Chapter 21

A/N:Here we are. It is Friday! Yay! Here is the next chapter of Darkstrip. Just so everyone knows the next couple chapters may end in cliffies. It couldn't be helped. Thank you for all the reviews and recs. We appreciate your support so much. Thank you to our amazing prereaders: Maplestyle, SassyNoles, and 2 brown eyes. They are amazing. Also, thanks to our beta Alice's white rabbit. She is awesome.

Songs- Excess Baggage by Staind, In my Veins by Andrew Belle ft Erin McCarley

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I came awake with a start. Blinking rapidly, I attempted to bring the blurry room back into focus, yet the intense throbbing in my temple prevented my efforts. My eyes blinked as I tried to make sense of my current situation: how I came to be lying on the floor, staring at the legs of what appeared to be Bella's shitty coffee table.

Then I felt it again—tight fingers wrapped around my forearm and a voice echoing in my ear. Em's voice. His husky worried tone penetrated the fog swirling around my head, claiming my thoughts. Groggily, I attempted to shove into a sitting position, yet the ache in my head intensified. The pounding was so loud it nearly blocked out Emmett's insistent yammering. Automatically, my hand lifted, rubbing over the lump forming on my skull, as the room and Em come into focus. "What the fuck? Feels like someone beat me in the head with fucking hammer."

"Edward? Where's Bella?" Emmett wanted to know, and I watch him hop to his feet, taking quick surveillance of the apartment. "Dude, what the fuck went down here?"

Bella was on her knees, her face twisted with pain and fear. Liam held her to the floor by her hair with a gun pointed at her head. My chest seized with the image, and nausea swirled in my stomach. Vaguely, I heard myself croak, "Liam."

That's when it all came screaming back to me with clarity. Liam!

Liam had put Bella on her knees and aimed the gun right at her head. As the image played through my mind, another memory overlapped it, and once again, I relived that moment … the moment that had determined my entire life. The moment that had made me become the robot I was today, and nothing would ever erase the image of my mother's head as it jerked back, tiny drops of blood flying across the room, as her body slowly wilted to the floor.

Suddenly, the image of ripping the bastard's jugular out with my teeth played over and over through my mind. I could literally feel the need for this kind of violence pulsing in my veins. I needed to taste the fucking blood of a man who'd dared to touch what was mine. Bella, despite her sincere protestation, was fucking mine.

When all of this was settled, I would never let her go. Never—not in a million fucking years. Somehow, I would make her see the importance of being together. I would essentially mold her into me. Perhaps a slightly better version of myself. One with an actual heart. She would be my equal in all things … sit at my side, and instead of dominating her with my overbearing presence, I would help her with the growth she so desperately needed, but first … first, I had to fucking find her.

Losing her was not an option. If she were taken from this earth … Lord, fuck. I just couldn't even fathom contemplating the possibility of losing her permanently.

As I stared blankly at the floor, a burning rage ignited in my soul, and suddenly, I no longer felt the unrelenting pulse beating in my temples. Glaring toward Emmett, I slowly climbed to my feet, and I turned in a slow circle. "Liam … Liam took her … put a fucking gun to her head … someone—someone hit me in the back of the head. Motherfuck … didn't I tell you something like this would happen?"

I didn't need to see if Emmett followed because I could hear him cursing behind me. Angrily, I whirled around to face him. "I told you … when they come, they don't come looking for you. They come looking for the people who make you weak. Motherfucking … bullshit … son of a bitch. Where the fuck is my gun?"

I ripped the tiny apartment to shreds, looking for the piece, only to turn up empty-handed. A humorless chuckle vibrated in my chest as the realization dawned on me. "He fucking hit me with my gun. I left the motherfucker on the side table, and it's gone. Mother …"

"You can't go blaming yourself for this." Emmett tried to reassure me, yet his statement fell on deaf ears. "I don't understand why the fuck Liam of all people would come to take Bella. It doesn't logically make any sense. Since when are we looking over our shoulders at our own people?"

