Chapter Sixty One

Peter

I watched The Majors face as Jake picked up his phone and I knew if he didn't have good news Jake was a dead man. The Majors fists were clenched and the muscle in his jaw jumping as it always did when he was really mad. I looked over to Jake's face as he put the phone back in to his pocket and I knew it wasn't good news so I moved closer.

"I don't know where she is" he said quietly.

"Who was that?"I asked stepping closer.

"It was Billy. I didn't know but they arranged to kidnap Bella if I could get her away from you. They wanted her to reverse her decision about becoming a vampire".

"So where have they taken her?"

"They haven't. They had problems with their rental car and they never got here"

"So where is she Jacob?" The Majors voice was bleak.

"I don't know. She went to the rest room and just vanished"

The Major moved before I could stop him and Jake dangled inches from the ground

"You and I are going to find her Cur and when we do, if she is injured in any way I will tear you into small pieces and feed you to the mountain lions on Peters property. Do you understand?"

Jake nodded, going red in the face but he didn't fight back.

Jasper released him and he fell to the ground in a choking heap.

I left them to it and walked into the Diner. The waitress pointed out the rest rooms and I walked through. There was a familiar scent in the corridor and on the door handle of the lady's room. So Bella had been in here, his story checked out so far. As I opened the door a woman came out scowling at me but I smiled pleasantly

"Maintenance" I explained.

She looked at my clothes and seemed happier.

So wearing tatty jeans and a paint spotted tee worked in my favour sometimes.

As I walked in the smell was overpowering and I knew who had taken Bella.

I ran back out almost knocking the waitress over in my haste. The Major had picked Jake up and was brushing him down none too gently. He saw my haste and let go, Jake only keeping his balance with difficulty.

"Just once it would have been useful to have the fucking dogs here and what do they do? Play silly bastards with a rental car. They got to her Major...The Volturi. I could smell Jane and Felix all over that place. While you were doing your fucking nails Bella was being kidnapped by the Volturi"

The Majors face was set and he grabbed Jake again,

"You can't come with us this time Dog but if I don't get her back start fucking running and keep going as fast as you can because there's not a place on this planet safe for you to hide from me. If it takes till judgement day I will hunt you down".

He turned and strode back to our truck as a I added my warning

"And don't think he's joking Dog because I'll be right behind him for any left over chunks of your mangy hide".

The truck engine was revving up as I jumped in and we screeched away from the Diner and the solitary figure watching us.

"Where to Major?"

He seemed to have a plan already,

"I've spoken to Charlotte, she's booking us on the next flight to Italy, she'll meet us at the airport with bags and passports. Hopefully we wont be too far behind them."

"Why do you think they've taken her?"

"She knows too much"

"So why didn't they just kill her?"

"She's an enigma and Aro hates not knowing everything. He wont have her killed until he understands her".

"So we have to move fast, what's the plan?"

"Don't have one Peter, except to get in there and claim her as my mate. Even Aro will think twice about killing a mated vampire."

"But you aren't and he'll soon know that"

"We are in every way that matters and I'm hoping that will be enough, it has to be, I can't go on without her again."

When we reached the airport we had to wait and The Major is really bad at waiting, especially when someone is in danger. He'd almost worn a path in the tiled floor when I saw Char running towards us and I grabbed his arm. He turned and his relief was palpable,

She thrust two flight bags at us and our paperwork,

"I booked you two seats Business Class leaving in an hour so you need to move, and good luck."

He'd arranged for her to stay behind just in case. Before leaving I gave her a hug and a kiss,

"You come back Peter Whitlock"

"I will darlin' "I said with a grin.

It was something I hoped I would be able to do, but who knew especially in Volterra.

Luckily the flight wasn't very full so we had room to talk without being overheard.

"What do we do when we get to the airport? I 'll get a hire car, a fast one"

He nodded,

"I'll ring Char, just to check in then we get to Volterra as fast as we can. When you know I'm in you drive back, dump the rental car and come home"

"Yeah that's gonna happen Major! I'll wait outside the town walls for you."

"I have no idea how long I'll be, if I even get out"

"That's OK I'm learning Chinese, it'll give me uninterrupted time to do some studying".

"Peter if there's any sign of trouble you go, that's an order"

"Now you see the trouble with giving me orders like that is you know I'm gonna ignore them. You and I are partners so we stick together and fuck the rest".

He smiled briefly and sat back closing his eyes. I knew he was remembering the only other time he'd been to Volterra. That was on Maria's orders to see Aro with a proposition. She got what she wanted and he got what he wanted, so the Major got out again. I hoped his luck would hold as well a second time. Then I thought about Bella. She'd be terrified around all those red eyes without Jasper by her side. Still she'd survived before without him, well almost. I just hoped she could keep her head inside the Volturi stronghold.

When we got to the airport I left the Major on the phone to Char and I went to rent a car. The young lady behind the rental desk was very beautiful and very interested when I started to chat her up. She tried to give me a saloon car but after a few chat up lines I got a top end Mercedes with a big ass engine. I just hoped it was as fast as its press or it might end up a smoking heap of twisted metal. I went back with the keys as he finished talking.

"Jake turned up there when she got back, apparently he was feeling guilty for making Bella vulnerable so he was staying with her in case we needed back up".

Back up from a wet behind the ear pup! I didn't think so. The Major nodded his approval when he saw the car and held his hand out for the keys

"Oh come on Major. I sweat blood getting this, at least let me drive it for a while"

He didn't speak or put his hand down so I dropped the keys into his palm and slid in the passenger side.