A/N: Long update, hope you guys enjoy! I've missed you all! Also, currently working on an update/sequel to Taken By The Millionaire. So, keep your eyes peeled for that.
He was nowhere to be found when lunch was served, and dinner was no different. It was serene to be out on the water after so long being on land- all that I heard was the crash of the waves against the side of the yacht and the call of the birds that flew around us occasionally. The sun was shining on us for hours and the drinks were flowing, so an onlooker would definitely mistake this as a luxury vacation.
Despite being in the middle of what most though to be paradise, I was a ball of nerves every time I thought about what was going to happen in the next day or two. This yacht was spacious and beautiful, but nothing could distract my treacherous mind from what was to come. Edward made it seem like a walk through the park, saying that we would just show up and take the children in one fell swoop. What if it wasn't that simple? What if we got hurt? I valued my life- there were plenty of things that I still wanted to in my life. I wanted to be married, to have kids, to go sky diving, to live. Edward was the type of person that was very calculated, but he also had a streak to him that screamed I really don't give a fuck.
So, yes. I did have a reason or two to worry about what would happen.
As much as I feared for my safety and the safety of these children, I also thought about Edward's wellbeing as well. He was an asshat but his heart was unmatched. Here he was, in a place he didn't belong- and he was here because of me, for me. He could have sent one of his many henchmen or associates, but he came with me himself. Why exactly? He couldn't stand me, he had made that clear since our split. He couldn't possibly still have lingering feels of mushy-gushy love, and he hardly ever had free time to just kill. So why did he come? Was it because of his control-freak tendencies? Did he have to oversee every single little thing himself? Did he think I was so stupid and insipid that I couldn't do something meaningful like this without his presence?
Regardless of his reasons for being here with me, this was it. If something terrible happened to him, I would be the sole blame.
I sighed heavily as I plopped down on the swim platform on the back of the boat, sliding my wedges off my feet so that I could dip my toes in the water. We were anchored here for the night and promised to have our journey continue in the early hours of the morning, which made me slightly apprehensive. Who knew what lurked in these waters? Pirates? Gangsters? A Kraken? Who knew when it came to Capotia! But this was the fastest and least conspicuous mode of transportation to get to the remote part of the island, at least according to Edward's grand plan.
"Miss Swan, is everything alright?" I recognized the voice, so I didn't even need to turn around. This one seemed to be Edward's favorite bodyguard, a short but sharp-eyed Italian man near my age. When I didn't answer, he cleared his throat. "Mr. Cullen would not approve of you being in the dark in the water like this. It could be dangerous."
I didn't dignify that with a response. Mr. Cullen was his boss, not mine. If I wanted to cool myself down by wiggling my toes in the water, I would. I was a great swimmer, and I didn't have a buzz. These people needed to let me be. "I'm fine." I said finally. I didn't want to come off like a rich elitist that couldn't be bothered to answer the help. It was just the fact that he was Edward's messenger that irked me!
The guard seemed to shuffle where he stood, still not satisfied with my response. "I can escort you back to your room if you are ready." He stood there still, going from one foot onto another.
"No." I replied numbly. He was not the first henchmen I had ever met, and I doubted that he'd be my last.
"Miss," he tried more firmly, "I need you to come with me back to the main deck."
I felt him more take small steps forward as if to help me up, and I didn't doubt that he would get a firm grip on my arm once he had his chance. But he was too slow.
I leapt forward into the water and splashed about until I was facing him.
He looked as if the color had gone from his face as he watched bob up and down in the cobalt blue waves. He started to reach for his pockets, no doubt to radio or walkie talkie or text his boss about what I had done.
"Snitching on me?" I taunted. The man looked at me and then towards the water before straightening up. "Tell your boss that I'm taking a swim, because I'm a free citizen and I don't give a damn what he likes or doesn't like." When he still didn't reach for his device, I smirked. "If you're worried that I'm in grave danger, then come in." I beckoned waspishly. He took a big gulp as he weighed his options, ultimately taking a step back.
