I've got a plan for these two. A good plan. At least, I think it's a good plan. We'll see. Thanks for sticking with me on this one. Too many plot bunnies, not enough hours in the day…I tell ya!
Next chapter, we're going to switch to Edward. Hear his thoughts and understand why he ran. Leave me some! ;-)
Chapter Twenty
BPOV
"Not happening," Jasper snarled, glaring at the fire and the rapidly disintegrating letter. "I'm not sending you into enemy territory like a pig to slaughter. Who the fuck knows what that sadistic fuck wants with the two of you? It's. Not. Happening!"
"I agree," Edward said, crushing me to his chest. I just got you back. The way I felt when I was injured, when we were separated? No! NO! I'm never letting you go! You're mine! Not his. NO! NO! NO!
"Edward, you need calm down," I said as I turned in his arms. His panic was feeding Jasper's.
"We all need to calm down," Carlisle retorted, his voice full of resonance and authority. "Alice, what do you see if we send you and Bella?" Jasper and Edward both rumbled lowly. "I'm not saying we're sending them, just what would happen?"
"It's the only way for us to stand a chance of winning this battle. Do I see casualties? Yes, but for the most part, we all survive," she said.
"What do you mean casualties, Tink?" Emmett asked as he gripped onto Rose. "Deaths or injuries like what Bella and Edward had to contend with?"
"Injuries and I'm seeing some death, but who it is…it's unclear," Alice said as her eyes narrowed. I could see her vision and it wasn't clear at all. There was a lot of smoke and the smell of burning vamps filled our noses. "However, the only way this happens is if Bella and I go into their custody."
"Do you see what they're going to do to you?" Esme asked, her voice wavering. "I will rip that monster to shreds if he hurts either one of my daughters."
"That's unclear, too. I don't think James wants to hurt us. He just wants our powers," Alice said, arching a brow.
"This is a monster who took my angel's innocence. This is a monster who is creating vampires to take over the city of Chicago. I'm not…no. You two are not going," Edward said adamantly. "Why aren't the Volturi coming and doing their fucking jobs? This is their domain in dealing with this shit."
"I don't know, Edward," Eleazar said as he held his mate's hand. "Normally, this sort of behavior would be handled with a swift and harsh hand. It's almost like they're turning a blind eye to this because they want James to succeed?"
"Really?" Carlisle scoffed. "I doubt that."
"Well, they need to do something. James is delusional if he thinks that this plan is going to work. The way he's thinking, humans will be driven to the point of extinction. Someone needs to bring them up to speed about the brevity of this situation," Kate said. She turned to Garrett. "Want to fly to Italy, baby?"
He wrinkled his nose before nodding. "I'll go make arrangements, love."
"That still doesn't fix what's going on," Jasper snapped. "Alice and Bella are not going to Chicago. It's just not in the realm of possibilities. I need my mate, my wife. Edward will crumble if he doesn't have his mate." At that, Edward held me closer, kissing my neck and whimpering quietly.
"Jasper, we don't have a choice. If we don't go, we all die. If we do go, we stand a good chance of winning this," Alice whispered, taking Jasper's face into her hands.
"NO. I forbid this, Alice. You can't go," he sobbed, clawing at her body. "I can't be without you…"
"If we don't, we'll have a month left with each other before we all die," Alice whispered. "It's our only chance of survival." He choked out a sob before he scooped her up, darting away with her.
"When will we have to go?" I asked, my voice sounding hollow.
"You're not going," Edward growled. "No!"
"Edward, it's the only way that we'll have a chance to be together. To live our lives, happily. I have to do this. For us. For our family. For our way of living," I muttered, turning in his arms. "I hate being away from you, but if it means we have a chance of survival, then I'm going to do it."
"Everywhere we turn, something is ripping us apart. First, it's Emmett with his hatred of you due to the person who changed him. Then, it's the monster who tried to abduct me on our wedding night. Then, it's this situation in Chicago. Our injuries and now, James is forcing you to join his band of evil for his own enjoyment? I DON'T FUCKING THINK SO!" Edward screamed. "I will take you and run away, hiding you from that sadistic mother fucking prick if it's the last thing I do on this miserable little planet. You are not going to him."
"You don't have a choice," I said, narrowing my eyes at my mate. "Edward, I love you with my whole heart and soul, but all of this is because of me and my meddling in Victoria's hunt. In some strange way, I feel responsible. It's the only way I can rectify this situation, Edward."
