A/N...I want to thank everyone for their well wishes. I wish I could say I was all better, but I'm still nursing a cold.
I'm pretty sure this is the chapter you guys have been waiting for on a few levels, and probably some things you aren't expecting. This is a big chapter as far as a turning point in things. Some questions are answered, some tempers flare, and the girls put their heads together.
I will answer one question right now...all of you seemed concerned with Kyra's interview answer to that photo of her and Edward. She sputtered through it. If you go back and read, she was just as shocked to see it as everyone else was. Just to clear things up, okay?
Now...I'll let you get on with it...
CHAPTER 9
EDWARD
"Carlisle, I need you to stay here, find out who sent that picture, and how," Bella snapped as we wound our way through the TV station and out the back doors. Suddenly, she stopped, spinning to glare at him, causing most of us to just about run her tiny frame over. "And why isn't Raulson here for this interview?" she asked, her eyes narrowing in on him.
"He was going to be, but I told him I'd take care of it, because he had several phone meetings to make. He also was heading to the recording studio to work on the layout of the new album," my dad answered, though as he looked at my wife, I could tell his thoughts were lining up with hers. "In fact, he seemed rather relieved that he wasn't coming..."
"Interesting," Cassie mused to herself.
"Yes, it is," my dad said to her, but turned back to Bella. "If they don't tell me who gave them the picture, the interview doesn't air. Period."
"Wait! You can't do that..." Kyra started to argue, but froze when Bella and I spun on her.
It was Bella that snapped before me. "You...have no say right now. In fact, I'm about five seconds from thinking you sent that picture. I wouldn't put it past you."
Cassie shook her head furiously behind Kyra, but said nothing. In fact, she was looking rather nervous.
Alec exited the station, speaking rapidly to Alice over the radio; he'd been finishing up with security inside. "I want every angle and every minute of that interview, Alice, from the very second we pulled onto this fucking property. They're sending it to you now. I also think we'll have to watch our asses on the way home, because if this asshole's here, there's a chance he'll tail us."
"Got it, got it, got it," she answered immediately.
"And we'll need Wes again," he sighed, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two clear plastic bags. Inside were another note and another burned flower. His eyes locked with mine, but flickered uneasily to Bella for a second.
"Aw, hell," Gator groaned, wrapping a protective arm around Kyra, who paled at the sight of those bags.
"That's it. Load up. Now!" I ordered, unlocking the SUV. "Alec, bring that shit with you. You can explain it on the way. Dad, keep me posted on how that picture got into these people's hands."
I turned to Cassie, but again, she shook her head fervently. She had shit to say, but for some reason, it wasn't coming out in front of Kyra.
"Let's go," I commanded, and everyone started to get in the car.
Once we were settled in, I cranked up and slowly drove through the station gate. Carefully avoiding some lingering fans, I pulled out onto the street.
"Mickey, you watch our six. If someone follows us, let me know," I told her, simply because she was in the very back seat.
"Sir," she replied back, but she crawled over the seat, facing out the back window. "Don't wreck, pretty boy. You'll kill my ass back here."
"'Kay," I snickered, but my laugh died quickly when Alec turned to face me from the passenger seat.
Holding up the bags, he said, "Ronald found it on the stage. It was discovered after the interview was over, but no one could pinpoint just exactly when it appeared. It was left in a manila envelope with Kyra's name on it." He held up his hand to Bella when she scooted forward to ask him something. "Security's hands had been all over it. I didn't bother keeping it, because they destroyed it to open it. They didn't know what it was, Bellissima."
"What's the note say?" Kyra finally piped up, but she didn't bother to sit forward. In fact, the sight of another flower had her looking rather nauseous.
Alec turned the plastic bag over, and I glimpsed at it quickly. It was made the same exact way the first note had been – cut out letters from different magazines or some shit. Alec read the letter out loud.
Kyra,
After everything I've done for you...and I find this? You lying whore! You're mine. I've told you that. Isn't anything sacred? This guy won't save you...and he can't have you. Doesn't he know that you'll just use him and toss him away like you do everyone else?
Soon, I'll show you exactly what you deserve, because your using days are over.
I love you, and soon, we'll be together. I promise.
From the rear view mirror, I could see Bella rubbing her temple, giving Kyra a side glance, but Kyra was staring out of the window, her face white as a sheet. Gator looked livid, but defeated at the same time, and for a brief moment, I wondered just how long he'd been able to hold up with this shit. He obviously cared for Kyra, so the threats to her alone must have been driving him crazy.
"Fuck," I sighed wearily, because this asshole was just fucking creepy.
I suddenly felt exhausted, because so many things could go wrong, and it was quite fucking possible that we'd need to change everything. As the car sped down the road in silence, my brain tried every single scenario – sequestering Kyra in a safe house, pulling every form of communication away from her – not to mention having to cage my wife, because she looked like she was about to kill the famous singer sitting on the other side of Cassie.
And then there was the picture. I shook my head, feeling disgusted from seeing it. I remembered so little of my time with Kyra, but most of it blurred into what that picture showed. Fuck, if I didn't hate my past. I wished more than once that I could have toned my shit down, simply because I didn't expect the one fucking beautiful thing to fall into my lap. Had I known Bella, kept in contact with her, I probably never would've even looked at another woman. In fact, I know I wouldn't have.
There was another part of me, one that had hope building in my chest, because if I was a target, that made shit a little easier. I could fight, alone or with my crew, but Kyra couldn't. Something of an unwanted plan started to form in the back of my mind.
"Son?" my dad called over the radio.
"Sir!" I snapped back, because he'd scared the shit out of me and my mental musings.
"The photograph was bought and paid for by a young intern at the TV station. Simone Wilkes. She won't give up her source, paid cash, and handed it over to the host of the show...Paula Dawson. That woman is tough as nails, but I've put a stop to the airing of the show, at least until this threat is over."
