Stephanie Meyer owns Twilight , I own The Cleaner and just play with her characters.
I am so excited that my story got over 100 reviews the other day. Thank you everyone who has reviewed. (I am thankful for all of you who are reading this too).
I was so happy that no one bashed Edward or me over his 'time' with Miranda. I only had a few comments on it and they were all nice.
As always, I give out a big thank you to my one of my besties and beta Bellavista88, love you very much.
And as always my NY encyclopedia's tropicaltherani and barburella without these two I'd be making names and streets up ..lol Also Barburella for being my awesome Pre- reader.
Sorry this took so long to get out but I wanted this chapter just right and then RL came and had other plans for me also.
Chapter song: It's been awhile by Staind
Chapter 6th
BPOV
Oh my god, oh my god. I couldn't believe what had just happened. When Roxy had told me to run and I did I never ever dreamed, oh god I couldn't even believe this was happening. He had killed her because she was protecting me. This poor woman died to save me.
I don't know how long I had been running, but I was running so fast I tripped over something and went falling onto the ground hard, besides a tree next to the Gapstow Bridge. I couldn't make sense of any of this; how my life had gone from bad to worse in a span of 5 months. Was I really that horrible of a person? I got up and looked down my now ripped jeans and the dirt and blood all over my exposed knees and arms. I walked over to the lake, sticking my hands in to wash off what I could. Trying to compose myself I thought about what I should do first. I had to get to the hotel but to be honest, I was lost I had no idea where to go. So I grabbed out my cell phone and quickly scrolled through to Riley's number; after three rings it was picked up.
"I was starting to think that maybe nobody cared about poor Riley here," said the icy voice on the other end .
I was frozen in my spot; who the hell was this? And if they had his phone and answered it I could only think of a few bad things. One Riley was in trouble or two, he was already dead.
I panicked and hung up the phone.. Oh shit, oh shit.. I paced around the park .. Quickly looking back down at the phone scrolling to see my last recent call, praying to god I had dialed the wrong number but knowing I hadn't ..There only so many numbers in my phone plus they said Riley's name. I didn't get a chance to confirm what I already knew as my cell started to ring.
I grabbed the phone looking down it said Riley's number, I put the phone to my ear and I could hear screams being muffled in the background. I couldn't contain the loud sob that escaped through me as I heard the cries of someone who sounded like they were in agonizing pain.
"Now Miss Swan, I don't have the time or the patience for your shit anymore. Your friend Riley here, is a stubborn one. He won't give up where you might be and where our fucking money is. I tend to believe him, I mean really, after his knee caps were busted and his pinky finger removed, I don't think he really knows but my associates here tend to think he is still holding out on us."
I screamed out a loud cry as my hand flew up to my mouth. "Oh my god you sick bastard!" I cried "Leave him alone, I'll give you your money just please" I cried out. "Let him go," I whispered the last part.
"Ms. Swan that is $333,333. That leaves $666,666 and 66 cents. You stole a million dollars from us and we want our million dollars back. So we find ourselves at a stalemate don't we?"
"I …..I…don't know," I whispered.
"You don't know what Isabella?"
I cried harder "Pl…..p….p…please let himmmm gggoooooo". I sobbed.
"Ms. Swan, quit your whining, you were all so tough when you took our money, don't turn into a sniffling little shit now!" I heard a loud crack and a loud scream following it..
"Noooooooooooo" I screamed into the phone "Stop , I'll get get you ttt…the money." I was shaking uncontrollably at this point. I had to save Riley. I moved the phone from my mouth as I threw up whatever was left in my stomach from the night before. I could hear Riley's muffled cries of pain. "Stop hurting him," I said with a shaky voice.
"Enough" he said to someone in the room I was breathing heavy and shaking so hard I collapsed to the ground. "You have one hour, one, not a minute more to get me all the money or Riley will die and your death will not be as 'easy' as his was."
"But but b… I don't know where….."
"That is not my problem, find them and I will contact you in an hour." The phone went dead.
I screamed loud and threw my phone, "Fuck!" I screamed. I had to get my shit together; me falling apart was not going to help Riley.. I needed to call, fuck, my phone; I threw my phone. I ran over to the area I had thrown it and frantically started to look for it. "Where the fuck is it," I yelled through blurry vision. I dropped to my hands and knees crawling around looking for it. "No, I can't lose it," I was yelling out loud to myself. I continued to crawl and finally saw it about a foot away from where I was crawling. Then panic set in. Oh my god, what if I broke it when I threw it .. I quickly grabbed the phone, looking for any type of damage. Quickly I opened it up to hear I had a text coming in. I pressed accept and waiting as the picture uploaded. My eyes grow wide and I heard an ungodly noise, before realizing it was me. On the phone was a picture of Riley all beaten and bloody with a time and date in the background. I jumped and screamed as another text came through, I was almost to scared to look at it but I had to, I had to be brave. I clicked accepted
Just in case you were worried I lied about
Your friend, here is proof, he is alive
For now.. Tick tock Miss Swan. You
Now have 40 minutes left.
