Sleeping in never felt so good! I'm on Spring Break y'all so your chapters will still come daily, just not at 7am. Sorry to the early birds! Breaker Baby officially ends next Friday at chapter 35, so expect a double update next week.
Cherry and Cinny, we love and are love.
Have an awesome weekend and I'll see ya Monday!
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Charlotte sits on the counter, covered in pancake batter and giggling. "What's next?"
I glance at the ingredients on the table, tapping my chin. "Oil. Four cups of oil."
Charlotte begins to pour the oil into the bowl, but Breaker reaches across the counter just in time.
"Oh no you don't!" He laughs, snatching it away and raising his eyebrow at me. "What are you doing? She's impressionable. I need for her to cook like a Cullen! You're ruining my protégé!"
"I have it, Mister Sheriff! Now back off!" I warn, taking the oil back.
He shakes his head as I teach poor, unsuspecting Charlotte my personal recipe for hotcakes.
"Fine," he says, throwing his hands up. "Collin and I will make our own batch over here. Let's see whose version they eat."
"Yes we will. Go on Charlotte," I prod her. "Do you want chocolate chips or blueberries?"
"Both!" she squeals and we toss the two ingredients in together.
While our pancakes appear quite watery, Breaker and Collin's batter looks more edible. But I'm not going down without a fight. I turn the skillet on high and with her help, we make the biggest pancake possible. It bubbles in retaliation and Collin crinkles his nose.
Collin and his sister argue over who will make the better pancake as I wipe the counter and whisper to Breaker, "Are you taking them home after this?"
"I promised Collin we would visit the sheriff's office. He wants to see the collection of handcuffs and guns first. Then I'll take them home. I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with them before you-know-who bans me from the house."
"Good idea," I nod. I know he's dreading telling Carlisle he picked the children up from Texas. Esme will be thrilled I believe, but Carlisle is a whole 'nother story.
"Are you coming with us?" he asks.
I shrug, struggling to flip the gigantic brown pancake over. "I might as well. It'll be the last time I see daylight in a while."
Breaker laughs. "Oh, come on. It won't be that bad."
"I'm sorry," I reply sarcastically. "Is there another Renee Swan you know of? Mama's going to kill me. I'll be banished to a life of mopping and dusting. I won't make it out alive!"
"Serves you right," he smirks. He's so deliciously beautiful and I don't think I'll ever be able to recover, especially after last night. It's a relief to know things are almost back to normal with us. I miss the playful side about him and this morning, it's back in full force. I glare at him and he reaches his hand into his bowl of batter, tossing a handful right on my shirt.
"I know you didn't just do that!"
Charlotte wipes her chubby finger on my shirt and licks it. "I thinks he did."
Breaker laughs evilly and before anyone can think about the repercussions, batter flies through the air until we're in a full out war.
In the end, it's Collin who wins. He throws batter grenades as if he's been preparing to do so his whole life. The kitchen is a mess, Charlotte's hair has seen better days, and my poor gooey, chocolately, blueberry hotcake is burnt to a crisp.
It's just as well. I'm positive Charlotte forgot to add baking soda, and what an embarrassment that would for her to know she ruined everyone's breakfast.
It's a good thing I'm around to show her the ropes.
.
.
.
"Don't touch anything," Breaker cautions, helping the twins out of the car. "We're only stopping by for a little bit and then you two are going to see Mommy and Daddy."
"Okay," Collin pouts, but he's excited as can be and can barely contain himself. He can't wait to see where his big brother works and he jumps out of the car. I lift Charlotte into my arms. She's more hesitant in the unfamiliar surroundings and clutches onto me tightly.
Breaker opens the door and it's quite empty, with only Tanya sitting at her desk. When she notices us walking in, she sneers.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Crossing her legs and tapping a pen against the desk, she exaggerates her look of surprise at the kids in tow. "The whole town's been looking for you two."
"We're here," Breaker says, rolling his eyes. "Now if you'll excuse me…"
"That's all? That's all you have to say to me?" Her voice raises in pitch and she throws the pen down in a full on tantrum. "You left me at the charity ball by myself and for this little bitch! Do you even know how humiliated I was?"
Charlotte cowers under Tanya's screeching tone and hides herself in my neck.
"Now is not the time, Tanya!" Breaker replies firmly. He doesn't appreciate how she curses in front of the twins and I agree. None of this is their fault, and I would think she would show a little more tact.
"Oh, it is the time," she mocks, rising to her feet. "You've been fucking this whore since you got here and when you go missing for days, you don't even have the decency to call! Now you show up with a bunch of kids? What did you do, adopt some orphans off the street?"
Breaker's jaw tenses and Tanya has no idea what she's done. She can talk shit about everyone, but when it comes to the twins, she's reached her limit.
"Leave." He's venomous and spiteful, callous as he points to the entrance.
"No," she fumes, shaking her head. "I want an apology!"
Breaker pushes Collin towards me and he hides behind my bare legs. He storms toward Tanya, grabbing her by the arm.
"I'm sorry you're a low class, gutter, insecure, filthy bitch that I wouldn't fuck if you were the last whore on earth. I'm sorry I left your ass behind, but I'd choose Justice a million times over you. And I'm sorry you just talked shit about my brother and sister, because now you're out of a job. Now get your shit and leave, and if you so much as even try to set a foot in this building again, I'm throwing your ass in jail!"
He half-jerks her to the side and tosses her purse at her. She catches it with watery eyes, glaring at me like I'm the reason for everything wrong in her life. With her nose in the air, she bumps against my shoulder. "You're gonna pay for this, Little Justice!"
I bump her back, because get over yourself.
