AN: To clarify some confusion, Isabella is only gone for a few days. That's it. In the original contest entry, after she returns there's a time gap that I gloss over before a huge event. I thought it was a month, but after double checking the time gap is two months long. I'll explain a little more below. Enjoy!
Crosshairs
Chapter Eight—Coming Home
The ride back to Isabella's place was uneventful, but filled with sexual tension. They kept their conversation light, discussing music, favorite movies, and literature. It didn't help much to ease their mutual desire, but it allowed it to smolder into something more comfortable.
Her phone rang minutes from her building. According to the blueprints Jenks had downloaded for Edward, the cafe took up the entire bottom floor, while the other two held apartments—hers, and ones she rented to friends, employees, and family.
"I have to take this," she said, shaking her head. She looked worried. "It's my father's wife." She put family first; he liked that. At least, the call helped his lust simmer down.
"Hi, Sue." She spoke softly for the rest of the drive, ending the call as Edward parked the car in front of the cafe. "Looks like I have to leave town." She rubbed her eyes, seemingly exhausted all of the sudden. "My flight is in a couple hours."
"Business?"
"Yes." Her eyes narrowed. "It'll be three days tops." She looked at him, taking the key fob from his hand. "How about I cook you dinner when I return?"
"I could pick you up from the airport." His phone rang as he exited the car to open her door. "It's my brother. I need to take the call." He answered, letting Emmett know he'd call him back shortly.
Emmett could be heard through the line. "You better, asshole."
Isabella tried to keep a straight face as Edward hung up. "Sounds important."
"Family is important to me." Edward cupped her face, looking into her eyes. "May I pick you up when you fly back? I can drop you off now, too."
"I need to leave my car somewhere." Her gaze dropped to his mouth. "But you can pick me up." She licked her bottom lip, eliciting him to do the same.
They had shared kisses and pecks while dancing, but they wanted something harder, deeper.
"I can still taste you, Isabella."
"But I can't taste you."
He slid his tongue over her pouting lip, kissing her as he wanted to all night. His fingers found their way into her soft hair, tugging until he could slip farther into her mouth. She tasted of mint and tequila, and something undeniably her. It started out as a soft kiss, until she moaned. Then it turned more passionate and needy. Each giving and taking in equal measure.
His phone rang again. "Fuck, I apologize. It must be important."
She pulled back, breathless and wanting. "I need to pack, call someone to cover my shift, and do about a hundred other different things. If I didn't…"
Edward did his best to keep his cockiness under control. "You'd try to convince me to come upstairs?"
Her smirk robbed him of his common sense. One corner of her beautiful mouth tipped up, but her eyes said it all. She wanted him. "Not try, succeed."
He grabbed her, kissing her again, deep, addictive strokes of his tongue along hers. Her fingers tugged on his hair, making what he did next nearly impossible.
He stepped away, walking backward toward his truck. "I have no doubt you would've succeeded."
Isabella watched him until she secured herself inside the building, waving at him. She looked around to see the street was relatively empty, but Edward knew better. If she intended to tease him with a hint of her gorgeous curves or what was under her dress, he'd have to kill his men down the road.
He shook his head, mouthing for her to behave. She did agree, but with a pout on her lips. She disappeared under the cover of darkness and it took considerable control for him to walk away.
Edward put on his Bluetooth, calling his brother once in the safety of his truck. Emmett had good news for once: Alec Rossi had been found. Their usual contractor already had him pinned down and waiting for whatever Edward's father ordered next. First, they wanted some information on the Rossi Family before they ended his life; their contractor was sending their very best to get it.
.
.
.
Edward worked diligently over the next two days while Isabella was gone, trying to find information on the Rossi Family and who their buyers were. He knew Alec choosing girls from their clubs was no coincidence. Through a local contact at the police department, he and the team went through missing person's reports for the past six months, focusing on women who matched the description of Alec's victims.
A pattern soon emerged; at one point, over seven of those reported missing recently had worked in one of their clubs over three years prior. The authorities had yet to realize, but when they did, they'd come after the Cullen Family again. Alec Rossi was trying to tie human trafficking to the Cullens, which would take the attention off the Rossi Family.
"I need to head out to the airport and pick up Isabella, Riley."
Riley was a bit older than Edward, with a slighter build and dark hair. He had handled Mike, making sure the fucker knew never to come near Isabella again. Edward planned to give Riley a permanent position once they left Washington. He'd be able to watch over Isabella.
Because once Edward made his choice, nothing else would suffice. Isabella was his.
"Should I send what we found to your father?" Riley tossed a picture of one of the girls Alec had murdered, a gruesome sight.
Edward's phone rang. "Speak of the devil."
His father skipped pleasantries. "Alec Rossi is dead."
"Did the contractor do as instructed and make it look like an accident?"
