Chapter Sixty Five
Charlie
I was impatient with the traffic but getting annoyed wouldn't help anyone, least of all Bella so I sat back and took a few deep breaths.
"Are you OK Charlie?"
"Nope, but I will be when I see my daughter."
"I know Peter explained to you that it wasn't going to be easy but I hope you understand just how dangerous it can be."
"You forget, I have a shield. Jasper may be a warrior but he can't fight me if he can't reach me now can he? And from what Alice and Garrett told me I should be stronger than him at least for a while."
"Do not forget Charlie that Jasper has a great deal of experience with newborns. In a fair fight you wouldn't stand a chance trust me."
"Then its a good thing it won't be a fair fight, anyway from what I hear he's not having a lot of luck with Bella so he might be willing to give me a chance to get through to her."
Even I didn't really believe that, not from what had been explained to me about mates but I needed to sound and look confident or he would pick up on any weakness. I also had the advantage that he wouldn't want to do anything that would upset or frighten Bella more than she already was but then neither did I. She had been through so much the last thing any of us wanted was to make the situation worse but we'd have to see.
When we drew up Emmett was waiting for us at the far end of the parking lot illuminated only dimly by the "No Vacancies" sign that flickered overhead. He stuck his head in the window and nodded a greeting to me before addressing Carlisle,
"We need to get this over with, the manager is getting restless and we really don't want to have to kill him."
Looking around I could see the problem, the motel wasn't far from a gas station or an all night convenience store and sooner or later someone was going to wonder why the sign didn't go out when there were only a couple of cars in the parking lot.
"We got him to tell the gas station owner he was sick and they had problems with the drains but that's not going to fly for much longer. If the owners find out he's turning away business there will be trouble."
We got out and he pointed towards a shaded doorway in a corner where we could see a hole punched through the wood.
"See what state of mind he's in? That was almost Peter's head. Take care Charlie."
Carlisle started to walk over with me but I put a hand out to stop him,
"I need to do this alone Carlisle, I'll be fine, if I need you I'll call."
He didn't like it but he could hardly argue so he stepped back to Emmett's side and I went on alone walking silently so I could gauge the scene before crashing in on it.
Stopping nearby I listened in hearing only Jasper's voice as if he were having a one sided conversation.
"Bella please try to remember. We met at college, fell in love, you used to stay over at my place. You went on holiday with your mother and Phil after we got engaged and we planned on visiting my family when you got back. Surely you remember something of that. The ring, the one you exchanged with your mother. I know you saw some terrible things, you had awful things done to you and I should have known. I should have been there to save you but I wasn't. I didn't even know but as soon as I did I came looking for you, we all did. We found you, took you away from him and he will pay for what he did, to you and the others but I need you to remember, to come back to me. I love you Bella, please look at me."
The pain and desperation in his voice cut me to the bone but I didn't hear a word from my daughter so I moved in to look through the hole in the door. Bella sat on the floor in the corner just as she had in the cellar according to Carlisle, her head down studying her hands which worked at a hole in the rags she was wearing.
I hardly recognized her through the dirt and filthy rags she was dressed in, her hair wild and full of bits of what looked like straw and threads. I couldn't help speaking her name and he tensed standing up abruptly and fighting not to fly at the door.
"Jasper it's Charlie and I'm coming in to see my daughter. Now you can try to stop me if you like but I have to tell you I will keep coming and if you force me to…... I will put you down."
I waited hearing a low rumble in his chest and seeing his eyes turn darkest black, his jaw clenched and his hands becoming fists.
I stepped back,
"Open the door or I'll kick it down which will only upset Bella, the choice is yours but I am coming in one way or another."
I waited and heard him approach the door but he was fast, much faster than I had imagined, and there he was, his back to the door and a hand grasping at my throat. I caught his arm and felt it budge a little but he was beginning to wrench and I knew if I didn't act quickly I was in danger of losing my head. Twisting sideways we fell through the door and into the room. he grabbed my arm with his other and I had no choice but to use my shield. As he flew backwards I felt a terrible wrenching sensation at the same time I thought I'd lost my grip on his arm but instead I still held it dripping venom. I dropped it and reached up to feel a raw wound where my own arm should have hung, glancing over I saw him drop it to the floor pinned in place by my shield.
I tried to quieten Bella who was now screaming, staring in horror at the two limbs that now lay on the floor. It hadn't been a clever move but it had been a necessary one and now I needed to try calming her. Jasper's gift had obviously stopped calming her when he attacked me. I knelt down beside her shaking my head at Jasper as he tried to struggle free.
"It won't do you any good and you haven't had any luck so now it's my turn Jasper. Just calm the hell down, you'll only make matters worse and if I have to I'll blast your ass across the parking lot."
His eyes narrowed at the threat but as he realized the implications of it, being separated from his mate, he calmed and stood there watching me carefully but I was under no illusion. If I let down my guard for even a second he would make sure it was the last thing I ever did. I just hoped Eleazar was right about my shield being a permanent unwavering thing because I was about to turn my back on probably the most dangerous being in this new world of mine.
I concentrated on Bella who after looking at my missing arm had scooted further into the corner and was now rocking and keening in a high voice terrified out of her wits.
"Honey listen to my voice. Do you recognize it? It's your dad, Charlie. I know you're scared, I know you've lived through hell but you're safe now and Jasper and I will ensure that no one ever hurts you again. Do you recognize my voice? Bells?"
She made no move as if she hadn't heard me so I thought for moment then tried again,
"Hey Bellie Boo, look at daddy."
She stiffened and I cursed remembering what Carlisle had told me, that the kidnapper called himself daddy but it was too late. Before I could apologize she opened her eyes wide and started to shake."Daddy?"
I nodded,
"Yeah its me baby."
She started to cry,
"I'm sorry daddy, it wasn't my fault. He took me away and I couldn't do anything about it. Please don't hit me daddy, I'll be a good girl I promise."
I rocked back horrified at the look of terror on her face as she, my own daughter, looked at me.