Y'all ready? Buckle up!

EPOV

I don't want to open my eyes. I want to return to a dream world where I can pretend that Bella is in my arms. Burying my face in her hair and inhaling her sweet floral scent gives me the relief I crave, even if the moment isn't real.

At the sound of a door closing, I'm instantly alert. I grab my gun from my nightstand and sit up, aiming it toward the doorway as I stand.

Why the fuck am I naked?

"Oh, my God!" Bella screeches as she turns the corner to the bedroom, two cups of coffee in hand.

"Shit!" I drop the weapon. "It wasn't a dream?"

"What wasn't a dream?" she scoffs. "My God, Edward! Is that how you always wake up?"

"No! I heard you- and I thought… Jesus, Bella! I'm so fucking sorry!"

"Okay, mister jumpy. I think our next sleepover needs to be at my place. Fewer weapons there."

"Is that my shirt?" I ask as she hands over a mug.

"I hope you don't mind. I borrowed it."

"Hell no, I don't mind. It looks good on you."

"Thank you." She smiles behind her cup as she sips on her coffee.

"I guess I ought to put some clothes on, too, huh?"

"I mean, don't let me stop you from showing off. I'm enjoying the view." She winks, and I chuckle, grabbing a pair of boxers to slip on.

"Do you work tonight?"

"Yeah. I have to be at the hospital at seven. While I would rather stay in bed all day, I will eventually have to go home to shower and change."

I glance at the clock. "It's only twelve. You up for a trip to the diner first?"

"Absolutely."

I toss her scrubs over but find an old hoodie for her to wear instead of yesterday's top. My cock stirs when she slips it overhead. I like her in my clothes.

We hold hands as we walk to the L. There's a frosty bite in the wind, but even the cold can't bring me down. I'm a thousand pounds lighter than yesterday. Bella knows all my secrets, and she's running toward me, not away.

"Do you think we'll get to sit in Irina's section today?" Bella jokes. We finally found out the name of our favorite waitress.

I laugh, "She's gotten a little nicer."

"Only because you tip well. You better watch out, or she will think you have a thing for her."

"Nope. I've already got a girl." I smile, throwing an arm around Bella and leading her from the train.

"Lucky girl," she quips.

We laugh as we enter the diner, joking about nothing and everything. I haven't felt this carefree in years. It doesn't even bother me when we get seated in Irina's section and earn an eye roll at our giddy moods.

"The usual?" Irina meanders over with a pot of coffee.

"Yeah, but can I get an extra side of sausage with my breakfast?" Bella asks.

"Okay. That it?"

We nod and wait for her to leave before snickering at her oh-so-cheery disposition.

"So you're not going to steal my sausage today?" I tease Bella.

"I've already had your sausage today." She raises a brow, and I choke on my coffee mid-swallow.

"That you have," I laugh.

"So, I don't work tomorrow and Wednesday. Do you want to come over?"

I reach over the table, taking her hands in mine.

"You won't be able to keep me away."

Without warning, because I'm not paying attention to anything but Bella, a figure blocks the light casting a shadow over us. "Tony. How's it going, my friend?"

My body tenses, and my jaw ticks as I recognize the voice of the man behind me.

"Caius," I say, glancing at Bella. She's frowning, working to decipher my reaction.

"Mind if we join you?" he asks, and I notice he's not alone. Felix stands behind him. Fuck.

"I'm kind of on a date," I smirk and nod my head toward Bella, praying they get the hint and beat it.

"We'll only be a minute," Caius says, sliding into the booth next to her. I keep my expression neutral as Felix joins me on the bench.

Caius turns to Bella. "And what's your name, pretty girl?" My hand fists under the table.

"Um, Bella." Her eyes flick to me in uncertainty.

"Beautiful name for a beautiful girl. How long have you known Tony here?"

"A couple of months?" She's uncomfortable. I'm ready to rip Caius apart. Fuck it if he's ahead of me in the pecking order.

"What do you want, Caius?" I ask.

"Calm down, Masen. I'm just getting to know your girl. Seems like you've been keeping her a secret."

Felix scoffs, and I look over, only to have him raise his brows in response.

"Now, Bella. Tony is a tight-lipped kind of guy. See, he works with us and never even mentioned having a girl in his life."

"Because she's none of your business," I snap. Felix elbows me in the ribs, making me grunt.

"Whoops. I slipped." He shrugs.

