Hello, everybody!
So there are a lot of theories about "Tony's" wallet... what could be in there? And will Bella find it? We're about to get the answer to one of those questions ;)
Okay, so, there are a lot of concerns about Edward's two phones. Yes, one is his agency phone, and one is his "personal" phone that he uses for Aro and everyone else. No, he will not mix up the phones. I speak from personal experience when I say that agents are meticulously careful about which phone they are using and when. Also, the government doesn't issue agents iPhones, so he's got two different types of phones on him. It is easy to tell them apart. So, don't worry. He's not going to text Aro anything about the investigation ;)
One more thing, I want to give a pre-cursor to this chapter. I am very pro-law enforcement (law enforcement wife). Sometimes police have to get physical, and when you're dealing with an armed suspect, you're not going to handle things with kid gloves. This chapter is in no way a political commentary :)
Alright, let's see how Edward's doing after Aro so rudely interrupted his time with Bella!
EPOV
"What the fuck is going on?" I spit as I storm into Aro's office after running home to grab my gun. I'm being stupid, but I've got pent-up testosterone that needs a fucking outlet.
"What crawled up your ass?" Alec laughs.
"I think he was getting pussy when I called," Felix says. "I heard a chick in the background."
"Shit, you got blue balls, Masen?"
"Fuck you, Alec," I growl.
"Hey, I need to get a piece of ass. She got a sister?"
I flip him off.
"Boys! I am glad to see you're already here." Aro strolls in with Caius, interrupting the joke Alec has at the tip of his tongue. He's chipper, which can only mean one thing- we're headed into a fight. "I have news. Thank you to our friend, Tony. We are privy to Jacob Black's social postings."
"His what?" Alec laughs.
"His social media," I snap, still pissed. At the moment, I'm not hating the idea of taking out my aggression with my fists, especially if I can aim my punches at Black. "He checked in somewhere?" I ask Aro.
"Yes. At Eclipse." His grin is wide and sinister. Usually, this would concern me.
I click my tongue. It's ballsy of Black to show up at Eclipse. Moronic but ballsy. One of Aro's capos runs the dance club.
"He's on our turf," Caius says.
"Nice." Felix rubs his palms together, ready for blood.
"We must move quickly, and I want all of you there," Aro commands. "Whoever gets to Black first- take him to the alleyway behind Eclipse. Caius and I will be waiting."
We don't hesitate, jumping up and checking our pieces before rushing to the cars. I hop in with Felix and Alec, keyed up and ready for a fight. I know I need to get my head on straight, but I'm so angry with the shitshow that is my life that I'm ready to take down the first person who looks me wrong.
"So, who's the chick?" Alec asks as we speed away from the pool hall.
"No one you know."
"I bet she's fucking hot, though. Look at you. You're all worked up. No one gets that pissed over losing out with an ugly chick."
"Watch your fucking mouth." I've got no patience to deal with his bull shit.
"Hey, I'm just saying." He throws his hands up and shrinks into the back seat.
Within ten minutes, we're entering the parking lot for Eclipse. Aro and Caius pass us, pulling around back, where you can stuff a body into a trunk without detection.
The bouncer greets us with a warm welcome as he opens the velvet rope. A couple of chicks with their tits pushed up to their chins and their skirts so short we're about to get a view of the promise land start whining about how unfair it is to let us cut. Felix sees his opportunity, instantly claiming ownership of both girls, and walks in with a skank on each arm.
While he flirts, I get my game face on. It doesn't take long to spot Black. The arrogant son of a bitch has a private table in the corner that he's sharing with Quil Ateara and some lower-level punk named Paul. Women with big hair and bigger tits are hanging off Black's crew like he owns the fucking place.
"Jacob black." I grin, hovering over their table. "Funny to see you here." His sidekick, Paul, chokes on his drink, vodka sputtering out of his mouth. I'm enjoying this more than I should.
"Masen? Fuck!" Balck straightens, letting out a weak chuckle. "What the hell are you doing at Eclipse?" He glances around, no doubt trying to spot the rest of my crew.
"I think we need to have a chat. Outside." I raise a brow, daring him to deny me.
"Nah. Let's do it here." He tries to play it cool, leaning back and throwing an arm around one of the girls, but his jaw ticks and his eyes dart over my shoulder while he speaks.
"Get the fuck up," I growl, slapping my hands on the tabletop. Candy apple martinis slosh out of the girls' glasses, and Black fucking jumps.
"I don't take orders from you, Masen." He's going for indifference, taking a drink from his whiskey sour, but the trembling in his hand gives him away. I chuckle as I pull my gun from my waistband and raise it, pointing the barrel toward his head.
"Get. The fuck. Up."
One of the bimbos attached to his side screams and scrambles out of the booth, closely followed by her friends.
"All three of you, let's go," I order the men.
