It's Time
Chapter 34
Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.
A second disclaimer:
I'm not a professional writer. I write Twilight fanfic simply because I love this fandom.
I apologize in advance for any errors.
Eleazar POV
The sheriff had just left when Carlisle returned to the cabin. After staggering out of the taxi, he stumbled onto the porch, oblivious to my presence as I stood in the doorway and watched him.
Once he finally made it to the door, he noticed me. "Eli!" he said with a drunken grin. "Is this my lucky day or what? I already had a visit from my pansy-ass son, and look who shows up next, my pussy of a brother."
Instead of responding, I pulled back my arm and punched him directly in the mouth. The blow sent him sprawling to the ground. He let out a loud moan as he tried to get up, but I kicked him in the jaw. His head sagged to one side before he tumbled down once more; this time unconscious.
"Who's the pussy now, big brother?" I said with a scoff before dragging his body into the room.
-IT-
Later, while Carlisle was still unconscious, we drove to a small airfield located outside of town. After Mike and I loaded Carlisle onto our private jet, we walked to the car to fetch Esme. Instead of cooperating, she fought us tooth and nail, refusing to get out of the vehicle
"Esme, don't make this more difficult than it has to be," I said with a sigh.
"I'm not getting on that damn plane, and there's nothing you can do about it!" she said with a sneer.
"Let's just kill the old hag," Mike said as he gave her a cold, hard stare.
"I have a better idea," I said as I pulled my phone from my pocket.
"Who are you calling?" she asked, as a glimmer of fear shone in her eyes.
"My wife."
She gave me a puzzled look.
"Unlike you and your husband, I have an issue with hurting women. Carmen, however, has been longing to kick your ass, and I'm about to make her day."
"Fine," she said with a huff as she stepped out from the backseat of the car. "It won't matter anyway. As soon as Carlisle wakes up, you'll all be sorry."
"Oh, I doubt that," I said with a smirk. "I trust Nonno has special plans for the two of you."
-IT-
Carlisle had slept the entire ten-hour flight, so I had to wake him when it was time to get off the aircraft.
After lightly smacking his swollen face, I said, "Good morning, sunshine!"
"What the fuck?" he said with a groan.
"You look like shit," I said, taking in his bruised jaw and busted lips.
After sitting up, he rubbed his forehead and grimaced. "Where am I?" He then touched the lower half of his face and winced. "What happened?"
As he spoke, I noticed the inside of his mouth. Swallowing a laugh, I said, "Oh, no! It looks like you're missing a tooth. Wait, make that two teeth."
"What the fuck's your problem, Eli?" he said with a small detectable lisp.
"You and your wife are my fucking problem. Now, get off your ass and get moving. People are waiting."
As soon as we disembarked, we were met by the security team Nonno had arranged. I recognized one man in particular as being Nonno's personal bodyguard.
"Hey, Afton." I shook his hand in greeting.
"Eleazar. Have you spoken to your father today?"
"No, I talked with him last night before takeoff. He said you would have all the details."
"I do." He glanced to where Carlisle and Esme stood surrounded by four men. "Your brother and his missus are in for a long day. The location we are taking them to is only accessible by donkeys."
Donkeys?
"Fuck," I muttered. "Babbo's not messing around."
"Have you ever known Alec to mess around with the safety of his family?" Afton replied before being interrupted by the ringing of my phone.
After removing it from my pocket, I looked at the screen. "It's my father. Excuse me for a moment."
He nodded and walked to where the others waited.
"Hey, Babbo. How's Edward?"
"He pulled through his surgery. The doctor thinks he should make a full recovery."
I scrubbed a palm across my face. "Thank God."
"How was your flight?"
"Long. Esme flapped her gums the entire trip, but at least Carlisle was down for the count."
"Drunk?"
"That ... and I may have gotten in a few good licks."
"Hmm. I can't say I wouldn't have done the same. How's he responding now he's awake?"
I glanced over to where my brother stood. Sensing my attention, he met my gaze and scowled.
"Oh, he doesn't appear to be too thrilled at the moment."
"I'm sure he's not. I'll call him after they leave the airport."
"Wait, don't you want me to go with them?"
"No, Afton has it covered."
"I don't mind, Babbo. Are you sure?"
"I am. Just come home."
-IT-
Nonno POV
An hour after speaking to Eleazar, I dialed Afton's number. His strong, authoritative voice rang through the receiver.
"Sir."
"Put Carlisle on the line."
"It's about fucking time you called," Carlisle said.
A loud crunching sound immediately followed his statement.
Carlisle wailed in the background. "You broke my fucking nose!"
"Don't speak to Mr. Cullen with disrespect," Afton responded in a threatening tone.
A few moments later, Carlisle returned. "Are you going to allow him to treat me like this?"
I gave a dry laugh. "Afton knows he can treat you however in the hell he wants to. As a matter of fact, I've given him permission to put a bullet between your eyes if needed."
"Babbo! You can't be serious."
"That's Mr. Cullen to you. Didn't your wife inform you? You're no longer a part of my family."
"Esme told me what happened. The gun went off by accident. Do you honestly believe she would intentionally shoot her own son?"
