Chapter 8
EPOV
I don't know how I kept my cool when Bella said she thought someone was following her. I hated to do it, but I didn't want to scare her, so I'd brushed her off. I told her she was just being paranoid, even though she wasn't.
They could fuck with me all day; I didn't care. But, when they started to bring my girl into it, that was when shit got real. As soon as she mentioned he had a scar, I had no doubt in my mind who the fuck it was.
Demetri; he ran with The Skulls. And just like Hunter, he had a crazy talent for finding anyone, anywhere. But unlike Hunter, he was extremely predictable. I knew exactly when and where I could find him. I pulled open the drawer of my bedside table, pulling out my switchblade and shoving it in my pocket. There was no telling if I'd have a need for it or not.
—
Half of the street lights in the park were broken, making it almost pitch black. It was the perfect place to deal, and Demetri had owned this spot for years now. Even with the darkness, I pulled my hood up, blocking out my face as much as I could as I sat and waited. I ran through different scenarios in my mind, such as how I could kill him, when I finally heard the sound of leaves crunching under someone's shoes.
I looked up, watching as he slipped something into someone's hand. They spoke quietly for a moment before they shook hands and the other guy walked away. I stood from my seat and headed in his direction as quietly as possible.
"Been following my girl, Demetri?" I muttered as I snuck up behind him.
He turned on a dime, his hand on the gun stashed in his waistband. "The fuck you want, Cullen? Or should I call you Jaws?"
"I'm gonna ask you again, motherfucker. You been following my girl?"
"Ah, Bella, was it? Pretty little thing you got there. That ass on her?" He let out a low whistle, but it was what he said next that made me lose my shit.
"Man, it'd suck if something happened to her." He sneered at me.
I lunged at him, grabbing him by the throat and shoving him up against a tree. He struggled as I pressed my fingers deeper into the flesh at his neck. "You fuckin' come near her again, and I'll set your ass on fire and turn your ashes into diamonds for her to wear around her fuckin' neck. Entendes, bitch?" I let him drop and spat at his feet.
I smirked as I watched him scurry to stand, rubbing at his throat. "You better watch your back, motherfucker," he growled in an attempt to intimidate me.
I barked out a laugh. "¿Por qué? You think you can hurt me?"
It was his turn to laugh. "Look, I'll back off your girl if you drop the fuckin' manhunt on Marcos. It's a lost fuckin' cause anyway. Your boys set you up. You been after him for, what? Three, four years now? Ain't nobody that good at hiding, Cullen. Don't your boy Hunter find everyone he looks for, yet he can't find Marcos?" His grin was sinister.
I stood there with my hands balled into fists. "Marcos killed my father," I said through clenched teeth.
"Keep on tellin' yourself that."
My heart pounded harder. "If it wasn't Marcos, then who was it?"
"You work for Emmett McCarty, yeah?"
I eyed him carefully. "So what?"
"Ask him about his wife."
"He's not married, asshole."
"Not anymore, he's not. Ask him. See what he's got to say. Remember, drop Marcos, and I'll let your girl relax. Until then... see ya around."
—
"Fuck!"I yelled, throwing the wrench down. My mind had been anywhere but where I needed it to be since Demetri dropped the bomb that I could be after the wrong guy. Not that I trusted anything he had to say, but after he brought Emmett into it, I didn't know what to think.
"Cullen!" Emmett barked behind me. "What the hell, kid?"
I took a deep breath before turning to look at him. "Sorry, man."
"Come on, I want to talk to you," he said as he walked toward his office. I followed him in, taking a seat in front of his desk. "What's going on with you? Your head has been in the clouds lately."
I ran my fingers through my hair, wondering how to broach the subject with him. I took a deep breath, deciding to just come out with it. "You ever been married?"
"Are you having relationship problems?"
"No, it's not that—"
He cut me off as he abruptly stood and walked over to shut the door. "Why are you asking about my wife, Cullen?"
"So you are married?"
"I was. She died about nine years ago. Not too long before your father died."
That definitely caught my attention. "How'd you know about my father?" I demanded.
"Edward, you really don't know?"
I shook my head, hoping he'd continue. He sighed heavily, dropping down into his seat. "Rose was murdered. She was raped and beaten within an inch of her life. Your dad found her and called for an ambulance, but by the time they got to the hospital…" he trailed off.
"Fuck,"I muttered. "Did they ever find the hijueputa who did it?"
He quirked an eyebrow at me before shaking his head. "The last thing she said to your dad was Kings."He eyed me carefully. "The police figured she meant the piece of shit gang you were part of, but whoever did it hid their tracks really fucking well. No DNA; nothing."
I sat there silently. My mind wouldn't stop spinning. Everything I thought I knew was wrong. I'd joined up with the Kings under the pretense that they'd help me kill the fucker who murdered my dad, but it had actually been one of them. I'd been so blinded by rage and grief all these years that I'd never stopped to question anything.
Demetri had been right. Hunter did always find his prey, but when it came to Marcos, it was as if he was unattainable. They all knew, and every last one of them had been laughing at me.
"I'm sorry, man. I gotta go," I said as I bolted out the door.
It wasn't long before I found myself standing in front of Bella's door, pounding on it. She whipped it open, glaring at me. She took one look at me and her expression morphed into one of concern. "Edward, what's wrong?"
"I got it all wrong, Bella. They've just been fucking with me. I don't know who killed my dad—"
I broke off when she grabbed my hand, pulling me inside and shutting the door. She stood up on her tiptoes, kissing my lips, and I felt some of the stress leave my body.
"Come on, I'll make us something to eat, and you'll tell me what's going on."
I nodded as I sat at her kitchen table, hoping she could help me make sense of this whole clusterfuck.
Spanish:
Entendes - You understand
Por qué - Why
Hijueputa - Slang for 'son of a bitch'