He roared and stared at me angrily before hopping up out of the chaise lounge. He gave me a parting sneer before taking off into the night. A low boom indicated he went supersonic, running away from me. My heart lurched and I collapsed onto the ground, sobbing brokenly.
He was gone.
He was gone and I had pushed him away.
Despite being surrounded by my family, I felt alone.
Alone.
Again, I was alone and this time it was all my fault.
Edward was gone.
EPOV
I don't know why I ran off. The emptiness in my chest consumed me. I wanted to turn around and be with Bella as long as I could before she ran off to surrender herself to James, but logic wasn't ruling my brain at the moment. My anger and hatred were.
I loved my angel. My Bella was my light and my everything, but ever since I woke up from being changed into a vampire, we'd been in one horrible situation after another. I wanted my happily ever after with my angel. I didn't want to deal with psycho, sadistic sires, redheads hell-bent on revenge and let's not forget about my ex-fiancée, Tanya.
I wanted my life to be normal. Well, as normal as a newborn vampire's life can be. This constant drama was too much and I yearned for time for just me and Bella. Spending time with each other, loving each other and enjoying those full body orgasms. How did she do that? My guess is that it's probably related to her shield and our connection.
I knew I was having a temper tantrum by running away. There just had to be another way to make this work. I hated the vision that Alice had on repeat in her mind in surrendering to James. Alice and Bella were giving up. They were willingly going to the enemy. I couldn't bear the thought of Bella being on the same planet as James. He was a monster who stole my mate's innocence along with her life when he ravaged her body. Now, she was willingly going to go back into his clutches? I don't fucking think so. James will be a pile of ash before that happens.
I ran until I found myself in front of the rubble of what was once my mom and Richard's brownstone. I growled at the destruction I saw because of Victoria and James. The home I'd known for most of my adult life was now ash, broken beams and shattered dreams. I was so angry at them for ruining everything in my life that was good. Bella was tortured and tormented by James, finally finding happiness and love with her whirlwind relationship with me.
Why couldn't he leave well enough alone?
Because he's a sadistic mother fucker who only thinks of himself. Hence, his demand for Alice and Bella.
Better question is why aren't the Volturi doing something about this? From what I've heard from Carlisle, Jasper and the other older vampires, the Volturi were vampire royalty. They also policed the vampire and supernatural community, keeping tabs on all of the vampires and their locations, covens of witches and packs of werewolves and shape shifters. Usually, the Volturi, if sensing a threat, would put an end to all wrong-doing and ending the life of the vampire. But, from what I'd gathered, they were essentially ignoring this situation in Chicago and letting the Cullen's handle it, even though they were not a part of the Volturi Guard.
Breaking the lock that kept up the barrier, I slipped inside and up the stairs to the ruined property. The exterior walls were still intact, but all of the damage was done on the inside. Easily opening up the door, I walked into my parents' home. Even in the middle of the night, I could see the damage to the house. Every inch was charred from the flames that licked the walls, floors and ceilings. I wandered around in the house, wrinkling my nose at the smell of mold, mildew and charred fabric.
Walking to the living room, I stopped at once was my piano. The black lacquered instrument was in pieces. Strings were popping out of the body of the instrument and the plastic keys were melted. My mind drifted when I last sat at this piano.
The night I brought Bella over to meet my mom and Richard.
The night I discovered my girlfriend was a vampire.
Thinking about that, my dead heart clenched. I missed her and wanted to run back to her. But my mind was too angry at the prospect of her leaving. If she went back to James, he could hurt her again. Yes, she's as indestructible as him but based off what happened in the alleyway, Bella was in no way ready to face her very real demon. I did not want her to feel the pain that I experienced after having James' hand inside of my body, shattering my spinal column. Based on the tenor of his thoughts, he was the type of person who like to torture and maim. He wanted to do that to Bella in the alley. The fact that he couldn't, angered him and he took it out on me.
"I can't let her go," I growled, pounding my fist into the metal frame of the grand piano. It groaned as my fist punched through. Evilly, I smiled at the power I felt. With a snarl, I started punching the hell out of my piano, causing the wood shatter easily and the metal to snap into numerous smaller pieces. Once the piano was completely obliterated, I turned to the kitchen. The high-end appliances that were there were next on my to-be-destroyed list.
That wasn't nearly as exciting at my piano.
Or as exhilarating.
But, beggars can't be choosers.