"That's just the thing, Carlisle. She didn't attempt to shoot Edward. She tried to kill me."
"Babbo, come on now … Esme would never—"
"Listen here, you little fucker," I said with a hiss. "Do you know how lucky you are that your wife is still breathing? She should be dead for her actions."
I could hear his loud gulp reverberate through the line. "You're being unfair. I can't believe you would do this to your own child."
"You're seriously whining over my treatment of you when you haven't even asked if Edward is still alive?"
"Excuse me for being selfish, but I'm suffering myself. I have a busted mouth, missing teeth, and now, a broken nose."
After his proclamation, any guilt I may have felt over the banishment of my son evaporated. Carlisle truly was a lost cause.
"Let's get back to the matter at hand. From this moment on, you are officially out of the family. Because I am not completely heartless, I will give you a small stipend to live on each month. Fortunately for you, you won't need much money where you're going."
"But—"
"Shut the fuck up! Not another word or I'll have Afton blow off your Goddamn pecker." After raking my fingers through my hair, I continued, "I will monitor you daily, and if you or your wife step one foot out of line, it's game over. Do you understand?"
"But—"
"Do you fucking understand?"
"Yes."
"Yes, what?"
He remained quiet as if he was unsure what I expected him to say.
I repeated. "Yes, what?"
"Y-Yes, Mr. Cullen."
And with those words, I ended the call. With a heavy heart, I buried my head into my arms and sobbed. Mourning, for all intents and purposes, the loss of my eldest son.
-IT-
Esme POV
After Carlisle finished his call, he rested his temple in the palm of his hand.
"What did he say?" I asked, impatient to learn what their conversation had entailed.
"Not now, Es," he mumbled.
"Not now?" I repeated with a brittle laugh. "Don't you think I deserve to know what's going on?" After gesturing to the goons who surrounded us, I added, "Who are these people?"
Carlisle closed his eyes and released a huff before turning in my direction. "They work for my father … I mean, Mr. Cullen."
"Mr. Cullen? Seriously?" I rolled my eyes. "Lord, that man is a pompous ass."
The thug who sat closest to Carlisle cleared his throat in a threatening manner and frowned.
"Es, drop it," Carlisle said with a hiss. "We're in deep shit at the moment, and you're only making things worse."
I scoffed before placing my arms across my chest. Carlisle closed his eyes and slumped against the leather seat, refusing to speak for the remainder of the trip.
After what felt like an eternity, we arrived at a small farm.
"Where are we?" I asked after getting out of the vehicle.
No one answered my question. One of the hired goons retrieved our bags from the trunk and then proceeded to dump their contents on the ground.
"What are you doing?" I yelled before turning toward my husband. "Aren't you going to do something?"
"What in the fuck do you expect me to do?"
We both watched as the man searched through our belongings. Once he finished, he looked at us both and said, "Don't either of you own a pair of damn sneakers?"
I was about to ask why when I spotted a man leading eight donkeys in our direction. My face paled. "You can't seriously expect me to ride one of those filthy creatures!"
"It's that or walk. Considering those six-inch heels you have on, my guess is you'd prefer to ride. Now get moving," said the man I now recognized to be the head goon.
After Carlisle helped me mount the animal, he got on the one next to me. When we started moving, I noticed no one had gathered our belongings. "Wait," I said pointing to our suitcases which lay strewn on the ground. "What about our things?"
One man chuckled before answering, "Sweetheart, you won't need that shit where you're headed."
Every molecule in my body froze. "Where are we going?"
"Your new home."
-IT-
After riding on the donkey for a little over an hour, I removed my cardigan and rolled up my sleeves. Sweat dripped down my forehead and into my eyes as the harsh rays of the midday sun beat down on us from the cloudless sky above.
I turned toward Carlisle and released a gasp. His nose had almost doubled in size. He winced with each jolt of the donkey's hooves.
"Carlisle! Are you okay?"
He mumbled one word. "Water."
I turned to the rider at my left. "We need to stop; my husband needs something to drink."
The man looked at me and then at Carlisle before saying, "He'll live. We'll take a break soon enough."
"You're a heartless bastard," I said with disgust.
"That's rich coming from a broad who shot her own kid," he responded with a deep chuckle.
My mouth dropped into the shape of an O before I sputtered, "That was an accident."
He shook his head and continued laughing. "Whatever you say, lady."
We eventually reached a small creek. The head goon announced we would take a short break before continuing. Carlisle had to be helped off his animal and was in no condition to assist me. I waited for someone to help me, but no one ever offered. With a loud huff, I twisted my body and flipped my right leg over the donkey before slowly lowering myself to the ground. To my misfortune, however, my right foot landed on an uneven surface of stones, and I lost my balance. I released a loud shriek as I tumbled into a pile of dirt and rocks.
I groaned as I attempted to stand. My foot wobbled, and I realized one of my heels had broken during my fall. "My shoe," I said as I bent down to remove the destroyed Christian Louboutin.
"Here, let me see," one of the thugs said reaching for it.
After I handed it to him, he chucked it into the creek.
