Author's note; I think this chapter has been a long time coming ... Enjoy!
Some other exciting news; My wonderful Beta, Fran, has been nominated in several categories in the TwiFic Fandom Awards. Round One voting closes Sunday 28th Feb. Please go vote for her. Believe me; this story would be nothing without her. I can't thank her enough for all that she does for me and many other would-be writers.
*Chapter 39*
Dinner is a crazy chaotic, and rowdy affair; everything a Cullen family meal should be.
There's laughter, some lively discussion, with plenty of talking over each other, bickering, and playful banter. It's the perfect distraction from everything happening outside this house.
It feels good to laugh ... to smile ... to be a family. We eat; we simply enjoy being a family - one large dysfunctional family who happen to be mobsters.
Midway through our main course, Carlisle slips away to take a call, much to Nanna's annoyance. Apparently, not even the boss is immune to her disapproval and scathing looks. She warns him to make it quick before he scurries away. I snigger when he skulks back in the room, purposefully avoiding eye contact with Nanna.
Something in his posture is off, and you can call me paranoid, but I don't think it has anything to do with his mother's scolding.
With Carlisle back, we quickly fall back into conversation, and we are treated to course after course of delicious food. I might be reading too much into it, but Carlisle seems just a little off since he returned from his call.
But maybe I'm wrong.
Looking around the table, I love this crazy bunch like they are my own, which I suppose they are. There's more laughter, more joking, and telling stories to embarrass each other. Gramps is the instigator - he cracks a few jokes at Edward's expense, but he takes it in good spirit. He's happy, which in turn brings a smile to my face.
I'm chatting with Gramps, who's teasing Edward as usual, before I glance around the table to see Carlisle and Emmett deep in conversation … a heavily animated discussion. Whatever the two of them are discussing looks to be pretty intense if their stern faces are anything to go by.
I'm even more alarmed when Carlisle signals Edward. My husband stands, switching seats to join them. My uneasiness increases as they pick up their conversation, keeping their voices low.
I'm intrigued.
Carlisle catches me looking, and I quickly look away, pretending to be preoccupied with the discussion taking place beside me so I can hear better.
I catch snippets of their conversation, but none of it makes any sense to me. Realizing I'm not going to get any answers by eavesdropping, I turn my attention back to the happy, smiley faces around me. However, not even Alice's or Gramp's questionable jokes can fully distract me from the conversation taking place across the table.
Something is going on - I can feel it.
Edward catches me staring, and though he tried to disguise it with a half-smile, I can tell he's still tense as he returned his attention to Carlisle. They talk some more before Edward returns to his seat beside me. I turn to him questioningly and can tell he's reluctant to disclose whatever it is they've discussed.
"What was all that about?" I ask anyway.
"It's nothing for you to worry about." Edward brushes a kiss on my forehead, but he can think again if he thinks that's enough to distract me.
"Edward ..." I warn, sending him a stern look. "We're a team, remember? Tell me what's happening, please."
He shakes his head, muttering something like 'can't get anything past you,' before finally admitting what the three of them were whispering about.
"The Russians have a strong lead on Marcus - that's what Carlisle's call was about."
"When do you go?" I ask, already dreading his reply.
"We don't; the Russians are on it now. If they find anything, they'll let us know." Edward reveals. He appears calm, but my instinct is to worry about this latest development. I know both families have agreed to work together but are they trustworthy; what's in it for them?
"Can you trust them?"
"We have no reason to doubt them, Bella," Edward answers, sounding confident. "They are hoping if they find Marcus, it will strengthen the bond between families - that's all."
"I hope so," I keep my voice level as well as my facial expression, but Edward reads me so easily.
"You worry too much," he said softly, kissing my forehead. "Now, let's forget about this for now and enjoy our night, yes?" " he leans towards me.
Edward cups my face in his hands, bringing my eyes upwards to meet his. His are darker- practically black with desire, which makes my breathing quicken and sends shivers down my spine. The second his lips touch mine, kissing me with so much passion, I forget anyone else in the room. At least until Gramps's teasing voice breaks the moment.
"Steady on, you two. Get a room- isn't that what kids these days say? If you keep that up, you'll be popping out baby number two straight after the first."
Laughter erupts around the table. I'm blushing, hiding my face in Edward's shoulder while he glares across at our family, warning everyone to shut the hell up.
The night continues in much the same way; there is more laughter, teasing, and joking, which all disappears when Carlisle quickly excuses himself from the room to take another call. There's no missing the concerned expression on his face.