"What do you mean...she won't give up her source?" I growled, running a hand through my hair.
"Exactly that. Miss Wilkes is following an old journalism rule...protecting their sources," he replied. "They don't have to give them up by law."
"Yeah, well, the TV station isn't protecting their fucking server, and I'm not the damn law," Alice piped up with a touch of venom to her voice. "Names are all I need. I'll either pull her emails, or I'll snatch their phone records. Just...give me time."
"Thank you, Alice," everyone muttered at the same time, because goddamn, she was a lifesaver.
"Now, I'm off to have a chat with Raulson," my dad added. "I'll see you guys back at the house." I thought he was gone, but then he said one more thing. "Cassie, I know you're listening and Kyra isn't. If you've got something...you wait until you can say it. There's no place safer than Gravity's office. Got me?"
Cassie nodded silently, but her eyes shot to Bella. I was beginning to see respect and admiration coming from her when it came to my wife. She trusted Bella, liked her, and given her sexual preference, may have even been attracted to her. Kyra may have been Cassie's boss and best friend, but Cassie was depending on Bella, and that respect had only increased after my wife had told them about her experience with Miller. Kyra was fighting us every step, but Cassie wasn't. It took serious fucking balls to do that, especially considering Cassie could lose her job, her place to live, and her friend if Kyra decided she didn't like it.
"We're good, Dad. Thanks," I told him for her, because Kyra was the only one that wasn't wearing an earpiece. "Alice," I called over the headset as soft conversations broke out between Alec, Gator, and Bella.
"Yeah?" she sang, even as the unending typing continued in the background.
"I need Jazz and Em at the house. We're going to set up a twenty-four hour watch, just in case," I stated firmly. "I need Kurt, too, unless he's already helping you."
"Em and Jazz are already at the front gates...locked and loaded," she told me. "Kurt is currently pulling everything we can on the fan blogs. We need to know if they've caught wind of you yet, Edward."
"Okay," I told her. "Thanks. We'll be there soon."
"That picture's been messed with," Kyra muttered, not looking at anyone, but it caused the whole car to go silent. "I haven't seen it in years, but that's not what it looked like. They cropped it or something..."
"Not that you care, right, diva?" Mickey snarked back over her shoulder from her perch in the back of the SUV. "I mean, you like the idea that the world thinks you're with Eddie. Yeah?"
"Oh boy," Alec mumbled, shaking his head. "I was wondering when she was going to pop. The whole team will explode if they think you're the one in danger."
I winced, but he was right. Kyra was a job, just another case. With one of our own in the line of fire, emotions would start to come into play.
"That's enough, Mick," Bella chided softly.
"No, Bells...she needs to understand. Her lack of cooperation is going to get someone hurt. I don't give a fuck if she slept with the entire LA Rams football team. I just think we need to know whether it was either the defensive line, offensive line, special teams, or all fucking three. I think this asshole will snap soon, and there will be repercussions. And let me just tell you..."
She started to turn around, but I stopped her. "My six, wild child," I reminded her, not giving two shits if she went off on Kyra, but she needed to watch my back.
"Fine. But if one of my team gets hurt or killed because this bitch withheld information, I'll make sure she'll never grace the cover of a magazine again," Mickey stated firmly, her face gazing back out the rear window.
"I don't think so," Gator snarled, turning around to glare at her.
"Oh yeah, lizard boy? Try me!" she threatened, reaching inside her coat, and I knew she was going for her fucking gun. "You have no idea what my team is capable of..."
"Enough!" I yelled. "Mick, you stand down, and don't you dare reach for that fucking weapon!"
Mickey huffed, rolled her eyes to me in the mirror, but turned her back on Gator.
"Lizard boy," Alice chuckled in my ear, but I ignored her, because everyone in the car was just about to snap.
"What I meant was that the background was different, or blurred out," Kyra added, not even acknowledging Mickey's rant. "I wonder how they found my personal things. And what else is missing..."
"It's not about you anymore!" Bella finally exploded, and Alec had to thrust his hands into the back seat in order to stop my wife from launching herself at Kyra. "Trust me when I tell you that. You'd better understand right now. You're not the only one in danger now. And it's not only me that will kill you where you stand in order to protect my crew, my family, and especially Edward. Do you get it?"
Mickey harrumphed in agreement from the back, as did Rose, Mack, and Alice over the radio.
"Wait!" Kurt chimed in. "What does she mean about personal things?"
"Later," Cassie barely said over the radio.
"What?" Kyra asked her, turning to look at her. "What are you telling them, Cass?"
We all flinched at the accusatory tone to Kyra's voice, because Cassie was doing her damnedest to keep everyone happy.
"Nothing...Everything!" Cassie finally snapped, turning to her boss. "Kyra, shut up! For once, just shut the fuck up. Do you want to get yourself killed? Do you want them to back away from the case so this guy can get to you? Because they will, and I wouldn't blame them. You're making enemies with the very people that are trying to help you. Just fucking stop it! I'm doing my best, trying to help them, because I don't want you to get hurt, but you're making shit very difficult."
From my view in the mirror, I watched as Gator started to speak, but I was pretty sure Cassie had reached her absolute limit, which was shocking all on its own, because the poor girl stayed so quiet all the damn time.
"You shut up, too, Gator. Day in and day out, she barks orders at us, and we cater to her every whim. We make sure she eats, gets where she needs to be, and tuck her in at night. We get shit on, yelled at, and insulted. Yet, we still give a shit what happens to her. Not because we're getting paid to care, but because we actually do care. I'm done. I'm over it." She spun her ire-filled gaze back to a shocked Kyra. "You're so fucking spoiled. I swear to God. Could you even pay your electric bill if I weren't there to do it for you? Damn! All these people have done is bend over backwards to help you, but you spit it all back in their face. You disrespect Edward and Bella left and right, you can't seem to care enough to even try to remember anything, and you fight against every rule that's in place to keep you safe. Fuck, why should anyone give a shit about what happens to you if you don't?"