"No!" I yelled into the phone at the message; that can't be right, how did I waste 20 minutes? I grabbed the phone and scrolled to Charlotte's cell phone number and hit dial.
The phone rang for a few minutes before going to voice mail. 'Please leave a message after the…." I hung up and quickly called Peter's cell phone.
"Bella?" Peter asked
"Peter," I started to cry as soon as I heard his voice. Partly from relief; he was okay and just for what was going on. I wiped my eyes and took a deep breath; me falling apart was not going to help Riley.
"Bella, what's wrong? What happened? Where the hell are you?" Peter fired off question after question at me.
"Peter, shut up and listen," I yelled into the phone. "They have Riley they are going to kill him if we don't give the money back in a hour which now is like 30 minutes from now. I need your money now," I said so fast I don't even know if he could make out a word I said.
"What? They have Riley? He isn't dead?" Peter asked
"NO, didn't you fucking hear me? They have him they are torturing him, they want their money!"
"Bella, I would do anything for Riley but how do you know he is really still…" he pause I heard him take a sharp deep breath "alive, still"
Now it was my turn to take a deep breath, explaining all this was wasting time Riley did not have but he didn't understand that. "Because they called me on Riley's phone about 35 minutes ago," I spoke as I ran through Central Park. "They told me I had one hour to get them their money back or Riley was died." A sob came out of my throat as I had a hard time saying the words." They….they …sent a picture of him. Oh god Peter, he was so beaten up and bleeding."
I heard a loud gasp on the other end of the phone. Then a deep breath, I heard Charlotte in the back ground. 'Who is it Peter, is it Bella? Riley?" I heard the phone moving around
"It's Bella, Char," he answered.
"Oh I'm so glad she's okay, let me talk to her" I heard her asking
"No, not now Charlotte. Get dressed we have to go, I'll explain later." I could hear him grabbing things and he told Charlotte to hurry up. "Bella listen, there is a demonstration like protest thing going on today; it's crowded and we are going to meet up there okay. I need you to go to Park Place and Broadway, just two blocks from the World Trade Center site. They are having rallies and protest there today, we can meet them there, it's gonna be crowded and we can blend in with the protesters so they can't grab us."
"Are you ready baby?" I heard Peter ask Charlotte
"Yep, I am," she answered. "Alright Bella, we are leaving now; we should be there in five minutes, don't stop for anything and get right there. We will find you; go right to the middle of the crowd. Don't talk to anyone."
I could hear him breathing heavily in the phone, so I assumed him and Charlotte had started to run.
"Bella, how far are you from there?"
"I don't know; I am at the south end of at 59th Street, leaving Central Park," I said
"Alright you're a little further away than us so walk fast and we will be watching for you, and Bella be careful." He hung up the phone.
I felt a little better knowing those two were okay, though I figured they would be it was nice to know for sure. I quickly grabbed out my cell phone as I continued on my way, I decided to call Mouse's phone instead of Jane's. I pressed call and waited as the phone rang, the phone rang three times before it was finally answered.
"Bella, what's wrong? What happened? Is somebody hurt or died?" Mouse asked quickly
"Why would , how did you know?" I questioned
"Fuck" I heard him mumble in the phone. "I knew when we left last night, you guys weren't safe there. What happened?"
"It's Riley", I broke out in a sob. "They grabbed him."
"Damn it!" He yelled loudly into the phone. "Well you need to get out of the city Bella, now. What about Charlotte and Peter? Are they okay?"
"What? No, I mean yes they are okay, I meeting them now. But no, no I can't leave we are going to save Riley…"
"Bella, you can't save him, he's already dead."
"NO, no no he isn't Mouse. Stop saying that, I heard him, they sent me a picture of him. They are going to kill him if they don't get their money back, that's why I'm calling, you need to come back now, you and Jane meet us at Park Place and Broadway, it's like two blocks from the World Trade Center. I gotta go but I need you to come back." I started to cry again and the words wouldn't come out anymore.
"Bella, we aren't in the city anymore we are in New Jersey, we took the Port Authority bus. We knew we were being watched at the bus station so we jumped in a cab and went to 42nd and 8th Avenue and that's where we caught it. We can't come back right now even if we wanted to, but Bella I'm telling you; Riley is dead, even if he isn't yet, he is dead. They won't let him live, Bella and as soon as you give them the money you are dead too. You keeping a hold of that money is probably the only reason he or any of us are still alive."
