AN: Hello my lovelies, sorry this has taken some time to come out, I work with the National Health and things have been quite hectic recently as the death toll in the UK just keeps rising and yet, our government is already talking about lifting lockdown! Grrrr don't even get me started!

Anyhoooo...enjoy ;)

P.S. the next update will be Monday :)

Innocent Until Proven Guilty Chapter 35

"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.

I felt my pulse quicken as I watched Edward pull out his shoulder harness and slip two guns in. He once again picked up the strap that went around his ankle and secured the third gun to his body.

A panicked briefly because I wasn't sure what I should wear. I dropped the towel I still had around me and walked over to the closet to get my jeans out. Who knows what the hell we'll be doing tonight, I wanted to be able to run if I had to.

"Wear a dress Bella, we're going to need to go down to the casino and blend in with the rest of them," Edward commanded and I nodded even though he couldn't see me.

I suddenly thought to dress in all black like it was some sort of Mission Impossible situation but I realized I hadn't packed anything to suit a situation like this. So I went for my midnight blue silk dress I had sneaked into my bag before we left for the airport. It came just above my knees with another long slit up to my thigh. My hair was still up and out of the way but a few loose strands hung down my face. Edward said we had to blend in with the rest of the people down at the casino, as I checked myself out, I think I did a pretty good job.

"Do I get a gun?" I suddenly asked.

"You have nowhere to conceal it, Isabella. If I'll need you to shoot, I'll give you one of mine," he grumbled and fastened his Rolex around his wrist.

"Then I'm ready," there was a sharpness to my tone and he whipped his head round to face me.

"Drop the attitude," he said slowly.

"Then stop being a dick, you agreed we'd do this together and you're talking to me like I'm a child," I barked out and took a small step back as he approached me.

"Your safety lies in my hands. I can't risk anything going wrong, do you understand that?" I watched him try to compose himself as he towered over me.

"I understand that but you also got to have a little faith in me," I said more calmly.

"You have to follow my lead on this. I love your strong-willed attitude, I find it a turn on but please, for my own sake and sanity, do as your told. I won't live if he hurts you." He said and moved in closer to me.

"I'll do anything you tell me to," I breathed out.

"Anything?" his tone turned suggestive as the corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk.

"You know that. You can do anything you want to me once we take the trash out," I said seductively and leaned up to leave a gentle kiss on the corner of his mouth.

I watched his eyes darken and felt a low growl vibrate through him. He grabbed my chin and roughly kissed me, expressing everything into the kiss. I kissed him back, matching his hunger and urgency. He bit on my lip before sharply turning and walking out of the bedroom and into the living area where he checked he had everything and opened the door for me, waiting for me to follow.

I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart, grabbed my purse, and walked out of our suit. Edward shut the door behind me and silently followed me towards the elevator.

Edward looked pure menacing as he stood by me, waiting for the elevator to arrive. Rage was rolling off his body as he stood there with his fists clenching the longer we waited.

It was rather scary how easy it is for him to switch from my Edward to a mobster. The last time I watched that side of him slip out was when he took me to the warehouse and he was questioning Ben.

Our elevator arrived and he let me step in first, placing his hand on the small of my back and leaving it there as we descended towards the casino.

The entire hotel and casino floor was buzzing with people. I instantly felt uneasy as soon as we stepped foot inside the brightly lit room and wound my arm through Edward's. It felt like we were too exposed. I didn't know if Hunter had any of his people here, watching us. He was smart to lure us in here I'll give him that.

Our entrance turned a few heads but we otherwise ignored them. I was getting pretty used to the stares now but it still surprised me how many people knew the name, Cullen.

"Do you see him?" I asked Edward.

"No, but something doesn't feel right," he said, voicing my own worries.

"Let's go to the bar and get a drink, if he's watching us, we can't let him know we're on to him. If we're blending in then we need to look like we've just come down here to enjoy a night of gambling," I spoke softly as we made our way through the crowd. Edward stopped and said hello to a few people but didn't introduce me to them. I was about to pull him up on that but I remembered what he was like at the start of our relationship. He didn't even tell his security people my name to keep me safe.