Once she slams the door shut, Breaker kisses Collin and Charlotte on their foreheads. "I'm sorry guys. Some people are not very nice."
Charlotte pulls back in my arms, touching my face. "I don't think you're little, Justice. I think you're big and pretty and she's not gonna be a princess, is she?"
"No, no she's not. But you are," I remind her. "Let's go into Eddie's office. He stashes candy in there."
Breaker laughs because I know about his secret and he leaves towards the back, anxious to show Collin the other areas of the department. After a while, I hear Collin making loud shooting noises and yelling that he's catching the bad guys. Charlotte sits on my lap eating butterscotch and draws a picture for Breaker to hang on his wall.
"What are you making?" I ask softly. She uses his different colored pens to shade in her stick figure person.
"This is me," she points. "That time I got hurted, Eddie gave me lots of kisses to make me feel better."
There's a lot of red ink and my heart aches that she remembers getting shot.
"And this is Eddie," she points again. I watch her scribble and she frowns in concentration.
"Who's that?"
"That's you," she says quietly. "Eddie made me feel better and you makes him feel better. He doesn't cry no more."
I kiss her cheek to avoid shedding tears. Charlotte is so observant and it's hard to grasp that she's been through more than most adults have.
She's in the middle of drawing a sun when I hear a screeching voice. "In here, Carlisle. See? I told you they were back!"
"Thank you Miss Tanya. Run along now. Don't you worry, I'll take care of my boy. He just needs to come to his senses."
Tanya nods and leaves once again on the promise that Carlisle is actually trying to help her.
He doesn't give a shit.
I gasp as I see Carlisle through the blinds of the dividing window. There's a tall, thin man with jet black hair standing alongside him. Carlisle calls for his son and Charlotte lifts her head up.
"Daddy?"
Before I can stop her, she leaps off my lap and runs through the open door. "Daddy! Daddy!"
He smiles and opens his arms, which she leaps into. "Charlotte! Look how big you've gotten!"
I swallow, taking timid steps, but I stop next to Tanya's old desk. My fingers touch the wood mindlessly as Carlisle swings her around. He stares at me the entire time and I know he's putting on a front for his daughter.
"Daddy, you missed so much! Eddie and Justice came and picked us up and we played and we ated ice cream and we spented the night. We tried making pancakes like Aunt Maggie, but Eddie started throwing it and Collin hit me in the eye but I didn't cry or nothing!"
"That's my girl," he says slowly, reaching his other hand behind him. I tremble, caught on the edge of fear and intimidation. He raises a pistol in the air, gesturing towards me. "Justice, why don't you come on over here? I think Eddie will appreciate my surprise visit."
I shake my head and the man next to him smiles. "Ahh, the infamous Justice Isabella Swan. I can see why Eddie's been putting up a fight. We don't want anyone to get hurt, Miss Swan. Why don't you listen to Carlisle and this'll all be over soon."
When I don't budge, Carlisle lifts the gun and points it at Charlotte's back where she can't see it. She's too busy hugging him and he carries on with that malicious grin. "Justice, let's not make this difficult. If you think I won't use this, you're wrong. Now stand over here with Aro and be nice."
I bite my lip and my feet are as heavy as lead as I walk toward them. They are weighted with all-consuming terror and dread and everything that makes Carlisle who he is. When I am within reach, Aro grabs me and twists me around, shoving the barrel deep in my back.
I don't care about myself. I just need to make sure Charlotte is okay. She's none the wiser and when she reaches for me, Carlisle hands her off, careful not to alert her. I hear the loud laughter of Collin in the back and Breaker giving him a high five.
"Way to go buddy!" he praises him, not aware of the scene in front of him. "I didn't think you were gonna make it out of those handcu—"
He freezes mid-step when he approaches the front. Collin drops the handcuffs onto the floor and darts straight for his father. "Daddy!"
"Little man," he grins, ruffling his hair. "Whatcha been up to?"
"Eddie showed me his guns and the jail where all the bad guys go and I gave my fingerprints and it was awesome!"
"I bet it was, kiddo." Carlisle holds his hand firmly on Collin's shoulder. He turns his attention to Breaker, who is fixed on not moving. "Welcome home, Son. Glad to have you back."
"Pop." Breaker's voice is like granite, hard and cold. He's not making any fast moves for me or the twins. But I see the struggle on his face—the one that tells him to be a hero, and the other one that yells at him not to be stupid.
Aro makes a big deal of flashing his gun to show Breaker not make a run for it. He's got him exactly where he wants him. I'm doing my best not to cry because this isn't going to end well. We've reached the end of the line and this is it. Every secret Breaker fought to hide in the darkness comes to light. It's an impossible situation—knowing every action he ever took led him to this exact moment.
I feel dizzy and it takes everything in me not to grab these kids and dash for the door. But I'm not dumb. I won't make it and I know Carlisle will not hesitate to shoot any person in this room. He'll sacrifice his children to get what he wants, no matter what. He's come too far now to stop.
"Son, you know why we're here. This ends today. Enough of the bullshit. Those salt mines are closing today and by the end of the week, every damn man in this parish will be working in the Rockville fields. You are going to burn this town down to fucking ground and this'll all be over."
Breaker glances at me and his eyes are full of wretched pain. I know what he's saying.
Stay there, Just Justice.
You and me forever, remember?
I'll fix this, baby.
But the problem is, I don't know if he can. Carlisle lifts his pistol and points it at my temple. Charlotte begins to wail loudly and Collin grasps tightly onto my leg. They're scared, probably even more so than I. They're frightened because they don't know what's going on, but I know Breaker will protect them at all costs.
Even before me.
And that's the way it should be.