"Are you saying, wait you are saying you don't, you won't come back for him?" I asked
"Bella, you are making it seem like we don't care. We do care but I'm telling you we can't save him. Plus Jane and I barely made it out alive ourselves I can't come back and I won't risk Jane's life either. I'm sorry."
The tears had dried up and the scared, sad feeling was replaced by anger. I was so mad I wish I could climb through the phone and strangle Mouse right now.
"You ungrateful selfish bastard! Riley protected you; he looked out for you like a little brother. He looked out for all of us and this is how you repay him, sorry about his luck? You're a real piece of shit Mouse!" I slammed the phone shut.. Angry tears fell from my eyes and I angrily wiped them away. "Asshole!" I screamed in the middle of the street. I looked up finding I was close to Park Place. My phone rang in my hand and I was half tempted to not even answer it but I did. But first I looked at the caller ID, it was Charlotte's cell phone number.
"Hey" I answered moving faster to get to them, I just wanted to have all the money in my hand, plus I pretty scared being out here all by myself.
"Bella, where are you hon? Are you close? I was getting worried
about you."
"Yeah I can see the crowd gathered around right now I'll be there in about 5 minutes tops. They should be calling soon about the money too and I don't want to be alone when I have to tell them" I stopped talking for a minute as the tears started coming again.
"What is it Bella? Could you not get a hold of Jane or Mouse?"
"I did," my voice was barely above a whisper
"I don't get it, did something happened to them, you're scaring me Bella. What is wrong?"
"Mouse …. Mouse said they won't" the sob I was trying to hold in escaped and I had to take a deep breath, and calm myself before I continued. Letting out a deep breath I continued… "they are in New Jersey and they won't come back."
"What? What do you mean they won't come back? Did you explain to them what is going on with Riley what will happen if we don't pay them?"
"Yes Charlotte *sniff* of course I did, I told him everything, the pictures, hearing Riley in pain, what they said to me. I told him everything and he still said no."
"That doesn't make sense honey, what did he say?"
"He said No!" I yelled into the phone…
"Bella he must have given a reason what did he say exactly?"
"Charlotte what does it matter, the end result is he said no."
"Because it doesn't make sense that he just doesn't give a shit, just simply said no." She answered back
"Fine", I cried into the phone. "He said they were being followed, they barely escaped and it ..it wouldn't matter anyways cause..." I held back a sob. "Because Riley was already dead. Are you happy now, that's what he said no."
"Bella, but you told him he wasn't dead yet, not if we get the money back to him. No he just probably didn't understand you. I'll call him and explain it to him."
"No he knows he isn't dead yet, he is saying" I choked back another onset of tears. " He is saying that whether they get the money or not they will kill him and us too when we show up with it." I cried
"Okay honey, it's getting really noisy here someone is speaking and the crowd is getting really rowdy. I am going to hang up and we will watch for you okay?"
"Okay Char…and Char?"
"Yea?" She screamed into the phone..
"I love you!".. I yelled back to her..
"What? Bella I can't hear you honey, but I love you and we will see you in a minute. Peter is going to start coming out a bit towards you.. I hope you hear this.. Bye Bella."
I closed my phone and started heading towards the large crowd gathered for the protest. Just as I was approaching the main crowd my phone rang again, looking down at caller ID I felt a sickness in the pit of my stomach. It was Riley's cell. A lump formed in my throat and I didn't think I could speak, as I went to flip open my phone. Just then I caught sight of Peter coming towards an opening in the mass of people here. I nodded towards the phone that was still ringing and stepped off towards the side because they was no way I was going to be able to hear with all this noise. Walking off to the side away from the crowd but still close enough that I could see Peter who was coming closer while looking back to what I assume was Charlotte, I answered the phone on the third ring.
"Hhhelllo?" I stuttered
"Your time is up Miss Swan, I hope for your sake and your friends here you have our money?"
I knew I had to stall for more time I just wasn't sure how I was going to pull it off being as nervous as I was.
"I've got your money," I spoke fast
"You've got all our money, Miss Swan? 1 million dollars I find that hard to believe."
"Well you'd be surprise what motivation you can have when your friends life is threatened," I sneered. I wasn't sure where the boost of courage came from but I welcomed it. I hated this man, I hated him more than anyone I had every hated in my life.
"Oh Miss Swan, what a hell cat you sound like, had I not seen you cowing in the corner not once but twice I might be a little impressed."
"Where's Riley?" I was not playing his games, not now. I looked up and saw Peter still standing between the crowd and me, still keeping an eye on Charlotte and I both.
"Oh Miss Swan, you disappointment me. I really thought you'd come up with a better lie then that."
"What are you talking about? I do have your money but I want Riley first when we met each other. Somewhere in a public place you got a hour to bring Riley to us or I go start to the cops. I got nothing to lose."
