Chapter 29.
Edward tossed the sword to the side. It clanged loudly against the concrete floor before coming to a rest. He walked slowly and deliberately towards Mike. "Why are you looking for me, Mike? I can only assume that you want to take what's mine. Bella is mine, you son of a bitch." Edward slapped Mike hard enough to knock the chair onto the ground. Mike yelled out in pain as he hit the concrete. Edward picked him up and put him back before hitting him again. Mike spit out a little blood.
"This isn't about Bella," Mike spat, "Leave her out of this, Edward. You tried to have me killed, you bastard."
Edward's upper lip curled, "Your mind is sick, Mike Newton. You spend your days pining away from someone else's wife. She's my wife. You had your own wife. You own happiness. That wasn't good enough for you. You wanted my wife, and your wife wanted me. That's all you two ever thought about. It wormed into my head. Day in and day out. Over and over and over again." He punched Mike hard in the gut. Mike sputtered and coughed. "You humans are so damn greedy. Unfortunately, I couldn't bring myself to kill you. I'm devoted to keeping my promises to Carlisle. But I couldn't stand the thought of hearing you pine for my wife for one more day. So, I hired someone. Someone with no connection to me. He was supposed to kill you, and no one would've been the wiser."
Mike smirked defiantly, "Sorry to disappoint you." This response earned him another hard punch to the face. Edward picked him up and placed him back onto the chair's legs.
"Why are you still alive?" he asked angrily, "And worst of all, you show up at my house, demanding my head with my wife next to you? How did you convince her to turn against me? What kind of mental trickery do you have?"
Mike smiled, "She saved me because she was a good person. Bella was with me because she didn't want me to kill you. She thought she could talk you out of all of this. See, the thing is, it's hard to hate that about her. That wasn't going to stop me from killing you, though."
Edward chuckled, "You think you were going to kill me? I can read your mind, Mike. There isn't a thing you can do that I won't see coming."
Mike sighed, "I suppose so, but that's not going to stop me from trying, now is it? Come on, untie me. Let's settle this like men."
"I don't think so," Edward narrowed his gaze, "Langdon should be on his way here at any moment to gut you like a trout. You've really angered him, trying to kill the Volturi like that. I must admit, I really do respect that about you, Mike Newton. Trying to do what I never could. You even almost succeeded, too."
"Look," Mike popped his neck, "I'm not going to let Langdon stop me from doing what I came here to do, Edward. So, either you untie me and fight me fairly, or I'll simply break this chair, and then break you."
A door nearby opened. Carlisle walked through. He and Edward exchanged glances, and then looked at Mike. Mike tugged firmly at his restraints. The ropes snapped off under his strength like they were made of tissue paper. He stood up and kicked the chair away from him. Edward and Carlisle lunged at him.
Langdon grimaced. A wolf gnarled and gnashed at his neck, ripping and tearing his collar frantically. He grabbed the wolf on the nose and flung with though the air. It howled as soon as it landed, and dozens of wolves jumped out of the woods, all growling at him. The wolf charged, and Langdon let it get a jaw full of his arm. Langdon flexed his arm, shattering the wolf's teeth. It untransformed, and Jacob backed up as the other wolves encircled him. Langdon smiled wide as they charged him. Langdon was buried in the countless wolves that all found a piece and bit into him. Through the confusion, Jacob grabbed Renesmee, and the two of them took off running. Renesmee grabbed at Connor, but he dodged her, almost on purpose. She called out to him, but Jacob carried her away from the fight too fast for her to see his response.
Carlisle stumbled back, clutching his cracked arm. Mike threw several punches at Edward, who dodged him effortlessly. He struck Mike a few times on the face, taunting him. Mike took a step back. Carlisle advanced, throwing several strikes. His punches collided with Mike's forehead, filling the air with a sickly crackling noise. Carlisle backed up, ready to retreat. Mike grabbed his arm and launched him at Edward. Edward and Carlisle tumbled back. Mike managed to grab his pointed sword before they regained their composure. Carlisle charged, and Mike struck him several times. Carlisle fell to a heap.
"Christian's going to kill me," he said under his breath. Edward advanced, striking Mike several times. Mike retaliated, but Edward dodged him effortlessly. Mike cracked his neck. "Bella, wake up! I can't keep playing with him!" At his words, Bella's eyes opened slightly. She struggled against her bindings. Edward looked over at her, smiling.
"Bella, he's trying to take you away from me," he replied in a soothing tone, "Who do you love more, me or him?"
Mike sighed, "If you want to talk him down, now's the time. I'm about to finish this."
Bella yelled out, "Edward! Please stop all of this madness! I love you, so, please, stop this."
Someone knocked on the warehouse door. Edward turned to Mike and lunged at him. Mike dodged him. Edward tried to read his mind, but found that he couldn't hear anything. Mike grabbed hims around the throat. "Go on, read my mind, Edward," he snarled. Edward stared into his violet eyes. Venom spewed from Edward's eyes. He shrieked out in pain as his power reflected on itself thousands of times. Edward's body fell limp, brain dead.
Mike tossed him to the side and hurried over to Bella, sheathing his sword. He ripped the binds off of her wrists and legs, catching her as she fell into his arms. He steadied her to her feet. Another knock rang out from the warehouse door. Mike stood between it and Bella. The door crumpled and ripped away, revealing the person behind it.
Mike narrowed his eyes, "You."
