A/N… Really quick… I just wanted to explain county jail. Some of you have been confused as to rehab versus jail. It's still jail. It's inside the same facility, but it's a different dorm. Jasper is still under lock and key, still has a cell, and still has to be counted and monitored everywhere he goes. So… Still jail, just a different dorm than general population. And county jail is completely different than prison. Prison is for convicted felons, and Jasper is only in for a misdemeanor, so county jail will hold him. Hope that helps.

Once again, this is all Edward… I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 13

EDWARD

The ICU was a beehive of activity when Garrett and I walked in. Two officers stood guard outside Charlie's room, and I nodded once to them. It wasn't Clearwater and Yorkie, but I knew them.

My uncle was checking Charlie's pulse when we stepped behind the curtain. Bella's father looked better – weak and bruised but better. He wasn't hooked up to breathing machines, and he was awake and aware.

"Edward," Uncle Carlisle greeted, glancing up from Charlie's chart.

"Hey, Uncle Carlisle," I replied, reaching out to shake Charlie's hand.

"Edward," Charlie rasped, meeting my gaze. "Where are Bella and Alice?"

I smiled sadly, pulling the chair on the wall closer. "You asked me to protect her, sir. Remember?" I asked, and when he nodded, I went on. "Good. Then understand, I'm keeping the girls somewhere safe."

"But they're okay?"

"Yes, sir. Just fine. We've sealed Common Grounds and the apartment building as a crime scene, though, so no one is there at the moment," I explained calmly. When Garrett pulled out his phone to record Charlie, I shook my head. "Wait. Off the record, Charlie. I'm doing my best to stop this shit against you. Before we take your statement, I need to make sure you're not afraid to testify."

Charlie scoffed, narrowing his eyes on me like I was crazy, and it made me grin. "Hell no, son."

Still chuckling, I nodded to Garrett. "I had to make sure, sir. You understand."

"Yeah, kid."

Garrett started recording, and I turned back to Charlie. "State your name and tell me what happened at Common Ground the night you were attacked."

"Charles Swan." Charlie shifted a little, fiddling with the cast on his left arm. "I was working on the fourth-floor apartment, getting it ready to show. The alarm at Common Ground went off. I'm not exactly Speed Racer, so it took me a few to get down to the café. The front door was still locked, but the back wasn't. And ever since Bella's apartment was broken into, I tried to keep my gun close. But I didn't think to have it while I was redoing the damn bathroom upstairs in the middle of the damn day. I thought…you know, at night…to protect the girls…"

Smirking, I nodded as he took a sip of water and kept going. "I walked toward the back door, and I could still hear the alarm, but someone shut it off."

My mouth fell open, and I asked, "Someone knew the code?"

He nodded, rubbing his face. "Yeah, which was why no one was called. But when I opened the door, there were two of them wearing masks. Like those half-face things from the social distancing thing…kinda makes everyone look like a bandit from an old western movie."

"I saw that on the security footage," I told him.

"Yeah, but I could tell who it was," Charlie practically growled. "Jacob Black and Laurent Brunelle. The same ones you arrested for Bella's place."

Sneering, I shook my head and glanced to Garrett. "Shit!" I hissed, raking a hand through my hair and standing up as Garrett paused the recording. "Jasper was right."

"Yeah, he was. He said Hunt wouldn't get his own hands dirty," Garrett concurred softly. "What do you wanna do, Masen?"

"I dunno. Let's finish his recount, and we'll go from there." I sat back down by Charlie as Garrett started the recording again. "Sorry, sir. We were hoping James Hunt had been there."

"He wasn't. It was just the two of them, but when they saw me, they pointed a gun my way. They asked where the drugs were. They knew they were in Common Ground somewhere," he said, shifting uncomfortably in his bed. "They never mentioned anyone else."

Uncle Carlisle reached over, adjusted the pillows, and raised the head of the hospital bed a little. Charlie nodded to him in thanks.

"The drugs were in Common Ground, Charlie. We found them. Maria had hidden them in the dining area in a booth that was in a bit of a blind spot on the security cameras. She'd broken another camera in order to do it," I explained to him. "We think they hurt her enough that she gave up where she'd hidden those two kilos."

Charlie sighed and nodded once. "Well, they didn't know where exactly. They just knew they were in the building. They wanted to start with Bella's office. They forced me at gunpoint to her door, and once I opened it, I felt Jake shift just enough that I was able to fight for his gun. It was a mess. And the space was small. They kicked me and punched me. Both of them. Then Jake made the mistake of not guarding his weapon, and I took it. I fired off two rounds, and they ran."

