Chapter Fifty Two

Bella

I tried to ration the formula because we had no way of knowing when he would be back so I watered it down a little but Aggie was just hungry all the time.

"Don't you think he's left us here to die Ellie?"

"No Kat, he wouldn't leave baby here if he was going to do that. Who would look after her then?"

"Well all the formula's gone so where is he?"

"Maybe he got held up Kat."

I was worried myself because when Aggie woke up she was going to be demanding milk and I had no more to give her. Then we heard noises down the cellar steps,

"See here he comes now."

The door burst open but it wasn't him it was a group of strangers and we both panicked, screaming in fear that they were sent to kill us.

When the man tried to speak to me, use a strange name, I stuck to what I'd been told but I dare not look in his face afraid what I might see.

"You have to go, leave us alone, he'll be so angry."

I knew whatever happened he would find out and hunt us down and then he would kill us for deserting him. I struggled against the man seeing Kat was doing the same then when I thought perhaps they might leave us alone they heard the clanking of our chains and the man who held me made such a terrible noise I screamed again, the chains snapped in his hands like weak string and suddenly I was out of the cellar under the moon in the fresh air, Aggie still asleep in my arms.

I was too weak to struggle for long so I lay quietly in his arms but something was wrong, we were moving so fast, like a sports car, like the wind. No one could run that fast and I became frightened again calling for him to come and save me from whatever this was. Could it be a dream? Or was it a test? Had he wanted to know if we were loyal to him.

I called for him again and again until a hand came gently over my mouth,

"Please Bella I need you to be quiet for a few minutes."

I shook my head trying to bite his hand in my panic but my teeth just skidded along his skin as if it were made of granite, what was this monster carrying me off from my home? I found myself falling asleep which was crazy, I was tired of course but I was also terrified, was this someone who he had upset? Were we being kidnapped to be used even more terribly? Would he come find us or would he just forget all about his daughters? He must try to find baby, he loved her more than he loved either Kat or me. Was Kat coming with us? My eyes closed before I could try to check but I held baby close to my chest.

When I woke up I was in a strange place and I looked around nervously and saw the man who had kidnapped me sitting beside me looking down on me. Sitting up fast I felt the pain in my chest again and gasped then my kidnapper reached a hand out trying to touch me. I cowered away from him and I could see something flash across strangely coloured eyes.

"Bella, don't you recognise me?"

I shook my head knowing that he would be furious if I spoke to anyone else but I was terrified this man might have taken baby away. Then I felt her squirm beside me and grabbed her up in my arms feeling better for feeling her little body close to mine.

"I am so sorry Bella, this is all my fault and I don't know if you will ever be able to forgive me but I will keep you safe. No one else will harm you or treat you the way you were treated by Alonzo Mendoza."

I had no idea what he was talking about, I didn't know him and I didn't know anyone called Alonzo. All I needed was for him to find me, find Kat, and take us back before they started asking questions about him because if this man didn't give me food and water and formula for baby then I would be forced to tell him what I knew. But what did I know? I tried to think back to the days before the cellar but my mind skittered away from those memories. Had I been treated worse before he took me? What would this man be taking me back to?

"Are you hungry?"

I refused to look at him but I couldn't help nodding, I was starving, it had been days since I had any food.

Jasper

I couldn't bear seeing Bella like this, terrified of me, unable to trust anyone but holding the baby seemed to calm her and she admitted to being hungry however I didn't want to leave her to buy food. There were vending machines outside the room so I wouldn't have to be away for long but what did the baby need? I was torn not knowing what to do when I heard a quiet knock at the door. Immediately I felt my rage grow, who was trying to get in here? Who wanted to take my mate away?

"Major chill out. I've left food and things outside the door for you. We're next door when you need anything."

I recognised Peter's voice but I couldn't help the snarl that burst forth until Bella cried out and I turned to see that I had terrified her. I swallowed down my rage at Peter coming so close and pointed a finger at her.

"Stay there please."

She still didn't look into my eyes but just nodded again, used to taking orders and I went to the door listening for any movement outside. Hearing nothing I unlocked the door and opened it enough to look out, sure enough there were a pile of bags waiting and I could smell hot food among them.

I waited listening until I heard three voices in the next room Peter's being one of them before picking up the bags and taking them back inside still growling low to let Peter know he wasn't welcome here. I locked the door and then turned to Bella to see she hadn't moved at all, sitting as if too afraid to move. I rummaged through the bags until I found the take out, it was simple, a burger and fries and a soda so I carried it over to her and held it out.

"Here, try to eat while it's warm. Would you like me to hold baby while you eat?"

She shook her head violently and held baby so tightly it began to cry.

"OK, I'll sit over there in the chair but please eat."

She took the bag with a trembling hand loosening her grip on the baby who was crying even louder now. Thinking quickly I looked through the other bags until I found three bottles ready filled with warm milk and held one out.

"Maybe she's hungry."

Bella took the bottle from me and tasted it suspiciously before feeding the baby ignoring her own food although I could see how hungry she was. Not until the bottle was empty did she lay the baby down already asleep and pick up the take out bag again.

"If it's cold I can get fresh."

She ignored me sniffing the food before tasting it as if scared I might be trying to poison her then started to eat, finishing every morsel before looking at the drink.

"It's not your favourite but I didn't choose it. If you don't like it I can get you another."

I guess it was a stupid thing to say, after looking at what her diet had been in the cellar and she drank it slowly and carefully down to half then put it aside licking her cracked and now bleeding lips. I held out a napkin and she looked at it but refused to take it from me so I put it down on the bed beside her and moved back to sit in the chair wanting nothing more than to take her in my arms and hold her tight.