A/N: Yeah, I've always hated cliffhangers, but now I understand why there are such things. I hate myself for doing it, but I love y'all for wanting to know what's going to happen. I hope you have a wonderful week.
ENJOY!
02/18/2024
Rear-view Town
Chapter 12
Paul immediately worried for his father in-law as he witnessed him vomiting. "Charlie, what's wrong?"
Charlie wiped his mouth with the handkerchief he pulled from his pocket. "He's coming after me."
Paul turned to look at his brother and shook his head before he turned back to Charlie. "You can't be alone anymore. I think you'll be safer on the res."
"He's forcing me out of my own home." Charlie closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"You can have a couple of the pack stay with you if you prefer, but you can't be alone. Even at work." Paul hoped his father in-law would listen to reason. He was starting to learn where his wife got her stubbornness. In a situation like the one they were dealing with, he hoped Charlie would sit all that aside until they knew they were completely safe.
The bile started to rise in Charlie's stomach, again. "This is bullshit."
"It is, and you know Bella will want you at the house. The whole downstairs is yours. You know she won't have it any other way." Paul patted Charlie on the shoulder. "If I don't at least put the offer out there, you're only getting three grandkids out of us because your daughter will rip my balls off if I don't."
Charlie chuckled as he shook his head, not believing how much his life had changed in the last ten years. He was living in a full blown fairy-tale.
When Paul walked through the door at his house later that evening, he could feel his wife's heartache. He went to her right away. Charlie was sitting at their kitchen table with sullen features present across his face. He had just finished telling Bella what had happened. She knew something was amiss when her dad showed up carrying a duffle bag. Thankfully the triplets were still sleeping. They absolutely love their Pop-pop and if they knew he was in their house, they would be wide awake and bouncing around the house like they drank 3 Red bulls.
Paul wrapped his arms around Bella. He could literally feel her sadness. "Why is he doing this? This isn't him."
Paul knew that was a rhetorical question. "I don't know, Angel, but it's getting out of hand. He's threatening our family now."
Charlie helped himself to a beer that he had brought with him and popped it open. He wanted to drink every last drop of alcohol he could find. His heart broke for his daughter, and he was scared to death. He feared that no matter how much protection he had, Edward would get to him one way or another.
"We'll get him," Paul said assuredly. "He'll slip up just like he did with his phone."
Bella looked up at Paul. "Do Esme and Carlisle know?" Then she turned to look at her dad. "Maybe they could help us. I mean, them and the others."
One of the babies decided they wanted to wake up, so Paul went to check on them. It was nearing two in the morning. Creed was all the way up against the side of his crib. It pissed him off when he couldn't move away. Thankfully he didn't wake the girls when he began to fuss. "Hey, buddy. You trying to wake up your sisters." Once he picked him up, he grabbed the wipes and a diaper and headed to the living room and changed him. Creed kept rubbing his eyes, so Paul hoped it wouldn't take long to get him back to sleep.
He went straight to Bella as soon as Paul walked into the kitchen. Charlie turned his head long enough for Bella to raise her shirt for Creed to latch on. Bella draped her shirt over his head once he was settled. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow. The room downstairs is all set up with clean sheets." Charlie stood from the table, chugged the rest of his beer and rinsed the can before putting it in the recycle bin.
"You got towels down there?" Charlie knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. His head was already twisting with every possibility. He had the next day off, but he knew he needed to get everyone together so they could make a plan. They needed to ask the other Cullens for help. They were stuck between a rock and a hard place if they kept trying on their own to capture Edward.
"In the bathroom closet." Charlie leaned over and kissed the top of Bella's head. "Night daddy."
"Night, kiddo." He reached down and patted the top of Creed's foot. "Night buddy. Pop-pop loves you."
Paul finished the last of his ice water. "I'm gonna go shower." He kissed his wife before lifting her shirt to look at Creed. He was back to sleep just as he figured he would be. "Do you want me to put him down?"