"I take that back Miss Swan I am impressed. You do have some guts don't you threaten me like this."
I could hear the sneer in his voice.. And I was scared shitless but I had to stall, I had to buy time to figure out what to do until we could plead with Jane and Mouse again or somehow come up with their share of the money.
"This is not a threat, I am dead serious. You bring us Riley and you get your money, you don't and I go to the cops and I will fucking burn you money before you see a dime of it!"
"You Miss Swan just signed your friend's death warrant." He hung up on me
My eyes grew as large as saucers and my mouth hung open. "Oh god no no ..." The world felt like it was spinning out of control and I had no idea what to do. No that wasn't supposed to happen but I couldn't just give them the money 'cause we didn't have it all and Mouse said they'd kill him and us anyways. But now he was going to die and it was all my fault anyways. The tears started falling from my eyes. I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe I bent down hands on my knees trying to catch my breathe when I heard a scream.
My head snapped up in the direction of Peter and Charlotte I looked fast enough to see Peter go running into the crowd, I took off after them and was caught in a large smashing and pushing match. Apparently a riot had broke out but I was in such a daze I didn't even notice the commotion until now. I had to get to Peter and Charlotte I tried to push my way through the crowd, I thought I heard Peter yelling Charlotte and my name so I yelled back but there was so much screaming, yelling and pushing.. I couldn't tell so I continued to try and push through the crowd
"Ouch!" I yelled out as an elbow made its way across my cheek. I stepped back quickly, it didn't help that I was still crying so I was looking for my friends with blurry eyes.
"Peter, Charlotte!" I screamed above the crowd jumping up and down and trying to look around people.
Then I heard the sirens come, it was the police. Some people took off running, but the rest continued to push and fight at one another. I quickly made my way from the crowd again and dialed Peter and Charlotte's cell phones only to get both of their answering machines. Not knowing what else to do I quickly dialed Riley's cell phone but it just continued to ring until the machine picked up. My eyes grew wide as the messages was Riley's voice. I could hear him begging for his life, speaking about Kristy and Joey, then he yelled really loud and the phone went dead. I heard another scream and it took me a moment to realize it was coming from me. I started to hyperventilate, I couldn't breathe. Looking around, I saw the police come running towards the crowd so I ran towards them, I don't know how but I was going to make them listen to me and help me, I was done running and trying to do things on my own. Every decision I made ended up being the wrong one, I was over my head and I needed help. Charlie had always drilled in my head the police were my friends not my enemy's so I needed to trust his words. As I walked closer towards the police I thought about what I would say so I didn't ramble on like a lunatic should I just hit play on Riley's machine. Finally I got over to one of the police officers but before I could talk to him he rushed over to break up a fight that had erupted in the corner. This wasn't going to work so I did the only thing I could think of I started to scream.
"HELP!" I yelled " Help me please someone help meeeeeeeeeee!" I yelled again louder "Help me please…help…. He…."
"Miss you need to stop you're screaming and come with us now." An officer said standing in front of me
"Come with you? Where.. No I need help, my friends are gone. I need help please help me," I said as fresh tears fall from my eyes.
"Well ma'ma we are in the middle of a dangerous situation here, I don't have time to fill out a missing persons report but I'm sure your friends are just fine. They problem ran off when the riots started which is what you should have done. Heck you shouldn't even be here but I'll tell you what you go to the police station and make a report there."
"No! Listen to me, I grabbed his arm roughly, you need to fucking listen to me!"
"Um you got about two seconds to let go of my arm miss or I will haul you down to the police station," he said as he yanked his arm away from me
"This is your fucking job to help people, I need help don't walk away from me!" I pushed into his chest.
"That's it; I tried to be nice lady, now you're under arrest. You have the right to remain silent…." He didn't get to finish as we heard a loud crash and a huge fight broke out. The Officer looked between me and the crowd." You're lucky" he said as he took off running towards the crowd.
"Luckily, how the hell am I luckily, Fuck you!" I screamed and took off running down the street. I don't know how long I ran but some how I ended up back at Little Italy area in front of a Lombardi's Pizza. I just started to pace up and down Spring Street, continuing to call Peter and Charlotte and even tried Riley once but hung up once his pleas starting coming through the phone. I was numb and beaten, I couldn't go on anymore I found myself behind in the back alley I don't even remember walking back there. I just slid down the side of the wall tucking my head into my knees wrapping my arms around my legs rocking slowly back and forth and cried. I don't know how long I was like that when I was startle by the slamming of a door. I looked up and into the eyes of a man and he was staring back at me.
EPOV
Ha! This was my lucky day; as soon as I looked at her I knew it was one of them from the photo. I walked over to her in three fast steps, stopping and bending down to be eye level with her.