"What you gonna do? Gun us all down in the middle of a fucking nightclub? I know you aren't that stupid," Black quips as I shove him with the barrel of my gun. Quil and Paul follow obediently as my aim wavers between the three of them. I scan the club for Felix or Alec before I slip outside but come up empty. Fuck.
"Ah, Jacob, how nice of you to visit us here." Aro stalks out of the shadows in the alley with a cigarette dangling from his lips. I let the door to the club slam behind me as he blows a long string of smoke directly in Black's face.
"Oh, christ," Black coughs. "We're just here to have a good time!"
"Is that why some whores were popping these in the bathroom?" Aro holds out his hand, displaying bright blue pills.
"I can't help what these bitches bring in with them."
"You're selling on my turf!" Aro lunges forward, shoving his cigarette against Black's neck.
"What the fuck!" Black's scream echos off the brick of the building and spurs Quil into action. He gets an arm around Aro and drags the old fucker backward.
Paul goes for Caius, knocking him to the ground with ease. Caius might be good with a gun, but he's getting up there in age. Hand-to-hand combat isn't his strength.
"Jesus Christ," I mutter. The morons have forgotten that I'm still standing there watching the whole damn fight unfold. I consider letting them at it, hoping someone will do my job for me and take out Volturi or Black, but where would the satisfaction be in that?
Grumbling, I jump in, slinking up behind Quil and throwing my arm around his neck. I've got a good hold, and he's losing oxygen as his legs flail, and he claws at my arms. I'm not expecting it when he kicks, makes contact with a wall, and sends us backward. I'm momentarily stunned, and my grip on his neck loosens enough for him to break free.
"Fuck!" Felix and Alec shoot out of the club door as Paul turns on me and gets in a good kick to my ribs. I grimace, but my adrenaline is pumping. I kick back hard enough to make contact with his knee. It makes a sickening snap, twisting as he falls to the side.
"Son of a bitch!" Black squeals like a bitch as Felix tackles him, freeing Aro. Alec jumps in to defend Caius against Paul, landing a punch to his gut.
I scramble to my feet to face off against Quil. I'm about to lunge at him when a shrill siren sounds from down the street.
"Fuck!" Caius roars.
"We gotta get out of here!" Black yells, motioning for his guys to follow him through a crack in the fence leading to the parking lot. I can't help my satisfaction at the whimpering Paul does when Quil goes to collect him off the pavement.
"Go," Aro orders Felix, Alec, and me as he and Caius jump into the car they've got ready. That's how it is- protect Aro and let the lower-status guys take the blame.
Felix and Alec take off after the car. I follow, pushing myself as hard as possible, trying to catch up. The wind got knocked out of my lungs when Quil landed on me, and I'm still trying to catch my breath.
"Follow Aro!" I rasp out, pointing to where Caius disappeared into a vacant lot across the street.
"Shit!" Felix slams to a halt as a police cruiser pulls up at the end of the alley, blocking us in.
"Where do we go?" Alec asks.
"Nowhere," I gasp, slowing to a stop. "We're trapped."
"Put your hands up and get down on the ground!" An officer yells, drawing his gun and using the cruiser for cover.
"Just listen to him," I tell the other two as I start to get on my knees.
"Fuck this!" Felix turns and sprints toward the club with Alec hot on his trail.
"Freeze!" The cops start after them as I curse under my breath and jump up to follow the idiots. "Oh no, you don't!"
Before I know it, I slam against the ground, my head bouncing off the concrete. I see stars as a knee pushes into my spine.
"Tony fucking Masen? Holy shit! The guys aren't going to believe it!" The cop on top of me is giddy as fuck. I get it. I probably would be, too, in his situation. Doesn't mean I don't want to sucker punch him at the moment. "And what's this? A gun? This registered to you?"
"If you get up, I'll tell you everything you want to know," I choke out. My head is pounding, and I'm pretty positive the fucker gave me a concussion.
He lets me up, but not before slapping cuffs on my wrists. I stumble when he pushes me forward. The ground keeps moving, and a jackhammer takes residence in my skull.
"Spread 'em," he says, pushing me down against the hood of his cruiser.
"Ch-check my back pocket for my- my wallet," I stutter. "Look b-behind my ID." He pats me down, checking my pockets twice.
"No wallet back here, bud. What you got shoved in there anyway? Pills? Coke?"
"W-where's my wallet?" Shit. No. My wallet has to be on me. "Check again!"
"You don't have a wallet on you," he says, checking once more and coming up empty.
"Oh, fuck! I'm gonna puke."
He backs off, allowing me to turn to the side and vomit on the ground next to the car's tire instead of on its hood. "I hit my head," I groan.
"Alright, let's get you to the station. We'll deal with it there."
He's quick to shove me in the back of the cruiser, calling his partner over.
"Holy shit, Crowley! I can not believe you took down Tony Masen!" Cup Number Two says as he climbs in and closes the door.
"At least we got one of these punks off the street," Crowley answers, brimming with pride.