"Why did you do that? Do you know how much that shoe was worth?"
"Not worth anything with a broken heel." He shrugged before bending and removing the other from my foot. With a flick of his wrist, it joined its counterpart in the babbling water.
"What am I supposed to do for shoes?" I said as I wiped the dirt away from my legs and aching backside.
"Beats me," he replied. "Now, hurry up and get a drink. We'll be moving along shortly."
I stumbled over to the creek bed where Carlisle sat drinking from a tin flask. As I walked, my foot landed in a pile of something mushy and warm. When it squished between my toes, I knew without a doubt; I had stepped in donkey shit.
Once next to him, he looked at me and said, "What the fuck happened to you?"
"What happened?" I said as I scrubbed the dung off my foot. "First, I fell off that God-forsaken animal, then one of those assholes threw my Louboutins into the water, and finally, to top it all off, I just stepped in shit!"
Carlisle rolled his eyes at me. "I think you'll survive, Es. They're just a fucking pair of shoes." He took another gulp of water and then released a moan.
Even though I knew he was suffering, I couldn't muster up any empathy to ask how he was feeling. He had pissed me off. Grabbing the flask from his grasp, I said, "Do you mind if I have a drink as well?"
I had barely taken one sip before we were told it was time to go. After I staggered to my donkey, I made several failed attempts trying to get back on the beast.
A gruff voice sounded from behind me. "What in the hell are you doing, princess?"
I turned and glared at the head goon. "What do you think I'm doing? I'm trying to get on this fucking animal. Are you going to help or not?"
"Whoa, such harsh language for a lady, but oh I forgot, you're not a lady, are you?" He released a chuckle. "We can't ride across the creek; it's too high. We'll be walking."
"But … but I don't have any shoes." I pointed toward the water. "How do you expect me to trek through there barefoot?"
"You'll either find a way, or, I suppose, we'll just be forced to leave you behind." He patted the Glock, which was strapped at his waist.
I gulped at the seriousness of his tone and grabbed my animal's lead. Startled by my approach, the donkey discharged a loud bray before coating my face with his sticky spittle.
"Yuck!" I wiped away the gooey residue using the bottom portion of my blouse. Once I finished, I looked up to find the head goon taking photos of me using his cell.
"What do you think you're doing?"
"This shit's too good not to capture on film."
With a huff, I yanked the donkey and followed the rest of the group. Once my foot entered the cold water, I sighed internally; the creek didn't appear to be too deep. To my dismay, however, it became deeper the further we moved, until eventually, it was up to my hip.
I winced as my feet tore into the jagged bedrock of the creek and released a squeal when I felt something slimy slowly swim past my ankle.
"What's wrong now, princess?"
"There's something alive in the water!"
"No shit," he said with a guffaw. "Don't worry; it's probably just a snake."
The word snake caused me to move at a faster pace, and I soon reached the other side.
I was so happy to be on solid ground once again that I almost didn't notice my damaged feet, which were now covered in cuts.
"My feet … Somebody do something," I said with a sob.
"Don't worry; we'll get you an appointment for a pedicure as soon as we reach our destination."
Relief filled me until the group of men broke out into a round of laughter.
And that's when I truly realized the bleakness of our situation.
-IT-
The last remains of daylight faintly streaked the sky when the head goon announced our arrival.
"We're here, princess. Your new home."
I paused and looked across the barren plain where a small, stone building stood. My eyes bulged. "There must be some mistake."
"No mistake," he laughed. "Mr. Cullen was way too gracious in my opinion."
Gracious? The structure was nothing more than a hut. Our garage in Chicago was probably two times its size.
Once we dismounted, I went to Carlisle who leaned against his animal half-asleep. Grabbing him by his shirt, I said, "How could you have allowed this to happen?"
Fury crossed his features. "Allowed this to happen?" he repeated. "I didn't allow shit, Es. Don't you realize you're the one who caused this shitstorm!"
"Me?"
"Of course, you! Did you think there wouldn't be repercussions for trying to kill Alec?"
"But, it was an accident!"
"Cut the shit, Es. We both know it wasn't, and truth be told, we're both lucky to still be alive." Pointing to the head goon, he continued, "Afton was correct. Babbo, I mean, Mr. Cullen is being gracious. My grandfather would have put a bullet in both our heads without batting an eye."
"But, Carlisle—"
His hand covered my mouth. "Just shut up, Esme. For the love of God … please, just shut up." After giving his head a disgusted shake, he added, "It's over for us, Es. Life as we knew it before, is over."
AN
I think I ended up writing nine versions of this chapter. It was a struggle. I know many of you really wanted to see Esme and Carlisle put to death for their transgressions, but I honestly don't think that would have fallen in line with Nonno's character. If Edward had died, then yes, I would have written a different type of punishment.
A shout out to my crew - Fran, K, Gail, Diane, and Kay for their help and suggestions. I love you all so very much!
Thanks to all my lovely readers for their continued support. You are what makes the fandom my happy place.
Coming up next, Bella pays Edward a visit at the hospital. And a little bit of Nonno for Kay and Lizzie. ;)
Until next time,
HE