In a hurry to make progress, I grabbed my trench from where it was thrown over the chair and stomped through the apartment, headed for the door. I jogged across the porch, gravel crunching beneath my feet, and I spied Finn's car parked in the alleyway. "Finn was here keeping a lookout when I came over to check on Bella. The biggest question I have right now is why he didn't call. Run over there and see what the fuck is going on. Hopefully, they didn't get Finn too."

Emmett didn't even hesitate, running toward the car; his pace slowed as he drew closer. Dread clawed its way through the fury building in my chest. As soon as Emmett stopped next to the car with a shake of his head, I knew … I knew deep in my bones.

My nostrils flared as another wave of anger slammed into me. This wasn't the time … this wasn't the time to get lost in one's emotions.

Finn …

They'd killed Finn. While Em was probably my only real friend, Finn had been through some very tough times with me. Hell, he'd been my driver for years, and he'd been loyal to the core. His devotion never wavering. Icy fingers of anger twisted in my gut, and I felt the need to rip someone's soul out with my fucking teeth.

Fuck.

In my world, it was never the right time to let one's heart do the thinking because, let's face it, the organ was a cesspool for weakness. They'd found my weakness and ran with that shit. Patting my pocket, I sought my cell, searching for Seamus. I hit the send button and lifted the phone to my ear. "Where the fuck are you, Seamus? What the hell is Liam doing, giving orders and placing hits? Why the fuck did he come and take Bella?"

My questions were wasted on the answering service. Not to mention Seamus had no fucking clue who the hell Bella was 'cause I never mentioned her to him. I hadn't heard from the mob boss in weeks. "I should've gone looking for Seamus when Liam put a hit on that kid. Something isn't right, Em. Seamus wouldn't fall off the grid like this. Man is like my brother. Fuuuuck."

As I yelled my frustration, I noticed several lights pop on from surrounding houses. The curtains parted in the window as someone looked out to assess the situation. Not fucking good. Not good at all. The very last thing Em and I currently needed were witnesses being able to recognize us, considering there was a dead body in the car in the alley, and Bella had been kidnapped. Gritting my teeth at the indignity of the situation, I lifted an arm, urging Emmett to come on. "There are some warehouses on the outskirts of town I know Seamus does business out of. Maybe we can park a few blocks away and check it out."

Emmett hopped in the SUV driver's seat as I settle in next to him with another curse on my lips. I pinched the bridge of my nose as worry ate at me. There was no telling what that animal was doing to Bella. I had personally never seen Liam be violent with a woman, but then again, I'd never seen him try and take Seamus's spot as the head of the Celtics. The more I thought about it, that's the only logical explanation for Murphy's sudden disappearance. "I imagine the next time I see Seamus, he'll be floating belly up in the damn river. How the fuck could I not see this coming from a mile away?"

"Think she'll be okay, man?"

I could hear the legitimate concern in Em's voice. Yeah—Bella and Em had a bond that couldn't be shaken, and trust me, I'd tried on a few different occasions. However, I knew deep in my soul that the brute next to me only offered genuine friendship. Glaring daggers in his direction, I was angry enough to spit fucking nails. "Fuck no … she won't be okay. I swear to fuck if Liam hurts one hair on her head, I will skin the bastard alive. I don't care who he is or who he thinks he is."

As Emmett tore the pavement to shreds with squealing tires as he turned the corner, I ripped the glovebox open and withdrew the case inside. Without hesitation or too much thought, I assembled the gun and screwed the silencer on it. Glaring out the window, I was certain many bullets were going to fly at this point. Anyone brave enough to get in my face would wind up without a brain.

"Maybe we should call Adrian or Boden. Could really use the backup at this point," Emmett offered, casting a sidelong glance in my direction, yet all I could do was shake my head at the suggestion.

"At this point, I don't even know who to trust. Who the fuck is in Liam's pocket? What is he doing, and where the fuck is Seamus?" Again, I attempt to call the big Irish beast, and his voicemail picks up for the second time. Which really didn't make sense either, considering the day Liam had ordered that hit, he'd been using Seamus's phone. So, obviously, Liam had the cell. Considering Seamus went nowhere without his phone, and as much as I wanted to focus on finding the brute, worry for Bella overrode everything else. "Nope … have t' do this shit on our own. You already know we can't trust anyone in this field. Probably the only one close to being true is Seamus."