Methodically, I worked through the brownstone, destroying everything I could. I was covered in soot and grime, but I was able to at least process what I was feeling; the overwhelming feeling of anger and rage toward James and the resentment I had toward my mate.
"Edward," came the low, resonant voice of my best friend.
"Go away, Emmett," I spat, turning toward him.
"No, man. Alice told me to pull you out of here. Some of the neighbors complained and called the cops. They'll be here in…" Emmett checked his phone as it beeped. "…thirty seconds." He took my arm and shoved me out the back door as the flashing lights of the approaching squad car filled the front room that I was continuing to destroy. I hopped up on the rooftops with, darting between the buildings until we got close to my new place in Trump Tower. Taking out my keys, I found a back entrance, guiding Emmett up the stairs to my condo that I owned but never lived in.
I let myself into the condo, disarming the alarm.
"And why didn't you live here?" Emmett quipped, looking around the swanky condo I splurged on.
"Because Tanya hated elevators," I deadpanned, stopping in front of the mirror in the front foyer. I was covered, head to toe, in soot, dirt and mud. My pale skin looked black and my hair was matted to my head, no longer bronze but dark gray with ashes. My orange eyes glowed from deep within my head. They were empty. I wonder why? "I'm going to shower."
"You do that, Eddo," Emmett snorted. You look like a charcoal briquette. "Do you have cable?"
"I think so," I shrugged, walking towards the bathroom. I stripped out of my ruined clothes, tossing them into the garbage and stepped into the massive walk-in shower. I let the scalding hot water rain over me. If I were human, my skin would have burned, but honestly, feeling the heat of the water made me feel normal. Cleansed. Purified.
An hour later, I was back to my normal pasty white and dressed in a pair of sleep pants and a hoodie. Emmett was watching something on Sports Center. "God, the Cubs!" he groaned, scowling at the television. "When will they ever pull their heads out of their asses? I mean, they are the worst in all of baseball! Did you see who they hired as the new manager?"
"Em, they will always suck," I snorted, plopping down on my leather couch. "We will live forever and they will suck. It's what makes them so loveable."
"I wonder if they will let a vampire on the team?" Emmett snickered.
"They'd still lose," I sighed, leaning my head back against the couch cushions. My chest felt hollow and sitting innocently in the corner was my baby grand. I'm still in the mood to destroy…I'm curious of a fully functional piano would be as easy to pummel?
"I can see the hamster working, Edward. If I have to sit on you, you are not going to destroy your ultimate bachelor pad," Emmett said, arching a brow. And need I remind you that you're no longer a bachelor? You're married!
"Please don't sit on me, Emmett. You may be immortal, but I still remember the foul stenches that came from your body when you were human," I grumbled, shooting him a baleful look.
"They still come out," Emmett guffawed. "Especially when I drink from herbivores. All of those veggies disagree with my sensitive stomach."
"Only you would be sensitive to herbivores," I sighed. "Well, this coming from a man who thought anything green was rabbit food and wouldn't touch it with a ten foot pole. I'm surprised you didn't get scurvy, Em." He shrugged, flipping the channels. "You're not going to say anything to me?"
"I think you're a douchenozzle for running away like a god damned pansy," he said simply. "But, I understand why you did it. I saw what that monster did to you, how week you were. Fuck, I saw your spine, Eddie. That shit ain't right. I should not be seeing inside of my best friend. Which begs the question, if he had no qualms about nearly ripping you in half, what's going to stop him from doing the same to Bella or Alice?"
"Exactly," I snarled, shooting up from my spot on the couch. "James is a sick fuck who gets off on the pain of others."
"But, Edward, Alice told us the outcome of the battle if she and Bella don't go to him," Emmett whispered. "I know you saw it in Alice's thoughts."
"Bella and I are ripped apart and I watch as my ex-fiancée rips off my love's head, dropping it into a fire," I said emptily. "I willing go in after her, burning to a crisp as I sob for my soul mate."
"Alice is almost certain that her plan is going to work," Emmett murmured, sitting next to me. I shot him a look, ready to throw him out the damn window of my twentieth floor condo. "Don't toss me out on my ass, Edward. Listen to what Tink told me."
"Proceed," I snarled, my anger mounting.
"They are going to go James, but with stipulations. There need to be concessions made on James' part," Emmett began. "The first is that when Bella and Alice meet up with James, Jasper will be there to gauge his mood and to determine if he's lying. He can manipulate his thoughts but not his feelings. Secondly, there need to be assurances that within a certain amount of time, Bella and Alice will be released, unharmed. Lastly, James doesn't know the full extent of Bella's power. He knows that she's a shield and that's it. They're going to bait him, lull him into a false sense of security and when he least expects it, Bella's going to attack, ripping him to shreds," Emmett explained. "At least, that's what Alice described in her vision."