"You hit one of them. We're still processing everything, but there was blood on the walls," I told him.

"Jake, I think," he said softly. "While we were fighting, I was able to pull at masks, so I know I'm right in who it was. No need to second-guess my testimony." He said that with an eye roll and with a tone that knew how badly witnesses could be torn up on the stand.

"We weren't doubting you, Charlie," Garrett soothed him. "You're just about the most reliable witness we could have."

Huffing a small laugh, I nodded. "No shit." I sighed deeply because this day was rough on so little sleep. Glancing back to Charlie, I said, "I need you to know that Jasper is willing to cut a deal to testify. I need to get him out of county for his safety, but he's… He's better, more clearheaded – clean."

"He's been clean before."

"He hasn't had the lives of his family threatened before," I countered gently. "I'm not saying he's a saint. I'm saying he's trying."

Charlie narrowed his eyes on me. "Are you using my son as bait, Masen?"

"No, sir. I'm using your son to put away a murderer who feels untouchable." I sat forward, resting my elbows on my knees. "Jasper is aware he'll have a target on his back. He's aware that James will come for him. However, when I leave here, I'm going to arrest Black and Brunelle, so that takes away most of James's security. The most loyal ones, anyway."

"Where will he go if he can't go home to my place?" Charlie asked.

"We'll take care of him, sir," I vowed, standing up from my chair. "Just so you know, he still wants a rehab program when we're done…or NA meetings or something."

My uncle, who had been completely silent throughout this whole thing, finally piped up. "I might have a few options for him. I'll get a list together. Some of those places work like a halfway house – room and board, therapy, job placement. It's through some of the free clinics I support."

My eyebrows shot up, but I looked to Charlie again, who said, "I love that boy like he's my own. And if something happens to him, those two girls will not be okay, Edward. I have a grandchild on the way."

"I'm doing everything in my power to keep everyone safe, sir." I met Uncle Carlisle's gaze, and he followed us out to the hallway. I turned to him. "Can you keep him here? As long as he's here, he's safe," I said in a low tone so we weren't overheard.

"I'd planned on it. I also know to watch for anyone following me, so you don't have to worry about that," he assured me in a whisper.

I worried that I'd brought dangerous shit to my family's doorstep, and I nodded his way. "Are you—"

"If I weren't sure, I wouldn't have offered to take them in, son," he stated firmly, keeping his voice low. "Now, do you want me to send you that list of places?"

"Yes, sir." I nodded.

"I'm assuming you'll be arresting those men today?"

Grinning at Garrett's chuckle, I nodded. "Oh, like as soon as I can get Emmett on the phone."

"Then you be careful. And just so you know, everyone is fine. I believe your aunt is planning to cook your favorite tonight, so…"

Garrett cracked up, slapping my shoulder. "In other words, keep your ass safe, Masen, so you can join them for dinner."

"Right," I said through a laugh. "Noted." I directed that to both of them, pulling out my phone. "I'll try my best."

Uncle Carlisle smiled sadly. "You always have, Edward."

~oOo~

"Have we confirmed they're on the premises?" I asked, parking the truck a few streets over from Inferno. There were SPD cruisers and SUVs, but there was also a SWAT team at the ready. Banner was on his phone, using the trunk of a cruiser to work.

Garrett nodded, holding his phone up to his ear. "No, I'm sending two officers to pick up Whitlock. If it's not Clearwater and Yorkie, he doesn't get fucking released. Am I clear?" he ranted at the poor soul at King County.

It had taken way too fucking long to get what we'd wanted at the DA's office. It wasn't that we didn't have our proof but that we were waiting on a judge who was on the eleventh hole of a golf course, because he'd left early for the fucking day. I rolled my eyes at that. Idiotic fucking game, an elitist game. But finally, Emmett simply drove over to the country club, took a golf cart, and got everything we needed signed, sealed, and was on his way to us to deliver our warrants. At this point, the sun was setting, and Inferno would be pretty full with the after-work crowd.

Jasper was being released into the custody of two officers who were going to hand him over to Hope Haven Retreat – one of the treatment centers my uncle had suggested. They were willing to take Jasper right away. And as soon as my warrants were in my hand, we were going inside Inferno to arrest Black and Brunelle.