I could only imagine how petrified Bella must be at this point. As brave as she tried to be, I could envision her swimming way over her head with this one. She knew nothing about this sick, demented world she'd walked into, and I had half a mind to send her away when I did find her. The cruelty and horror were too much to bear for a woman of her innocence. As real as I knew this to be, I couldn't foresee myself having the willpower to make that sacrifice. The simple truth of the matter was, I fucking wanted her. For the first time in my life, I wanted to be the selfish prick everyone thought I was. I wanted to forsake my very soul to claim that woman as mine for the duration of the unforeseeable future.

Quite simply, she was mine. I had no immediate plans on relinquishing the willful minx either. Whatever happened to her in captivity, I promised to make it right. Whatever Liam dished her way, I planned on giving him back and a lot fucking more.

The image of my mother's head jerking with the impact of that bullet echoed through my mind. Transported back in time, I was that boy, alone and scared with no hope. As I recalled the memory, another soon replaced it. While my mother's execution had been a traumatic experience, Connor Murphy, the man responsible for ending her beautiful life, sprang to mind.

While he was a heartless asshole to most people, after murdering my family, he'd taken me under his wing and treated me as one of his own. He'd never given me a reason to believe I was any less for not being his blood, and with his guidance, I learned and embraced this world at an early age. I had years to adjust to the harsh, cruel world surrounding me, and once I had, I'd never given it a second thought.

This was my reality. The darkness and loneliness had taken up permanent residence in my soul, and except for Bella—well, perhaps Em—no one had been able to breach those walls I'd erected. Should I hold onto the light, she insisted on blurring into my cave of despair. I recall all the attempts I made in holding her at arm's length and the resistance she'd given with each nudge out of my life.

Of course, I couldn't say I hadn't had a hand in keeping her there. Even while I knew it was for the best, I couldn't stay away from her. Hell, she was a walking time bomb for asshole men. Impatience gripped me, and my fingers drummed on the armrest as I turned my attention toward Em. "You know, her prick of a father showed up at her apartment … hours before Liam showed up. I put the bastard against the wall, cut off his air for getting handsy with Bella, only fucking stopped 'cause she begged me to. What is the probability of him being involved with all of this?"

"Why would Bella's father …"

"Oh, that's right … I didn't tell you what the woman has been hiding since arriving at DarkStrip." I shake my head at my own idiocy. I should've known she was hiding shit from the jump, but I'd been too wrapped up in the addiction of her essence that I'd totally been blindsided. "Yeah, remember Chief Swan? The guy responsible for stealing money from the Celtics? It appears the dick is also her father … starting to think I should've put a bullet in his head when I had a chance."

"What would Swan have to do with Liam?" Emmett wanted to know, pulling into the shadows of an alleyway. He threw the SUV in park and looked over the shaded areas with suspicion.

"I don't really know," I stated honestly with a shake of my head. "All I can tell you is the sequence of events, and they aren't adding up. Too fucking much has been getting by me lately, and I can't help but feel like Liam was right—I've gone soft."

Emmett laughed at that. A real deep throaty laugh that left me glaring back at him. "Dude, there isn't anything remotely soft about you with the exception of maybe your cock right now, and considering the circumstances, who the fuck could blame you. If a second-rate douche had just nabbed my chick, my cock would be soft too."

"This isn't a joking matter," I fumed, taking a quick look around before shoving my door open. Quietly, I closed it and made my way toward Em. "My instincts have been compromised by my dick."

"Couldn't possibly be that shitty heart beating in your chest, right?"

"Are you implying that I love Bella?" Did I love Bella? As the question sprang to mind, a burning started in my chest and refused to ease. Discomfort gripped the organ, sustaining my life at the thought. Did I love Bella? Was I capable of love? In the last couple decades, I'd never even believed I withstood the possibility.