"Alec Rossi was killed in a fiery car accident, his body nothing more than a pile of bones, Son."
"Are we sure it's him?"
"I was sent a link to live footage of the interrogation, before the contractor took care of Alec."
"Did we get the information we needed?"
"Some, but not much. The Rossi Family is trying to do what they can to keep us from conducting business in Chicago."
Edward explained what he and the team found, and his belief they'd find more connections. "With Alec gone, Aro will have someone else take over what he was doing."
"I'll contact Richards. We need to make sure the police consider Alec for the murders."
"Which may lead to the clubs. I'll call Emmett and Garrett; they'll need to strip all records of those girls working at any of our clubs. Shouldn't be hard to do; they both worked under the table."
Riley tapped his watch, reminding Edward he had to meet Isabella at the airport.
"I have to pick up my date."
"Is this the same woman? Is she…?"
"Too early to tell." It wasn't. Isabella haunted his dreams. He already made up his mind; he was ready to work toward earning her affection.
He ended the call with the promise to call later.
Edward grabbed the keys to his recent purchase. He sent Isabella a text he was running late, but she wouldn't see it until she landed.
Isabella had been right; he was done hiding behind the laid-back Edward Masen identity he'd created. It was time to give Isabella a taste of the kind of man he was. Jenks had come to Seattle to make a purchase from the persistent pest named Mike.
Isabella's GTX was now in Edward's possession. It was a sweet ride with plenty of horsepower; though, not as smooth as his Bugatti back home. He felt it sent a clear message: Don't fuck with me.
Isabella would be surprised when she saw him, and he couldn't wait to see the look on her face. They had played phone tag while she was gone, mostly communicating through text messages that got dirtier with every notification. He understood she was busy, something she'd have to deal with if they continued their relationship.
"As, not if." He corrected himself. It was a reminder he made his choice. They were compatible in everything, from their levels of intellect, their dislikes and likes in all things, and their loyalty to family. In the physical and intimate areas, they had the potential to be explosive.
Once he was ready to introduce her to the family, how long would it take her to realize the kind of man she was dating? She'd figure it out fast; he was sure of it. She was too smart not to—but would she stay or run for the hills?
Nearly an hour later, he found her near the exit she mentioned in a text. She dropped her carry-on, looking shocked. There was no stopping his smile as he jumped out of the car.
"What did you do?" She ran her hand along the side of the car, her skin almost luminous against the matte black finish. She did a series of fist pounds on the trunk, the lid popping open. "Oh, fuck! It's mine!"
"Yes, it is. My people found the source of the smell." He smirked when she blushed. "Fish in the hubcaps; I'm surprised."
"I'm not even sorry. The plan was for Mike to want his money back." She grinned, then squealed, pouncing on him. Her lips came down hard on his, her arms and legs wrapping around him. "Now we both have sexy cars."
He shivered at the purr in her voice. "It's yours, Isabella."
"Mine?"
He nodded.
The strength in her arms surprised him, her hold tightening. "No one has ever done anything like this for me." Her next kiss was softer, slower, sweeter. She pulled back to look in his eyes, her fingers tracing his features. "Take me home, please."
His brow tightened. "I thought we were spending the day in Seattle."
Her lips lingered on his ear, her teeth nipping. "We could, or you can spend the day sightseeing me. Plus, I said I'd make you dinner."
He had her in the car and out of the heavy airport traffic in record time. They said little on the drive back to her place, anticipation too palpable to carry on a coherent conversation. It didn't matter; the silence was comfortable, even peaceful.
They took the stairs in the back of her building to avoid her employees. The entire top floor was her apartment; a combination of warmth and industrial in style, but that mattered little as they tumbled through the door.
"Are you sure?" He had to ask, because the second she lost an article of clothing, he'd lose his mind.
She pushed away from him, enough to slip right out of her shirt and bra, dropping them on the floor. "Does this answer your question?"
"Fuck, yes." He grabbed the back of her head, his lips slanting over hers.
She cried out as he yanked on her hair. The apology was on his lips, but she kissed it away. "Don't fucking apologize. I like it."
He groaned, thrusting his hips against hers, lifting one of her legs around his waist.
She was so fucking warm, and had potent desire stirring within him. She was the first to pull away, panting with the need to breathe, but begged for more.
They stripped each other of their clothes. Their hands couldn't stop touching, their mouths always connected.
"Now, now, now." She begged as her breasts filled his hands, his mouth teasing her nipples.
Edward pulled up, taking her lips in a heated kiss. Resting his forehead on hers, he widened his stance, moving her knees higher up his sides. The tip of his cock teased her clit.
"Edward."
At the sound of his name, he thrust inside her, groaning at the feel of her clenched around him. "Goddamn, Isabella."