Felix doesn't count of course.

These people continued to kiss ass as we tried to get to the bar and I suddenly felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I had Edward's forearm in a death grip and felt it flex as I dug my nails into him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Thompson," he said to the white-haired man that had stopped us to chat. He turned his body to me and blocked me from people's view, leaning in like he was whispering sweet nothings into my ear.

"What is it?" he asked instead.

"Someone's watching us. The hairs on the back of my neck are standing on end, every part of my body is on alert and something doesn't feel right," I quickly said as I looked past him and out towards the crowds of people.

I couldn't see anything out of the ordinary. The room was just full of people gambling away their money.

I tried to shake that bad feeling off and I don't know what made me do it but I quickly turned towards the Blackjack table and caught a glimpse of a dirty blond ponytail.

"The Blackjack table!" I quickly said and Edward turned around at lightning speed and put his phone to his ear. It felt like the people around us were getting louder as I tried to catch another glimpse of him whilst Edward spoke to whoever was on the other line.

And then I spotted him again but before I could let Edward know, he reached out and grabbed my hand, leading me towards the slot machines where I had spotted Hunter. He pocketed his phone and growled as people kept trying to walk between us.

It felt like Hunter was leading us around the whole casino as he continued to leisurely walk around, stopping at some card tables but never sitting down to actually play. He knew we were a few steps behind him and he would look up and smirk at us, knowing Edward wouldn't dare open fire in a crowded room like this. I wanted to wipe that smug look off his face.

He was toying with us and it was driving me fucking crazy.

"The fuck is he playing at?" I suddenly said and two old ladies turned to face me and scoffed before they scurried away, talking about how ladies shouldn't use such foul language.

He finally settled on a Craps table whilst Edward and I walked over and stood by the bar opposite him. We were waiting for him to make the first move. I was hoping he would try and leave but it was like he was bidding his time and wasting ours.

"I don't like this. What is he waiting for?" I was once again thinking out loud. Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and drew lazy circles on my waist as we stood leaning against the bar.

Hunter kept glancing over to us but otherwise made no other move.

"If I were a betting man, I'd say he's waiting for me to leave you on your own. He knows you're my weakness and he knows that if he gets his hands on you, I'll chase him. It is all a game to him. It always has been. It feels like we've been competing our entire lives. His own father praised me more than he did Hunter." Edward spoke calmly next to me.

I turned my gaze back towards Hunter and found him sneering at us like he heard what Edward had said. He continued to look down at his phone. He is definitely waiting for something or someone.

"Do you see any of his men here?" I asked as I looked around again, trying to see if anyone stood out like a sore thumb. Goons tend to always stick out. But for all I know, his men could be dressed like the casino's security guys to blend in.

"No, we got rid of most of them when they ambushed the warehouse. The guys he was with before were only loyal to Stefan and Vlad. They don't hold the same loyalty for Hunter." He simply said.

"This is the fifth time he's checked his phone since he sat down at the table," I said as I ran my finger around the rim of my champagne glass that was handed to me a second ago.

"Very perceptive Mrs. Cullen," he crooned in my ear.

Edward reached inside his jacket pocket and took his phone out and brought it up to his ear again.

"Siobhan, who has he been in contact with tonight?" Edward quickly asked. I hadn't realized Siobhan was his tech guy or girl in this case. She never said anything.

"She's fine, she's right here with me. No, you can't talk to her right now. I don't fucking care if it's important! No, I don't want to hear shit about you and Seth either! Fucking focus Siobhan!" he grumbled and I wanted to laugh. I probably would have if it were under different circumstances. I smiled when I saw his eyes roll as he shot a glance at me but something shiny caught the corner of my eye and I looked back at the Craps table and found Hunter pointing a gun in our direction.

Suddenly the room was full of screaming as it filled with the sound of a gun being fired. The glass behind the bar shattered and I felt like I was watching it in slow motion as people began scattering like ants. Edward's phone dropped out of his hand and it was soon replaced by a gun as he aimed at Hunter's retreating form.