"Are you afraid… of water? You can't swim?" I taunted the bodyguard mercilessly. These men made my life so difficult throughout my years around my father, and now around Edward. It was always cut and dry and making you follow on orders.
I used to have a short fuse with bodyguards/associates/henchmen/minions. When I was younger, I'd yell and scream and make a big fuss. Now that I was older, I decided I would show a little more tact and be simply infuriating to them.
He finally stomped away at the ringing of my childish laughter. Maybe I shouldn't have teased the poor guy so much, but these guys took their jobs way too serious. If someone has a gun to my head, please be G.I. Joe. For anything less risky, like putting my feet in the water, they needed to know to leave me the hell alone. I was lost in my own thoughts, not paying attention to anything around me, when I felt my head get pushed under the water. It was so unexpected that I swallowed a solid cup of salty water and burned my eyes as I came up to the surface, flailing for my life.
I was pulled against another person's body and held up above the water long enough for me to rub the water from my eyes and to get a deep breath in. "What the…" I let the word trail off as Edward's face came into view, a scowling mess of olive-colored skin. "What did you do that for?" I barked out. He had done this before, oftentimes when we swam together- he would rough play with me in the water and dunk my head under water for a second or two.
This was malicious! And I didn't want to play with him, in any manner at all!
One of his arms was holding my waist and as much as I tried to push off of him, he held me still. "You wanted to go for a swim, correct? I came to join you."
I scowled back at him. I wanted to get my teeth pulled out more than I wanted to ever do something enjoyable like swim with him. "Let go. I'm going to my room." I pushed his arm away at last, lapping my way back to the swim platform.
"Oh, really?" His voice was right beside my ear. "According to my staff, you couldn't be dragged out of the water a minute ago." His voice was edged in mirth, as though this was actually amusing to him. I wouldn't be caught dead being so close to him, in the water, or anywhere else! My feelings were dead and gone, and for good reason- I didn't need to do anything foolish to spark anything back up. The way we used to be… just a look could get Edward started. Let alone our soaking wet bodies against one another!
I all but threw myself on the platform and snatched a nearby towel. "And tell your spies to leave me alone!" I said in a huff, stalking away with as much indignation as I could muster. Edward ruined every bit of fun that I could possibly have! He knew exactly what he was doing, too! I slammed the door behind me once I made it back into my suite.
I hated him.
I slept just a few winks the entire night, so when the loud cutting blades of the chopper above us shook the boat, I welcomed it. I threw on my ready-made outfit and braided my hair at top speed, suddenly very amped to do what I knew I needed to do today. The staff had brought breakfast into my suite very early, but I could hardly eat anything. Knots in my stomach kept me nauseous but also on my toes all morning. I held my sneakers in my right hand as I ran up the stairs to the main deck, not wanting to risk even the smallest chance of getting left behind.
Edward had his back turned to me, but he was still impeccable in his jeans and fitted black T shirt. He was speaking rapidly to his men, whom were all suited in tactical gear rather than their usual stuffy Men in Black suits. I knew some Italian, so it wasn't completely lost on me- most of my dad's associates had been Italian and Italian-American, so the language was around a lot. But I couldn't deny the sizzle of desire that rushed to my cheeks to hear him manipulate his native tongue so well. There were times where he would whisper different phrases into her ear, against her shoulder, along her spine…
I shook my head to dispel myself of those thoughts. That was the past.
As if sensing me, Edward turned around and acknowledged my presence with a stern nod to the chopper. I slid on my shoes and tied them tightly before climbing into the aircraft, taking the offered headgear from the pilot as I settled into my seat. The blades were still whirring so I had no idea how Edward could even hear himself think, but he didn't falter. When he was done shouting commands, I saw him tuck his strap into the back waistband of his jeans and head towards me. It made me uncomfortable at the idea of him needing to actually use it. My dad had imparted wisdom on me at a young age to never carry a firearm on my person, to always allow another to hold that responsibility. In all of the mafia dealings that my dad was a part of, he never carried his own gun.
