Happy weekend! There may be one more post today. Trying to focus on UC though. Also gotta get the taxes done this weekend!
For those who missed the FAQs, there will be no BPOV in this story.
"I'm scaring her? God, you're dumb."
Chapter 20
Alice was adamant we tell Bella exactly what we were planning. I wasn't so sure. It's not like I was trying to keep her in the dark about it – not really – I just didn't want to freak her out, and I was pretty sure her reaction to this wasn't going to be what I would expect.
"I think we should just do it," I said for the tenth time. "Bella doesn't need to know what's going on."
Alice stood up from the stool at the kitchen island, walked around the table to the back of my chair, and punched my hard enough in the kidney to make me see stars.
"You are a fucking idiot," she growled as she grabbed another whiskey and sat back down like nothing had happened. I still couldn't breathe right. "This is her life you are dealing with, asshole. You aren't doing any of this without her understanding what the fuck is happening. This is about her, dickhead, not you."
"All right," I gasped as I rubbed my back and side. "We'll tell her. You want me to get her now?"
"No reason to keep her locked up, is there Edward?"
"Nice," I gave her my most sardonic grin and went to get Bella from her room. She was kneeling on the floor in the middle of the room, obviously just waiting there for me to retrieve her.
I still liked it.
Fucking sue me.
The words that had once been a challenge in my head to anyone who cared to listen were now dull and lifeless.
For a minute, I just looked down at her and tried to figure out what it was I actually wanted, but I didn't really get anywhere with that. Why did I like her on the floor, waiting for me? It wasn't just that I found it an attractive pose, though I did. I wasn't just that she was at the perfect height to just tilt her head up and take me in her mouth – though that was also true, and I couldn't pretend I didn't notice. It wasn't just visual, and it wasn't just sexual – so what was it?
I gave up, shook my head sharply and called her name. She responded without moving an inch.
"Come on back to the other room" I said. "There's some stuff we wanted to…um…talk to you about, I guess."
"Yes, Master," she said. He voice was so quiet and small, and I could only figure she was scared, but I didn't know what to do about it.
"It's okay," I told her, realizing what a stupid fucking statement that was as it was leaving my mouth. I ran a hand through my hair. "I mean, Alice is here to help, okay?"
"Yes, Master."
We went back out into the living room, where Alice had set up shop on my couch with yet another shot of whiskey and a cigarette. She had an iPad – one of the new ones, I thought – out on her lap and she was poking around at it.
"You have shit about Aro on there?" I asked.
"Nah – playing Angry Birds," she said. She hit a couple more buttons and tossed it off to the side, retrieving her gun instead. "Did you tell her what you want to do?"
"Not yet."
Without any kind of preamble, Alice started spelling it all out.
"Edward's decided to stop thinking with his dick long enough for his head to grow a conscience," Alice said as she looked at Bella. "Never seen him use one of those before. I guess buying a person is about low enough you start rethinking your lifestyle, huh?"
"She knows what I am?" Bella looked to me.
"Yeah." I tossed myself into my chair. "And what the fuck, Alice? I don't have a conscience? You blow people away for a living!"
"Yeah," she grinned and her eyes went wide and sparking. She looked like an insane, goth clown. "But only the ones who deserve it."
Bella looked down to the ground and started worrying her lip with her teeth.
"Bella?" I reached out my hand and she came to me, taking my hand, dropping to the ground on her knees in front on me, and bowing her head.
"What the fuck?" Alice snarled again. I felt Bella flinch. "Don't fucking do that! Get up! Now!"
Bella cringed against me, her eyes darting up to mine and her fear evident in her expression.
"Is she going to kill me?" Bella whispered.
"No, Bella," I said, trying to sound reassuring. "She's just seriously pissed off at me."
"You got that right!"
"Alice, come on," I said. "You're scaring her."
"I'm scaring her? God, you're dumb." Alice stood and crossed the room in just a couple of strides. I felt Bella lean against my leg as Alice reached down and grabbed her arm, attempting to haul Bella to her feet. Bella's fingers wrapped around mine tightened their grip.
"Shit, Alice – you're still holding the damn gun!"
She glared at me, but holstered it again. She released Bella's arm and crouched down next to her instead.
"I don't know what they did to you," Alice said, "but they're going to fucking pay, you hear me?"
Bella turned back to me, her eyes wide.
"Please…no, Master," she begged. "Please don't do anything."
"Master? Holy fucking shit, Edward!" Alice stood and stomped back across the room. She turned abruptly and glared back at me. She pulled her last cigarette butt - still burning - out of the glass on the floor and dropped it onto the carpet instead. She used her heel to grind it in. At least she knows how to make her point. "Seriously? How fucking sick are you?"
Bella's hand was shaking in mine, and I reached down and placed my other hand on her shoulder, then ran it up the side of her face.
"It's all right," I said, hoping I sounded reassuring, but I probably sounded more like a lunatic, considering the topic. "Alice is going to help. Aro's never going to touch you again."
"Please, Master," she pleaded again.
"Don't be scared," I said. I wondered if that was actually a more brilliant statement than offering her a drink or not. "I mean it – we're going to help you, okay? And when we're done…um…well, you can go. You know – wherever you want."
"Go?" her confusion was evident. "Go where?"
"Wherever you want. Home?"
She stared at me, wide eyed, then looked down, and then back up again.
"I have to be yours," she finally said.
"Why?" I glanced at Alice, who was glaring at me with narrowed eyes and her hand reaching reflexively for her gun.
"If I'm not yours, I have to go back," she said. Her voice was so low I didn't think Alice could have heard her. "If you wish, Master…please – I want to be yours."
"Bella…you don't have to be…like that," I stumbled over my own words, because I had no idea what I was supposed to say. "I'm going to take care of Aro, and then I'll make sure you are taken care of, too."
Her eyes went wide with fear.
"Not that way!" I retracted, realizing she thought I was going to take care of both of them in the same way. "Shit – that's not what I meant. Alice! Help over here, would ya?"
"We kill Aro and everyone else who would know enough to know about you," Alice said bluntly. "Then, either Edward makes sure you're set free and gives you at least twice the cash he paid Aro for you, or I'm going to show him my special way of making death last the whole weekend."
"Thanks," I mumbled.
"It will be my pleasure if you don't follow through," she confirmed.
I looked back at Bella, trying to figure out how she was taking the latest news, but I couldn't understand her expression. It wasn't happiness, I was pretty sure of that. Finally, she looked back to my eyes.
"Please don't," she said. "If anything happens to him, and they know it was you…please, Master – please don't."
I reached back down to her and placed both hands on the side of her face. I leaned close and looked directly at her.
"Tell me why not," I demanded.
"Please, Master," she whispered. "Please, Edward. I can't tell you."
I leaned back and sighed. Alice had plopped back down on the couch and was shaking her head slowly. Apparently, she was also at a loss. Bella was begging me not to go after the man who made her this way, whatever the circumstances. How was I supposed to make this right if the person who needed to have me make it right for them didn't want me to make it right in the first place?
That sentence made sense, right?
Chapter End Notes:
I don't think he could be in any worse shape unless Alice was also a former Language Arts teacher.
Is Bella even going to let them go through with this plan?
If you can handle it - go read A Voice in the Darkness by Katinka. You can find it at the link below, or look through my favorites. It is not pretty. It is not nice. It is not HEA. It is wonderfully done.