Cassie finally turned to Bella, who looked completely shocked. "I took that picture. It was back from the USO tour. Kyra begged me to get one of her and Edward together when he wasn't looking, because he never posed for one. The damn thing was taken by me...on my phone...and then printed. I deleted it once it was on paper. It was at Kyra's house!" Cassie was panting at this point, but she wasn't done. She glared at Kyra, only to turn back to Bella. "Someone would've had to go in the house, rummage through several scrapbooks, only to steal it. Physically fucking take it!"
"Okay, okay," Bella soothed her, because it looked like Cassie was about to cry. "So...who would have access to the house? Who would know where to look? And who would know exactly which picture to look for?"
"I don't know, Bella, because we haven't been in that house in over two months, and that doesn't include the two weeks we've been here in Washington," Cassie said in almost a whisper, and I could tell the thought of someone pilfering around in the place they called home kind of rocked her a bit.
"The only people that knew about Edward and Kyra on that USO tour were me and Cassie. Ike suspected, but he couldn't prove it," Gator stated, giving Kyra a side glance.
The singer was glaring out the window, tears streaming down her face, and I let out a deep breath, because despite the truth that was just smashed into her face...it was indeed the truth. And sometimes that shit could really fucking hurt.
"Boy oh boy," Rose sighed in our ear. "You know, that name keeps popping up. Perhaps it's time to really chat with the cranky old bastard."
"You might be right," Alec agreed.
We pulled into Forks, and Mickey announced there wasn't anyone following us. When I opened the gate to my property, I was met with Emmett and Jasper on either side of my driveway. They were carrying automatic rifles, giving the gate a fierce glance before walking to my window.
"What's the plan, Ed?" Emmett asked, his face no longer the joking teddy bear he wore most of the time. He was on focused fucking duty – something I completely admired and appreciated from him.
"We weren't followed, but I don't want to take chances. I need perimeter runs every hour, at least until morning. I want everyone armed, focused, and wired. I want to know immediately if something is out of order. Period."
"We figured as much," Jasper drawled, giving me a crooked smile. "We called in help. Eleazar should be here in a few hours. He wasn't far."
"Nice," I said with a nod. "Who's he bringing?"
"Felix," both men answered at the same time.
"Even better," Alec chuckled from my side, but smacked my shoulder. "You're thinking safe house right about now, aren't you?"
I nodded slowly, taking a deep breath. "One more incident, and I will most definitely pull this whole crew off the fucking grid without shame. All work, recording, and public outings will fucking come to an end. But I need more information, because I'd rather catch this motherfucker."
"I need Bellsy, please," Alice sang lightly over the radio. "We have lots of work to do."
"Yes, pixie," Bella sighed, and I could see her prepare for a really long fucking night.
I turned back to the boys. "Let me park, get these guys inside, and I'll join you on the first round. We need to turn my motion sensors back on and check my old cameras. This property needs to be on fucking lockdown in less than an hour. No one comes in and no one leaves without my fucking say so...as of this moment. Got me?"
"Sir!" they all answered as I pulled the rest of the way into my driveway.
~oOo~
BELLA
I gazed out the window of Gravity, noting that once again, my home was being turned into a compound. Eleazar and Felix had arrived just a bit ago, and they were standing in the middle of my front yard with the guys. Faces were fierce, arms gestured wildly, and finally, there were nods of acceptance.
"You know, I'd like to drop kick that bitch right into the middle of oncoming traffic on I-5," Mickey huffed, falling down into the chair next to mine. "How you haven't kicked her ass from here to kingdom come is beyond me, Bellsy."
"She may not have to, because Kyra's own people may do it for her," Rose snorted, rolling her eyes. "Man, Cassie went the fuck off!"
"She did," I agreed softly, because I'd never expected Cassie to lose control like she had in the car. In fact, she'd gone from trying to protect Kyra to just spitting everything in her face.
My eyes shifted from the guys to my house, where the lights were off. The kids, Cassie, and Kyra were all in bed. The second we'd driven in, Cassie and Kyra walked inside, and no one had heard from them since. They'd ignored our knocks on the guest room door for dinner, though hushed arguing voices could still be heard from the inside.
"Ed will move us to a safe house without shame, won't he?" Mickey muttered, following my gaze out the window.
"Probably," I sighed, finally looking back to the room.
The whole crew was still working, still busting their asses, and I was suddenly pissed off, because the person we were fighting for was about the most ungrateful woman on the planet. Kurt, Mack, Alice, and Rose were all planted in front of computers, all researching something different. Kurt was still working the internet blog and fan website rumors, Alice was breaking down the entire server at the TV station, Mack had been studying that list from the building in LA, and Rose was now scanning through the security video from the station to see if there was anyway possible to see just who'd left another fucking flower.
Wes had come and gone, taking the new evidence with him. He'd worn a sweet, concerned smile when he saw how Edward was now the target along with Kyra, but he'd told us to let him know if we needed him.
"How does that work?" Kurt asked, glancing up over the top of his screen. "Safe houses?"
I smirked, giving a chuckling Mickey a side glance. "Exactly how it sounds," I started to explain, because Kurt had never been on a job with us that required it, except for the time that we'd pulled him away from Lilith, and technically, he'd been in the custody of the CIA then. "Carlisle and Edward have a handful of properties that they've converted into safe houses. That means they have no real title – or no real name on the title – they're completely set up with security, and they're usually in the middle of no-fucking-where."
"Oh, but I liked the mountain cabin," Alice whined from the computer room, spinning to join in.
I smiled up at her, because yeah...the mountain cabin held sweet, sweet memories for me – and my girls, if I were to be honest. It was the second place we'd hidden ourselves away after Carlisle and Edward had removed me from Miller's basement. But it was also the place where my girls and Edward's crew had not only worked seamlessly together, but we'd also paired off into the couples that we were. It was at the mountain cabin that Edward and I had first told each other "I love you."