"Now, under normal circumstances, we wouldn't be too concerned about Tony's girl," Caius continues. He's still talking to Bella, but his message is intended for me. "Keeping your mouth shut is a good thing in our line of work."

"And mine always is," I grit out. "I don't talk work with her."

"Guess you don't talk work with anyone, do you, Masen?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Bella, my dear, did Tony tell you what he does for a living?"

"He's in construction," she answers without hesitation.

"If only," Caius laughs. "No, no, Bella. Our friend, Tony, is a fucking federal agent. Isn't that right, Masen?"

I'm made. How the fuck am I made?

"What the hell are you talking about?" I laugh.

"I'm talking about Aro's fucking link inside the agency telling him we've got an undercover in our midst. Somehow, our books got in the hands of the feds, and we've got days before arrests are made!" He slams the tabletop, causing the few other patrons to look over. Irina is hovering behind the counter, wisely choosing not to get mixed up in trouble.

"And you think I had something to do with it?"

"I know you had something to do with it!"

"And how is that?" I challenge.

"Because you're the only one other than Aro and I that had access to those books."

"And anyone else from that pool hall that found a way into that back office. What about Alec? He's at that bar twenty-four seven."

"Drunk as a sailor every minute of it."

"I'm not a fucking cop, Caius."

"Don't matter." He waves me off. "Not up to me to decide. Get up. Both of you."

"What? What the fuck does she have to do with this?"

"She saw our fucking faces."

"Bella, you don't need to go with us." I shake my head at her, hoping she'll be smart, scream and run.

"Yeah, she does," Felix laughs, pulling a gun from his pocket and pointing it in her direction under the table.

"I recommend you listen to us, Tony. If you want your girl getting out of this alive," Caius whispers.

I suck in a sharp breath. My heart is pounding, and I want to kick myself for leaving my weapon at my apartment.

"It's okay," Bella says. "I'll go with you."

"Bella, no."

"Tony, let's just listen to them."

"Yeah, Tony. Just listen to us." Caius grins, motioning us out of the booth and slapping a twenty down for Irina, who's watching out the corner of her eye.

I want to grab Bella and tell her this is her chance to escape, but Caius quickly gets between us. He's got a gun in his pocket pointed at her back while Felix has his tucked under his jacket, pointed toward me. We're escorted out of the dinner and around to the alley on the side of the building.

"Get in," Caius orders when we reach an old delivery van. The name "Carmen's" is peeling off the side.

"Give me your phones," Felix says, holding out his hand. I pull out my regular iPhone, and Bella hands him hers.

"Nice," he laughs, checking out her cracked screen.

"Frisk him," Caius says, starting up the van.

"On your knees." Felix waves me to get up and pats me down, locating my agency phone in my inner jacket pocket.

"What the fuck is this?" He asks, pulling it out.

"I've got an extra phone. Personal, I don't use it for work."

"Bullshit," Caius laughs. "Give it to me." He reaches back for the phone before rolling the window down and flinging it onto the street.

"Arms," Felix says, pulling zip ties from a bag in the front seat.

Fuck this.

I reach back and slam my palm against his nose. Bella gasps as I reach for the gun tucked into his waistband. He's quick enough to twist away and then shoulder-check me into the side of the van. I wrap my arm around his neck and squeeze, hoping to cut off his oxygen.

"Fucking knock it off, or I put a God damn bullet in the girl's skull!" Caius shouts, and I realize he's turned around and got his gun pointed toward Bella's head. I let up on Felix, who lands a punch to my jaw before sitting up and grabbing the zip ties.

"Fucking, prick," he mutters, getting ties around my wrists. Bella is next, and my stomach drops as I watch him bind her.

"She doesn't need to be here," I growl.

"Yes, she does," Caius chuckles. "Only way you fucking listen is when I threaten her. Aro's gonna love that shit."

I close my eyes and try to find any way to get Bella out of this. I'm fucked, and I know it, but I can't let anything happen to her.

"Where are we going?" She asks.

"To see a friend of ours," Caius says.

We shut up as the van bounces over potholes, taking us into the rougher parts of the city. The parts of the city that hold empty warehouses. The warehouses Aro uses to make people talk and then disappear.

I catch Bella's eye as we pull past a chainlink fence into an overgrown parking lot.

"I'm sorry," I mouth because I have nothing more to say.

"It will be okay," she mouths back.

But fuck me, I know it won't.

A/N: Edward was so close to the end! And now Bella is pulled in, too. It seems like everything is stacked against them...

I'll be back soon ;)