's working on the internet – the rumors now flying around about Edward, where the blogs originate from, and he's watching Twitter. Alice is now running a scan for that partial print that Wes found on the note, scanning through call logs from both Kyra's and Cassie's phones, and waiting for Gator's contact to send some old security footage from Kyra's last few gigs. We're specifically looking for the last hotel visit that earned her the flower before the one at Carlisle's." I rubbed my temple, mentally scrolling down the list. "Mack, you and I are going to sit down with Cassie and go over some old issues and photographs. Rose, I'd like you and Mickey to work with Kyra, please. Go over her schedule, what we should expect and from whom. The guys are working with security at the TV station and the arena."
"What about Carlisle?" Rose asked, glancing up from the notes she was taking.
"He's with Gator and Alec. Ike Raulson is flying into Seattle today. I believe they're getting him settled in someplace, if not at Carlisle's," I told her.
Not one word of argument was heard. In fact, everyone teamed off like I'd asked. We had a few hours before the kids needed to be picked up from Mrs. Cope's, and the boys weren't due back just yet. The room became a flurry of work, hushed whispers, and typing.
"Okay, so let's see..." Mack hummed to herself, but she was pulling up some pictures that we'd found on Kyra's official Facebook page. They spanned throughout most of the singer's career, including the early stages when she was working on the children's show. "Cassie, is there anyone you don't like? I mean, is there someone that makes you uncomfortable?" she asked her.
Cassie wrinkled her nose, but didn't answer right away.
"Think, honey," I urged, softening my voice. "Kyra's used to being surrounded all day by rude, obnoxious people. She probably doesn't even give it a second thought anymore, but you... You would notice. Think back... Is there someone in Kyra's dating life maybe, or even just someone casual that you didn't like?"
Cassie laughed, though it was completely humorless. Then she looked up at me apologetically. "Sorry," she sighed, shaking her head. "I know he's your husband, but you have no idea what happened to Kyra after Afghanistan..."
I sighed, wincing a bit, but braced myself for this next conversation. "There's not much you can tell me about Edward that will shock me, Cassie, so just...tell us."
"Edward really tried to take care of us over there, you know?" she started, still looking rather sheepish, and I knew right then that she liked Edward, respected him – and me, too, from how she was so very polite. "We were the only girls, and he felt bad when things got rough or people got out of hand."
Mack and I nodded, because that sounded like Edward – always the protector, even if it was something as simple as making sure no one overstepped their bounds. I could well imagine that both of Edward's parents had ingrained in him to be that way.
Cassie gave a side glance Kyra's way, probably to make sure that she wasn't listening, and then turned back to us. "Oh, they were attracted to each other instantly, but Edward never led her on. I can attest to that," she stated, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. "I love Kyra; she's my best friend, my boss, and I'd do anything for her, but she used him just as much as he used her. Sorry..." she added, giving me another pained look.
I chuckled, grabbing her hand. "I'm aware of their relationship, so just talk."
"I overheard Edward tell Kyra that he wasn't the dating type. That he was stuck in a war, and he didn't even know if he'd even come home, so he couldn't be anything...more to her. He didn't lead her on...it was the other way around," Cassie said with a grimace. "She knew," she scoffed. "I told her to tell Edward that she was married, but that it was over, but Kyra was pissed about the divorce taking so long. I think she used Edward to get over Roger, to be honest, because she wasn't with anyone at all up until the USO tour."
"Wait, wait, wait," Mack stopped her, holding up her hands. "Let me get this straight... Kyra got married at eighteen, filed for divorce at nineteen, and still didn't knock boots until she was twenty-one?"
"Mack," I groaned, rolling my eyes at Cassie's giggle. "That's so crass...stop listening to Emmett."
Mack grinned, shoving me a little.
"No, she didn't," Cassie snickered. "She really loved Roger, but he cheated...with the woman he's currently married to, actually. But he played her...took her for a lot of money, and she dragged it out. On purpose."
"Ah," I sighed, sitting back in my chair, because I could just see how the whole thing had happened.
Kyra had most likely been head over heels in love at the young age of eighteen, but Roger saw nothing but dollar signs when he looked at the singer, so he dated her, married her, and then when he found the one person he wanted to be with, he cheated on her. So when she filed for divorce and he'd wanted money, she'd decided to punish him. I wasn't sure that I blamed her on that one.