"I don't know..." Makenna giggled. "I like Aunt Kate's. The farm rocks."
I winced, my eyes flashing to Mickey, but her face was expressionless.
"Oh, damn...my bad," Mack said, sounding truly remorseful for bringing up Mickey's former home.
"Don't sweat it," Mickey replied quietly, but changed subjects quickly. "Now...what's our progress?"
Mack was the first to pipe up. "That building in LA. Fuck, it's full of deviants," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Is there anyone in that city that hasn't been arrested for something?" We laughed with her, but gave her our attention. "Okay, so I've narrowed down the list a bit. Wes told me to drop out the drug charges, DUIs, and lesser crimes, like bad checks and shit like that. He and Benny said to look for more personal and a touch more violent crimes. Personal, meaning...um, domestic violence, assault, date rape, that sort of shit. But you know what I found the most interesting?" she asked us, and we all shook our heads. "Even without a criminal history, I didn't find Preston Raulson anywhere on this list. I thought he was Ike's personal assistant."
"He is," I stated, frowning at her list of every occupant of that LA building. I watched as she took away the search parameters, showing everyone that worked at the location. Raulson's son wasn't there. At all. "What the hell?" I spun in my chair to face my computer, pulling up a search on Preston, while Rose explained what she'd found.
"Okay, so you gotta love this TV station, because they're all about the best angle," she chuckled, spinning her laptop around so that we could watch the handful of cropped videos she'd saved. "Clearly, someone dropped this shit off prior to the talk show. Watch," she commanded, and she enlarged one particular video where the camera was facing the stage of the show.
I frowned at the screen, because an obviously male form was walking toward the stage as people milled about to take their seats. The problem was that he was well aware that he was being monitored. A black hoodie covered his face as he pulled the manila envelope from the front pouch. The man wore all dark clothing, but no one seemed to pay him any attention, because he blended right in with the rest of Kyra's fans that were anxiously awaiting her interview.
My eyes shot up to Rose's, but she shook her head. "Nothing. I've looked at every camera, every angle, even outside, scanning for that same man. If he's in it, then he either changed clothes, took down that hood, or removed it altogether. He disappeared into that crowd. And I have slowed that flower drop off down until I can barely see straight. There's no getting a glimpse of that face."
I nodded, turning my attention to my search on Preston. He'd gone to a fairly upscale private school, and then attended USC for business administration and music production, before finally signing on as an intern for Solstice Music.
"He did work for his dad," I murmured, shaking my head. "At least at one point, he did."
Alice slid gracefully from her computer room to the conference table in her desk chair, coming to a stop beside me. "Travel records. Pull them. I just found a really fucking interesting email at the TV station to that Simone chick."
"On it," I said, feeling hopeful for the first time, because it seemed we had our first real lead when it came to Kyra's case.
With a few clicks and a few tricks that Alice had taught me, I was looking at not only Preston's credit card charges, but a few car rentals, airline tickets, and restaurant receipts. My head spun to face her, because we both gasped at the same time.
"There it is," I breathed, looking at her wide eyed, as Rose, Makenna, and Kurt gathered around me, Mickey, and Alice. "Sure as shit! He flew into Seattle a few weeks ago. He rented a car at the airport."
"And he's still here. There's no return flight. It was an open-ended ticket," Alice added, turning to go back to her desk, but everyone was in her way. "Move, move, move!" she chanted, rushing back to her computer. "This email had been deleted, but I was able to recover it, because as you know..."
"Once on the internet, always on the internet," we all chanted together, which caused her to laugh.
"Well, at least you're listening," she giggled, slamming a piece of paper down onto the conference table. "Look at this..."
Simone...
I have an exclusive photograph that I think your show might be interested in. Kyra Bailey has a new love interest, and I have the proof. The price is $10,000. Meet me for coffee to discuss the transaction. Bring the cash, and the picture is yours. I'm pretty sure your host will want this exclusive.
There wasn't a sign off on the email, only directions to one of the bazillion coffee shops in the city of Seattle, which turned out to be not far from the record studio or the TV station.
Mack sighed deeply, frowning at the email. "That's awful cheap for a picture like they showed, especially for someone as huge as Kyra. Honestly. I've seen some magazines and entertainment shows pay in the millions for an exclusive picture like that. The racier, the higher the price."
Makenna was all about the entertainment news. She loved actors, movies, television, and music, but what she loved even more was the reality of it all. Who was doing whom, celebrity weddings and divorces, and every bit of gossip she could absorb.
"Maybe revealing that picture wasn't about the money," I mused, shrugging one shoulder.
"Yeah, well...you might be right," Alice chuckled, pulling her laptop over to the table, "because I totally hacked the cameras surrounding that particular coffee shop."
"Fuck, Ali, you rock," Kurt sighed in relief. "Tell us you got something..."
"I did. Look," she said with a shit eating grin, pointing to her screen.
"Holy messed up managers, Batman," Mack muttered, her mouth falling open.
On the screen, which clearly had been the traffic camera at some fucking intersection, Ike Raulson sat at a table with Simone Wilkes on the sidewalk of a little cafe. One manila envelope sat on the table, but when Simone peeked inside, she pulled out another envelope that was bulging, so it was clearly the money.
"Shut the fuck up," Rose whispered, her eyes unable to leave the video. "I knew he was a mean son of a bitch, but to throw Kyra to the wolves like that... I don't get it."
"Oh, and guess what!" Alice sang. "Even though this is from a free email account, there was another email sent from that address. And this time, it had the photo attached to it. Guess who it went to..."
"Preston," we all answered her.
"Well, shit fire and save matches," Mickey growled. "No wonder the creepy bastard was pissed before the interview. He fucking knew about the picture ahead of time."
"Get Carlisle on the phone," I ordered someone, anyone, launching myself from my chair and running to the front door. I threw it open, yelling, "Boys! Get in here!"
