Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
Chapter 23
BPOV
I was just about to start putting away the gifts from the bridal shower when Edward came home.
"Hi" I said with a smile.
"Hey" he said with a small smile, but I could tell he was stressed about something.
"Everything okay?" I asked, unsure he would actually tell me.
"Just some complications today. I don't want to worry you, especially since we have the rehearsal dinner tonight and the wedding tomorrow. I want us to be able to just focus on us, and not worry about everything else. I have people taking care of the issue. It'll all be fine." He said with an assuring tone.
But I worried if it would all be fine. Was it about the Volturi? Or something else?
"Okay." I said with a weak smile. I didn't press the issue further.
But I had an uneasy feeling and prayed it would just go away.
"So is all this from the shower?" Edward asked.
I then realized he meant the gifts.
"Yeah. Your mom and another relative gave us some family heirlooms that I'll wear tomorrow." I said while pulling them out of the boxes.
"Well damn." Is all Edward said while inspecting the expensive jewelry. "What's in the French and Italian bags?"
Oh shit. The lingerie
I grabbed the bags. "Uh…nothing…"
Edward raised an eyebrow at me.
"I mean…you'll see…soon." I said trying to keep my voice even.
Edward was trying to hide a smirk. I had a feeling he already had an idea of what was in the bags.
"How soon?" he said with smile playing on his lips.
Yeah. He knew. Now he was just messing with me.
"I'll show you one tomorrow tonight, but only if you behave." I said playing along.
He moved so that he was now standing behind me. He put his hands on my hips and then seductively spoken into me ear. "I'm looking forward to it." And then we walked away.
God were my panties wet now.
I put the gifts away and then proceeded to get me and Logan ready for the rehearsal dinner. Alice insisted earlier that an outfit change was necessary and I went along with it. It was almost time to leave so I went to find Edward. He was in his office and didn't sound happy. He was talking on the phone, and I wouldn't want to be the person on the other end. I debated just waiting, but went ahead and knocked. I heard him talking lower and some shuffling. Then the door swung open. He didn't look happy, he looked absolutely furious. Rage was radiating off of him like a beacon. He then realized it was me and his face soon softened.
"Shit, Bella sorry. I thought you were Jasper." He apologetically
"It's….okay….. I was just seeing if you were ready to head down for the rehearsal dinner."
"Damn it." He said.
My eyes widened. "I'll just…." But he cut in before I could finish.
"Sorry, Bella. I'm just handling that situation from earlier and I didn't want it to interfere with the rehearsal dinner. Just trust me that it is important and I will explain it later, if you want."
"Okay." I said and then turned around and got Liam to head downstairs.
I meet Jasper at the front door and he said that him and Edward would be down shortly.
I made it downstairs with Liam and hoped the rest of the evening would go smoothly.
EPOV
All this shit was happening. Fuck. Fuck all of it.
When I came home, seeing Bella helped to brighten my mood. Hell, seeing all those lingerie bags and thinking about tomorrow really brightened my mood.
But then the fucking situation with Jessica still hasn't been handled. Emmett called and said they had a lead and that Jasper was coming over. When I opened my office door, I wasn't expecting Bella and I knew my demeanor scared her a little, and for that I felt like fucking shit.
I then heard a knock on the office door, it had to be Jasper this time. I opened the door and sure enough it was.
"About fucking time." Yeah, I was in a pissed off mood.
"These things sometimes take time. You know that. " he said.
"Yeah but it's the day before my wedding and I would like to be with my fiancé. But instead I'm dealing with shit that should have been prevented." I growled.
"Well let's get to it then." He said while opening his laptop. He then started playing surveillance footage.
"Is that Jessica's bathroom?" I really didn't want to see the bitch naked.
"Yes. Emmett had every inch of that place covered with cameras. "
Next on the screen I saw Victoria.
She was smiling at Jessica and then once she had her in the bathroom she knocked her out. I then watched as Victoria positioned Jessica in the bath tub and slit Jessica's wrists."
"Fuck. How did she even get in Jessica's room?" I asked.
"Going over the footage, I found that she had been regularly visiting Jessica. She apparently got in good with a guard and he let her in."
"Please tell me that fucker is at the warehouse." I asked.
"Yep. So far he is claiming that Victoria was approved to go in. But then said he didn't see any harm since both women were holed up at the hotel and under security. He might spin another story later." Fucking idiot.
"Victoria had more free reign then Jessica. Victoria had access to weapons and communication. She claimed to be an ally and was going to help us to take down the Volturi, or so she claimed. We had her at the hotel as a precaution. FUCK!" I yelled as I punched the desk.
"We didn't expect this. Victoria must have thought we wouldn't have a camera in the bathroom." Jasper said.
"No, she assumed we would think it was a suicide. Hell she might be even working on trying to hack the security cameras and wipe the footage. She might have thought we would be to busy with the wedding and put in the back burner and by the time we checked all footage would be gone." Boy was that bitch wrong. "Have you located her?"
"Not yet." Jasper answered.
"Put as many men as we can on this. Tell Emmett the same. Until we figure out why she killed Jessica, who knows what else this bitch is planning."
We then headed down to the rehearsal dinner.
The rehearsal went by smoothly, although Bella seemed to be acting a little differently. Scratch that. She was acting a little different towards me. I think I scared her when I opened the office door in my fury. Or maybe she knew something was going on and I hadn't told her anything. We said our goodbyes and then Bella, Liam, and I headed to our apartment. I went to the office to check on the progress of the guard at the warehouse while Bella got Liam ready for bed. After that phone call, I left the office to find Bella. She was getting ready for bed so I figured I would too. We had a big day tomorrow and hell I just wanted to wrap my arms around her.
"Everything okay?" she asked.
"Yeah."
She looked at me and I could tell she didn't believe me.
"Is this how it's going to be from now?" She asked with pain in her eyes. "You not telling me things. Before you let me in and now you're starting to shut me out. Is it because were now getting married? Because-"
I cut her off before she work herself up even more. "Bella I'm not shutting you out. I'm protecting you,"
"Don't start with that bullshit." She said with a tone that was getting angrier by the second.
"Bella, I just don't want you to worry. With the wedding and everything I didn't want add more stress. I will always try to be honest and open, but there will be some things I can't tell you." I said trying to calm her down.
"But now is NOT one of these times, is it? Don't lie to me?" She said while pointing her finger at me.
She was hot when she was mad….. shit…..focus Edward…..before you get a boner…
I let out a breath and then told her what happened with Jessica and how Victoria was responsible.
"Now were trying to find Victoria. I don't know why she killed Jessica or what she is planning next." I said with a defeated sigh.
"You said she was out for revenge for happened to James and that she wanted to take down the Volturi. Maybe she thought Jessica was still loyal to the Volturi family and would betray you. Or maybe she killed Jessica, because she thought Jessica meant something to the Volturi and killing her would get them riled up."
Smart girl…
"Maybe….. I hadn't considered either of those." I said while really thinking about it.
In Victoria's mind, it was all about getting revenge and getting back at the Volturi so I could see either of Bella's theories fitting.
"I should discuss these things with you more often." I said while kissing her forehead.
She smirked and then walked over to her side of the bed, her ass shaking the entire time.
Tomorrow couldn't come soon enough.
I crawled into bed and tried my best not to get a hard one. I pulled Bella into my arms and just lay there for awhile. At some point Bella fell asleep. I lay there for a little longer and let it all soak in.
Tomorrow I was marrying Bella.
...