"You, little girl and your friends have pissed off some very important people and they are going to be so happy to see you. Let's go." I reached out to grab her arm, ready for her to put up a fight but she just sat there and looked at me like she really had no clue what was going on while tears ran down her already tear stained face. Now I was getting pissed. I was behind schedule and had no desire to deal with a traumatized kid. I breathed a heavy sigh and pulled her up by her arms roughly.
"I said let's go now," I snarled, looking at her directly in her dark chocolate eyes. Those fucking eyes, I wanted to rip them out of her head, they reminded me too much of … I couldn't bring myself to say her name. I just needed to call Aro and let him know I had one and have someone come pick her up; I didn't even want to be around her anymore.
I vaguely heard her half whimper half whispers something.
"What? What are you saying?" I sneered at her. Her head fall down by her chin and all her brown hair fall in front of her face, I heard her take a loud deep breath and sniff. She lifted her head back up and I noticed a huge red bruise on the side of her cheek like someone had hit her. Who would have hit a girl? Even I wouldn't hit a girl. My eyes fell to her arms, I saw a huge cut mixed with dried blood and dirt caked in it.
"Pleeease just jus jusst take me home, I I …I waaaa waann waaaant tooo gooo hooomeee. Would would you please take me hoooome". She pleaded with me
She was shaking so hard and could barely breathe. I just stood there looking at her as my eyes dropped to her knees that were cut up just like her arms.
"I just," she closed her eyes as more tears fell and I saw most of her hair was stuck to her face. It must have been sticky from crying so much and mixed with dirt and sweat. "I just wanna go go gggo home." I don't wanna be here anymore."
Flash back
"Allie where are you?" I yelled. I was getting really worried about Alice she hadn't come home after school and that wasn't like her. She was a good kid always called or asked permission before she did anything. So when she didn't come home I knew something had happened. I called a couple of her friends and they said they had seen her talking to a couple of girls as they were getting on the bus but didn't see her get on her bus so Emmett and I headed out towards the school. I took the back, while Emmett went inside.
"Alice," I yelled again and that's when I heard it , a faint little whimper coming from the behind the storage room where they kept playground equipment. I walked around to find the most saddest sight I had ever seen. There was my baby sister standing against the wall, with tears running down her face, her hair was stuck to it. I reached up and brushed her hair away from her face, as it was kind of clinging to her face from all her tears and dirt mixed with it. I noticed several cuts on her arms and legs also.
"Alice? What happened sweetie, talk to me." She looked up with fresh tears running down her face, and her bottom lip was quivering.
"I just, I just want to go home Edward, would you pleas please just take mm me hooome."
Her whole body was shaking and I could feel a rage in me that I had never felt before. I was not a violent person, had never been in a fight in my life but I could have killed someone at that moment. I felt tears starting to form in my eyes at the sight of my broken little baby sister. A thought came into my head that she could have been possible sexual assaulted and if that was the case I had to get her to the hospital right away.
" Alice, I am gonna take you home honey, I promise but I have to know who did this to you," I said as a tear or two slipped down my check. Her whole face scrunched as she started to cry harder.
"Oh Edward," she cried into my chest. After a few minutes she was able to speak again "These girls they heard about the present you brought back for me from Europe and they asked if they could see it, I said yes *sniff* but then they wouldn't give *sniff* it back. They shoved me and I I …. I fall and ripped my new jeans *sniff* and I got back up and I shoved the one , the one gggirl really hard and she fall.
"Allie, you know violence doesn't solve anything why didn't you go and tell one of the teachers?"
"Cause I was mad and I hate hate them . So the other one grabbed the back of my hair and threw me on on the *sniff* ground and then I heard a smash and the gggglobe you got me was shattered."
"Oh Alice," I said as I picked her up in my arms. "Come on lets get you home. They will be in trouble Alice, we are going to report them to the school and the police."
"When we get get home *sniff* I am cutting this stupid long hair, she she couldn't have pulled it, if it was short."
"Oh no you're not I love your long beautiful brown hair," I laughed.
"Wi Will you take me home? Please, I just want to go home." She cried.
I heard her but didn't answers, I just stared at her, fuck why did I remember that, why her.
"Please, you you're hurting me," She cried
I most have tighten the grip I had on her elbows because she let out a bit of a loud squeal. I closed my eyes tightly, and took a couple of deep breaths, visions of Alice invading my brain along with the cries from this girl.
