Word Prompt: Alert
Plot Generator—Phrase Catch: Run like the wind. Repeat the phrase to yourself five times, open a blank word document and begin.
Twilight, and all recognizable characters, belong to SM.
not beta'd. rated M.
Oh, God.
The most brutal fear I'd ever felt snaked up through my belly, coiling itself around my throat. I couldn't even swallow as Edward came toward me, his features becoming visible as he stepped into the dim, blue glow.
He took the remote control from me and switched the TV off, plunging us back into darkness. A second later his hand found mine and he pulled me gently up. "Told you not to watch that shit," he whispered.
Rendered speechless by how real things had just gotten, I stood frozen, unable to quell my nerves. Edward was a wanted man. He'd done something bad enough to warrant not just jail time, but heavily protected transport. I was protecting a fugitive.
My eyes had adjusted to the dark again, and I saw that he was looking down at me.
"Please," I whimpered.
His arms slid around me. "I said I wouldn't hurt you and I meant it."
"Who did you hurt?"
"People who got in my way."
My knees gave, but he held on to me, his heart pounding the same way mine was. In a burst of crazy, I shoved him away and clambered over the couch. I didn't know where I was going - there was literally nowhere to go and I couldn't see a thing - but my flight instincts were finally kicking in and I needed to put as much distance between us as possible.
But he caught me in seconds, grabbing my arm and yanking me back against his chest.
"I'll leave in the morning."
We stood there like that, cold and in the dark, silent, until he let go and walked away. I stood for a moment, watching. There wasn't much I could do but follow, and he must've known I would because he waited for me at the foot of the stairs.
I lay on my side, staring at the window, Edward's body curved around mine. The big spoon to my little, he'd managed to doze off again, but for obvious reasons I couldn't. Outside, the snow had finally stopped, and the sky was clear. I hadn't been able to see the stars in weeks, but tonight they shone bright.
I thought about the unfairness of it all. The one guy that had managed to wake me up was a criminal. Maybe even a killer. Who was I kidding - he was definitely a killer. I had absolutely no idea how this was going to end; I just prayed I wouldn't end with it.
Tears rolled sideways across my face, dripping off of my nose and on to my pillow. Now that the jig was up, Edward hadn't bothered to hide my phone again. It sat silently on the nightstand, an unlikely harbinger of bad news.
I won't hurt you, but you can't tell anyone I'm here. Okay?
Okay.
And I wouldn't. Not tonight, anyway. Still, there were messages on that phone I needed to read. As if it knew I was watching, the screen lit up with a new alert. I carefully reached for it and accessed my older texts, going for Jacob's first.
I heard something rather disturbing from Rosalie. Are you all right, Bells?
and then
I'm on my way. Stay inside.
My heart clenched. I looked at the time stamp on the message; it had been sent hours ago. He was coming, my misguided knight in shining armor, storming the castle the way he always did. And that's if he got here before the inevitable search party did. We were running out of time.
I cringed inwardly. We. Yeah - Edward was running out of time, not me. I'd done nothing wrong, unless you counted emotional crimes to oneself.
"You gonna answer him?" Edward's gravelly voice asked, seconds before he plucked the phone away and tossed it to the floor.
"No," I whispered, letting him turn me over to face him. "I just wanted to see what he had to say."
"Who is he?"
"My ex boyfriend. He's a cop."
Edward chuckled darkly. "How appropriate."
"I wasn't going to say anything." Anger flared through me, and I wiggled out from under him. "I said I wouldn't. You want me to trust you? Well, you need to trust me."
"I do trust you," he said, rolling on to his back. "I'd be gone already if I didn't."
I barely slept. When I did, it was in fits and snatches, a confusion of dreams and reality. When I did finally wake for good, Edward was gone. I sat up, wondering if he'd left the bed or just left. Despite everything, the thought I might never see him again weighed heavily on my heart. A sob worked its way up and I covered my face, letting myself cry.
"Shit." Edward stood in the door way, arms braced against the frame. I'd never be able to look at a pair of stupid grey sweatpants again without thinking of him. "Don't cry, girl. Come on." He made his way over, sitting beside me on the bed.
"I thought you were gone." I sniffled, embarrassed. "You should be gone."
"Take a shower with me."
"What? No."
"Hey."
"No." I met his gaze head on, trying to ignore the obvious situation in his pants. Even if I wanted to, I was still sore. Actually, a shower sounded heavenly; just not the kind Edward had in mind. Lies. That sounded heavenly too.
"I want you. And I know you still want me." He stared steadily at me.