"Please." Bella gently pulled her nipple from Creed's mouth so Paul could lift him up. "He's getting so heavy."
Paul gave Bella a small peck on her lips before he exited the kitchen leaving Bella alone. She leaned back in her chair and sighed. She wondered what they could do before her mind wondered to her school friend and ex co-worker, Mike. Her heart was aching so much for his family that she couldn't contain her sadness.
The next morning, Edward sat with a smug look on his face as he watched as Bella was being consoled. Paul wrapped her in his arms as she sat on his lap at the table. Edward wished he had put audio on the camera in their kitchen, but their living room was the room they migrated to mostly.
Charlie sat across from them, and the babies were each sat in highchairs while they shoved food into their mouths. Edward wasn't surprised at how fast the babies were growing. He had noticed they were already sitting up on their own and beginning to crawl. They would be walking before too long, so he knew he needed to get his head out of his ass and do something. He needed Bella. He was craving her so badly and hated that he no longer had anything with her scent on it.
The day he had broken into their house to put the cameras in, he had taken one of her shirts, but put it back because it smelled different. She smelled different and he was sure it was because she had been imprinted on and was no longer a virgin. Edward closed his eyes and took a deep breath to get that image out of his head. If things went his way, he would tear Charlie to shreds and keep Bella chained up so she could never leave him again. "Yes, Edward, you have lost your mind."
The following evening after Charlie had found his threat, the elders had called a tribal meeting. The entire pack and their imprints had to attend with no exceptions. Rebecca and Rachel stayed with the triplets while Paul and Bella attended. Charlie had been told to be there, as well, now that he was staying with Paul and Bella. There had been a direct threat made towards him, so his protection was dire.
"We don't leave the res alone. Two or more no less. Let's call it a buddy system. Anytime you leave your home, someone else needs to be with you. This is in effect until the threat has been dealt with." The six people that sat at the elders table nodded their heads in agreement. "The permission for the few vampires allowed here is suspended until further notice."
Billy raised his hand to speak. "If my understanding is correct, they have agreed to help us. They're feeling threatened, as well. I think we need to have a meeting with the ones who are willing to come here so everyone knows who has permission to be here so there's no misunderstanding."
That was news to Bella. She had only communicated with them through text or calls. Neither had relayed to her their concerns where Edward was involved. She knew that they were completely against his actions. She wondered who had talked to them and when.
By the end of the meeting, Bella had made the decision to contact Alice and Emmett. She hoped that Carlisle had already spoke with them and conveyed how much their help was needed. She missed them anyway but hated that it had to be a rough situation that brought them home.
Paul had decided to head out with Jake and Sam to patrol for a couple of hours. Charlie had said he would make sure that Bella got home safely. As they walked along, Bella had looped her arm through her dads. It was only three blocks to her house, and she loved having a little time alone with Charlie. It was the father and daughter bonding moments that she cherished the most.
"I just want you to know how proud I am of you. You're a great mother and I kind of like your husband." Charlie patted her hand then gave it a little squeeze.
Bella laughed. "I kind of like him, too. I might keep him around for a while." Then she opened her mind to Paul. "I'm looking for the love of my life."
"Hi, Angel. Is everything okay?" Paul had jumped over a small creek just as they began their communication.
"I just wanted to tell you that I love you and I can't wait until you get home."
"I love you, more, Angel. Kiss the babies for me."
They closed their minds as Bella and Charlie approached her house. Something wasn't right as Bella noticed her car was parked along the sidewalk instead of in her garage. She looked up to her dad. "Did you move my car before you went to the town hall?" Bella and Paul had left before Charlie, so she wasn't sure if he needed the space in the garage for something else.
Before either of them could take a deep breath, they were being clutched around their necks by a very sadistic looking Edward Cullen. "Just the two I've been waiting for." Bella and Charlie were clawing at Edwards hands that held their throats. They could still breathe, but they couldn't move. "We're taking a little trip." He raced to where Bella's car was parked. "Your babysitters were none the wiser when I went in to get your car keys."