My eyes snapped open and I looked into her eyes then back to where my fingers were leaving marks in her elbows. I quickly let go and backed up fast against the wall. I slammed my head back against the wall, letting it bang a couple more times taking deep breaths as I tried to calm my nerves. Slowly I opened my eyes half shocked to see this girl still standing there, why didn't she run was she stupid or slow? Most people would have taken advantage of the fact and ran away from a stranger and one that ... I looked down at the bright red marks on her arms and felt sick to my stomach. Why hadn't she ran and why was she looking at me like the guy who was gonna save her didn't she have an ounce of self preservation in her? I am the fucking bad guy, I am the one who is going to take her to the cruelest, most sick psychotic son of a bitch and she is begging me to take her home. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. I couldn't believe I was doing this but this girl reminded me so much of her, I just couldn't do it. Taking another deep breath, I said words that I never had said before.
"Run away now!" I snarled "Get out of here while you still can before I change my mind."
"You're you're letting me go?" She whispered.
My eyes snapped opened. "Do you have a fucking death wish little girl, do you? I said get the fuck out of here before I change my mind and take your ass to Aro. And I can tell you right now you go there you will have wish I had put a bullet in your brain in this alley. Now get the fuck out of here."
She finally got some sense in her head as she started to run down the alley back to the main street. I started to think about what all she was saying and it clicked in 'she wanted to just go home'. Home she couldn't go home Aro had her families information she'd be killed either way. No it doesn't matter it isn't my problem anymore, she gets caught or killed it wasn't my fault, I had a job to do and I was going to do it. But something was knawing at me and I couldn't shake it and I sure as hell didn't like it. This girl remembered me to much of Alice. Before I could stop myself I did another thing I had never done before.
"Hey wait," I screamed down the alley to her.. She stopped and I saw her whole body shake in fear. She most luckily thought I had probably changed my mind and was going to kill her or take her to Aro. She was just froze in place as waiting for it to happen, she slowly turned around with her hands above her head and I could see the fresh tears running down her cheeks.
"Put your fucking hands down I ain't a cop, and you aren't under arrest."
"You , you said I *sniff* I could go hhhome." she sobbed
"No, I didn't say you could go home, I said go. You can't go home Isabella Marie Swan, of 1411 S Forks Avenue, the city of Forks in Washington."
She just stared at me for the longest time with her mouth wide open and eyes blinking like she was sending out Morse code or some shit.
"What? Close your mouth before you catch a fucking bug or something. Although by the looks of you, you're so skinny maybe that's all you eat." What the fuck was that.. I shook my head. I use to say that shit to Alice all the time minus the fucking part. She shut her mouth but continued to blink her eyes like she was signaling the mother ship home.
"How? How did you did you know all that?" She asked with a shocked expressions on her face.
"Really?" I answered "I know everything about you, your mother Renee formally Dryer Swan stay at home mom. Father Charles Swan, Mayor of the fine city of Forks former cop, should I go on?"
"How? Why would you have that information?"
"Cause you fucking stole a million fucking dollars from my boss and now he wants you and your fucking." I stopped myself, why the fuck did I even care. Why was I even arguing with her?
"Are my parents in danger? I have to go to them now."
I was at her side in three long strides." No you can't go home! You can't call them, you get on a bus and go far fucking away and start a new life now."
"I…..I can't" she was shaking her head back and forth like she was having some kind of mental fight with herself. "They're my parents, no matter what they did or what happened in the past I have to warn them."
"You contact them and they are as good as dead, if they aren't already!"
As soon as the words left my mouth, her whole face went pale and she fall to the ground crying..
"Riley," she sobbed
"Riley?" Who the fuck was Riley… "Oh Riley Turner" I asked
"You know *sniff* you know about Riley, they killed him and it's all my fault," She sobbed
"Who killed him? Hey." I shook her arm to get her attention again. "How do you know they killed him, who told you this?" I need this kill to be confirmed this was my fucking job now and if someone was running around taking my 'targets' out I wanted to fucking know who. "Hey." I shook her arm again, "how…. do…. you…..know…. this." I said as slow as possible. She was still shaking her head and she began to ramble almost incoherently at me. From what I could make out it was some man on the phone, pictures, blood, and long blond mother fucking ponytail that son of a bitch James.
"*sniff* Who?" She asked
I must have said he name out loud, fuck.
"It doesn't fucking matter, what matters is you getting your ass on the next bus as far away from here as you can now this shit isn't a game little girl. You need to worry about yourself and for god sakes stop fucking crying."
"But I don't know where to go. If I can't go home, and I can't go with Riley and Char and Peter , Mouse, Jane all gone."
I grabbed her chin gently well I hoped it was gently, lifting it up to look me directly in the eye. "All gone, what do you mean? All gone? They are all dead?"
"What? Oh my god! No, they can't all be dead." She screamed and started crying again.
"What?" You just said they were all dead?" This girl was confusing the hell out of me now.
"No, no I didn't. Are you telling me they are dead or not? God you are confusing the hell out of me!" She yelled back at me
Well ain't that about the pot calling the Kettle black. I confused the hell out of her?
