With Benny gone with Jay to his parents house, I have the rest of the day to myself. I have already been to the hospital and I am quite sure that the staff are sick of me being there constantly. Oh well, until they are home I will be there every chance I am able. I run a hand through my locks and look around the packed room.
Benny was not happy that he had to pack up all of his stuff himself but it was his choice to wait to the last minute. We offered to help him last week but he insisted we were being premature. He wasn't thinking that when he had to spend his entire saturday packing a room.
My phone vibrates on my side. I glance down and pause. Alice? She has been sticking to herself the last few weeks. Something about saving her family and being the wife that Edward wants. I honestly tuned her out once she stated she was taking the advice of Jessica. Jessica has been married and divorced three times in the past five years.
"Hello, Alice," I answer.
"Bella? Bella," Alice responds sounding agitated.
I sit up straight on the full-sized bed. "What's wrong?"
"Uh, nothing. I was thinking you could come over. We can make a girls day out of it," She states unconvincingly. Girls day? Has she bumped her head?
"I don't know, Alice. What did you have in mind?" She is acting really weird.
"Pedicures. Soak in the jacuzzi. Maybe some mimosas? I'll call Rose too," She says in a chipperer voice.
Rose? Okay, something is definitely up. I stand up and pick up my coat. The last time Alice acted weird she had locked herself in the bathroom on her wedding day. She probably has gotten into another fight with Edward.
"Uh, sure I'll be there in twenty."
"Great. That's great," She clicks her teeth and then gasps. "Can you stop and grab a big thing of bleach? I'm out and spilled some wine. You know how easily stuff stains nowadays."
"Sure, Alice. You need anything else from the store," I ask snarkily.
"No...I will see you when you get here." Click.
I don't know what is up with her now but I swear if it is Edward I'll bring Jay in. This needs to end. He is an incompentent dickwad and he is useless at his job. The only reason he is still alive is because of Alice. As soon as she is through with him his days will be numbered.
Peter and Garrett had to go handle something today so I am stuck with a tail. I don't mind and honestly prefer it that way. I can still drive and have a little independence. It's easier to ignore the train assassins that are sworn to protect you when they are in a different car. With a quick wave at the unmarked Audi, I climb into my Tesla. Jay called it a push gift. I call it highly unnecessary but very cool.
There is this small grocery store outside of Alice housing community where all the wealthy people shop. Honestly, stopping here was not my plan but I missed my turn to go to a normal store. By the time I have made it out of the car, an armed stoic man is waiting for me. I nod my head in acknowledgement and walk towards the store.
This is the problem with coming into stores that I don't normally go into. I cannot find anything. I draw a few looks but nothing major. I'm not an outsider here, I belong in their eyes. To them I am rich, engaged to a rich male, attached to a golden family, and alluring. They don't know half of my life. It's better to ignore them then fret over what they think of me.
"Bleach!" I shriek happily, finally finding the cleaning aisle.
I turn down it quickly and scan for the bleach. I don't know what kind she wants and I don't understand how bleach can be organic when it's a chemical. Alice will probably want the most expensive kind. I grab a big jug of the highest end bleach I can find. The girl at the checkout lane looks at me oddly but doesn't comment on me only buying bleach. I pay and quickly head out.
I am trying to stuff my card back into its compartment in my purse when I walk right into something, well someone. Mike, the guard today, steadies me and I go to apologize to the person but stop. No. Absolutely not. No fucking way.
"Renee?" I breathe.
Renee smirks and puts a hand on her hip. She is dressed in a silk blouse and a skin tight leather high waisted skirt. Her feet are sheathed in strappy heels with the recognizable red bottom. Her once long hair is cut into a stylish bob with highlights. Nice sized diamond earring glitter brightly in her ear. She looks great and rich. Renee was an addict without two cents to rub together when I saw or heard from her last.
"Isabella," She giggles. What the fuck?
"What are you doing here," I ask her bluntly.
She waves her hand around, "Shopping like everyone else."
"No what are you doing here? You don't live here…" I tell her growing impatient.
"Honey, how do you know I don't live here," Her tone doesn't change but it holds a note that is slightly menacing.
Wherever Renee goes destruction is sure to follow. I do not recall a happy memory with her. She has always been a vindictive, heatless, sadistic bitch. But above all she is calculating. So she isn't here by chance. No fucking way. She planned this. Maybe not meeting me here exactly but she planned to bump into me sooner or later.
"What do you want?" I bite out.
A familiar hard glint comes into her eye, "I haven't decided."
"Leave. Now." I snap.
"Or what? You going to get your pretty boy fiance to make me disappear?" She tauts.
"Play nice, darling," A weathered voice calls.