"They have him," is all he says when he returns a few minutes later.
There's a moment of complete silence before everyone springs into action; Jasper is busy tapping away on his phone. Emmett is talking with Rose. Edward holds my hand, assuring me that everything is okay. Within minutes, goodbyes are said, and then they're gone.
*ED POV*
"It's over, Marcus. After everything this family has done for you, how could you betray us this way?" Carlisle attempts to sound firm, but his voice betrays the frustration we're all feeling.
Despite the hours of prolonged torture he's endured, Marcus is defiant and still giving us absolutely nothing; no guilt … no explanation … no remorse, only silence, and defiance.
The Russians roughed him up good, our boys took their turns before handing him over to us, but he's resilient.
"Tell me what I want to know - you owe us that much at least. I assure you you're not getting any relief until I have those answers." Carlisle warns, his voice deadly.
"Go fuck yourself!" Marcus spat out.
Carlisle punches him square in the jaw before turning to me. He doesn't need to say anything; on the way over, we discussed how this would go. Carlisle would question Marcus first- but if there was no sign of him breaking, he would hand my traitorous uncle over to me.
Marcus may think I'm hot-headed - emotional; maybe I am, but I plan on using that to our advantage. I'll get him wound up to reveal why he did this, what I suspect he did to my parents and what his plan was for Bella, too.
That part fills me with most dread. My parent's death was so long ago now - I've not over it- I don't think I ever truly will get over the cruel way they were taken away, but maybe getting some answers will provide the closure I need.
Either way, the last couple of weeks … the months since I met Bella, has put a lot of things in perspective. Having a family of my own, a wife who I love more than my own life, and a baby on the way - the family I never expected to have; a family I nearly lost thanks to this man before me, has made me contemplate a lot of my demons.
I'm incredibly grateful and fucking lucky that Bella was able to move on and forgive me. She's shown me I need to stop looking back at the past ... and focus on the here and now - that's all that counts.
"He's all yours, Edward," Carlisle says as I expected. He's had his time making Marcus pay; now it's my turn.
It feels like I've waited weeks to get my hands on him, but I barely recognize the man in front of me; He's a shell of his former self, and I'm not talking about the beating he's received. I've looked up to my uncle all my life, and all that time, he was plotting and planning; using me, but for what? A chance of gaining a higher place in the family … To take over completely? So much about all this is still unknown.
Despite his bravado, he's close to breaking, I know it; there is only so long he can hold out before he's singing … begging for forgiveness … begging for mercy.
Carlisle has made sure he's broken physically. Now it's my turn to make him pay; make him suffer for all the hours Bella was away from me and all the shit he's put us through.
I've never been particularly fond of torture; I prefer to let my men take care of traitors with little fuss and move on from it. However, this is personal, so close to home, and I take great pleasure in his suffering. Every cry ... every whimper … every fucking scream as I strike his body with my fist is music to my ears.
Marcus' cries eventually turn to whimpers; he's weak … broken; His lifeless body held up only by the bonds that keep him in place. He's struggling for breath, but I'm nowhere near done with him. I won't let up - not until I get the answers I need. Another strike draws another strangled cry from his lips.
"This is your last chance to tell me what I want to know, or this could get a whole lot worse for you..." I deliberately leave my words hanging in the air, letting him imagine all the gruesome, downright depraved things I plan on doing to him.
I'm up in Marcus' face; my fingers dig into his skin as I yanked him by the neck. If the unaffected expression on his face is any indication, he's not bothered by my actions.
Laughing darkly, Marcus smiles smugly. He's trying to get under my skin, and it's working. My fists clench, and I can feel my blood pumping, but I force myself to calm down.
"You know, you can laugh all you like because I'm going to make you suffer, and I will enjoy every single second of it unless you tell me what I want to hear. Now, are you ready to tell me what this was all about? Surely you didn't think you would get away with any of this madness?"
Marcus is silent, as I suspected he would be. Still, his resistance allows me to let out the anger ... the fucking frustration I'm feeling from his silence ... his defiance, even now ...
He's holding out longer than I thought he would. There's blood dripping all over his body. He's stripped naked, covered head to toe in bruises, and there are several large gashes across his chest.
"Ready to tell me?" I growl. I put the gun to his head, release the safety, but I don't pull the trigger. I need answers that only he can give me. I don't care how long it takes; I'm not leaving here without answers. Marcus knows this ...
