The man who'd rescued me made another call as we flew down the highway and into the night.
"Meet me at the shopping center right off of Route 4. Fifteen minutes." He ended the call and stuffed his cell phone back into his pocket.
"I guess you're Demitri." I said after a few moments of silence. His car was completely quiet, no music or talk radio, just the whir of passing cars. He nodded.
"Thanks." I said, turning to look at him. He was about fifty with thick dark hair that was balding a little on top. His heavy lidded brown eyes never met mine; he was too busy checking his mirrors. He nodded again.
"You've really got yourself mixed up in some nasty business." Demetri muttered.
"Yeah, tell me about it." I mumbled.
"Jimmy and El are career criminals who are easily bought, but they aren't smart. That's why Miklos uses them. Easily disposable."
"You think he'll kill them?" I asked incredulously.
"He won't do it himself. But they'll end up suspiciously dead and probably dumped into the Hudson."
"Why?" I asked. I didn't like them but I didn't want them to die. They were just greedy hoodlums following the instructions of a madman.
"They got into a huge car accident and caused a pileup on a major bridge with hundreds of witnesses and Port Authority cameras that captured you jumping out of a wrecked car and hopping into another one and speeding away. It's going to be on the news. There's going to be an investigation. He has no use for them anymore- they are a liability." He explained.
"Shit. I'm going to be on the news?" I covered my face with my hand.
"Probably. I don't know how identifiable you'll be. That's why I suggested you lay low for a while in Jersey."
"Are you…like them?" I wanted to know.
"A criminal? No, not quite. I do illegal things for money… okay, I guess I am a criminal but a good criminal. If there's a such thing." He finished with a sardonic chuckle.
"So now what? Do we call the police?"
"No point. Miklos is too slippery for them and they don't have the manpower to devote to this guy. He'll probably go overseas and regroup. When he comes back next time, we'll need to be prepared." He remarked as he turned into a Walmart parking lot. He rode up one row and then back down and pulled back onto the street, a black Camry in tow. We rode around circuitously for a few minutes with Demitri mumbling under his breath about cameras and finally he pulled over on a quiet street.
"Come on." He said opening his car door. I did the same and two gentlemen exited the other vehicle as well. One was tall and barrel chested with a bald head, the other was a short Latino man with a wispy mustache and tattoos on his face.
"Is it clean?"
"Yeah, it's clean." The shorter man said. "Who's the girl?"
"None of your fucking business. You have the plates?"
"Yeah. We'll switch them out before we dump the car in Newark."
"Tell them to strip it. Here." Demetri thrust an envelope of cash at the short guy. "And you can keep the money from the parts."
"Thanks, D." The big guy said and handed over the keys. We both got in the black car and back on the road, the entire exchange taking about a minute. He pulled out his cell phone again.
"I'm on my way, ten minutes out…okay…okay." He crammed the phone into his shirt pocket and looked at me.
"No more running off. It's not safe. This is not a game." He told me sternly. I nodded my head, thoroughly chastened by the consequences of my impulsive actions. We drove quietly the rest of the way to the Cullens. Edward was pacing on the sidewalk with his iPhone in his hand and darted over to the car when we stopped. I stepped out and Edward picked me up and hugged me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and savored his feel, his unique scent, everything about him that I thought I would never experience again.
"Thank you." He said simply to Demitri. He nodded and drove away.
Edward's green eyes were watery as he pressed his forehead against mine.
"Izzy, I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life."
"I shouldn't have left…"
"The things I said to you were awful… fuck, you're bleeding and shivering. Let's go inside." I looked down for the first time and saw that there was a huge blood stain on the left knee of my jeans. The warm day had cooled significantly after the sun had set and my bare arms were covered in goosebumps.
Dr. Cullen and Esme were sitting in the living room and they immediately jumped up when they saw me.
"Oh, Izzy! We were so worried!" Esme cried.
"Bring her into my office." Dr. Cullen said and we followed him down the hall, past the bathroom where Edward and I had our little tryst and into his spacious home office.
"Set her down on the sofa, son." Dr. Cullen commanded. Edward laid me gently down onto the black leather couch and took my computer from me, putting it aside. Esme stood back, wringing her hands.
"Is it okay if I pull your pant leg up and take a look at your knee? What happened?"
"I tripped over a piece of tire or something and fell." I said as Dr. Cullen rolled my jeans up. Edward, Esme and I gasped when we saw the bloody tear on my knee.
"That's a pretty serious laceration, Izzy. I'm going to wash my hands and clean it up for you. I might have to stitch it up but I'll know better after I clean it up." He rushed off and was back in a minute, snapping gloves onto his hands. He worked quickly, cleansing the wound while Edward held me.
"Can I get you some water, Izzy?" Esme asked, her pretty face etched with concern.
"Yes, please." I croaked and she left quickly.
"Izzy, I think you are going to need a few sutures. I have some lidocaine, but it's still going to hurt." He explained. Esme came back in with a bottle of water.
"Have you ever taken Valium before?" Dr. Cullen asked. I shook my head. He stood up and went to his desk, retrieving a small, round, sky blue pill.
"I'm going to give you a Valium before I stitch you up. It will help you relax. You're not pregnant, are you?"
"Dad!" Edward cried.
"Edward, I have to ask before I give her the medication."
"No, I'm on birth control." I told him quietly. He gave me the pill and I took it, chasing it with the cold water. He carefully picked the gravel out of my left hand and cleaned up the scrapes and cuts there as well.
"Izzy, if you don't mind me asking, why were you alone?" Esme asked.
I looked at Edward. "I just was stopping at my apartment to pick up a couple things. I thought I'd be okay."
Edward rolled his eyes. "No, it was my fault. We had an argument and I lost my temper and said some horrible things and then I left. I don't blame her for leaving."
"Edward." Esme chastised, her mouth in a firm line.
"Trust me, Mom, you can't make me feel any worse than I already do."
"I'll go get the guest room ready for you both." Esme said, casting a disappointed look Edward's way before leaving the room.
"What time is it?" I asked. It was beginning to feel like the longest twenty four hours ever. Edward glanced at his watch.
"It's after ten. Tired?" he asked and I nodded. He lovingly tucked a stray tendril of hair behind my ear.
"I'll stitch you up and then you can go to bed." Dr. Cullen said. He readied his instruments and injected the lidocaine into the wound. He worked slowly and methodically and I barely felt anything. My eyes began to droop and I could feel my extremities relax.
"Looks like the Valium is kicking in. Just a few more minutes." Dr. Cullen promised.
"This turned from the best day ever to the worst day ever. I had an amazing massage at the spa this morning and then I had the most incredible sex I've ever had…" I slurred. My jaw felt slack, like it was off its hinges or something.
"Izzy…" Edward whispered.
"It was, Edward. It was so good. You make me feel so good all the time." I murmured as I struggled to keep my eyelids open.
Dr. Cullen lips were pursed as he tried to stifle a laugh.
"It's not funny, Dad. You better not ever bring this up."
"Relax, Edward. I do have some degree of professionalism. She's not the first person to share secrets while medicated."
"I shouldn't have left the apartment but I thought you didn't want me anymore. Do you still want me?" I asked, unable to hold my lids open another second.
"Izzy, I don't think it's possible for me to not want you. Isn't that how this all started?" Edward quipped.
"Ilufoo…" I mumbled incoherently before I fell into a deep, much needed sleep.