Now … now …

I didn't get much time to contemplate the notion because Emmett strode up next to me with a knowing smirk. "The Edward I know doesn't go saving some chick because his dick is hard. So, I guess in a sense, I am."

My feet faltered as Emmett's words tripped me up. For a long moment, I stood at the end of the alley as the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. Somehow, somewhere along this crazy-ass journey, the little spitfire had penetrated the icy rock in my chest. As the knowledge slammed into my face, a new determination filled me.

Gritting my teeth, I hit Em with my free hand. "I have to fucking find her, man. I swear to fuck … I will gleefully mutilate the bastard, rip his dick right the fuck off. He better hope …"

"Stay focused," Em encouraged, heading toward the end of the alley. With his gun drawn, he looked over his shoulder at me. "We will find her. We have to. Can't let the only thing standing between you and the devil be taken, now can we?"

My jaw hurt with the force of my clamped teeth. The muscles in my jaw felt as if they were being shredded as the fire ignited in my chest. Aggravated, I shoved my fingers through my hair. Bella had an inhuman way of delving beneath my skin, and apparently, no matter how hard I'd tried to shake the little wench, she'd hooked me good.

I was staggered by the realization of what Bella had come to mean to me, yet this was no time to get wrapped up in the sentiment. Before I could give the feelings free rein, I had to find the saucy minx first.

Standing at the end of the alley, I glanced toward the warehouse. Currently, there didn't appear to be too much activity. Hell, the place looked abandoned, which I found curious. Seamus had done business here for almost a decade, yet no one had been around from the looks of it. "Fuck," I muttered as Em and I crossed the street in tandem. Building by building, we clung to the shadows with years of practice as our guide.

Nothing.

Our search had turned up nothing. When we ransacked the last building, I stared helplessly at the abandoned space, turning in a wide circle. "The only other place Seamus does business would be the docks."

"We are headed to the docks then," Emmett confirmed, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder. With a reassuring squeeze, he led the way out, and we backtracked to the truck we'd left behind, steadily observing our surroundings as we went.

I had never felt more helpless in my entire fucking life. Throwing caution to the wind, I pulled my cell from my pocket and found Boden's number. A gruff voice filled the receiver when I climbed into the passenger seat. "Hey, Den, you heard from Seamus lately?"

"Not in about a month. What's going on, Cullen?"

Gnawing the inside of my cheek, I considered filling him in on the Celtic leader's silence. "Doesn't anyone other than myself find that odd? Where the fuck could he be?"

"Liam said …"

"I know what the fuck Liam said," I growled with impatience. "Are you working for Liam or Seamus? Where is your loyalty?"

"Seamus, man."

I wanted to believe him. At this point, I needed to believe him. With a snarl lacing my command, I said, "Go to Seamus's and call me back with anything you find."

"What do you think is going on? Think Liam has overthrown the boss?"

"I don't particularly know what Liam's direction is, but he stole something valuable to me tonight, and when I find his ass, I don't care who his connections are. I will strip him of his skin, inch by inch."

"Fuck," Boden replied with an astonished hiss. "What did he take?"

Something precious. Something all the money in the world couldn't buy. Bella's beautiful face flashed through my mind, and I cleared the thickness from my throat. Refusing to relinquish any information someone could use against me later, I shrugged, growling, "That's privileged intel, and currently, we don't know one another like that."

"I will ride out and check Seamus's crib. Hopefully, I can find you some info you can use. Speak to you in a bit, Cullen."

"What do you think the outcome of his visit to Seamus's will turn up?" Emmett questioned as I hung up with Boden.

I pulled at my jacket with annoyance. "I don't fucking know, but someone has to know something. Either Boden will head out and check the mansion. Or he will run and tell Liam … Guess we'll see where his loyalties are. If I can trust him, maybe … maybe he can help me locate Liam."

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A/N: Oh, Edward. He seems a wee bit pissed, doesn't he? How do we feel. I'm sure we all knew he loves Bella way before he did, yes. Let us know your thoughts and see you lovely people on Monday.