Because those two were deemed armed and dangerous, this was going to be a big fucking production. This would be a statement to James Hunt that his activities and his men were getting sloppy. Shit was catching up to that asshole.

I shut off my truck and opened the door. Behind the back seat was my gear. I handed Garrett a tactical vest and grabbed my own. The small parking lot of a convenience store was filled with cops and the sound of Velcro ripping, guns being checked, and radio chatter.

But I needed to do one thing before Emmett got there with the warrants. I stepped away, pulling out my phone and calling my aunt's house. I didn't want to use Bella's phone, but I wanted to talk to her.

"Hey, kiddo," Aunt Esme answered immediately. "Why are you calling the house line?"

"Just precaution. Um… Can I talk to Bella, please?"

"Yeah, sure. She's in your room." I heard her walk upstairs and knock on the door. "Bella?" The sound of a door opening came through. "It's Edward for you, sweetheart."

"Oh, thanks," Bella muttered, and immediately, her voice answered. "Hey, how's it going?"

"I… I just wanted…" I took a deep breath and readied myself. "I saw Charlie, and I wanted to let you know he was awake and looked good."

She huffed a laugh. "Thanks. Carlisle called a bit ago with an update, but I appreciate you letting me know."

Smiling, I relaxed a little. "I also need to let you know that we've cut a deal with Jasper. He's willing to testify, and I'm having him moved from county to a facility that will continue with his rehab."

"Seriously?"

"Yes. It was what he wanted. He wanted to protect you and Alice, but he wanted to stay clean, so we worked a deal with the DA."

"But they'll come for him, Edward. He'll… It'll be no better than jail."

"It'll be fine, Bella. Please trust me. On paper, he's released, free to go. Where he's going is not in the paperwork," I explained to her. "And for now, I'm keeping that quiet."

She was silent for a moment, but she finally asked, "Are you… Is this all… Why are you doing this, Edward?"

I huffed a laugh, and it was more out of nerves than humor. "Like I told you before… You've become important to me, even through all this fucking bullshit. You said our worlds were slammed together, but… I need you to stay safe and, along with you, your family." I bit down on my bottom lip, bracing for what I was about to say next. "What you have with them is so fucking good, Bella. You hold on to it, because trust me, that goodness can so easily be ripped from your hands. And I am going to do my damnedest to make sure that doesn't happen. Okay?"

"Okay. Thank you," she whispered.

Emmett screeched into the parking lot, coming to a stop and shutting off his car.

"Beautiful, I gotta go. We're about to raid Inferno, because your dad said Laurent was the other attacker, so we're serving the warrants."

"Edward! Wait!" she called loudly before I could hang up.

"Bella… I've—"

"Just… You need to be careful, too. Promise me."

Smiling, I nodded, even though she couldn't see me. "I promise." I ended the call as Emmett walked to me, holding up two folded warrants.

"Give 'em hell, bro," he said, slapping those bad boys into my hands.

"Thanks, Em."

"Masen!" Banner called me over.

As he showed me where everyone would be, I adjusted my vest, hung my badge around my neck, checked my weapon, clipped a radio on with an earpiece, and memorized the plans of that damned club.

Banner turned to everyone. "Into position. Your leads are Spears and Masen. Your targets are considered armed and dangerous. I need the place surrounded and those men taken alive, because we need to squeeze info outta their asses. Move out."

Garrett and I approached the front doors, and we had four uniforms with us. Bypassing the line outside, I stepped up to the giant security guard at the door.

"Step away from the doors," I told him, gesturing toward the parking lot across the street. I pointed to a female officer and her partner. "Make sure he stays off his radio and his phone."

"Got it, Masen," she said, and I noted that her last name was Hendricks.

The line to get in was disbursed, and I called over the radio, "Spears and I are in position."

Calls back rang in my ear one right after the other. There were teams going in the front and back of Inferno and Nomad's. There were also officers in position at the end of the alley – the same alley in which Paul Lahote had tried to outrun me.

"Everyone on me," Garrett stated over the radio. "Go, go, go!"

We pushed open the doors, at the same time radio calls indicated that everyone else had gone in their entry point. The place was full of patrons, waitstaff, and dancers. There were two on the stage at the moment.

Mike Newton was immediately in front of me. "You can't just—"

I held up the two warrants right in his face.