Edward, Emmett, Alec, and Eleazar all hurried into the office, the rest most likely off doing perimeter runs. With a hushed tone, Kurt brought them up to speed. But we all turned our attention to the speakerphone on the conference table.
"This an awfully late call, Bella," Carlisle chuckled, but I could tell that he was wide awake.
"Shut it," I told him gently. "Are you with Raulson?"
"Actually, yes. We just got back to my house," he said, his voice turning a little gruffer. "Why?"
"Ask him where his son is," I requested. "Ask him why his personal assistant isn't on the payroll of Solstice Music, and ask him why Preston's here in Seattle, but he's yet to even make mention of him."
"Here, Bella. You ask him," Carlisle stated, and there was a fumbling of the phone, before Ike Raulson came on the line, Carlisle obviously turning his own speakerphone on.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Mr. Raulson, this is Bella. Where's your son?" I asked him point blank.
"He's in LA, working with another client..."
"No... No, he's not. He took a flight into Sea-Tac Airport. And he can't be working with another client. He doesn't work for Solstice Music anymore," I told him. "At least, he's not an official employee."
"I...I mean...he..." Ike sputtered for a few seconds, finally not saying anything at all.
"And why did you sell that picture to the TV station, Mr. Raulson? We have your email, and we have you on video making the exchange with Simone Wilkes. Ten grand is awfully cheap for the normal going rate of exclusive photos of pop stars these days. Why?"
"I don't know where my son is!" Raulson finally huffed. "He and I had a falling out months ago."
"Why not just tell us that?" Carlisle probed. "What are you hiding?"
"He's hiding Preston's arrest records," Alice chirped, spinning my computer around, because my background check had popped up. "My, my, my," she sang, shaking her head. "He's quite the little devil, isn't he? Assault, destruction of private property, breaking and entering... Hmm, sounds an awful lot like...stalking."
"What was that falling out about, Raulson?" Edward finally spoke. "Spill it, asshole. We haven't got the time for your bullshit."
"Kyra. It was about Kyra," Ike answered, sounding flustered. "I knew he had a thing for her, but I didn't realize just how...wrong it had gotten. I found him skulking around her house, peeking in windows...so I fired him, ordered him to seek help, but he disappeared on me."
I rubbed my face, shaking my head. "And the fucking picture?" I prompted him, because I needed to know why.
"Christ," Ike sighed. "I saw the picture of Cullen and Kyra on the internet leaving the studio. I remembered that sneaky shit from back on the USO tour..."
"That sneaky shit... That's my son! You wanna watch your step, Raulson. Your job isn't that secure," Carlisle barked, and I heard the fierce father, the commanding mercenary come flying back to the surface in just one stern warning.
Edward smirked, rolling his eyes, because we all grinned up at him.
"Anyway, I knew Kyra had an old picture of the two of them. I'd seen it when Cassie put the scrapbook together. I took it, had someone alter the date and take away the defining features of the background. I was thinking if Preston thought Kyra had moved on, he'd let go of this ridiculous idea that he was in love with her," Ike explained rapidly.
"So...you broke into Kyra's house, took her personal property, and sold it...all to prove a point to your son?" I asked incredulously. "You're messing with people's lives, and your son...he's not stable, Ike."
"Aw, hell, the rumors would've blown over quickly. They always do. And Preston's just...misguided."
"He's threatening lives, Raulson!" Edward snapped, his fists balling up tightly at his sides. "He's sneaking into secure locations, which I can only assume he's getting away with because he's still got his badge from Solstice. He was watching our every move, because he'd downloaded a tracking app on Kyra's phone. And now that you've added my ass to the problem, my crew, my family, and myself are now targets. You stupid fucking bastard... This isn't a crush your son's dealing with!"
Edward may have entered into the situation late, having to be brought up to speed quickly, but my husband wasn't stupid by any means. I hadn't even thought that the way Preston was getting into certain locations was due to his credentials from Solstice, but it made perfect fucking sense. He was acting as someone working for Kyra, so no one would've batted an eye – not hotels, arenas, TV stations. None of them would've thought twice, especially since his last name matched up to her manager's.
I turned to Mickey. "I need Kyra and Cassie out here. Now. I don't give a shit if the princess is getting her beauty sleep or not. I have a funny feeling...and only they can answer it."
"Got it," Mickey smirked, bolting out the office door.
By the time she returned with two disheveled looking women, whom I was pretty sure Mickey had just about physically removed from their beds, Raulson had changed directions on us, because apparently, nothing was his fault.
"If Kyra hadn't led my son on, we wouldn't have this problem!" he yelled over the speakerphone just as the girls opened the door.
The look on Kyra's face was a mixture of shock and pure terror, the latter of which had me rethinking her relationship with Ike. But I had other important shit to attend to, so that would have to wait.
Rose took the lead on this one. "Kyra, did you have a relationship with Preston Raulson?" she asked the singer as Kyra and Cassie sat down at the table.
"What?" Kyra asked, her mouth gaping, and despite the fact that she'd won awards for her acting skills, that shit wasn't flying with anyone, because her eyes kept landing back on the speakerphone.
"Answer them, Kyra!" Ike yelled. "What did you do to Preston?"
Kyra jumped, but it was Cassie's sneer at the speaker that had me fixing this situation.
"Shut his foul ass up," I ordered, pointing to the phone. "Carlisle, turn the speakerphone off. Ike will hear what I want him to hear." I turned to Kyra. "Did you lead Preston on? Sleep with him?"
"I don't remember..." she muttered, looking down at her hands on the table.
"Bullshit, Kyra. Think! No one gets so trashed that they can't remember anything," Edward growled. "Were you with him or not?"
Cassie studied Kyra's face, but she gasped. "Holy shit, you did! Preston? Really?"
The singer nodded slowly, tears welling up in her eyes, but they continued to flicker to the phone.
