Innocent Until Proven Guilty Chapter 34
The ceremony had been short and sweet, they had both written their own vows and spoke about love at first sight, promises to cherish each other for as long as they'll both live and the meaning of family, how it doesn't always have to be blood related. They both looked at the 4 of us when they spoke those words and I cried a little, wanting nothing more than to run over to Edward and hug him.
Edward and I signed as witnesses and I realized I had subconsciously changed my signature to include my new name. I must admit it looked great on the dotted line, especially next to Edward's.
Soon, we all piled up inside a huge limo and both Esme and Carlisle called to congratulate the couple. They briefly caught up and the call ended with Carlisle asking Edward to call him when he gets a minute. Luckily Alice was too occupied to complain about talks of work on her wedding day.
My hand was clasped inside Edward's as we drove to The Grove where Alice had booked a small outside venue with a bar and a buffet that Rose was eager to get her hands on.
I could feel Edward's phone blowing up in his pocket with incoming messages and his hand twitched every time it vibrated. When I looked up to see his face, I saw he was scowling as he looked out the window and I wondered whether he received any word about Hunter's whereabouts. It's the only thing that has recently been the cause of his scowling.
"Everything ok?" I whispered, trying to make sure no one is paying any attention to us.
He whipped his head round to face me and quickly shook his head before darting his eyes towards our friends.
He leaned in closer to me, pretending to leave a kiss on my cheek but his lips turned towards my ear.
"He's been spotted inside our hotel. Peter called earlier to say Hunter approached him, asking if he's seen me and that Hunter wants to catch up." He spoke quickly and I could hear the edge to his tone.
Fuck.
I was about to tell him that he must know we're here but the limo pulled up to the venue and our friends exited the car animatedly, waving over the photographer that had followed in the car behind.
"He knows we're here," I quickly said as Alice was motioning for us to join them in the group photo.
He confirmed my suspicions with a single nod and we turned towards the beaming couple, smiling and keeping quiet about our revelation.
We posed as a group, both silly and normal shots were taken as we took guidance from the photographer. We posed in couples. We posed with just the bride with bridesmaids and then just the groom with groomsmen and then we swapped the newlyweds.
I also managed to coax Edward into taking a few extra shots of just him and me for our own collection. After a couple of minutes, Edward stopped listening to what the photographer was saying and only paid all of his attention on me. I could still hear the clicks of the camera but all I could see was him. We got lost in each other like we always tend to do as we discussed our own honeymoon, kissing every now and then. I was positive we'll be getting some amazing shots of us. I was excited to see them because we only had one picture from the night we got married and I still haven't gotten round to having it printed.
We thanked Jaden the photographer and I gave him my email so he could send the pictures to me once they were done.
We joined the rest of the group and as soon as we were close enough to hear them, Edward's phone was blowing up again and I heard him growl under his breath.
"Just take it, it won't stop until you answer it." I murmured to him so the others wouldn't hear.
He looked frustrated as he raked his hand through his hair and reached to the inside pocket of his jacket and took his phone out.
"Demetri," he barked into the phone and then stepped aside so our friends couldn't see him.
I walked over to them and four sets of eyes turned to me and then to Edward's retreating form. It looked like Emmett and Jasper were about to go after him but I shook my head.
I walked over to Alice and wrapped my arm around her waist, giving it a gentle squeeze. Luckily she just beamed up at me and didn't seem too fazed or upset that Edward had to take a call.
I was pretty positive my best friend knew the importance of Edward being kept in the loop of whatever may be going on at home. The three of us hardly spoke about the life our men are a part of but it felt like an unwritten rule that we just knew. They confided in us and unloaded their stress and worry on us so we knew the logistics, we simply just didn't talk about them with each other.
We carried on talking but I kept a watchful eye on Edward who was still on the phone. His hair was sticking out in all sorts of different directions because he hadn't stopped running his hand through it as he talked to Demetri and god knows who else.
I couldn't ignore him anymore once the expletives started leaving his mouth after every word. I excused myself and made my way over to him.
He briefly turned around to look at me once he sensed someone was coming over and I watched his fists unclench when he realized it was me. His eyes quickly darted to my exposed leg as the dress moved whilst I was walking and then he was back to barking orders into the phone.
I stood by his side, holding my glass of champagne and a glass of scotch for Edward who looked like he was about to kill whoever he was on the phone too.