"She didn't sleep with anyone, because she was trying to prove his adultery," I surmised, raising an eyebrow at Cassie.
"Yeah, exactly." She nodded vehemently. "Until Edward. He was the first guy that caught her eye. I'm not sure she was in love with him, but he did make her feel safe, protected. I think she just wanted to latch onto that...and not let go."
"And now?" Makenna snarked, rolling her eyes at my tsk to her.
Cassie snorted, but leaned in closer. "She's so fucking scared, Bella. And seeing Edward again...he really does make her feel safe. You all do," she stated, sitting back up a bit. "I know she doesn't show it, but she is grateful for your help."
Mack and I nodded, waiting for her to continue, because she obviously had a point to make.
"Anyway," Cassie sighed, "after we left Afghanistan, Kyra was...angry. She thought for sure Edward would change his mind. She told all of us that if he called, to patch him through to her immediately. She didn't care what she was doing."
"But he didn't call," I added, because Edward and Kyra had argued about this in the car the day before.
"No, he didn't. And I didn't think he would, either," she answered, shaking her head. "But after a few weeks turned into months, she became...hard, cold. She was divorced by then, working on movies, a new album, and she started dating. If you could call it that..." Cassie's voice trailed off. "I tried to calm her down, get her to stop, but it gave her some sort of satisfaction. She'd really loved Roger, had really felt safe with Edward, and both had rejected her, so she did the same to others."
I wrinkled my nose, letting a long, slow breath out. "Was there someone that took it wrong?"
"There were a few, but you have to understand how it is in Hollywood," she snorted, rolling her eyes. "They just...get over it. They move on to the next shooting star."
"Okay, well, we found a director, a co-star, and a producer..." Mack said, pointing to her screen. "Was there someone else, maybe?"
"The co-star was a publicity stunt," Cassie answered immediately. "The powers that be thought that if they acted like they had fallen in love just like their characters, then the draw to the film would be bigger. It worked. The producer was an ass. He used her as arm candy, and then once he was finished with his project, they split up. The director was really sweet, though. Jordan Nichols...so cute that he should've been in front of the camera and not behind it. And I think he got the worst of her attitude. He was young, new to the business, and lucked out with getting her to agree to his film. But he broke up with her. I was there. He couldn't take her drinking, her late nights, or her flirting with other men."
"Jordan Nichols is hot," Mack muttered, an incredulous look on her face when she asked the next question. "How'd she let that get away?"
Cassie chuckled and shrugged. "I don't know...I don't look at guys, really. But I liked Jordan. He was polite, willing to look past her attitude, but he just got tired of it after a while, you know?"
I peeked over Makenna's shoulder to see what the guy looked like. My eyebrows shot up, because he was really hot. He was the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. With chestnut hair that seemed to have a touch of curls to it, deep brown, sultry eyes, and a beautiful smile, he stood next to Kyra at some formal event. He wore a tux in the photo, but even in a quickly taken picture, I could tell that the man was in shape.
"Damn," I chuckled, looking back to Cassie. "And he's sweet?"
"Oh yeah, like flowers, candles, massages type sweet," Cassie giggled. "And I would love to see her with him. In fact," she said, lowering her voice to barely a whisper, "he's the director for her video."
"Hot damn," Makenna cheered, covering her mouth when the whole room looked up at her.
I laughed, shaking my head. "Okay, so note to self," I chuckled, thinking that if we could get Kyra's attention off of my husband and back onto Jordan, that would definitely be a good thing. "Now...those are the guys that seemed all right. What about others?"
Cassie shook her head. "She started to sneak around after Jordan, because I was pissed and she avoided me. I pleaded his case just about every day. We'd go to bed, but she'd sneak out to party. I was a afraid she'd need rehab if it got any worse."
"I remember that," Makenna murmured. "She was seen with some of the biggest club-goers in LA."
"Fuck," I sighed, giving a glance across the room. "You know...eventually, she's going to have to own up to her sexual history. We'll need to know them. All of them."
"She barely acknowledges it to me," Cassie countered, "but I'd be willing to bet this guy may be a jilted lover."
"Can you try?" I asked her. "She's definitely going to open up quicker to you than me. She fights me – and considers me in the way of something she wants."