I looked away now, a blush spreading across my cheeks. When I didn't say anything else, he touched my arm and then stood. "You gonna let me take a shower before I go, at least? Might be my last one for awhile."
"Go ahead." I shrugged, nodding.
"Ladies first. I'll get something to eat."
I watched as he left, knocking the top of the doorway again before disappearing into the hallway. I didn't understand his lack of his urgency; either he wanted to be caught or he was so cocky he thought he couldn't be. My stomach tensed into knots, thinking about the shitstorm coming our way. What would I say? How was I going to look at Jacob after this? I'd lie, of course. Lie til I was blue in the face. I didn't even know who I was anymore.
Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. I stood, stretched in the weak winter sun coming through the window, and went to take my shower.
I stood against the door, watching Edward prepare to leave. Fully dressed in layers and boots, he was throwing food and water into an old backpack, even an extra blanket I'd found in the linen closet.
"You never told me what it is you did," I said quietly. "Have you killed?"
He stopped, dropping the backpack and walking over to where I waited, hands folded across my chest.
"I do what I have to do."
Taking that as a yes, I moved on. "So…"
"I run a family business, Bella."
"Thought you said your family didn't live around here."
"They don't. Not anymore."
"The mob?"
"Nope."
"Are you...drug dealers?"
Amusement danced across his face. "You could say that."
"Stop fucking with me," I ground out, eyes blurring with tears.
"Production and distribution of meth."
"Meth?"
His eyes went back and forth between mine.
"Do you," I swallowed, holding the stare, "do that?"
"What, cook? A couple times...but not really. I just made sure things ran smoothly... made contacts."
"But do you do it?"
"Naw. Never get high off your own supply." He smiled rather grimly.
"So you just sell it to other people-"
"I sell it to people so they can sell it to people."
"So they can get high." I shook my head, looking down. "Why? Why would you be a part of that?"
"Supply and demand, girl." He came closer, bringing his lips to my ear, resting a hand on my hip. "Sometimes bad things can make people feel so good."
I closed my eyes, a shiver going through me. Even after everything he'd told me, that transfer of warmth - his skin on mine - melted me. I knew this was wrong. I knew it would never work. And yet, my heart yearned for it.
"Did I break you down, Bella?" He kissed my ear and then ducked down to kiss my lips. "Cause you sure broke me down."
I fisted his shirt as he kissed me, kissing back with everything I had. He tugged my hair, nipped my neck, and finally yanked my pants to the floor, kicking them aside as he unbuckled his own.
"We're not gonna make any babies, are we?" he grunted, hoisting me up against the door.
"N-no."
He worked his way inside, thrusting slowly until I was wetter. I held on tight, torn between lust, sadness...and a little discomfort.
"You okay?" he asked, face buried in my neck.
"Hurts a little."
He must've felt the same, because he grabbed my thighs and turned so that he was against the door. He slid to the floor, holding us together. "Let me feel you," he said between kisses. He licked his thumb and reached reached between us, touching me. "Let me feel you come on me."
Our sex was a lot faster than it had been the night before, harder. When I came I cried out, holding onto his shoulders as he thrust up into me, rapidly chasing his own completion. Then those green eyes met mine and I just knew he felt the same.
The panic of loss washed over me as we pulled ourselves together. Edward was hurrying now, donning gloves and a ski cap.
"Take the gun," I said. "I know it's big, but...it's better than nothing."
He said nothing, only disappearing into the living room before returning with another, smaller handgun. I gaped at it.
"It was in the drawer by his bed."
I shook my head. "Okay. Just...go. They'll be here any minute." As it was, I doubted he'd get very far and that gutted me. Besides the local authorities, and the Feds, I knew how dedicated Jacob was. Edward would have to run like the wind to have even half of a chance.
"Bye, pretty girl." He grabbed my face and kissed me before opening the door. I barely even felt the cold. "I'll find you."
"No. Don't."
"I will."
"They'll find you first."
"They'll never find me," he said, eyes hardening. It was like watching someone turn to stone before me. He pushed me into the house, locked the door from the inside, and slammed it shut behind him.
Lorde - Glory & Gore
(actually, you could just play the whole Lorde album as you read this story. God knows I've played it nonstop while writing it)
wow. this is like Lawless, Breaking Bad, SoA... i obviously watch too many movies/shows. many thanks for reading & reviewing. i appreciate it and love to hear what you're thinking. the good, the bad and the ugly, baby! (speaking of babies, no. please. there will be none. i'm sure they'd be adorbs but i doubt Edward would be father of the year...)
xoxoxo