"I don't give a flying fuck, I fucking pay you to fucking handle this shit and fucking contact me with fucking results! If you can't handle one simple fucking task then you're no fucking use to me!" he growled into the phone and now really wasn't the time to get turned on by him but I couldn't help it.
I let out a small moan and his head whipped around to look at me so quickly I wondered how he didn't give himself whiplash. I tried to look at least sheepish about it but it was no use, his eyes were ablaze as he raked his eyes over my body. I clenched my thighs together and I saw him notice it. His tongue darted out to lick his lips and I became jealous of it. I wanted to lick his lips.
"You've got half hour to get back to me with fucking useful information." He ended the call without waiting for a response and stalked over to where I stood.
I lifted the champagne flute up to my lips as I held the scotch out to him. He took hold of it and drank the whole thing in one go, never once showing any discomfort in the way the amber liquid burned his throat.
"Let me guess, Hunter related?" I asked as I fixated on that tongue peeking out again.
"Yeah. This ends tonight Isabella. I'm done playing cat and mouse. I don't care how and I don't care where. He dies tonight." I could see the rage in his eyes and feel it pumping through his body.
"What's the plan?" I asked and looked at our friends again, who were all laughing about something, Alice was literally holding her stomach, folded in half whilst Emmett pretended to wipe his imaginary tears. Rose was doing the pee dance again and Jasper had his head thrown back with laughter. I knew that if we told them, it would ruin the otherwise perfect day.
"Don't tell them" I suddenly blurted out, focusing back on Edward who looked at me questioningly.
"What do you mean?" he looked at our friends and I saw the moment he figured it out.
"I don't want to ruin their day. This is our mess and we will end this baby, together. I know I have zero fucking experience in what you do and Jaz and Em are better equipped at this than I am. But the night of our wedding, we worked pretty fucking well as a team. We can do it again. You just gotta tell me what you need me to do." I stepped up closer to him, my chest rising and falling against his as the adrenaline started pumping through me.
"It's fucking scary how well you've accustomed to my life, Isabella. It's also fucking scary how much the thought of you being involved in this is probably making me think irrationally. But I also know what you mean." He moved his left hand to the side of my neck and brought his lips down on mine in a heated kiss. My body hummed like a live wire as his lips continued to caress mine.
A wolf whistle broke us apart but we carried on standing there, breathing the same breath.
"We wait and see when he'll pop up again. I know I shouldn't but I'll make sure Emmett and Jasper are none the wiser so I'm trusting you to watch my back baby. You need to let me know instantly if you see him, whether you get a vibe or you see him with your own two eyes, let me know immediately. By now he knows we're probably on to him so we'll have to wait and see what he does once he spots us. Stay close to me ok?" he spoke fast and clear as he led me towards our friends.
"I promise baby. I've got your back." was my quick response as we got closer to our friends.
Whenever the guys questioned Edward about the phone calls, he kept telling them it was shipment related and to forget about it, he will deal with it tomorrow when we go back home.
There was another party being held close to where we were and people had even come over to congratulate Alice and Jasper even to the point of giving them marital advice. I tried hard to stifle my laughter every time Edward would scoff at a comment, whispering under his breath that it was bullshit and according to my husband, all of them needed to get laid more often and there wouldn't be any problems. I actually had to hide my face from the last comment as he not so subtly coughed 'bullshit' after some preppy woman shared her two cents.
I noticed that Edward and I had stopped topping our glasses up with alcohol subconsciously and the only other person to notice was Rose as she wasn't drinking. She kept raising her eyebrow in question but never said anything out loud which I was grateful for.
It was close to 8 PM by the time Rose and I reminded Alice that their flight to Saint Lucia was in 2 hours' time.
We all piled back into the limo, Alice and Jasper sharing a bottle of champagne between them as they continued to celebrate and Emmett continued to give them bedroom advice. He went as far as talking about introducing sex toys and role play, advising them to make sure the hotel can install a sex swing and to thank him later once they try it. I laughed once I noticed Rose nodding along to that one.
"It's how the baby was made," she leaned in to whisper in my ear and I laughed harder.
Once we were all back at the hotel, we made our way up to their suite so Rose and I could collect our stuff and say our goodbyes.
I told Alice to keep in touch and send loads of pictures if they ever leave the bedroom. She said she won't make any promises but will try to at least get some sun out there.