"And what? It didn't last?" Rose probed her to elaborate. "Did you dump him? Use him for a one night thing? Come on, Kyra, work with us."
"Is Ike listening?" she whispered.
"No, it's just my dad," Edward told her, frowning a bit, his gaze meeting mine briefly.
"Preston started out really sweet. He worked with me on a daily basis when his dad couldn't be there," she said, continuing to whisper. "But then he became clingy, wanting to know where I was, what I was doing, who I was with...all the time." She took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly. "I ended it. He took it badly, but not long after that, his dad fired him. I haven't seen him since."
"And you didn't think to tell someone this crap?" Cassie snapped, rolling her eyes. "Damn, Kyra. We've been probing you for bad breakups, and you withhold this? What the hell?"
"She's scared shitless," Edward murmured so only I could hear him.
"Yep," I whispered right back. "And not just of Preston, either."
"I see that," he sighed, pressing his lips to the side of my head. "Really fucking awesome work, love," he praised. "Now we have our suspect."
I smiled, looking up at him as he shot me a wink and pulled out his phone.
"Wes," he greeted gruffly, "we have a name, man. We need your help." Edward's voice trailed off as he walked outside to finish his conversation.
We all broke apart, and the feeling of amazing accomplishment settled into the room, but we stopped when we could still hear Carlisle's voice on the speakerphone, saying, "Have a seat, Ike. We need to talk," before the call ended.
~oOo~
"Hey, sweetness," Edward crooned as I snuck up behind him in the kitchen.
With a giggle, I reached around him to steal his cup of coffee as he quietly read the newspaper. It wasn't like he really cared, but it was something I'd always done. I was pretty sure he kept it full just for that reason.
"Going for a run?" I asked him as he gently manipulated me until I was standing on the bottom rung of the stool between his legs.
He looked fuck-hot in just his black basketball shorts, running sneakers, and black backwards baseball cap. His face was scruffy, his eyes a sweet green that matched the surrounding forests of our house as the sun tried to rise. Despite the fact that he looked tired, his smile at me was genuine and so very sexy as I traced every curl and scroll of the Cullen crest tattoo.
"I am," he crooned, leaning in to kiss my forehead, cheek, and then neck. "One last perimeter check. Oh, and Esme called. She's going to take the Bethy to school and Caleb and Samuel to Mrs. Cope's. Maybe then you'll catch some sleep."
"Mmm," I hummed against his lips. "Only if you join me," I bargained.
Edward chuckled low and sexy, his hands ghosting up and down my back, only to land on my ass and give it a good squeeze. "Deal, Mrs. Cullen," he purred, his eyes darkening at my mouth as I took another sip of his coffee and licked my lips. "That gives me a couple of hours. Mind if I make my run, and then work in the wood shop until the kids leave?"
I grinned. "Desk?" I asked him. "She'll love it."
Edward nodded, as a slow, crooked, shy smile crept up his face. "You think? She's old enough, I guess. I wanted to make it big enough that she could grow with it."
"You could make her anything, and she'd love it," I giggled, rolling my eyes. "She just likes that you do it for her."
"Yeah," he sighed contentedly, looking so much like Sammy that I couldn't help but giggle and kiss him again.
I set the coffee cup down onto the counter and leaned into him, wrapping my arms around his neck. My forehead pressed to his, but movement on the front porch caused me to look past him. The porch swing wasn't empty.
Edward chuckled, cupping my bottom and pulling me to his lap so that I was straddling him. "She's been out there for awhile," he whispered, shrugging one beautiful, strong shoulder. "But she hasn't said a word."
I couldn't decide whether I gave a shit or not. Really. I was still standing by my word to take care of her, but she was making it so hard. I'd had to finally warn her to back off of Edward, but during the last conversation with Ike, I could tell the girl was fucking scared to death. I was so very conflicted, so I did what I thought was best; I changed the subject.
"You should go for your run, baby," I told him, starting to get down from his lap. "I imagine Wes will be filling this place up soon with agents."
"I will," Edward whispered, stopping me from leaving him. He pulled me closer, cupping my face and caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. "I'm sorry about that picture..."
I shrugged, because I knew where his heart lay.
"Don't do that. Don't blow this off," he sighed, shaking his head. "I didn't know the fucker existed, love. I swear." He slipped his hands into my hair at the base of my skull, forcing me to look at him. "D-Do y-you r-really f-fucking th-think I'd p-pose f-for s-something l-like th-that?" he hissed, barely above a whisper.
I shook my head, but leaned in to kiss him. I was tired, having not slept yet, I was emotionally drained, and his honest stutter was too much for me to resist, because even with Kyra in listening distance, he only had eyes on me. His top priority was me, his family, his crew.
"No, Edward," I finally murmured against his lips, losing myself in him completely.
God, he felt so good – smooth skin under my hands, against my lips – and he caught up instantly. And pretty much like always, we lost ourselves for just the moment. Edward gripped my hair, turning my head so that he could completely claim my mouth with long, slow, deep strokes of his tongue. I moaned, unable to stop the sound, because suddenly, I wanted his mouth everywhere. Blatantly, I rolled my hips, feeling strong fingers grip the sides of my t-shirt, whether to hold me still or grind me harder, I wasn't quite sure, because our hands went everywhere – all at once.
"Christ, sweetness," Edward barely breathed, breaking away from my mouth, only to ravish my neck with open mouth kisses, dragging his teeth across my skin, and swirling his tongue to take away the sting. "What time do the kids leave?" he asked, smiling against my earlobe when I couldn't help but giggle wantonly.
"Not til eight," I panted, nuzzling his scruffy jaw. "You'll have to wait, baby."
"Nope...can't," he growled, diving for my mouth again – this time, suckling on my bottom lip.
But it was the soft shuffle of feet and a raspy, "Mommy...Daddy," that had us breaking apart this time.