Edward grabbed my hand and we ran after him. I've never been more grateful for being able to run in heels than at this moment. Edward shoved the people in front of us aside as Hunter kept looking back and trying to shoot at us at the same time. My ears were ringing from people shrieking but I kept my eyes on Hunter, ducking every time he took another shot at us.

We continued to run after him as he ran out of the hotel and pulled some guy out of a car window that was parked outside before jumping in.

"Shit!" I cursed as Edward continued to drag me towards a car that a valet just pulled up in. He ran around to the driver's side and shoved the valet out of the way before telling me to jump in. I was moving on instinct now and we were off before I could close the door.

I'd never seen Edward drive stick before but it was seriously hot watching him do it. He momentarily took his hand off the stick and reached inside his jacket and pulled a Glock out and handed it to me.

Finally.

"Take this and be ready but don't shoot until we get him alone," he said as he pressed on the gas and waved through the oncoming traffic. There was only one car between us and Hunter and Edward made sure to drive on that guy's ass in order to make him get out of the way.

"I could just shoot his tires," I said and Edward chuckled darkly before cranking on the gas again, gently bumping the guy in front. The idiot finally changed lanes but not before flipping us off.

We were leaving city limits by now and the only thing around was desert as the bright lights of Vegas faded behind us.

Hunter didn't look like he was slowing down any time soon and neither were we. He really was a coward. He couldn't even stay and fight. He was a pussy when he ran away the day he took a shot at me on campus and he's being a pussy now. It seemed like Hunter relied on his goons too much.

We drove for another 10 minutes right on Hunter's tail and for a second, I wondered why he hasn't taken a shot at us and I wondered why I wanted him to. Maybe I subconsciously thought it would give me a justifiable reason to shoot back.

"Shit, where's my phone?" Edward suddenly asked.

"You dropped it when he shot at us, it's probably being trampled on back at the casino," I said as I kept my eyes straight, never taking them off the car in front.

"Where's your phone?" he then asked.

I reached into my purse that I had thrown down by my feet and took my phone out, handing it to him. He entered the code and connected the phone to the car's Bluetooth. Siobhan's name came up on the dashboard and it took a second before she picked up.

"Bella?" her voice was frantic as she picked up.

"Are you still tracking his phone?" Edward barked out.

"Yeah boss, he's heading up to Clark County but it's showing you're still back at the hotel. What's going on?"

"He took a shot at us when you and Edward were on the phone, Edward dropped the phone to reach for his gun. We're right behind him though. Is there an airport nearby or an airfield or anything of the sort in that direction?" I quickly asked and held onto my seat as Edward sped up.

"No, nothing like that. It just sand. What are you thinking?" she asked and I could hear her typing away in the background.

"Back at the hotel, he kept checking his phone, I just wondered if he's running to Canada, maybe he's got a flight sorted. But then he's chosen to go the opposite way from the airport," I said.

"No there's absolutely nothing out there unless he's got a car and someone waiting for him. I'll keep looking and let you know." The line went dead and we continued to follow him.

Not a single car had driven past us. Every now and then, Hunter would increase his speed but Edward and I easily kept up. I was beginning to get restless the further out we drove.

"Please can I just shoot his tires, how much further is he going to drive?" I grumbled as I fidgeted in my seat.

"If he carries on for another mile, you're more than welcome to shoot angel," Edward said as once again, his forearm flexed as he changes gears. I was hyper-aware of him and more than once did I want to climb over the console and straddle him. It was making it hard to focus on the task at hand. I knew full well now wasn't the time but there was a part of me that wanted to see what Edward would do if I acted on it.

I shifted once again and saw Edward turn to look at me.

"Remind me to never take you to a stakeout," he teased lightly whilst his eyebrows knitted together.

"Pardon me for wanting this shit over and done with so I can get you back to our hotel room. I'm this close-" I held my index finger and thumb close together "to climbing over this console and just taking what I want," I huffed in annoyance and he laughed at me.