"Aw, she doesn't want Edward," Cassie groaned, putting her head in her hands. "She thinks she does, but I really just think it's closure she needs. He's the only guy that told her no...that didn't follow her around like a puppy."
Mack sucked her teeth, rolling her eyes. "She'll get closure if she keeps that shit up. It'll be Bellsy that gives it to her."
I pursed my lips at the girl I loved like a baby sister and shook my head. "Shut it, Mack."
Cassie chuckled, but then shrugged. "Perhaps this is all a lesson for her. Gator and I have been trying to get her straight for some time now. And this will be hard."
We all let out a deep breath, but I thanked Cassie for her honesty. She was so damn quiet, but I knew that if I got her alone, she'd be filled with information that she probably wasn't even aware that she had.
Mack, Cassie, and I continued to work for the next hour. We searched through what seemed to be a billion pictures. Makenna made a small list of men that Cassie pointed out so that she could research them later. It was men Cassie was unsure of, men that she suspected Kyra had had a relationship with, and men that Cassie had not liked at all. The more we worked, the more she opened up, and I couldn't help but thank her again.
I glanced at my phone, seeing a missed text from Sarah. Looking at the time, I stood up. "Cassie, next, I want you to think about behind the scenes people. Maybe a bad mood, a bad day...and Kyra perhaps offended someone?" I said, but posed it like a question. "Mack will work with you, but I've got to go get the kids."
"You're going?" Rose asked, looking up from her conversation with Mickey and Kyra.
"Yeah," I said with a nod, gathering up my things. "Sarah needs to take Abby shopping for school clothes and supplies. The girls will want to go together. I'll keep Caleb with me. He and Sammy can suffer shopping together," I chuckled.
Everyone gave me a quick update as to their progress before I left. Alice had received the hotel security footage from the hotel that Kyra had gotten one of her flowers. She was currently scanning through it. The fingerprint was still being run through whatever database that the genius pixie used, as well. Rose, Mickey, and Kyra were all still going over the schedule in detail. The next event was another recording session in two days, then a TV interview with a local morning show, and finally, a concert at the arena, the latter having been scheduled ages ago, where most of the proceeds went to charity. Lastly, Kurt looked up, bleary-eyed and tired, telling me that there was no new information concerning Edward's presence in Kyra's life. Oh, blogs, social networks, and fans wanted to know who he was, but they weren't getting anywhere at finding out.
As I left, I just hoped that mystery stayed a mystery, because I just couldn't have him threatened, as well.
A/N...PLEASE READ THIS...Someone stated in a review from the last chapter that Bella was a ticking time bomb...BINGO. Please understand...Bella is carrying a lot of weight right now... She's trying to be professional, trying to help Carlisle with this woman, trying to keep her house running, and trying to keep her temper under control with Kyra's blatant disrespect. Yes, she asked Edward if they should take the case, due to his history with Kyra, but had it been a clone of Miller and nothing to do with Edward's past...she STILL would have taken the case, because that's just who Bella is.
Now...the threesome thing... Really? This bothered some of you, and I don't get it. Because I know for a FACT that most people (and certainly this is the case with my family and friends) use HUMOR to get through tough times. It breaks up the heavy shit, gives you a chance to step back and really look at things from another angle, and it keeps you from ending it all. Emmett wasn't even close to being serious...that's why at the end of the conversation, he verified that Edward didn't want anything to do with Kyra and suggested the PDA...and believe me, if you've never listened to men when they're talking trash...then you're totally missing out on genius conversations such as that one. It's sex, sports, drinking...and tits. Really. They aren't discussing nuclear science or color samples for the master bathroom. Nor are they usually all warm and fuzzy either. It's testosterone at its finest. O.o
Now...next chapter will move forward through time a bit. Not much, but about a week. You'll get to see Bethy's first day of kindergarten...and maybe...just MAYBE Bella's calm demeanor slips a touch... Hmmm?
I need to send 'mooches to JenRar for her mad beta skills. To GooberLou, who has battled it out with me over this damn timeline. And to MedusaInNY for helping with my blog. I want to send a GIANT GET WELL to les16. I hope you feel better soon.
Chapter 8 is done...so most likely it will post on Sunday. Until then... Later