"But, Alice's visions are subjective. Anything could change based off any number of decisions. It's still too risky," I said.
"And yet, you believe Alice when she's showing you visions of your demise?" Emmett argued. "Edward, based off the two visions, I'd go with the one with a positive outcome. If you give up or run, James finds you and kills you both. If we don't trade in Bella and Alice, you see the vision where Tanya puts your mate's head on a skewer. But, if Bella and Alice go willingly, the battle will end positively. Will there be casualties? Yes, but that's unclear. It's a given that James, Tanya, Victoria and Laurent, Irina's ex, all become toast."
"If Rose were in this situation, would you want her to go into the lion's den?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Emmett didn't have to respond. His mind did it for him. Not in a million years. I looked at him arching my brow. "You feel the same way as me," I said.
"I do, but at least with Alice and Bella going to James, there's a chance that things will end positively," Emmett responded, putting his beefy hand on my shoulder.
"I want to add another concession," I said, turning to my friend, my brother from another mother. "You go with them."
"You want me to voluntarily go back to that bitch who sired me?" Emmett asked, his red eyes blackening.
"I want assurances that my Bella and Jasper's Alice will be protected. If you're there, at least I know that there's someone I can trust on the inside," I said, my body tensing for a fight. "You can at least use the loyalty card to get back in with Victoria."
"She's not going to buy it. Victoria is leery of everyone," Emmett growled. "She all but dumped me on you, convincing me with her vampy voodoo to attack you. I was so filled with bloodlust that I did it. On top of that, she disappears without a trace. Why would she believe me that I'd suddenly defect to join her evil band of vampires and her minions?"
"You got tired of the Cullens and their attempt of being like humans. You are ready to go back to your true vampiric nature," I suggested. "It's the only way I'm going to let Bella into this whole charade. If not, I'm taking her and running away. Fuck this bullshit."
Both our phone chimed. I picked up my cell phone from the counter and read the text. Edward, you're brilliant! Emmett going undercover is an excellent plan.
"Apparently the psychotic Tinkerbelle approves," Emmett sighed dejectedly. "I don't like this, Edward."
"I don't either, but…I need Bella to be safe. If something were to happen to her, I'd…" I trailed off.
"If you were so adamant on her being safe, why did you run?" Emmett asked, sitting back down on the couch.
"I was so angry. I had to get out of there before I lost my cool on everyone. I think that they forget that we're newborns," I grumbled. "I mean, we've been a part of this life for less than three months."
"Does it bother you?" Emmett asked.
"What?"
"The burn in your throat? The constant need for blood?" he clarified.
"It's bothersome, but I don't want to be a killer, Emmett. I don't want to be a monster. Hearing their thoughts reminds me that they are someone's son or daughter, wife, father, mother, husband…Do the humans smell enticing? Yes, but I can't; I refuse to take another person's life because of what I am. Even another vampire," I said, running my hand through my drying hair.
"If James came to your condo, would you not be able to kill him?" Emmett smirked.
"Oh, no. His ass is mine. The fucker put his hand through my chest, breaking my back and he raped my wife when she was human, stealing her innocence and her life," I snarled. "I'd probably dress up like a leprechaun and do a jig on his ashes after he was toast."
"That would be quite, um, a sight, Edward," Emmett laughed, holding his sides as he imagined me with a bright red wig, red mutton chops and a green suit, dancing to Irish music like River Dance.
"Emmett, you have an overactive imagination," I snorted, rubbing my chest. I hadn't noticed before, but I was hurting from being separated from Bella. This was the longest time we'd been without each other since my transformation into a vampire. Even when I had been injured, we'd only been apart for roughly three hours. It was going on almost seven hours since I bolted from Whitefish Bay. The sun was starting to rise over the lake. The sky was growing lighter with a rainbow of gorgeous colors. I hated myself for missing a sunrise with Bella. Each one was a gift and since our sunrises were numbered, I mentally berated myself for being such a douchenozzle.
"She fell apart, Edward," Emmett whispered. She collapsed in on herself, man. It looked like a puppet who had their strings clipped.
"How did you know?" I asked.
