Chapter Eleven


Edward watched as a series of emotions flashed across Bella's features and eyes. She swallowed deeply and replied with a quick nod. His hand covered hers on the table, stopping her rapidly tapping fingers.

She blushed at his touch, ducking her head. "Sorry, nervous habit."

He smiled at her, hoping to ease her nerves. "Besides the gun, what's making you anxious?"

She bit her lip, closing her eyes. "I'm scared to go outside." Her words were only a whisper, but the impact was no less significant.

"But you usually go outside, right? You just don't leave the property."

"After a murder," she started, opening her eyes again. "I won't even take a step outside of the house. It takes weeks for me to gather the courage to walk out onto my porch."

The enormity of her words hit him hard. Charlie and Edward had talked about it, but a part of him hadn't thought about her agoraphobia all day, nor its severity. Maybe he hadn't listened close enough. For him, it was easier to think she was in a bubble of safety, and that was all.

She couldn't even walk out on her porch on bad days. Yet, somehow, she walked out of her house, got in her truck, and drove for miles to where the killer buried him. To where the killer could've gotten his hands on her.

"Ow," she hissed, pulling her hand away. "What's wrong?"

Instantly, remorse filled him. He had hurt her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

She shook her head and got up. "I know you didn't. Let's see what we can do, okay?"

Despite her fear of stepping outside, she was willing to try. She floored him, plain and simple. She always had. "All right, but first we need to call Charlie, because if he drives up to the sound of gunshots, he'll probably shoot first and ask questions later."

"Or have a heart attack," she said with a look of concern mixed with fear. "Garrett took my phone."

"Mine, too. But he left me his one that's secured," Edward stated, pulling it out of his back pocket. "You talk to him while I clean up."

"You don't have to clean," she protested, but then smiled after a few seconds. "You're afraid of my dad! You are!" She giggled. The sound seemed to echo through the kitchen. "He's a teddy bear."

Edward didn't even try to deny it. He'd seen Charlie in action during an armed robbery years before, and the man could bring a suspect almost twice his size down with ease. "Maybe, but if you want lessons, I'd feel better that he's okay with it."

"I suggested it earlier to him, so he'll be fine." Edward sighed in relief, making her laugh more. "I can't believe you're scared of him."

"Shut it, Bellie," he playfully grumbled as she called her father. He washed their dishes, listening to her quietly talk. Something about her voice soothed him.

"Are you sure?" she asked her father on the phone. "Yeah, of course, I can set up Edward with my spare laptop. But what are you guys going to do?"

Edward finished and grabbed a kitchen towel to dry his hands. He watched as Bella started to pace, one hand running through her hair, only for it to tangle. With every passing second, she grew more agitated.

"Right now, I think he's recovering from what he did to himself and is probably planning. He won't make a move yet, because he'll want to understand. He has no idea exactly what I saw and felt." She sighed. "Yes, I'm positive it's a man, in his mid to late thirties. He's OCD, Dad. I'm sure of it, maybe that's the reason his thoughts were so compartmentalized. It's going to take me some time to get the memories I'd seen in an order I understand. No, I don't have a clear enough image of his face."

"What's going on?" Edward asked her.

"Yeah, he's asking what's going on," she repeated, mouthing an apology. "Okay." She held out the phone to him. "He wants to talk to you."

Edward took the phone, their fingers brushing. Even though he knew he shouldn't, he let them linger. He burned in a way he hadn't felt in a long time. She looked at him with such intensity, as if he was a puzzle she was determined to solve. The moment was lost when they heard Charlie's voice from the tiny speaker of the phone.

"Excuse me," Edward said. The lower quality to his voice had him clearing his throat, slightly disturbed by the change. "Hey, Charlie." Bella turned away, busying herself with cleaning the counters.

"I'm afraid we can't come to you right now," Charlie stated, frustration was clear in his tone. "We were being followed once we reached the city. We lost him, so we have people canvasing the area for the vehicle, not that it matters. He probably already ditched it, if it was him, but I'm not risking the son of bitch following me to where Bella is right now."

"Understood," Edward stated and listened to Charlie's instructions on how to put the house and property in complete lockdown.

"You two should have enough supplies to last you a while, but we'll try to get to you soon."

"Whatever it takes to keep her safe," Edward said firmly. "It's not worth the risk." He looked over his shoulder, thankful that Bella was busy enough with the trash. "Charlie, I won't teach her if that's what you want."