I hugged my best friend tightly, telling her how much I love her and how amazing it is to see her so happy. I then moved over to Jasper who looked like he was in a serious conversation with Edward but as I neared closer, Edward was actually telling him how happy he is for them and that Jasper is officially off the clock and not to worry about the shit going on back home. Jasper looked like he wanted to argue but then he noticed me and moved to hug me. I told him the same thing and asked him to look after my little pixie.
After all the goodbyes were over and done with, the rest of us made our back to our own suites.
Emmett and Rose were on their way to meet Peter and Charlotte but only after Rose has a short nap as the excitement from today has worn her out.
After bidding them goodbye, Edward and I made our way up to our suite. Once inside, I kicked my shoes off and flexed my feet, marveling at the feeling of being out of those heels. The cool marbled floor felt great as I padded into our bedroom.
We had stayed quiet as we both undressed but I was hyper-aware of Edward's proximity. I could also feel his eyes following my every move. I slowly padded into the bathroom and started the water for the bath. After making sure the temperature was just right, I walked back out to find Edward in his underwear putting his gun on top of the dresser. I hadn't even noticed he was carrying even though I've had my arms around him most of the day.
"Where were you hiding that?" I asked as I leaned against the bathroom doorframe, admiring my husband's physique.
I heard him chuckle as he opened the draw and took out a rectangular velvet box and turned to face me.
"It was strapped to my ankle," he simply said and walked over to me.
As he stood in front of me, his eyes traveled down my body with his finger trailing down from my shoulder to the valley between my breast, down to my stomach where he circled my belly button and then down to my mound. I gasped as he palmed me, his middle finger easily slipped between my lower lips and he slowly dragged his hand back up, coating his finger with my wetness. My knees were close to buckling as he brought that finger up to his lips and licked it clean, humming as he lapped at his digit.
"Delicious," he whispered against my parted lips as he leaned closer. I was holding on to the doorframe for dear life, anticipating his next move.
"I came close to using that gun today. Did you notice the way other men were looking at you from the party next to us? Did you notice the way their eyes traveled up and down your body, focusing on your exposed skin…probably wondering what it felt like. Did you see the jealousy on the women's faces? Did you notice my animalistic need to claim you in front of them? Did you notice any of that Isabella?" his voice grew gruffer as he continued to speak.
I was pretty sure he could feel my heart pumping inside my chest as his voice caused my insides to clench. I couldn't find my voice so I just shook my head.
"No, I didn't think you did. But I noticed, I noticed because all I could focus on is you. Back at the chapel, all I heard and saw was you. In the limo, I was intoxicated by your scent. It felt like an electric current was flowing through me every time you would move closer to me. My fingers twitched to reach out and grab you." He said as his hand snaked around my back and palmed my ass, bringing my hips against his. And here I thought he was itching to answer his phone back in the limo.
"Back at The Grove, I didn't care that some guy was taking pictures of us, to be honest, I almost forgot he was there I was that focused on you. I was lulled by the way your chest moved as you simply breathed in and out. It was slower than what you're doing now. Am I making you nervous Isabella?" he said.
"No, not nervous. Just…waiting," I was waiting to see what he would do next, my chest rising and falling in anticipation still. I was hypnotized by him.
"Mmmm…your tits would brush up and down against my chest or my arm and I wanted nothing more than to feel that skin on skin," he demonstrated by bringing his chest close to mine, looking down as my breast did indeed rub up and down against him as my breathing increased.
"Women pay money to have tits like yours. But there's nothing fake about you Isabella, that's probably why you are so desirable to many. You're like a prized trophy in their eyes. But to me, to me, you are so much more. Seeing you sign your name next to mine, seeing my family name accompanying yours caused a reaction in me I never expected." His eyes glazed over ever so slightly and I wondered what was going through his head and whether he enjoyed seeing my new name on the paper as much as I did.
I was so focused on him that I jumped when he turned his head towards the bath. When I turned to look, I noticed the bath was full.
He stepped away from me and turned the water off. He placed the rectangular box he was still holding on the side of the tub and dropped his boxer briefs. He turned and stepped into the bath, resting his hands on the edge of the tub as he lowered himself into the water.
He looked up at me and cocked his eyebrow. I willed my legs to move as I felt like I was still under his spell. As I stepped into the tub, I turned around so my back was to him and slowly lowered myself down. He brought my back against his chest and wrapped his strong arms around me.
"Remember when I told you about the cuff the men in my family wear and that the women wear a locket with the family crest on?" he suddenly asked and I briefly wondered where he was going with this.