Her laugh was huskier than usual. "What can I say?" She moaned, her eyes rolling back as he pulled out, thrusting as hard as the first time. "Oh fuck, just like that."
He cocked an eyebrow. "You were saying?"
"It's been a while." Her cheek rested against his, her words a tease on his neck. "Now fuck the words right out of me."
"Fuck." His forehead rested on the door, his gaze dropping to the sight of his cock slipping in and out of her. As her lips and whispered words continued to torture him, he kept a steady pace. His tongue caressed the corner of her lips. "Is it working?"
She moaned. "I can still talk."
"Fucking kidding me." He stopped, making her scream her displeasure. "You want it harder?"
"I said fuck the words—"
Edward didn't give her a chance to finish. He turned with his cock still deep inside her. Her arms came around his neck, his hands curving over her ass. "Such a fucking tease."
Her eyes widened as he guided her hips, thrusting as he walked toward the nearest flat surface, a large white table.
"Oh, fuck." Her words were breathless, a near whimper, as his cock hit the right spot.
"Still talking, I see."
"Oh, fuck, Edward, you..."
He spread her out on the table, slipping his cock out of her. Her hair was a dark curtain of satin, her body on display for him. His hand curled around her throat, eliciting her body to arch under his touch. The fingers of his free hand thrust inside her, his thumb teasing her clit.
"What do you have to say now?"
Her head shook from side to side, her body writhing. She was a fucking vision to remember.
"S-till t-talking."
"Such a tease." He tightened his fingers around her throat, just enough to get her to moan. Fuck, he really had met his match; not just in intellect, but sexually. He wanted to make sure she felt their first time for hours, if not days.
The tip of his forefinger brushed her bottom lip. "Maybe I should fuck your mouth instead." From the look in her eyes, he knew she wouldn't mind if he did. He slipped his fingers from her pussy, licking them slowly as she watched through desire-heavy eyes.
She said the magic words he was waiting for. "Edward, please."
He grabbed her knees, spreading her wide for his eyes to take a good look at what was finally his—only his. He entered her hard with one of his hands wrapped around her throat again, her own hand covering his. His lips devoured hers, his hips moving in perfect sync to her beating heart, fast.
He was at a loss for words, and finally, so was she. Her hips worked insistently to meet his, their skin slapping together. A sheen of sweat covered them both, the scents and sounds of their fucking unraveled the rest of his control.
"You're mine, Isabella. Mine." His teeth bit into her bottom lip, and he groaned. "Mine."
She could only nod and gasp, and pull on his hair with the same desperation he had.
His thumb brushed along her jaw, and that was when he saw it. A bruise.
"What the fuck?"
Before he had a chance to pull away, to stop, she shook her head, grabbing hold of his face. "Don't stop please."
His forehead rested on hers, their bodies keeping the same brutal pace, despite the softening in their eyes. He was angry she'd been hurt, and she was worried about his reaction.
They came with a force that left them shaking for minutes afterward. He wrapped her in his arms, barely managing to the find the strength in his legs to collapse on her couch.
"What happened?"
"After you left Friday, Mike came by. We, of course, started to fight, and he pushed me into the wall. Hit my cheek on a frame." She looked up at him, her body curled on his lap. "I kicked his ass."
"Fuck." Riley and another member of his security team hadn't gone after Mike until the following afternoon. Guilt ate at Edward.
"Forget about it. Pretty sure I left the asshole sterile." She shrugged, smirking. "He was mad about what I did to the car."
"That doesn't give him the right to lay a hand on you."
"No, it doesn't." She kissed his lips softly. "Thanks for getting back my car."
Somehow, he managed to keep his rage contained. "It was my pleasure."
It wasn't long before they raided her kitchen for sustenance, soon taking their lovemaking to the hallway, the shower, and eventually her bed.
Edward slipped out of Isabella's bed before the sun fully rose, covering her with the sheet to keep himself focused on his task. He exited her room, grabbed his things from the living room. He found a guest bathroom, locking the door. The running faucet would mean less chance of Isabella overhearing the call he had to make. He checked his gun, surprised she hadn't seen him hiding it when they stripped each other of their clothes earlier.
"Boss?" Riley answered on the second ring.
"I want Mike Newton dead."
"Should I have your father call our usual contractor or take care of it personally?"
"Our usual contractor is busy with clean up in Chicago. Take care of it yourself, and I'll make sure you get a nice bonus."
"Consider it done."
AN: As you can see, Isabella is back after a few days. In the next chapter, I will go over the time gap but I won't go through every day. I'd like to move forward in the story. Some actions, some angst, and quite a bit of blood will be spilled. Are you ready?
Thanks to Midnight Cougar for all your help with this fic, you've been amazing. Like a right-hand woman, but one I wouldn't shoot. I swear