"Actually, we can," Garrett told him. "I want the music off and the house lights on. Now, Newton. And if you touch anything other than those two things, I'll arrest you for impeding my investigation. Lights, music. Now."

Newton walked to a control panel on the side of the stage, flipping a few switches. The lights came up and the music died down. The Seattle Police Department started to spill in from behind Garrett and me and from the side door that led to Nomad's. The dancers quickly put on robes on the stage, and patrons started to shift out of their seats.

"What's the warrant for?" I heard next to me.

I glanced over to see Angela Weber, taking in everything with wide eyes, and I said, "I need Jacob Black and Laurent Brunelle."

She pointed toward the door at the back of the main room. "In the back. Probably upstairs with James."

I nodded once in thanks, and she gave me a small smile until the unmistakable sound of a gunshot met everyone's ears.

"I've got shots fired somewhere in the back!" I called over the radio. "Everyone, stay sharp."

While uniforms kept everyone calm and in their seats, Garrett and I aimed for the door that led to the locker room and the offices upstairs.

We led our team down the hallway, sending the girls in the locker room out into the main area. Storage rooms, showers, restrooms were all checked and cleared as we took the stairs up to the offices.

Once we turned the corner, shots pinged off the wall behind me. I dove for cover beneath an office desk opposite the corner Garrett was plastered to, but I caught a glimpse of who was firing at us. A few more shots were aimed at the corner where Garrett was waiting for an opening.

"Brunelle, you don't want to do this," I warned him, flinching when bullets thumped into the wood of the desk. "Just drop your weapon. There's nowhere to go."

I locked gazes with Garrett, and he shook his head. I nodded in argument, readying my weapon in both hands.

"You're a shit shot, Brunelle," I taunted him, hoping he'd make a mistake in anger. "You sure you want to play this fucking game?" I asked, and I quickly popped up from behind the desk, already aiming my weapon.

I wasn't sure what I expected – if anything at all – but Laurent standing there with his hands up wasn't it.

Keeping my own weapon trained on him, I said, "Kick the weapon to me."

He did as I asked, and I jerked a chin to Garrett. Our team stepped into the open, and Garrett immediately started with Brunelle's rights, securing his hands behind his back.

"Laurent Brunelle, we have a warrant for your arrest for the attempted murder of Charles Swan, the unlawful entry of Common Ground, and violating an order of protection on the same premises…"

Once I radioed in that we had one of our targets, I stepped into James Hunt's office.

"Holy fuck," I gasped, rushing to the body on the floor.

To say Jacob Black was in bad shape would be an understatement. Aside from the haphazard bandage around his upper arm, his face was a bruised and bloody mess, his fingers looked misshapen and broken, and he was pouring blood out of a bullet wound.

But the fucker was still alive. Barely.

"I need a bus!" I yelled over my shoulder.

The message was carried back to Banner, and he came over the radio.

"Masen, I need an update," he commanded.

"Sir. Brunelle is in custody. Jacob Black has been assaulted and shot. GSW to the chest," I replied instantly. I found a shirt hanging on the back of the door and wadded it up before pressing it to his wound, checking his pulse at the same time. "Black, can you hear me?" I asked, and he barely made a sound as he tried to speak, but he wasn't coherent.

Garrett stepped into the room, stating, "Brunelle says he didn't shoot him, but he said he won't say shit until we get him out of this fucking building."

Locking gazes with Garrett, I raised an eyebrow. "He's the only fucker up here."

Garrett's grin flashed briefly. "And we heard the shot. Think there's another way out? Think Hunt shot him?"

"Maybe…" I trailed off when Black sputtered and his breathing stopped. "Fuck," I said through a sigh. "I was really looking forward to booking this asshole. Death is too easy for this motherfucker."

Garrett cracked up. "Says the guy who thinks Black's ex is the best thing since sliced bread."

I huffed a quick, humorless laugh, because he wasn't wrong. Jacob was an asshole in the way he treated Bella, and she was way too good for him. Hell, she was too good for me, too, but there was a pull to her I couldn't fight anymore.

I called his death and requested the ME and the crime scene unit, but I looked to Garrett, saying, "If Hunt was here, then where the fuck did he go? And how the hell did he get by all of us?"

Garrett gazed around James's office as I stood up from kneeling by Black's body.

He hummed a little, shaking his head. "You know, there's a reason this office has no cameras. Everything we've seen on security video has shit coming into this office, but not out."

