(17) Risk

His stiff white arm retracted. "Perhaps not at this moment will you come to trust me. I am a reasonable man, young one. I have witnessed atrocious occasions." He flinched possibly recalling a gruesome story. "I assure you, Bella, that you will be guarded."

Cautiously, I moved and shook Edward's arm tugging on his freezing skin. It was a dead weight I could not move it a fraction of an inch. I desperately yanked Edward's arm, whimpers escaping my throat.

"Bella, you cannot affect Edward or for that matter any of them." He smiled treacherously. He glanced at Malirosa. She was smiling back and I realized with horror that I looked straight into her eyes. I gasped and tried to move away.

I didn't feel a hold when I moved my eyes away. Nothing not a force gripped me in her gaze. Malirosa turned furiously and walked closer to me her heels clacking on the floor. Alejandro snickered and watched Malirosa struggle to keep my focus on her.

"Funny thing, you are the only person that she has no control over. That is fantastic!" Alejandro boasted clapping his hands and studied me more intensely. He perked his black eyebrow. "I wonder why that is?" Malirosa moved next to him and pouting then turned and gave me a malicious look.

"You have upset my exquisite bodyguard. I have already explained that she has a short fuse. Hmm, oh well, regardless I think it is extremely wonderful." Alejandro moved closer to me and leaned down next to me. "You are exceptionally fragile like a china doll, you know Bella in Mexico we have a saying. "Ahora verás huarache, ya apareció tu correa." Malirosa sucked in her breath her beautiful heart-shaped face was distorted twisting in her explosive reaction.

Alejandro sensed my confusion and moved to the other side staring at Edward. "It means that she my darling has met her match. I, on the other hand, have been condemned to this life for two hundred and forty five years! Imagine being stuck in a horrible nightmare trying to leave but you can't. You know what I did? Bella, I embraced my powers and it opened up a whole new world."

Alejandro spat in disgust at Edward. "This juvenile." He flickered his fingers in Edward's direction. "Cannot save you, young one. He not only lacks the strength but he was an egotistical "idiota" to deny me. He's heard the legends." He turned back to me tilting his head and his deadly eyes punched me. "I promise you they are all true."

"Enough of this!" Palo exclaimed in a heavy Mexican accent. "Take the girl I don't like being in this store." I was astonished to hear Palo speak much less argue with Alejandro. Strangely, Alejandro turned to his bodyguard and muttered a response.

"Bring her Malirosa!" Alejandro ran his fingers through his hair absently as he stalked out of the store. Palo moved beside him stealth and alert scanning the surroundings.

His words echoed in my head. Bring her. I stared at Edward and tears were streaming down my face. He was in the same position losing the battle. I wiped my eyes but more tears flowed. I saw Alice and Jasper in the background but couldn't look at them. My eyes only saw Edward memorizing his flawless face. I hiccupped and my chest heaved. Malirosa's cold hard hand seized my arm. Her hold was painful and she dragged me out of the store.

"Just kill me!" I whispered. I was pleading with Malirosa. She continued to drag me down the street clicking her heels on the pavement. I saw men stagger when they saw her and ogle at her astounded at her beauty.

"Right! I cannot kill you, stupid! Dumb girl!" Malirosa spat the words and tugged me further down the street. She was moving so fast my feet barely touched the ground. I winced as her fingers dug deeper in my arm. She swung me violently and pushed me inside the van. She bounced in and shut the doors immediately I felt the car rumbling down the road.

I fought back tears and looked into the darkness. It was some kind of delivery van. Standard size with no seats in the back just the despicable ground. I shoved myself against the side of the van and banged my head. Owww! I saw Malirosa roll her eyes and look away from me.

I clutched the back of my head where I hit it. I noticed a ridge above my neck. I would have to be careful not to bang it again. It was hard to stay still though without a seatbelt and a lunatic driving.

"Where are we going?" I jolted as the van turned sharply. I saw Malirosa give me a yeah-right expression and look away. "Who am I going to tell?" I argued. The only person who could see the future was possibly never coming out of her trance. Edward couldn't read my mind. Ugh, I cannot think of him, I'll lose it again.

"Maybe we are going back to Mexico. Or the hotel we are staying at. There is no way to tell as I am stuck back here baby-sitting you." She huffed and folded her arms across her chest.

I looked at her and bit my lower lip. If she hadn't come in with the trio of Mexican vampires she almost could pass for human. An insanely gorgeous human being but still acceptable. Although, she did glow in the darkness well maybe not human but a supermodel perhaps. They were a little strange weren't they?

I studied her closely. I was prepared to encounter excruciating beauty when I had to stare at Rosalie everyday. Amazingly, Rosalie would not hold a candle to Malirosa. That angered me because no one should be that beautiful or that deadly. I saw Malirosa's hair in perfect lines descending down her back. Her hair was enveloped in the dim black light. Her face contours were too delicate like an artist painting of a goddess standing on a clamshell or posing with a baby. Her body was lethal, a sculpture frozen in perfection. She emphasized her curves with a form fitting dress. Sloping gently over her chest. I glanced at my meager chest and hurriedly folded my arms over me.

It was stuffy in the van. The air was stagnant and fumes were escaping through the holes in the side of the door. I coughed a few times and moved back a little closer to Malirosa. She froze and stiffened.

"I can't stand the smell." I explained and put my hand over my mouth. I coughed louder and fought my dry throat.

"Deal with it!" Malirosa muttered and looked ahead. I was now across from her. I saw her body tense and she was rigid.

"What is Alejandro going to do with me?" I asked fear leaking in my words.

"Hmm, I suppose I could tell you. But then again surprise is a great element in reaction. Perhaps, I don't like you enough to tell you the truth, stupid girl." She turned away from me and her emotions revealed nothing except disgust.

I gathered my knees and clutched them close to me. I curled into a ball and laid my head against them. I wished for death! How funny to finally get my wish of becoming a vampire! It was wrong. I didn't want to live if Edward couldn't change me. I would have violent manipulative venom coursing through me. Never!

I felt Malirosa's gaze on me. "I really have no affect on you?" She questioned me but it was more of a pronouncement.

"I wish it did. Then I would be in the store with people I love instead of getting killed." I murmured and I shivered at the realization.

"I wonder why?" She murmured and stared at me. I wasn't use to being scrutinized and picked apart like a dissection.

The van lurched forward and I struggled to stabilize myself. I caught my hand against the side of the wall to balance myself. I heaved a huge sigh.

"You are so clumsy. I've never met anyone in my life who is such a wreck!"

"Funny your not the first person to tell me that." I muttered and fought the emotions that wanted to overcome me.

"Hmm, Bella, you are going to tell me what you feel when I look at you!" Malirosa demanded with anger building in her voice and looked at me.

"Hasn't anyone resisted you before?" I asked nervously. Obviously no one had or she wouldn't be asking me that question. I was a little slow with my processing skills. A fact that might get me hurt by this psycho vampire.

"You heard Alejandro in the store. I have never been thwarted." She leaned forward and did not attempt to control her rage.

"I want to know what's going to happen to me!" I knew I only had one opportunity to hear a semblance of truth from Malirosa. She might deny me ignore me until we stopped. On the other hand curiosity was a strong emotion one I intended to use in my bargaining.

Malirosa glared at me. "Fine!" Malirosa exclaimed. She gestured with her hand as if the action was too diminutive.

"You answer me first." I wagered and put my head on my lap again. I started to control myself not really wanting to hear out loud that I was going to die. I braced myself for the terrifying news. Would I be transformed? Tortured? Enslaved? I turned to Malirosa to find out my fate.