Mike snatches me back against him. I look back startled at Renee. Soon a slim figure appears. The man is dressed in a slim fitting suit, everything is in black even his tie. His thin hair is slicked back with what I can only assume is an enormous amount of gel.
"Is this the latest man you have suckered into being your boyfriend," I ask confused at Mike's reaction.
"Bella, honey," Renee rubs the man's hand affections before thrusting her hand out at me. "He isn't my boyfriend...Aro Volturi is my husband."
Volturi? Husband? Aro? The world seems to slow down immensely as everything clicks into place. None of this has been random. The trucks going offline, the accident, and the shootout. My blood chills. Renee is back and soon as she comes back bad things start to happen.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. Renee has told me alot. I almost feel like I know you personally, Isabella," I shiver as my name rolls off my tongue.
"We should be going," Mike interrupts harshly.
"You're right," I follow his lead and pause. "Renee, I really hope you the best but stay far away from me."
With that being said, I don't bother to turn around and look at her. But in my heart of hearts I know this is not done. If life has taught me anything about Renee it's that she is most likely just getting started. But that husband of hers...that is an enigma.
I have heard the name Volturi mentioned in hushed harsh whispers. Lately, it's followed by a curse or mutterings about war. I know that Carlisle believes they are behind what happened to Emmett and I. I know Aro is the Don of that family as well. What I don't know is how he got tangled in with Renee.
Mike opens my car door and I slide into the driver seat. When he doesn't close the door, I look at him expectantly. He looks very worried.
"We are going to follow you to Alice house. The boss has been updated of what we just ran into. He said to let you know he will be waiting for you at the estate once you're finished," Mike smiles at the end probably trying to reassure me that everything is fine. I'm not stupid this is the furtherest thing from fine.
Mike shuts my door and it takes me a minute to pull out of my space. Renee being here changes a lot of things. It changes how every move I have planned to make will play out. The quads need to leave the hospital as soon as possible. I don't want them out of eye sight with her one the loose. And I need to tell Charlie. If there is one person walking the earth that he actually loathes, it's his ex-wife. There is no love lost between those two.
The drive to Alice goes by fast. Too fast that it almost scares me. My mind has been consumed with Renee since the moment I left her in the parking lot. She is here in Chicago and married. Married to the enemy at that. Renee only knows how to bring pain and horror. But, why on earth cannot she not leave me alone. It has been years since we have seen each other or spoken. Since, living with Charlie full time she has been a nightmare that I knew I would never have to encounter in real life.
Rose is just climbing out of her car as I pull in. I step out and wave at Mike. He nods and rolls his window back up. Alice house is safe therefore he does not need to follow me in. Rose waits patiently at the bottom stairs for me. I smile at her gently hoping that I am doing a good job at hiding the building hysteria.
"Did she sound off to you," Rose asks.
I nod, "Yeah, kind of scattered and not in her usual way. You think she is pregnant?"
"Hell no! Edward isn't going to knock her up," Rose sniffs. I look at her questionly and she continues. "He has taken Tanya full time. They are more of a couple than him and Alice. What's the bleach for?"
"She asked me to bring some. She spilled something. Alice, needs to cut her losses. He really is not worth it," I comment as I climb the stairs holding onto the bleach.
Alice has left the door unlocked for us and we enter it. The house is eerily quiet. Alice normally has some type of music playing on low to fill the air. She cannot stand silences. Rose and I exchange a look. Something is very off. I jump when the door slams closed.
"Sorry," Rose says apologetically.
"It's fine. I'm just jumpy today," I mutter. We walk further into the house.
"Alice! Where are you," Rose yells.
There is a pregnant pause before she responds.
"In the sunroom!" She calls back.
Alice sunroom is my favorite in her house. It's floor to ceiling windows all around to showcase her perfectly manicured backyard. Delicate stained glass decor decorates the elegant room against cream furniture. She has a large plush rug that feels like a cloud beneath your feet. It's extremely peaceful and my favorite place to go whenever I come over. So I am extremely happy she is already there.
We bound around the corner and I paused to take in the sight. Rose lets out an ear bleeding scream. The bleach slips out of my hand as it clicks in my mind what I am viewing. I hold onto the archway to steady myself, my lunch threatening to come up. There is blood everywhere.
On the once cream furniture, it's splattered red liquid as if a toddler has used the sofa as its canvas. The once beautiful stained glass decorations are shattered into millions of pieces on the floor. Slain horrendously on the cloud like rug is Tanya. Her eye lifeless eyes staring back at me. My eyes drift over to Alice who is on the floor rocking back and forth holding a bloodied stainless steel knife.
"Help me...please…" She lets out in a broken whisper.
Rose and I stare at each other in horror unable to fully comprehend what we are witnessing.