The tension in his shoulders momentarily seemed to have lifted but it was short-lived as Hunter quickly swerved to the right and drove onto the dry land. My arms shot out in front of me to steady myself as Edward quickly did the same maneuver. Hunter stupidly turned his headlights off but seeing as we still had ours on, it was easy to keep up with him. For someone who wanted to take over Chicago, he definitely wasn't the brightest tool in the box.

"Now you can shoot," Edward quickly said as both of our windows rolled down. I tried to hold steady but the ground was so uneven, my shots just pinged off the boot of the car as I aimed and fired.

"Fuck this!" I said and undid my seatbelt and hung out the window a little.

"Isabella get the fuck back inside the car!" Edward bellowed as a few stray shots fired back at us.

I locked my arms once more and fired again and hit the right back tire. But as soon as my shot fired, I felt a burning sensation on my arm. I didn't dare see what caused the pain as I fired again but missed and hit the side door instead when Hunter took another sharp turn.

I sat back inside the car whilst Edward continued to drive and shoot at the same time.

"Fuck," I shouted as the pain increased and I could feel something warm trickle down my arm. When I finally looked down, there was a long cut across my bicep, close to my shoulder.

"Sonofa-" I hardly got the word out before Edward turned to look at me.

"Motherfucker!" He shouted and sped up. We were bumper to bumper with Hunter's car now.

"I fucking told you to stay inside the car!" he shouted at me but that only caused the anger in me to bubble further.

"Don't fucking swear at me! It's just a fucking graze! Focus on the asshole in front of us!" I shouted back holding onto my arm as more blood started coming out. The adrenalin flowing through my veins was the only thing stopping me from panicking right now.

Edward once again readied his gun and continued shooting at Hunter, this time with a sinister glare on his face. I tried looking at the back seat of the car for anything I could wrap my arm in and I conveniently found a silk shawl on the back seat. I quickly grabbed it and tore a piece off. I wrapped it a few times around my arm so that the material could soak up the blood and hopefully prevent it from spilling any more.

I then focused back on Edward and noticed he had shot up the other back tire and the back window was missing.

"Hold on," he said and rammed into the back of Hunter's car, causing our bumper to latch onto the back of the car. Edward took another shot and I saw it graze the side of Hunter's head and ear as our headlights beamed forward.

The car skidded to a stop and Edward was out of the car instantly, rounding over to Hunter who remained seated. I watched Edward wretch the door open and grab Hunter, pulling him out as he stepped back. Edward didn't waste time and swung at Hunter and continued to pound his face whilst he just stood there.

I couldn't imagine this was him giving up and something definitely didn't feel right.

This felt too easy.

My hand stayed on the handle as I watched intently. The way one of his arms was behind his back didn't sit right with me.

"There are rules in our world. Rules you have continued to dismiss. Rules our fathers drilled into our heads! Your carelessness for these rules is going to be the thing that kills you. How stupid do you have to be to shoot at my wife? Did you honestly think we would give you your half of Chicago? Fucking look at yourself!" Edward snarled at him.

"You think you're better than me? You think some fucking tradition is going to stop me from taking what's mine? You and your precious family owe me!" he sneered back at Edward and I saw his arm shift.

I instantly stepped out of the car and had my gun raised before either man could say or do anything. Hunter's head swiveled towards me and a slimy grin spread across his face.

"Mmm, I'm going to enjoy making you watch me fuck every hole your pretty little wife has. Oh, I do hope she puts up a fight, like them feisty," I heard Hunter say.

"Don't fucking look at her!" Edward snarled back and brought his gun to Hunter's head

"You scared Cullen?" his laugh was sinister and it sent a shiver down my back.

I noticed his eyes were bloodshot as he looked at me again. He was extremely unpredictable right now if he was strung up on drugs.

Edward turned to look at me and that was the same time I saw Hunter draw a gun out and press it into Edward's side.

I didn't want to trust my eyes at this moment.

I wanted this to be some sort of a sick dream.

But then everything happened so quickly.

I simply pulled the trigger.

But there were two gunshots that rang out.