"You were rubbing your chest, like you wanted to massage your heart and stop it from breaking," Emmett said, pointing to my hand as it circled over my sternum. I clenched my fist and dropped it to my side, though the empty longing in my chest didn't dissipate. It actually got worse. Seeing Bella in Emmett's mind made the pain of missing her more prevalent.
"Is she here? Or still in Whitefish Bay?" I asked.
"Carlisle and Esme are forcing her to hunt and then they're bringing her back to Chicago. I think they're going to her old condo. I don't know since I left immediately after you at Alice's insistence," Emmett answered, frowning deeply.
"I can't believe I ran," I muttered.
"I can't you did either," Emmett said wryly. "This situation sucks. I get that. All of this because that Victoria chick is insistent that you're her mate. How in the hell did James get roped into this and why is he so hell-bent on world domination?"
"I don't know about Victoria. I haven't been around her since I've been changed to get a read on her thoughts. But, James saw this as an opportunity. He'd been eyeing Chicago and toying with this idea for a long time. Victoria's actions against Bella and changing you was the catalyst in starting this newborn rebellion."
"Did he know that Victoria ran into Bella?" Emmett asked, genuinely curious.
"No. Bella was an added bonus, as was Alice," I responded. "But, I do not think it was coincidental that James chose this moment to attack. He may not have known that Bella and Alice were involved. I do think that James is mated to Victoria. He doesn't trust her, but he was always thinking about her and claiming her each time he returned from his errands. His thoughts are possessive of her. James had been tracking Victoria for most of her life."
"Did James sire her?"
"No. From what I gathered from James' disjointed thoughts were that whoever sired James, sired Victoria." I scrubbed my face and walked back to the couch, flopping down exhaustedly. "This is one huge clusterfuck, Emmett. I feel slight mollified that you're joining Bella and Alice, but…"
"I know, Edward," he said, laying his hand on my shoulder. "Stop fighting it, though. Go back to her. Talk it out and make plans on bringing this James asshole down to his knees."
"I'm afraid that she's going to go postal on me," I said, drawing my legs up to my chest.
"The longer you're away, the more likely she's going to rip off a limb," Emmett said, crossing his arms over his beefy chest. He narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips. "Then again, Bella will probably just zing your dick until it explodes or something."
"And who would that benefit?" I asked, arching a brow.
"Good point. I'm certain she loves getting some Eddie peen," Emmett bellowed, waggling his brows like a perv. "Come on, Edward. Let's head to Bella's condo to discuss this amazing plan that PsychoBelle, also known as Alice, has concocted. The sooner that happens, the sooner you'll have some wild, animalistic makeup sex. Just don't break the floors, Edward."
"Emmett, we can't go anywhere. Not now," I said, pointing to the rising sun. "We're disco balls."
"Well, fuck," Emmett grumbled. "Whose brilliant idea was it for vampires to be walking, talking diamonds? That's just stupid. Not to mention, a huge hit on my masculinity."
"Unfortunately, I have no say in the fact that we are 'walking, talking diamonds.' We just need to sit tight until either nightfall or until some clouds roll in." My cell phone chimed. Scowling at the screen, I read Alice's text. "And it's going to have to be nightfall. It's a sunny day today. All stinking day."
"Do you have that prototype for that new gaming system here?" Emmett asked. Gotta occupy your mind somehow, Eddo. You look dejected and about ready to jump through the window. Friends don't let friends jump out of windows, shimmering like a damn disco ball.
"Let me set it up and we can go to Bella's condo later on today," I said, walking to my office. I appreciated what Emmett was doing for me, but damn it all to hell that I couldn't get to my girl until after six in the evening. Twelve hours away from her, perseverating over the fact that I had hurt her with my actions. That I had caused her to doubt my feelings, when I was just so angry.
One thing was for certain, James will not survive this ordeal. He will be dead and I was going to be the one who would do it.
And I would put on that damn leprechaun costume for the occasion.
A/N: Hmmmm…I dunno…I hope you all enjoyed this. I do apologize for the sporadic updates for Angels and Monsters. Not enough time in the day and too many ideas floating around in my head. Ya know? Anyhow, pictures of Betsy and Richard's ruined brownstone, along with Edward's ultimate bachelor pad are on my blog and tumblr. Links for both of those are on my profile. Additionally, you can find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on twitter: tufano79.
Up next will be Bella's take on what happened between her and Edward, his groveling, the plan for the takedown of James and some makeup lemons. Sweet, loving, therapeutic lemons. Just sayin…
Leave me some!