"Fuck you, Edward. You don't have the guts to shoot me," he taunts. "I'm Uncle Marcus. You look up to me, remember? You're the weak link in the family, the emotional one."
"Say that again." I dare, as I drag his face up to mine, looking him square in the eye. His smile is smug; His eyes are filled with resentment and anger.
"You have always been weak … pathetic. Your parents saw it too. They wanted out of this life for that very reason—for their baby boy." he says, sounding bitter.
"What do you mean?" I ground out, knowing I'm not going to like what he is about to tell me.
"Your mother told me everything- how they planned to leave … to have normal jobs outside the family. And if I let that happen, where would that have left me? After everything I've done, I would have cast aside? I couldn't let that happen. I saw a chance to find my way into the family and took it."
For a moment, I can't believe what I'm hearing. Recently I suspected Marcus might have played a part in my parents' deaths, but to hear he orchestrated the whole thing is mind-blowing.
"You killed my parents … your sister … so you could make a name for yourself?" I yell.
"You don't know the half of it," Marcus laughs. The sinister smile on his face tells me there are far more disturbing revelations to follow.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" I demand. Gripping his throat, I force him to look me in the eye.
"You should hear what we had planned for that pretty little wife of yours," he laughs mockingly.
I see red; my fists flying wildly, making contact with any part of his body I can find. Not even Carlisle, Emmett, and Jasper can hold me back from giving Marcus the beating he deserves. I pull back only when he's coughing and wheezing.
"You're delusional if you think I'd have let you hurt her. I would have killed you before you laid a hand on my wife."
"Oh, we would have had some fun with her first, you know, the guys would have, maybe me, but James was the one who coveted your wife. He always wanted what you had, and this was his chance, our chance. But it was never really about her—we only needed Isabella for a certain amount of time. After she served her purpose and we got what we needed, we would have disposed of your pretty little wife … quickly." Marcus smiles evilly. It takes me a moment to understand his meaning.
"The baby ..." I breathe out.
"Smart boy," he says condescendingly.
"What were you planning on doing with us out of the way?" I ask; my body fills with tension as I await his answer, my fists at my side, clenched so tight my palms were bleeding.
"You haven't figured it out yet? We could have killed you, Carlisle, but why stop there? With Carlisle and Emmett gone, the women next. With all of you dead, we planned to send Isabella away, and once she'd had that baby, we'd kill her too. We had it all in place for someone to raise the child, blissfully unaware of its heritage. Maybe someone from a rival family, so your daughter would grow to be a Princess, or your son a Prince … but would never be a Cullen family heir. Imagine that, can you, Edward? Maybe Irina. She's always had an unhealthy fixation on you. And she hated Bella. Giving her the baby would give her exactly what she always wanted. Again, that was James' idea; he wanted to really screw you over, Edward, while he was screwing your wi ..."
Carlisle doesn't even attempt to pull me off, Marcus. He stands by, watches as my fists fly wildly … uncontrollably, unleashing a wave of anger I've never experienced before. I keep going until my fists are swollen, sore, and my body aches.
With Marcus struggling to breathe, I turn to Carlisle. I want to rip him to pieces, but my uncle has the final say.
"You betrayed this family, Marcus," Carlisle says, his expression grim, his voice deadly … "You killed your sister and my brother to make yourself important. You then tried to take over the family. I should kill you myself, but it's Edward's right to punish you."
With that, he turns to me, indicating I am free to finish this once and for all.
I don't waste any time. I put a bullet straight through his head.
He's dead in seconds.
There's no point dragging it out any longer. Sure, I could prolong his suffering, but my family needs me more. I don't have time to waste on this lowlife. I have the information I needed; I know who put my family at risk; a man I had trusted my entire life.
And he just paid for his betrayal.
Marcus is dead, as are his accomplices. Now the family can move on, rebuilding and making plans for the future.
I very nearly lost my family again because of Marcus. To have Bella and our child healthy and safe - that is all I need for my life to be complete.
It's time to move on ... to forget the past and focus on the future.
Author's note: We got there, right? Thanks for sticking with me :) Now let's tie up all those loose ends.
Teasers will be posted on the It All Started with Twilight Facebook Group, which is also up for a TwiFic Fandom award. Please vote :)
In the meantime, someone recommended 'stuck in Limbo' by NightBloomingPeony. I'm so glad they did. Two chapters in and I'm already hooked. Give it a try and leave a nice review or two. It deserves way more than it currently has.
xx