Edward put on a pair of jeans and a shirt and I went to the kitchen to get back to my macaroni and cheese. My hands shook slightly as I poured the pasta into the boiling water. This thing with Aro seemed to be never ending and I was frightened about the urgency of the new information. I longed to feel safe again and vowed to cherish each moment of normalcy if Aro was finally stopped. My heartbeat increased, the thumping, rhythmic sound whooshing in my ears. What if he was never caught? I closed my eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to calm my anxiety. Mike showed up a few minutes later with an envelope in his hand. I abandoned my macaroni and cheese once again, turning the burner off, and sat in the living room with Edward and Mike.
"Edward, just to reiterate, the technology Demitri used to bug the car is illegal so we can never share this information or how it was obtained." Mike said as soon as he sat down.
"Understood."
"Demitri downloaded the snippets that were of interest to us onto a flash drive." Mike told us.
"You didn't meet with him, did you?" Edward asked, looking alarmed.
"Come on, Ed, I'm no amateur. He did a dead drop."
"Dead drop?" I asked.
"Yeah. He hid the flash drive in our agreed upon location and I retrieved it." Mike explained.
"Let me get my laptop so we can listen." Edward said, standing up. He left and returned a few seconds later with his computer. After the drive was inserted, Edward clicked on the singular file that was on the drive and we waited. Ear splitting heavy metal music blasted through the speakers and Edward turned the sound down a bit. Finally we heard talking.
"The boss said his plane is coming in tonight at 9:30." Said one voice. The voice was deep and there was a hint of an accent- maybe French? I had to strain to hear over the Pantera song playing in the background.
"What airport is he flying into this time? Teterboro again?" another voice asked. This voice was raspy and softer.
"No, Atlantic City Airport."
"Fuck, we gotta ride all the way down to AC?"
"Yeah…and no stopping at the casinos."
"The old fuck is crazy. All this for some broad?"
"I don't ask no questions and I ain't got time to psychoanalyze his ass. As long as he keeps paying me, I don't care."
"Stop here. I wanna get something to eat before we get on the turnpike. I'm fucking starving."
There was a couple seconds of silence and then the talking resumed.
"Geez, you are a sloppy eater. Don't get ketchup on the upholstery!" The deep voiced man grumbled.
"Whatever, Miss Manners. So what's the plan for the girl? Did he mention anything about that in your conversation? And how come he does all of his communication through you? Am I not good enough for him to call?" the raspy voiced man complained, his words a bit garbled as he chewed.
"He said you ask too many questions."
"Fuck him and his uptight, pale-faced ass."
The deep voiced man chuckled. "He wants us to bring her to him."
"Bring her to him? How the fuck are we supposed to do that? That apartment building has crazy security."
"I know. But she leaves occasionally. Unfortunately she is usually with the lawyer."
"I'm confused. Is she with the lawyer or is she with the big guy from Volturi? Or is she doing them both?"
"I don't fucking know. She is staying with the lawyer but tonight she was all over the big guy at the bar in the sushi restaurant. I could see her through the window from my post across the street."
His partner snorted. "And Miklos is all caught up with this whore? I mean she's hot and her ass is outstanding, but there are other hot women in the tri state area."
"See, Jimmy, the boss is right. With you there are always too many damn questions. Here's what I think we should do…we know they like that grocery store around the corner from the apartment building. I think I should grab the lawyer and you grab the girl next time they go."
"Grab the lawyer? What are you going to do with him, El?"
"Just threaten him, flash my gun. I don't want to catch a body. While I have him, you take the girl to the car."
"Hmm…what about the cameras around the grocery store? Not to mention the cameras at the bank across the street…"
"Fuck, you're right. We'll have to catch them on the small street between the apartment and the market. That's all residential."
"Okay. We'll move our post there until we catch them."
We sat for a few seconds and continued to listen, but that seemed to be the end of the file that Demetri sent.
"So now we know their plan." Mike said as Edward removed the flash drive and handed it back to Mike.
"I guess we have to stay away from the grocery store from now on." I said.
"It's probably best if you don't leave the building at all for a while. We know now that their intention is to kidnap you." Mike said.
"Can't we send an anonymous tip to the police about this?" I asked.
"There's nothing they can do unless an attempt was actually made." Mike told me. Edward was curiously quiet and Mike and I both looked over at him.
"We can just have groceries delivered. Thanks, Mike." Edward mumbled, standing up. Mike stood up as well and followed him to the door, looking a little confused.
"You okay, Ed?" Mike inquired as Edward opened the door.
"Yeah. I'm just in the middle of prepping a case and then this bullshit…" he explained absently.
"Well, if you need me, call me." Mike said before Edward pushed the door closed.
"I think we should call the police. We can tell them that a suspicious car…" I trailed off when I saw the angry look on Edward's face.
"I thought you were going out with Rose and Alice yesterday." He growled, his green eyes piercing mine with their intensity.
"I did…"
"Oh, well how the fuck did these assholes see you in a sushi restaurant with Emmett?"
"He was there…" I started.
"Did you go to this restaurant to meet with him?" he asked, interrupting me.
"No! No, Edward! I would never…" I tried to explain but he interrupted me again.
"Well, why are they saying that you were all over him? How could you fucking do this to me?"
"It wasn't like that Edward…"
"If there wasn't anything suspicious happening, why didn't you tell me that you saw Emmett at the restaurant when you came home? Instead, you put on lingerie, came into my office and fucked me. Was that a guilt fuck? Or did Emmett get you so hot and bothered that you just needed dick and any dick would do?" He bellowed. Tears streamed down my face as I shook my head emphatically.
"No, Edward. I love you. I wouldn't do that to you!" I cried.
"I can't even fucking look at you right now!" He shouted, turning toward the door. I stood up and reached for him, but he shook me away and stormed out of the door after grabbing his car keys and phone. He slammed the door with so much force that I jumped.
I spent the next hour calling him and texting him, explaining that Emmett just happened to be at the restaurant and that I had rebuffed his advances, but Edward didn't respond to my texts or answer my calls.
I sobbed quietly as I packed up my things. Edward didn't want me anymore. It was time for me to go back home.