"I heard Marks got one of the other guys too. Alec Petori."
"No shit?"
I lean against the window as the two pat each other on the back for a job well done. It's not lost on me that I'd be in on the celebration with them under different circumstances.
I rest my head on the cool glass and almost doze off on the way to the station. I'm really not okay.
You would have thought the precinct was throwing a fucking party the way cheers erupt as I'm paraded through the booking room. I don't fucking care. All I want to do is lay down. Instead, I drop into a chair next to officer Crowley's desk.
"I- I'm not who you think I am," I say before swallowing compulsively. I'm going to puke again. "Trashcan!" He gets it in front of me right in time. "We need to find my wallet," I explain when I come back up for air.
"It's probably in the alley. It'll turn up."
"No, I need it now."
"What the hell is in your wallet that's so damn important?" he laughs.
"My gov-goverment ID. It's in my wallet. In a hidden slot, b-behind my fake license."
He stops typing in my booking information and stares me down.
"Your what?"
"I need you to c-call a g-guy." I take a breath, squinting at the bright fluorescent lights. "His name is Mike Newton. FBI. Your chief will have the number." I close my eyes and let my head hang forward.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he hisses. I shrug. I don't have the energy to explain anymore. "Hey, Bree. Keep an eye on this guy, okay? I've got to make a phone call."
I place my head on his desk and let myself slip in and out of consciousness. The second Crowley returns, I instantly go from America's most wanted to a high-ranking federal colleague of my arresting officer. Suddenly I'm being offered painkillers, water, saltines, anything he can conjure up, and moved into a room for "questioning."
"Hey, Agent…." Crowley trails off, waiting for a name.
"Agent none of your business," I snap. The painkillers are kicking in, and I can keep my eyes open long enough to have a conversation.
"I'm really sorry, man. I had no idea."
"You weren't supposed to have an idea," I growl.
"I'm not going to say anything."
"Yeah. You better not say anything. If you do, you'll be on desk duty for the rest of your fucking career."
"Thanks for everything you're doing, by the way. You're in deep, fighting the good fight."
"Can we stop talking now?" I'm fucking exhausted, and I don't need this brown noser telling me I'm special.
"Yeah, yeah. So, uh, your Special Agent in Charge is on the way. He's gonna get you out of here."
"Thanks."
"And we're looking for your wallet back at the club. We'll get it to you as soon as we find it."
I groan. My fucking wallet. If that gets into the wrong hands…
The door swings open, revealing Mike and the precinct's chief. "Officer Crowley, I'll take it from here," Mike says.
"Sure. Uh, sorry about the head." I glare after him as his chief escorts him out.
"You okay?" Mike asks.
"I feel like I was hit by a Mack truck, my wallet with my fucking ID in it is missing, and I've got to come up with a reason why I'm not rotting in a jail cell. I'm great, thanks for asking."
"Ed. Relax. Let's get you home. We can go over the plan tomorrow."
"Whatever." I sway on my feet as I stand.
"Do you need a doctor?"
"I think I need to sleep."
"Let me call someone."
"I'm fine."
"You can barely walk."
"I can walk," I say, swaying into the doorframe.
"Why don't I take you home with me? At least let Jess look you over."
"Jess?"
"My girlfriend's a nurse, remember?"
"Mike, with all due respect, that sounds like a stupid idea. Can you just take me home?"
"If you die, it's on me, Cullen."
I ignore him and turn toward the front of the precinct. Mike's quick to grab my shoulders and guide me in the opposite direction. "You can't be seen leaving with me. We're going out the back."
He takes mercy on me and drives me straight home, saying he's going to check in at eight am, and if I don't answer, he's calling an ambulance. My head is still pounding, but the nausea has abated… for the most part.
I pass out on the couch with a trashcan nearby, just in case. In the back of my mind, I remember my father telling me something about vomiting and head injuries. Fuck, what I wouldn't give to be at home, letting my parents fuss over my injuries. My dad diagnosing me, and my mom cooking anything I ask for. Whatever. I'd probably throw it all up anyway.
I answer Mike at eight. He's made up a story about me getting released on a technicality. I'm supposed to claim that the cops didn't find a weapon on me- that I chucked my gun into a dumpster when I heard the sirens. Felix and Alec were stuck in a cell overnight. Mike's expecting Aro's lawyer to show up soon to post their bail.
My wallet hasn't shown up. If it's in the wrong hands, I'm fucked.
I fall asleep when we get off the phone and only wake up once for the rest of the day. I force myself to shower and eat a sandwich before relocating to bed.
I never call Bella, and when I wake up coherent at eleven am on Sunday, I feel like a total schmuck.
A/N: Welp, now we know why that wallet is so damn important! So... do we think Bella looks?
Please don't forget to Fav, Follow, and Review! Honest to God, knowing readers are following along and enjoying the ride means more than I can explain!