Edward threw Charlie and Bella into the backseat of the car not caring if it hurt them or not. Then he cracked each of them with a punch to knock them out. He knew precisely where to hit them so they would pass out.
Paul knew something was wrong the moment his heart clenched, and his stomach rolled. "Angel?" He had his mind wide open to her. "Angel? What's going on?"
When there was no response from her mentally, he threw his thoughts to the phased pack. "Something's wrong. Bella isn't answering me, and my gut is telling me something isn't right."
They all met in a small clearing and phased to their human form. "Jake, head home to mom and dad. Check around to see if they've heard from her. I'm heading home. The twins are there with the babies." Paul reached for his phone and pressed Bella's saved number. It went straight to her voicemail. "Hi, Angel. Please call me back. I love you."
As soon as Paul walked through the back door of his house, everything appeared normal. He could hear the TV playing and one of the babies was making a big spectacle about something. When he entered the living room Rachel was pacing the floor with one of the girls. "Is Bella home?" The twins shook their heads. "Is Charlie home?" They shook their heads, again. "Where the hell are they?"
"Are they supposed to be here?" Rebecca asked without looking away from the TV.
Paul turned to go look upstairs. "Angel!" But as soon as he walked into the room he shared with his wife, something more twisted his stomach. Something told him to go to the garage.
Rachel was finally able to lay Ember down. "What's he doing?" She asked Rebecca.
"He's looking for Bella and Charlie." Rebecca sat up on the couch and placed her feet on the floor just as Paul came rushing down the stairs and to the garage.
"Bella!" As soon as he yanked the door open, his heart stopped. Her car was gone and in its place was a message written in blood. "SAY GOODBYE MUTT."
Paul roared at the top of his lungs. Rachel and Rebecca ran to see what was going on only to find their brother down on his knees with his head in his hands and ran to him. "Paul?"
When they noticed the writing, they gasped in horror. "What the hell is that?"
Paul knew he needed to pull himself together as his sisters wrapped their arms around him. "We need to call dad." Paul wiped his eyes as he opened his mind. "Angel, where are you?" It was like knocking on a door to an empty room. It was like Bella was there, but not answering. "Angel, please answer me. Where are you?" Paul's heart felt like it was being torn from his chest and the only thing he could think to do was phase and call the pack. "Go inside," he tells his sisters. "I have to let my wolf out."
The twins hustled into the house without any questions and grabbed their phones. Rachel called Cora. "Mom, something's wrong. Bella and Charlie are missing."
"What? What do you mean missing?" Cora asked confused. "Where's Paul?"
Just about that time, they heard the howl, from their brother, to call the pack. "He had to let his wolf out. You probably just heard him. He made us come inside." Rachel started to cry. "We don't know what to do."
"Oh, dear God, no!" Cora's hand went to her mouth. "Stay in the house." She tells her daughter. "We'll be there shortly."
Billy came rolling into the living room just as another agonizing howl from his oldest son echoed across the res. "Cora?"
Cora ended her call with Rachel. "We need to get to Paul and Bella's right now."
"I heard the distress call. What's going on?" Billy followed his wife as she grabbed her purse and keys from the peg by the door.
"Bella and Charlie are missing." Billy wasn't sure what washed over him. The thought of his daughter in-law and best friend being taken was causing his blood to catch fire. "Bill, we gotta go. The girls are with the babies, and they need us."
It sounded like a freight train roaring through Billy's ears. "Core, something's wrong."
"I know, honey. Our kids need us." She leaned down to place her hands on her husband's face. She noticed he was burning up, but she also knew all wolf lines ran hotter than a normal human temperature.
Billy snapped out of his fog and looked at his wife. "Something really doesn't feel right."
"We need to find out what happened and why they think they're missing." Cora held the door open as Billy rolled through it. She followed him to their van and helped him inside.