"There's a door," I surmised in a whisper. "Hunt did this. I'm fucking sure of it. If Brunelle won't speak here, that means we may have a witness who finally gets us James Hunt."

I looked around once more before turning. "Bring me Brunelle," I yelled out the door.

Two uniformed officers guided Laurent to the doorway, holding on to his elbows.

"How'd he get out of here?" I asked him, holding up my hand when he started to shake his head. "Don't fucking lie. We know he was here, and we know he doesn't have cameras in here for multiple reasons. Just fucking tell us how he got out of this room."

Laurent didn't speak, but his eyes drifted to the safe in the corner of the room. "I'm not saying anything until you assholes promise to protect me," he said, shrugging a shoulder. "You have no idea how deep this goes."

Deep.

I eyed Laurent for a second and then walked to the safe in the corner of the room. The last time I'd been in this office, Garrett had been asking James questions. From where I'd been leaning against the window that faced out over the club, I would've never seen the slight scuffs on the floor. It was faint and partially covered by a rug, but it was absolutely rubbed by repeated usage of some sort of wheel rolling over and over.

The safe came to about mid-chest on me, and before I touched it, I pulled on gloves from my back pocket. It didn't take as much effort as I'd expected, and the safe rolled away from the wall, revealing a small doorway, with stairs leading down.

"This asshole has a secret fucking tunnel," Garrett drawled, rolling his eyes. "God, I really hate that dude."

I let out a chuckle, but I pulled out my weapon, flicking on a flashlight one of the officers was handing to me. "I need an APB out on James Hunt. He's wanted for questioning."

"Copy that, Masen," Banner replied, but I heard him approach through the office. "If you're following that, then take two with you. And watch your asses."

"Sir," I grunted, pointing back to him. "Guard Brunelle like he's the goddamn president. He's gonna live to testify, or I'm gonna shoot somebody."

Banner snorted.

The stairs were dark, and clearly, they'd been used at some point before the club was ever built, most likely. They wound down and passed by a door that opened to the kitchen of Nomad's. Garrett shook his head but jerked his chin for us to keep going. One more flight down, and I could tell we were beneath the ground – a basement level. No windows, and the smell was musty, the air damp. The stairs emptied out into a large, dark room.

"Oh, come on," Garrett groaned, pointing to a disgusting sofa, chair, and even a bed.

Straight across from us was a metal, two-door cabinet with a chain and padlock. There were video cameras aimed toward that foul couch, and I couldn't imagine what activities this room had seen.

"Legit porn isn't good enough? You gotta make gross-ass snuff films?" Garrett asked rhetorically. "And do we even want to know what's in that cabinet?"

There was a split second where all I could see was Bella's face. That's it. Nothing else. Briefly, I wondered what deranged shit they'd have done to that gorgeous girl. She was everything fire and energy, and they'd have ruined her. They'd have broken that electric spirit that I found absolutely irresistible.

"I'mma kill somebody," I said out loud at the mere idea of it.

Garrett smirked. "She's safe, buddy." When I nodded that I'd heard him, he gripped my shoulder. "She's safe, and she can handle you. She's fucking perfect."

I let out a brief laugh, but I pointed to the narrow hallway that jutted out the back of the room. "I gotta know where this leads. He's long gone, though, I'm sure."

We followed that hall down to a set of stairs that led up to another door. We came out onto the sidewalk about three blocks away from Inferno. Across from us was a small community park with walking trails. However, surrounding us were tall, high-rent apartment buildings.

There was no sign of a car or Hunt or people, but I eyed the park. Where we were standing, there was zero traffic or witnesses. It was still and empty. I could've crossed the narrow street and immediately been in the park.

"What do you want to bet Bree Tanner is somewhere in there?" I asked Garrett.

"I'm not taking that fucking bet." Garrett's voice was terse, angry. He spun on his heel, speaking into the radio. "Banner, you may want to come down those stairs, because I have a feeling this will be a long fucking night."

"Christ," I sighed in exhaustion and frustration. "So much for my aunt's pot roast."

Garrett groaned. "And Katie's spaghetti." He slapped my chest with the back of his hand lightly. "C'mon, let's lock down Brunelle, and we can let Banner decide what to do with this super-secret bat cave."

~oOo~

A/N… No more Jacob Black. And will Laurent turn on James?

All updates will be as normal next week. So see you Sunday for When Angels Fall and Tuesday for this one. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)