"That's what they're here for." Her dad reminded her with a tone of scorn as he gestured to the hordes of bodyguards that patrolled their estate, including the ones standing not but five feet away. "These are the guys that do the dirty work. Never get your hands dirty, Isabella. I've built all of this," he gestured to the grand estate that they lived on, making young Bella's eye twitch, "with dirty work. You," Charlie pressed his calloused knuckle down on the iron wrought table they were having lunch on, "do better." And with that, he went back to flipping through his newspaper and sipping on his cappuccino.
Edward climbed into the helicopter's seat next to me, suddenly taking up all of the space in the room. How did he do that so nonchalantly? It was one of my pet peeves about him, of the many. He commanded a room wherever he went, and he didn't even have to speak. Most of the time it was in his silence that he spoke the most. His pointed looks, his little noises of impatience, his outward sense of power. People, women in particular, picked up on those cues immediately. There wasn't a party that didn't see at least a handful of women clawing at his arm, trying to edge into a conversation with him. Men tripped over themselves to carry conversation with him, too. It reminded her so much of her how her dad had been in his prime days.
"We're going to land in just a few minutes. Stay with me the entire time and don't open your mouth. I'll do the talking." Edward sighed with his last word.
"This is my mission." I was indignant. This was so typical of him to try and bully his way into controlling what I was doing! I was not his little puppy dog girlfriend anymore, I had my own separate brain and thought processes! "You don't know any of the contacts that are there. They speak English." I hissed. "Besides, this needs to be handled with grace- and let's face it, you're lacking."
Edward ignored my biting remarks, instead choosing to bark orders to the pilot about the best place to land. I crossed my arms to stop myself from strangling him. He knew how much it bothered me to be treated like an invalid! If I wasn't so desperate for his help, I would have tried to boot him right from plane we were in.
As we landed, a hoard of children was seen running into the dry field below us. They were clamoring, laughing, and screaming at the sight of our helicopter. Had they never seen one before? Or had they just been cooped up that long? Edward tried to help me out of the lift, but I snatched my hand from his and ran towards the children, a smile on my face. So far, they had merely been faces on a screen and a thought at the forefront of my brain. But they were real! They were here, in need of help, and that's exactly what I was giving them. It made my heart swell two sizes bigger just thinking about the life they would be able to have after the next hour was over. They would be out of this hellhole and off to begin another part of their lives.
Three of them clung to me at a time, all speaking loudly in their native languages. Not all these children were from here, some had been trafficked from their hometowns or simply stolen in the night. Once they were safely put in Italy, Zac and the team at Children Safe Global would be able to start the process of tracking down where they belonged. I walked along the grass border until we came to the front of the Mission church that they had been staying in, a Nun in white and brown dressings waiting for me as I got there.
"Hello." I started timidly. I didn't really know what to say to her. She and her Sisters had been living on crackers and canned meats for weeks now, waiting on someone to show up and help them. Getting supplies to the Sisters was almost impossible, everything had to be sent through Capotia's mail system and it had to be in such low quantities that it wouldn't raise suspicion. Not to mention, there were no cars or modes of transportation at the Mission- how had the Nuns traveled back and forth to collect the mail?
So many thoughts swam through my head.
"We are eternally grateful for everything you have done, Miss Swan. By God's hand, may you carry on giving your blessings to those in need." She gripped my hand tightly, the wrinkles around her mouth tightening with her words. "We have prayed for months that we would be helped, we prayed day and night until our knees grew weak. And now you've arrived, falling from the sky like one of His sacrificial angels. God Bless you, Miss Swan." It brought tears to my eyes when Sister Gerta spoke like that. She was often a woman of few words, hardly ever saying anything on our Zoom calls to talk over plans and give updates.
I was so far from being an angel, and so many men thought of my dad as Satan… but she didn't need to know that. "Thank you, Sister Gerta."