On the outer edge of the res, the entire pack had gathered per Sams order. "We're on the highest alert. Charlie Swan and Paul's imprint were taken. We're positive it was Bella's ex, Edward. He's the one we've been after. I'm submitting a kill order."
"He has my imprint," Paul said angrily. "He wrote a message to me in blood on my garage floor. He used Bella's car to take them."
The entire pack broke out in angry chatter just as a sharp pain ripped through Paul's head that brought him to his knees. His arms were wrapped around his head as he screamed. "Angel!" Paul screamed over and over for his imprint. The wolf pack was dumbfounded as to what was happening to him. "Oh, my God, Angel! What's happening?! Where are you?!"
The pain began to subside as his thoughts began to clear. "Paul?"
"Angel, where are you?" Paul made sure he only spoke through his mind because as soon as he figured out where the bloodsucker took his family, he was going to rip Edward Cullen from limb to limb.
Paul could literally hear her groan. "I don't know."
"Tell me what you see around you." Paul's heart was racing. If he didn't calm down, his wolf would come out and possibly do more damage than good.
"Paul!" Someone yelled for him making him look up. It was Jake. "Have you tried to talk to her?" He pointed to his head.
He nodded. "I'm trying." He was holding his chest. "It hurts, Jake. It hurts so bad."
Jake knelt down next to his brother. "We'll find them. He has Charlie, too. Right now, you need to clear your head because you're the only one who can talk to her."
"Angel?" Paul tried to talk to her again. "Are you okay?" He kept rubbing his chest. "Is Charlie, okay?"
Bella couldn't see where she was because it was completely black. She didn't know where Charlie was and her communication with Paul was sketchy because she kept going in and out of conscientiousness. "I don't know," she mumbled. "Black. It's Black."
All Paul could decipher was that everything was black. He assumed that she couldn't see anything. "Angel, where's Charlie?" Paul knew people were standing around him, but his wife was more important.
"Don't know. Can't see."
Paul glanced around. "We need to call the police or someone that can track Bella's car. It has GPS."
Billy rolled up to his son. "We'll find them."
"She doesn't know where they are, and she doesn't sound right. I know it's just head talk, but she sounds drugged."
Paul kept his mind open just in case Bella tried to talk to him. He hoped that she could find out where her and Charlie are.
All Bella knew, as she slowly woke up, was that she was in a pitch-black room. She wasn't uncomfortable which surprised her. "Dad?" She called out, but all she heard was her own voice echo.
Then she heard him. "Do you honestly think I would put you two in the same room?"
"Edward?" Bella tried to raise her hand to rub the side of her nose that had a tickle bugging her. She noticed her arms were strapped down. "Edward? Why are you doing this?" She still felt groggy and weak.
"You just had to have time alone." He flipped on a dim light so Bella could see him. "You screwed everything up. You're my singer. Don't you understand that? Mine, Bella. Mine!"
Bella had no idea what he was talking about. "Edward, you need to take me home to my babies. They need me."
He chuckled. "you're nothing to them anymore. I have you back where you're supposed to be."
"NO!" Bella tried to yell, but her voice was stuck in her throat. "Please, Edward. Please don't do this. My babies need me, and I need them. Please, Edward."
Edward stepped closer to where Bella was laying and gave her a perfect view of his blood red eyes. It was nauseating to her to see his eyes that way. He had told her once about his past and only killed the people that meant harm to someone else, but the person she knew, the person she had once loved was definitely not the person standing next to her. "Why are you doing this?" She glanced down to see an IV with clear fluid and another with red fluid in it. She was assuming that was her blood.
Edward reached out for Bella's left hand. He slid her wedding rings off then hissed when he saw that she had tattooed Paul's name around her ring finger. "How could you?!" He glowered at her. If he could cry, he would. Seeing that tattoo only made him angrier. "Not only have you let him defile your body, but you've also let him defile your skin, too."
Bella closed her eyes to concentrate on speaking to Paul. "He has me hooked up to IV's. He's taking my blood."
I'm so sorry.
Thank you,
RTB