I smiled against my husband's lips, turning from him to look down at my sleep-disheveled Samuel. "Good morning there, handsome!" I sang.
Edward chuckled at the big grin that spread over our son's face.
I slid down from Edward's lap, scooping up my baby boy. "Come here," I said, plopping his bottom down onto the counter so he could be face to face with us.
"Lookin' good, pal," Edward laughed softly, patting the always wild hair that was so much like his own.
"Yeah," Sammy drawled, laughing at his daddy, but his eyes watered, his face screwed up adorably, and he finally let out one helluva sneeze.
"Oh, my goodness," I chuckled, grabbing a napkin. "Bless you!"
Samuel laughed, despite the fact that I was cleaning his nose, because his dad was over-dramatically wiping his face.
"Yeah, bless you!" Edward growled into his son's neck, causing him to curl up on himself as he laughed. He stood up from the bar stool, giving us both a kiss. "Going for my run," he said, shooting me a wink. "And we're so finishing this later, sweetness," he commanded, pointing a finger at me.
He took another sip of coffee, ruffled his son's hair, and stalked out the screen door, not even giving one glance toward the still occupied porch swing.
I turned back to Samuel, running my fingers through his hair. "Hmm, it's either wet it or you're wearin' a hat, big guy," I chuckled, "because you need a trim."
"Hat!" he chirped, laughing when I scooped him up off the counter.
"Yes, sir," I snickered, kissing his forehead. "Let's get everyone up and ready for school. Okay?"
"Yeah," he sighed, playing with my hair as I took him back to his room.
Esme showed up about halfway through getting the kids ready. She took over breakfast duty, bringing Bethy a surprise for after her first day of school, which caused squeals from me and the five-year-old. It was a little pink t-shirt with the picture of a helicopter on it, and the words "Daddy's Little Co-Pilot." After thanking her Gamma profusely, she insisted on wearing it, barely able to get her breakfast in her mouth quickly enough, because she just had to go show her daddy.
"I hafta go show him," she urged, barely keeping her bottom on the bar stool because she was fidgeting so badly. "Daddy should see it!"
I grinned at her, finally setting the wiggle worm down onto her feet. "Fine, let's go show him, and then Gamma's taking you to school."
I knew that Edward had finished his perimeter run by that point, because the garage door of the wood shed was wide open. I chuckled as an over-excited Bethy skipped her way across the yard, keeping an eye on her own feet, which was probably the best thing I could ever ask for, because she couldn't see what we were about to interrupt.
A fiery, raging ire started to build quickly through me. I'd warned Kyra to back off, but she still wasn't listening, and this time, she'd gone too far. She was fucking touching him. And it wasn't just the fact that she was touching him; it was where she was touching him. The Cullen crest. My tattoo. The one he'd gotten to remind himself that family came first, and from the look on his face, she was completely violating it.
"This is new, Edward," Kyra crooned. "I'm sorry about that picture, honey. But you have to admit it looked good."
I tried to catch Bethy, but it was too late, and at least she wasn't paying attention to exactly what was going on. She burst into her daddy's wood shop like a beaming ray of sunshine.
"Daddy, you hafta see what Gamma got me!" she gushed, holding out the bottom of her t-shirt.
"Gosh, kid...can't you see this is an grown up conversation. Don't you have school?" Kyra asked, speaking so very condescendingly to Bethy, and that was a huge mistake, because Bethy hated being talked to like a baby. "God, she's always around..."
"Yes, but Daddy's a grown up, and he says I always come first!" Bethy snapped, glaring daggers at the lady. "Wight, Daddy?"
"Hey," he growled at Kyra, physically pushing her away from him.
Edward's gaze darkened with his temper, but he couldn't say a fucking word in front of his daughter. He shot an exasperated glance toward me, silently begging me not to believe a single second of what I'd just witnessed. He moved, dodging around Kyra and scooping up his daughter, only to plant her down on the closest workbench.
"That's right, little sweetness. And look at that!" he said with a tight smile. "It's perfect. Don't you think?"
"I fink so," Bethy stated, obviously not letting her own temper calm down, because she kept a watchful eye on Kyra, who in turn was gaping at me like a deer in headlights. That bitch knew I was about to fucking explode. In fact, she was slowly trying to inch her way out of the shed.
While moving so that she couldn't get passed me, I caught the sight of Esme starting to load up her car. She was carrying Sammy, and Caleb was tottering behind her.
Taking a deep breath to keep my voice calm, I turned to Bethy. "Gamma's ready to go, baby. You need to go get your things for school."
"'Kay," she murmured, looking back at Edward. "I gotta tell Daddy bye," she said, puckering up for kisses from him, which he happily gave.
"Now, Elizabeth," I grunted, shaking my head. "Please."
"Do as your mother says," Edward whispered, setting Bethy on her feet. "You don't want to be late for school."
"Okay," she sang, and then ran back toward the house.
I waited until I could faintly hear the screen door slam, before I rounded on Kyra. Strong arms tried to reach for me, but my training kicked into overdrive. There wasn't any stopping me. I dodged Edward's grasp, spinning when he tried again, and swung hard at Kyra's face. Not giving her a chance to catch her breath, I landed on top of her, causing sawdust to plume up around us. Before the bitch could bleed from the split lip I'd just given her, my gun was out of the small of my back and in her face.
I pulled the hammer back slowly, letting the satisfying sound of the metallic click to echo around her.
"Bella..." Edward called, but I couldn't stop myself if I tried.
"Oh, hell no!" I yelled, pressing the muzzle of my nine mil right in the center of Kyra's forehead. "I'm fucking done with this bitch. I've really tried everything to not lose my shit, but this was too much."
"Bella, wait!" she pleaded, tears falling down her face, and somehow, they weren't satisfying enough.
