Chapter 18
Her air was cut off as the vampire chick held her in a tight grip, dragging her up until she was balanced precariously on the tips of her toes.
Bella was cursing herself and her stupidity. When was she going to learn?
"I will snap her neck,"
The vampire called out in a strong voice.
"You know I will, Damon. How dare you play house with a pitiful human?"
So that was the ex. Damon approached the house with slow, measured steps. Fury stamped on his face and the steely determination glinting in his icy eyes.
"Let her go, Elena,"
"No."
Elena said glancing at her captive. Damon barely resisted the urge to scream. Who else was going to come knocking on Bella's door and threaten to kill her because of him?
"You know what? You can kill her. I've grown bored by the human"
He sneered in an almost perfect imitation of his usual sardonic tone. Bella threw him a dirty look trying to think of a way she could get this Elena girl to let go of her. She was starting to see tiny black spots in her vision.
"Alright"
Elena said flippantly. Damon's heart fell to his stomach as Elena's fingers squeezed more around Bella's throat. Bella kicked frantically.
Elena growled in sudden pain as Bella's toes made contact with her underarm and tossed the human girl backwards where Bella collided with the heavy door. Her entire vision blackened as the door was pushed open even further and her head came crushing to something harder than the door. She felt arms tightening around her from behind.
"Back off!"
A melodic voice said
"Who the hell is this guy?"
Elena retorted her eyes taking the bronze haired good looking guy. Damon's eyes were glued to the arms around his Bella.
"Edward?"
Bella gasped going limbless for a moment. What the hell was going on? Since when did the Phoenix house turn into vampire central?
As she was trying to come to terms with had just transpired Edward hugged her tighter making her ribs grind in protest. Elena was leaning against the porch railing almost salivating over the fresh meat. It would be a good idea to keep Damon and Stefan on their toes for a bit more now that the whole doe eyes thing didn't work anymore.
"I missed you love. I'm here to take you home"
Edward said in a superior tone that brought Bella's mind to a halt. He missed her? He was the one that left her! Let's not forget the ridiculous "you're human. You'll forget. I'll find new distractions" lines he fed her as well.
"Let me go"
She shouted and squirmed in his grasp, scraping at his hands with her nails, ignoring the knowledge that unlike Stefan and Elena, Edward couldn't be hurt or bothered by her attempts.
Scenting him now, Damon found only a sickly sweet smell. The man's eyes were an interesting shade of dark black framed only by a ring of gold. Edward was also looking straight at Damon. He couldn't read either of their minds. He felt at a complete disadvantage
"Shut up!"
Edward shouted, pulling Bella closer to him. A series of popping sounds alerted everyone to Bella's ribs breaking. The only human in the property gasped at the sudden pain. Even Elena winced a little.
"You back the hell off, both of you! She's mine and she's gonna stay mine"
Edward growled. Bella's eyes widened as her eyes met Damon's. She shook her head slightly fearing for his safety if he came close to Edward. All of the smugness Elena felt evaporated as Bella turned slightly blue
"Why don't you keep her and I'll keep him? Win win"
She proposed drawing Edward's eyes on her. Damon glared at his ex with all his might
"Elena, shut up"
In a blink, Damon moved so quickly, he was nothing more than a blur of motion. He reached the porch, and made a move to snatch Bella free of Edward's grasp. Just as he grabbed her Edward snarled surprised and wrapping a fist around Bella's arm he pulled her back. Bella's left arm broke with a loud snap and Edward pushed her to the porch steps thinking it would protect her from the black haired madman.
Bella fell like a rag doll, passing in front of the still lounging Elena and tumbled down the six steps. There was a deafening crack as her head was tilted in an unnatural way.
"Bella?"
With a scream Edward charged again at the same time that Damon's fist smashed into Edward's jaw sending him sprawling backward into the wall. Elena tossed a strand of hair backwards watching the two vampires fight ignoring the dead girl. She had come to fetch Damon or Stefan, whoever fell to her charms easier but the new guy wasn't so bad either.
"You killed her"
Damon snarled. Edward screamed, the sound reverberating through the dead if the night and came at the younger vampire with all his strength.
"I'll kill you"
Edward breathed losing all logical thoughts
"You can try…"
A voice said from behind Damon as Stefan jumped on the porch from the side and the two brothers worked together against the cold one. Edward fought back his mind barely registering that Damon's fighting style was similar to Jasper's. He was too busy trying to fight and win without his usual advantage of mind reading.
The three powerful beings clashed and tumbled from the porch onto the soft soil destroying once again Bella's yard. Damon slammed his fist into Edward's face.
Edward countered with a snarl and a hiss, and then sprung up from the ground with a movement so quick the eye couldn't track it. Damon moved to respond, gathering his strength. Punches flew, kicks landed and the two vampires hammered at each other with a fury that sounded like thunder rolling.
Elena casually made her way to the dead Bella thinking that whoever won could use a drink and casually tore open Bella's right wrist and brought it to her lips attracting Stefan's attention.
"Back off Elena"
Stefan ordered the baby vampire who ignored him and took a long sip of the open vein. The scent of freezias wafted in the air bringing the fighting to a staggering halt. Two pairs of coal black eyes located Elena's dancing ones as she extended Bella's arms to her future suitors
"Who wants a drink?"
Both Damon and Edward hissed. Venom pooled in Edward's mouth as Damon's fangs glistened. With a growl Edward picked a single piece of broken fence and zooming to Elena he hit her in the stomach.
The vampire woman hissed and howled as the white oak of the fence set her blood on fire. As she exploded, Edward jumped backwards unwilling to die as well.