"Yeah, I've seen Esme wear hers," I said, humming as he cupped water in his hands and let it trickled down my chest.
"Do you remember George telling me my other order was ready, and how it had been a while since he had to use that particular design?" he asked again and I nodded, waiting for him to carry on.
"The design he was referring to is the family crest." He finally said.
Edward turned behind me and grabbed the box. He moved his arms back around me and held the box in front of me. My breath hitched as he opened it to reveal a white gold chain and a pendant nestled inside. The design was intricate and held a proud lion inside with delicate ivy design. After taking a closer look, I noticed some of the floral design was similar to my wedding ring and my fingers shook as I gently traced the locket.
"Edward it's beautiful," I whispered as I took the necklace out of the box, the white gold shimmered as it caught the light in the room.
"Will you help me put it on?" I asked as I turned my head to look at him. He nodded and dropped the empty box down on the floor before reaching out for the locket.
I gathered my hair up and watched as he wound the chain around my neck, the metal was cold against my already heated skin and it took a second for him to clasp it together. Once the necklace was securely around my neck, the locket dropped lower ever so slightly and rested just above my cleavage. Edward kissed the back of my still exposed neck and then trailed his lips over to my ear.
"I dreamt about that locket being around your neck the first night you stayed over," he said quietly. His hands moved around to my front again and left a heated trail on my skin before they dipped under the water.
His fingers grazed my pussy, teasing but never dipping lower. I was about to start begging but within seconds, two of his fingers entered me and he started moving them in and out at a leisurely pace. He had me writhing against him as I followed the movement of his fingers. His other hand palmed my breast, rolling my nipples between his fingers to get them into hard peaks. I threw my head back and rested it against his shoulder, turning my face towards his jaw. It felt rough under my tongue as his day's growth was more prominent than ever. My breath caught in my throat as I imagined what that face would feel like between my legs. How it would leave the tender skin redraw.
As he continued to work me over with his fingers, I reached back and grasped his hard cock in my hand.
"Baby you're so hard," I said against his jaw and he twitched in my hand and brought his head down as he got lost in what I was doing. With his face lowered, I took his earlobe into my mouth, suckling and biting it just so I could hear him groan.
I'm not sure who lost it first but our moans were lost in each other's mouths as our lips clashed. The kiss was rough and messy as we rode our orgasms out.
He never stopped rubbing my pussy as he leaned back in the tub and I slumped back against him. His ministrations were slow but that didn't stop me from coming a second or a third time.
By the time I was coming up to coming a fourth time, Edward was hard again but this time he lifted me up and sank me down onto his cock, timing it perfectly just as I came crashing down around him. Moaning his name as my body shook from the convulsion, over and over again.
He did most of the work as I bounced on top of him. Telling me how good I feel, how much he loves me, and how he couldn't wait to come inside me. He was begging me to come again, I didn't think I had another one in me but as he carried on pumping in and out of me, his hard cock reaching places his fingers couldn't and filling me deeper in this position, I couldn't hold back even if I wanted to.
He stilled and called my name out as I continued to grind against him, not raising up but just letting my hips roll.
I was absolutely spent and wanted nothing more than to get out of this wonderful tub and get into bed, catch up on the much-needed sleep I missed last night.
But of course, that wasn't the case. As soon as we both got the feeling back in our limbs, Edward's phone was making itself known again as the ringing was relentless.
"Once this shit is over, I'm throwing that damn thing off the jet!" I grumbled and got out of the bath, reaching for a fluffy towel and grabbing a second one for Edward.
He laughed but didn't say anything else as he walked over to the dresser to grab his phone, leaving wet footprints on the floor and securing the towel low around his waist.
I don't think I'd have the energy to come again but watching the water droplets roll down his back had me in a trance.
"FUCK!" he suddenly exclaimed and I was brought out of my stupor.
"What's wrong?" I walked over to him and placed my hand on his back. He was already tense under my fingers.
"He's here," was all he said as he continued to read something on his phone as it kept pinging.
"What do you mean he's here?" I demanded and grabbed his shoulder to try and turn him towards me.
"He's at the hotel, in the casino," he growled out and stepped away from me. He started pacing in front of the bed as he put the phone to his ear.
"How long? Who's there with him? No that won't be necessary. Fuck off with that shit! Tell me if he leaves, I want to know his every move," he put the phone down and walked over to the closet and started putting clothes on.
"Get dressed Isabella, we have work to do."
Fuck.