Edward interjected himself with the clearing of his throat, causing both of our eyes to snap towards him. The spell was broken, and I didn't feel like an angel falling from the sky anymore. I was as he saw me- annoying, insufferable little Bella. For a second, I had completely forgotten that he was here. "If the children and the Sisters are ready, the vans are here." He was rigid in his words, not giving one ounce of warmth or charm like he usually did. I had seen him nearly charm the skirt off of a Nun once- he must be truly on edge today.
The plan was that the children would travel by van to an awaiting charter plane, kept at a location Edward hadn't explained very well to me. He simply said that the children would be safe and that a 'friend' of his had owed him a few favors. I rallied the children into the van one by one and helped the Sisters in at last. I looked around for luggage and produce but didn't see anything. "Sister, where is the food? And their belongings?"
Sister Gerta looked over me with a deep sadness in her eyes. "What they have on is all they have. And food ran out yesterday afternoon." Edward stiffened beside me, most likely wrestling with his own demons and ancient history. He was a starving kid once; he knew exactly what they were going through. I didn't know what to say so I merely nodded and tucked in the last child.
"There will be two planes ready to take off in the next thirty minutes. Whether all of you are boarded or not, it will leave. When you land, you will be on free territory. There will be food and plenty of space for the children. Good luck, Suora." Edward instructed her swiftly. I gave everyone one last look over before I manually closed the van door, saying my own little prayer for their travel.
The walk back to our helicopter was drenched in silence until I couldn't take it anymore. What was going on his head? What was he feeling? What were his thoughts? "You're good at this." I muttered in his direction. He didn't give me one of his famous shit-eating grins at the compliment, but he shifted his eyes in my direction before looking away again. "Maybe this was fated to happen. You, being a starving street kid… and them, being helpless kids from the streets. I know it probably brought back a lot of bad memories for you. To come from nothing and then-" I was trying to tread very lightly on this subject. Sometimes he was willing to talk about it, sometimes he'd shut me down faster than I could swallow.
His dark, bitter chuckle felt like a sharp jab in my side. "I travel with a private chef; I own massive properties around the world. I take planes to avoid traffic. Hell, I could pay for someone to wipe my ass every time I get off the toilet, if I wanted to- and they'd do it gladly." His words were coming through gritted teeth. "Have pity on someone else."
I closed my mouth at his words. I was only trying to empathize with him and connect on a friendly level. In times like these, I remember exactly why I walked away from him. Sometimes I could get so disillusioned by his charm and those fingers and the way he looked when he smiled… well not anymore! From here on, he could kiss my ass.
We strapped into our seats and rode in silence all the way back to the yacht, with Edward taking updates about the children without telling me anything. I wanted to bombard him with questions and concerns, but I stayed silent and chose to be patient. If something was wrong, he'd tell me. We circled the area of water where we had left this morning, but the forty-foot yacht was nowhere in sight. Edward startled prattling off words I didn't understand, and the pilot was yelling right back at him. His hand closest to me started to clench into a fist, which was never a good thing. I started to worry that something was going to happen, or had already happened, but I tried to stay quiet. Nothing I could say right now would mesh with his temper.
He took his phone from his pockets and started making call after call, each one shorter than the next. "Don't worry, Bella." He said to me as an afterthought. I was going to say something nonchalant but decided to just nod instead. If he was going to stay cool, calm, and collected then so was I. In between calls, he barked out coordinates to the pilot and we immediately left the area. I tried to train my eyes to stay looking out of the window, but I was drawn back to him. After his last call, he pinched the bridge of his nose and stayed quiet. It took all of my training as my father's daughter to keep quiet and be patient. If I hounded him with more questions, he would snap and then we'd get into another one of our famous arguments.
This was too good of a day to waste on his moodiness. When we landed, I would get in contact with Zac and get my updates. I didn't ever need to doubt that where we were going was safe, that was something Edward always promised me. I would always be safe with him.
If only my heart had that same promise.