"I'll feel better knowing that if you two have to split up for some reason, that she knows how to protect herself, even kill him if that's the only choice."

Edward wasn't sure how he felt about that. Killing someone could take a piece of your soul. It happened the first time he had to kill in the line of duty and though he wanted Bella safe, it would eventually come back to haunt her. She had enough of that in her life.

However, Edward would feel better if for some reason he was not with her, she could protect herself.

"I should warn you, she might not even make it past the porch today or even tomorrow." Edward watched as Bella disappeared into her room.

He weaved his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, I kind of figured that out already."

"Do you know what to do if she has a panic attack?"

"I'll take care of her."

Charlie updated him on the case. Garrett and Alistair worked to get phone records on Alec Davis's line. Another set of agents were looking for matches of local men that served in the military and cross-referencing them with the school district and county records.

Edward ended the call, with a promise of another in a few hours. Bella handed him a tall glass of lemonade, and once again, their fingers lingered for longer than necessary.

"How are you not losing your mind?" he asked.

"Every moment I close my eyes, I'm in nightmare where their memories haunt me. Because of that, I spend every waking moment I can being happy or doing something I love." She shook her head. "Doesn't always work and the fear of what's out there keeps me here, so I make the most of it. It's kept me sane so far."

The tip of her small finger swept over two of his and he barely suppressed a visible shiver of desire. The feeling seemed mutual and he read it in her eyes.

"Stop looking at me like that," he murmured. Mesmerized by her gaze and the curves of her lips, but he managed to step back.

One corner of her mouth rose, giving it a quality of pure mischief. The old Bella he remembered was rising more and more to the surface, combined that with the soft vulnerability of her now, he wouldn't last a damn week before he'd take what he wanted from her.

She stepped closer, cocking her head to one side. "Did you know I had a crush on you when I was younger?"

He had known, and his visits were shorten because of it. Resisting was too hard for him and she was fucking jailbait. His overactive imagination reminded him that she wasn't a kid anymore, and that she seemed willing. However, she was his charge and risking getting involved with her would mess with his head when he needed to focus.

"Damn it," he hissed, he grabbed her elbow and gun from the counter. "Let's get this over with."

"Shoot now, talk later?" she asked in a sweet voice.

He shook his head, leading them outside in the backyard. Depositing her on a porch swing, he went to look for what he needed. In a recycle bin, he found several soda cans and lined them up on a stack of firewood.

Bella hadn't said a word as he set up. "Have you ever done anything like this?" he asked.

He turned and saw her eyes tightly closed, her hands clenched over her thighs. Shit. He was a fucking asshole. He just manhandled her and forced her to go his pace. She sat there, looking pale and short of breath, on the verge of a panic attack.

"Bella, look at me."

Slowly her eyes opened settling on him. He saw the panic but it started slowly to recede. "I'm f-fine. Keep going."

"You sure?"

"Yes." She sat on the porch, waiting and watching as he finished. "B-before all this happened to me, I used to p-paintball, not sure if that counts." She struggled through her words, but seemed to push through the fear.

Fuck, he was proud of her. Keep her talking.

"Were you any good?"

"Pretty good," she said with a shrug. "I'm not too worried about the aiming. It's more about the kickback. It's probably harder than a paintball gun which would throw off my aim."

She was pouting, and if she'd been any closer, he would've tested the softness of her protruding lip with his thumb. Focus, he reminded himself.

"Some of those can be brutal too, but yes, it will be very different."

She lifted a set of earphones from around her neck and held them up. "These are noise reducing," she stated. She must have grabbed them while he spoke with Charlie.

"Bring them with you," he said, waving her over. "Come here."

He watched as she stood at the porch's edge, looking down the three steps before her. Several moments passed, he was ready to stop and go back inside, when suddenly she jumped off the porch and walked over to him.

He smiled a little, thankful and fucking awed by her strength.

It was hard not to look at the seductive sway of her hips, and her long legs clad in slim jeans. The smile she sent his way didn't help matters. The moment she was in front of him, less than a few inches away, he grasped her chin and tipped her head up so there eyes could meet. He needed to set something straight. He read all the clues, and he wouldn't survive if she decided to seduce him or something.

"I need my head on straight while I'm here, Bella. Nothing can happen between us." He shook her face a little to drive in the point and added, "Nothing."

She blinked slowly and replied, "All right."

That was it and for some reason, the easy and calm way she accepted it pissed him off. He was fucking screwed.