Author’s notes:
What a bunch of whiners you are! LOL j/k
Sorry – I know I left you in a horrible spot. Yes, I am a sadist. I couldn’t let you wait too long though, so here’s the next one. It’s not a lengthy chapter, but it will at least leave you in a slightly better place.
Slightly.
I didn’t get the chance.
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Chapter 86
The back of my neck was burning, but all that went through my head was Bella.
She’s not safe…not safe…not safe…
I was such a fucking idiot. I had let everything I had been feeling for her – with her – take over all my logical thought, and had all but forgotten our actual predicament. I had forgotten the most important thing, which was keeping her safe. My arms went around her, and I flung her down to the ground, covering her with my body as much as I could.
“Edward!”
“Shut up!” I hissed. “Stay down! Don’t fucking move!”
She whimpered, but did as I said. Whoever was shooting wasn’t a great shot, or I’d be dead. I reached up to the back of my neck, which really fucking hurt, but seemed to only be a graze. My hand came back with blood on my fingers, but I wasn’t gushing anywhere - definitely just grazed. I looked over to the little table next to the bed, where my gun was sitting.
Fuck.
I had to get to it, but I couldn’t leave her.
My mind spun around as I tried to think – as I tried to react – but all I could do was think about what an idiot I was for not remembering the person who had tried to follow us from Germany, as well as whoever else might be after either me or her. Now Bella could be hurt again, and there was no fucking way I could let that happen. I took a deep breath, and started to raise myself up. Maybe I could haul her across the floor with me; still keeping her covered while I went for the gun.
I didn’t get the chance.
The door broke open, and splinters of wood flew in every direction. Again, I pulled Bella close. I had fucked this up so bad, but there was no way I was going to let anyone take her away and make her do anything she didn’t want to do. They’d have to fucking kill me first.
Unfortunately, that probably wasn’t going to be very difficult.
The next words I heard both thrilled and condemned me.
“Release your hostage and get your hands where we can see them!”
Cops.
Fucking cops.
They wouldn’t hurt her.
Bella’s hands gripped my arms tightly, and I turned my head to look down into her panicked eyes. I raised my hand off the floor long enough to brush the edge of her cheek with my thumb.
“Release her, now!”
“They won’t hurt you,” I whispered to her. “You’ll be okay…but you have to find Rosalie. You have to get that chip deactivated. You hear me?”
“No…no, Edward! I’ll explain…they won’t…they won’t…”
I shook my head as I heard the footsteps of several people walking farther into the room and closer to where my body covered hers on the floor. I still didn’t make a move to look at them. I did notice a decent sized pile of rose petals under the corner of the bed, where the hotel staff had obviously missed them.
Bella made a strange, muffled sound in her throat.
“Shh…it’s okay,” I told her, stroking her cheek one more time. I wanted to tell her more, and part of me begged to say the words I wanted to say to her, but I didn’t.
“I won’t let them take you!” Bella said with fervor.
“You can’t stop them,” I replied.
“Like hell I can’t!” she snapped, and then she looked up over my shoulder with heat in her eyes. A heat the dimmed quickly, her eyes widening first in shock, and then elation.
The next word after that blasted through my torso and had the potential to have left me bleeding out as much as any bullet could have.
“Daddy!”
I moved to one side as she scrambled out from under me. I heard shouting, but didn’t completely make out the words, though my subconscious must have taken over to some degree, because I placed my hands on top of my head when they told me to. My fingers were still wet from being inside of her, they were covered in her scent. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply right before I felt my arms being wrenched behind me, one after the other, and I heard the distinctive click of handcuffs.
Someone up there hates me, right?
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Chapter end notes:
Ah Doofy…poor guy…please note story title and insert [here].
More tomorrow.