"I could kill you, you know," I told her, my voice low as I wrapped a hand around her throat. "You won't talk to him, you won't look at him, and you certainly won't fucking touch him. It's one thing to not listen to my warnings, but it's another to talk to my child like that. We're done here. You're no longer our responsibility. Period. You can fucking take your chances with FBI. And trust me when I tell you...that doesn't always work," I sneered, gripping her throat tighter.
The woodshed's doorway filled up with people – crew, FBI, and Kyra's people. I shook my head at them all.
Gator started for me, but Edward stopped him.
"Come near me, and I pull the fucking trigger. I'm not done here," I warned them, turning back to her. "Yes, he turned you down," I whispered so that only she could hear me, "and yes, he totally makes you feel safe. I get that, really, I do, but this wasn't the way to go about it. He's mine. You need closure? That's all the closure you're getting. You wanted safety? Well, that safety is just about to walk away."
"Edward, please!" she begged, though it came out a little jagged, because my fingers squeezed just a little too tight. "I need him," she rasped, her voice barely a whisper as she gazed up at me.
I pulled my hand back and let it fly, smacking hard across her face, but before I could do it again, I was pulled up and off of her, securely wrapped up in unforgiving arms.
"So do I! And you're going to get him killed!" I said through gritted teeth, kicking at my captor.
"You don't want to kill her, sweetness," Edward soothed in my ear, but I barely heard him, because I was fighting him like hell. "Settle the fuck down, Bella!"
"Don't tell me what I want, Edward!" I growled, still writhing in his arms as he carried me away from the woodshed. "She fucking touched you...and the way that she talked to Bethy..."
"I know...and now the case is over," he said, remaining calmer than I'd expected, but his footfalls were heavy and determined as he trudged into the house. He didn't stop until we were in our bedroom. "And you didn't hear everything, love," he sighed exasperatedly. "She said she heard us in the kitchen and sh-she'd p-pick u-up wh-where y-you l-left o-off..."
His words were cut off, because I totally lost my shit, despite his honest sputter.
Edward tried to set me on the bed, but I was up and sprinting for the door, my gun still in hand. He was always faster than me, though, so soon, I found myself wrestled back to the bed, strong fingers prying my gun from my grip.
"Edward, let me go..."
"No!" he grunted, pinning me to the bed and tossing my gun to the floor, where it thudded heavily.
"I'm going to fucking kill her," I panted, still fighting him, and due to either my smaller frame or the fact that he would never hurt me, I wriggled free from his grip.
"Bella, she's not worth it," he growled, grasping anywhere on me and finally making purchase on my leg.
We both collapsed in a heap on the floor, and my eyes caught sight of something I hadn't seen in a while. In fact, I hadn't seen them since China. With quick movements and a flick of my wrist, I handcuffed Edward to the foot of the bedframe, backing away from him at a crouch, because I couldn't believe I'd let it get that far.
"Not fucking cool, Bella!" he growled, yanking at it, but he wasn't going anywhere. "Unlock this shit. Now!"
I gaped at what I'd done, shaking my head slowly. I'd totally let Kyra get the best of me, let her crawl under my skin, despite the faith I had in the man currently trying to free himself.
"I'm sorry, Edward," I sobbed, leaning back against the nightstand, because it felt like Kyra had succeeded. She'd caused us to turn on each other. "I'm sorry," I panted, drawing my knees up to my chin.
"Sweetness, look at me," he soothed, and I peeked up at him, swiping at my tears. "She didn't win, love. Come here," he ordered gently and as best he could from his restrained position, but I didn't move, because I knew he was pissed. "I'm not mad, baby," he snickered slightly, rolling his eyes. "Just come here."
I crawled to him, collapsing over him, and just let it out – the stress of it all, my weariness from no sleep, and my love for the man that put up with so much shit, he should be knighted. I let it all go, because when it was just us – just me and Edward – everything seemed okay.
"God, you're a tough woman to catch," he chuckled against my cheek, and his humor, his lack of temper at the whole thing caused a giggle to escape me.
I pulled back, sitting down next to him and swiping again at my tears. "I'm so, so sorry," I sighed, gazing at his handcuffed wrists, and then back at his rather amused face.
"The round goes to you, Mrs. Cullen," he snickered, rolling his eyes again, but he sobered quickly. "I know you want this over, and if you really feel that way, then Wes can take Kyra today, but I think I have a plan, sweetness. And it requires you, too."
I swallowed thickly, feeling a touch guilty for losing my temper so badly. Not for why I'd lost it, but how I'd lost it, because it seemed like I'd revealed a weakness to her.
"What?" I whispered, taking another deep breath.
"Together...just the two of us...we could catch this guy, baby," he urged, his hands shifting against their restraints. "Let me up, and I'll tell you all about it."
I grinned, taking in the sight before me – bare chest, rolling ink, backwards baseball cap, black basketball shorts, and darkening eyes, because he was reading my smile.
"Hmm, Mr. Cullen. I don't think so," I purred, and with that, I got up and walked away from him.
The last thing I heard before I closed and locked our bedroom door was, "Isabella, you get your sweet ass back here..."
A/N... Yeah, the chapter had to end there, trust me on that. Just in case you didn't pick up on it, the next chapter has a LEMON WARNING. And before any of you even say it... Have you ever been so mad, so fucking pissed that every emotion comes flying to the surface? You yell, curse, cry, laugh...it's all right there? Yeah, keep that in mind with Bella's actions here and in the next chapter.
Okay so everyone lost their temper – Cassie, Mickey, Bethy, and of course, Bella totally lost her shit. The girls narrowed down their suspects... Preston Raulson...
I need to thank JenRar for her help with this chapter and she declared her love for Cassie. Thank you to GooberLou, who probably would've pulled the trigger on Kyra. And to MedusaInNY for all my blog stuff. Huge love and smooches.
I'm going to change things this week due to the holidays and my damn cold. This is posting early on Tuesday night, while the next posting will be Saturday, Christmas Eve morning. These early posts are my gift to you guys. Okay? Let me hear all about it, guys. And see you Saturday...Later.