"Excuse me?" I asked "I confuse the hell out of you?" I felt like I had stepped into some warped universe. I took a deep breath and ran my heads through my hair pulling on it slightly as I did. " You" I pointed at her. " Are telling me I confuse you?" You said they are all gone are they all gone like dead?"
"No, they are *sniff* all gone as….I'm not telling you anything, no they are not dead. Now If you are done, I want to leave, you said I could leave as long as I didn't contact my family, correct? They will be safe if I don't contact them right?" She asked as her big brown doe eyes stared directly into mine like she was searching for the truth in mine.
Little does she know I'm an excellent liar, along with my many other talents. I stared directly back at her and did what came natural.
"Yes Isabella, you avoid your home, your parents; no contact and they will be fine." I lied. Shit, for all I knew they were already dead, not my problem, but for some reason I felt like I needed to at least give her a chance to make a new life, a good life. Alice would want me too. Oh who was kidding, Alice would never speak to me if she knew what I have become these last 5 years.
"Okay, thank you umm, I don't know your name?"
"Ha, you don't need to know my name. As a matter of fact forget you ever saw me, got it?"
"Please? I would at least like to know your first name, you saved my life and my parents. I'd like to thank you properly?"
Oh shit, I haven't had that feeling in 5 years and I didn't like it, nope not one fucking bit. Guilt. "Joe." And there I go again lying. I truly was a piece of shit that didn't care.
"Well Joe, thank you very much." She reached out slowly and held her hand out. What the hell did she want to shake my hand? I don't fucking shake hands, did she miss the memo "The Cleaner/Killer' maybe I should start handing out business cards. I glared down at her hand and then back up to her face again. And those damn pleading teary doe eyes stared right back at me. Reluctantly lifted my arm up, and moved my hand over to hers, I mean hell I did lie about her parents, lied about my name I guess it wouldn't 'kill' me to shake her hand to thank me. Ugh there was that damn knawing in my gut again about lying to this girl. Damn her for reminding me of my sister so much, that was the only reason she was still here. I grabbed her hand and started to shake it when I felt a undeniable spark shot up my arm. What the fuck was that shit. I looked at her to see if she had felt it too.
"Thank you very much Joe" She said in a low whisper
Well if she felt it she sure as hell did show it, must have been a muscle spasms or something.
"Well goodbye, Joe" She started to walk down the alley
It took me a moment to realize she had been talking to me. Yeah cause you lied and told her your name was Joe dumb ass. "Don't forget what I said don't go home. Do you know where you are going?" Oh my god what the fuck am I doing? Let the girl just leave already. Why not exchange phone number and emails so she can drop you a line sometime.
"I'm heading to Pennsylvania." She answered, almost too quickly I thought maybe she was lying and was planning on going back to Forks. Then I remembered Riley was from Pennsylvania, was that a coincidence?
"Why Pennsylvania?" I had to ask She closed her eyes for a moment, lost deep in thought. She took a couple of deep breaths before she spoke.
"I promised a friend I would take care of something for them, if, um, something happened and that's what I'm going to do."
"Would this promise be for Riley?" I questioned. Her eyes widened quickly but she tried to cover up her shocked look.
"Why would you ask that?" She asked
"Riley is from Pennsylvania, I was simply asking is he the reason why?" I said with a nasty tone.
"It's his brother and sister and the only reason I am telling you this is because now I am worried they are in danger too?"
"Joey and Kristy aren't there anymore, Isabella." I said, might as well save her a trip and money.
"What? Where are they what happened to them? Oh my god." She came running at me. "These are just children!" She shoved in to me, screaming in my face.
"Hey, knock it off" I grabbed her arms and pinned them to her side." They aren't dead they are in Texas with family now, dad's in jail and the mom's in rehab the kids are well taken care of ." I saw her take a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment then opened them up again.
"Thank you though for telling me, but "I'd like to see that for myself" She said
"Suit yourself, little girl, I don't give a shit where you go, but go now. I've wasted enough time with you." And the ass was back and it felt good.
"Goodbye Joe," she said as she spun around and started to walk out of the alley, grabbing her cell phone as she did making a call.
I had never been so happy to have someone out of my life than I was having her gone. I did not like the way she made me feel, bringing up old feelings about my past life. Nope. That shit is dead and buried and I do not want to think about that again. I leaned into the wall and kicked my foot to wall and pressing my back into it while taking a deep breath and running my hands through my hair again. I grabbed for a smoke realizing I didn't have any, which just made me more pissed off. Well that was one thing I was changing right now. I pushed off the wall and made my way out of the alley and to a local store for a pack of smokes.
-XXXXX-
As I walked out of the corner store I put a smoke in my mouth and while I lit it I grabbed my cell phone and made a call. As I was waiting for the mother fucker to answers I heard a large bang coming from around the corner.
"Yes son, you got good news for me?" Aro asked
"Listen you crazy old fuck the name is Edward not fucking son. Anyways what the fuck is this shit I am hearing on the streets that James is going after my fucking targets?"
"Now so… Edward." He stopped himself again lucky for him. "No one is going after your targets, this happened before you were even actually on the case. I told you we had one at the motel. I am not happy, though. I told everyone I wanted to deal with them myself, but James got so irate over something this Swan said to him, well let's just say dental records will be about the only way to identify this boy's body."
Oh I didn't even want to think about what James did to the kid, but what could Isabella have said that got him so fired up. I had to find out some how without raising suspension.
"Ha, what, a little girl beat him up again or something?"
"No she gave him an ultimatum, and well lets just say that didn't sit well with James and the Riley boy suffered. I've more or less written Miss Swan off too if you don't find her first because if James finds her first, he will gut her like a fish." He chuckled. He fucking chuckled, sick fucking bastard.
"Will you tell James to back the fuck off the little girl and the rest of my fucking 'targets,' this is my show or I'm fucking off the job now, Aro. I am not chasing corpses do you hear me, back your little side show freak off. And he better know Mouse is fucking mine, you promised me!"
"Edward, I already told him this, he gave me his word that he would not actively search for any of them. But as I told you before, if he finds Miss Swan, I know all bets are off." I hung up on him.
My blood began to boil, he would not touch her not when she was, no, she's not Alice, I had to stop this. She was a 'target,' a target I fucking let go and most likely drove right into James' arms. The phone rang and broke me out of my thought,
"What?" I was in no mood for pleasantries today, it was getting late and I was getting hungry.
"Um yea Mr Cullen"?" The voice asked
"You called my cell phone. Do you not know who you called?" I snapped..
"Yessss sir? He shuttered.
"Okay let's try this again one more time before I reach through this phone and rip your fucking tongue out." okay so not original but it got the desired results.
Um, um well yes I saw two people matching the descriptions the people you are looking for?"
"And where would this be?" I asked
"I'm in New Jersey sir."
"Description now!" I demanded.
I hung up the phone after promising to pay this man a visit for annoying the crap out of me. Well looks like I am out of New York and heading for New Jersey to finally come face to face with the ink on my almost perfect record. I was so excited at the thought of finally finishing this boy off, I could have actually smiled but I didn't, I believe I smirked.
I headed back towards the car in the parking lot of Lombardi's Pizza and clicked the button on the alarm system. Sliding into my nice seat, I took a deep breath and pinched the middle of my nose and tried to erase the activities of today.. I started up my car and made a mental check list of all the weapons, I had brought with me trying to think if I needed to make one more stop before heading out to New Jersey . Being happy with what I knew I grabbed I put the car in reserve and started out of the parking lot and that's when I heard it, a slight banging and moving around, I knew it wasn't my weapons I knew that sound too well. What the fuck was making that noise? I turned the radio down slightly to see if I could pinpoint where for sure the noise was.. If I had to take this car to get fixed I was going to be pissed off. Yes I could rent a car but that would take time and I did not have time. I heard the noise again and that's when I knew what it was... son of a bitch someone is going to die today. I slowly turned the car into an empty car lot, don't need witness, and parked the car. Getting out I shut the door quietly while grabbing my Sig out of the holster and press the key to my automatic trunk opener. The trunk flew open and my gun was pressed up against this assholes head..
"You got two seconds to climb the fuck out of my car so I can blast your fucking head off and not get in blood in my baby!"
Slowly they started to turn around as the gun slide with them staying pushed slightly in their face as they did.
"Please don't shoot."
A/N : As always please review I love hearing your thoughts good or bad as long as it is not hateful. Please do not hate me over Riley but it had to be done, and if it helps at all I cried a lot writing this chapter.. My friends know how hard this was for me and it wasn't a last minute decision. I always kind of knew Riley would die but I made sure to let everyone know in this chapter and last Joey and Kristy (Riley's siblings) are self and happy now.. If that helps at all. Sorry : ( I tried to throw a bit of human in there between 'Joe' (lol) and Bella towards the end to help with such a sad chapter but I probably failed miserable…
Rec time: In Darkness or Light by psyche001 BUT this is a sequel if you have not read Set in Stone READ IT FIRST.. First it is a amazing story. This woman is a very talented author.. These stories are both on TWCS and FF… you will not be disappointed.
Another great story is Ghost byiwannabe I can't even begin to tell you how good this story is you just have to read it yourself to see. And oh Edward is HOT younger man.. (calling all cougars) yum.. This story is on FF