Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Thirty-Two

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 132

Parking my Mustang next to Carlisle's Yukon Denali, I walked into the diner. I had my sunglasses on to try and hide my injuries, but I knew that Carlisle would know something was wrong. I was walking like I was in excruciating pain. That's because you are, dimwit. I saw him in the corner, chatting with a young, pretty waitress. Moving fluidly, I sat down opposite him and barked out an order of coffee. The waitress squeaked, dancing away.

"You look like shit, Edward," Carlisle said. "What the fuck is wrong?" I took off my sunglasses and his eyes widened. "Who attacked your face?"

"Bella. She found out," I spat.

"I'll give the girl some credit for kicking your ass," Carlisle snickered.

I scowled at him. "Dad! This is serious. She knows and she left without protection. I think she was taken by the Volturi," I said, arching a brow. It caused the gash on my temple to ache and I groaned. It started to bleed again.

"You need stitches, Edward," Carlisle grumped, handing me his handkerchief. I held it to my head, giving him a hard glare. "Your cover is blown. We need to pull you out."

"Over my rotting corpse. It's because of me that she's in danger. I'm not dropping this case until she's found. You hear me?" I growled. "Besides, I have an in with the family unless Bella spilled the truth that I was a fed. She was livid and..." The words stopped as my heart constricted. With my free hand, I pressed it to my chest, trying to quell the aching I felt inside.

"She hurt you. More than the bruises on your face," Carlisle said sympathetically. Unable to speak, I nodded. "Talk to me, son."

I don't know if I can...

Taking a deep breath, I began my story. "Last night, I told her that I loved her. We made love and everything in my shitty life felt right. She was the reason for my being here. She is the reason why I'm not afraid to be touched. I...I need her, Dad," I whispered, smiling softly at the memory. "But, this morning, she threw it all back at me, saying that she hated me. I don't blame her, but I have to make this right. She's the reason why that I'm quitting the bureau after this case. She's the reason why I'm going back to get my law degree and take the bar. I want her. But, I'm afraid that I'll never get the chance because of this." A few tears plopped down my face and I wanted to be comforted, but the mere thought of someone who wasn't Bella touching me made me quake with fear.

As weird as it sounded, though, I wanted a hug. I wanted my dad to make it all better.

Carlisle pursed his lips. "Can I rely on you to be unbiased and do your job, despite your feelings for Bella?" he asked, putting on his FBI hat.

"My feelings for Bella will force me to do better, Dad," I said, glaring at him. "But, we have to do something for Charlie and Emmett...they're good guys. Not the hardened criminals like Aro Volturi or James Cacciatore."

"I know. All of your intel has been amazing and there isn't anything that we can pin on them. They never muddy their hands with the business of the organization and there's never a clear link. The only way we can link Charlie to any sort of wrong-doing was the illegal sale of weapons back in May, where he was shot and lost his bodyguard, William Black. The bigger fish is Aro Volturi and his family. They are not as meticulous on their connections. A lot of illegal activities are traced back to Aro and his family. He's the one we've got to bring down. Unfortunately, Bella is the pawn in the game and the one that can get the most hurt."

"No," I snarled. "We have to help her!"

"We will," Carlisle stated, arching a brow. "Call Charlie. Use Bella's phone, just in case Bella did spill the beans on your status."

I nodded and picked up Bella's scuffed up iPhone. I dialed Charlie and waited for him to pick up.

"BELLA, thank GOD! Where are you?" Charlie breathed.

"Not Bella, Charlie. It's Edward," I said, my voice catching. "I need to talk to you."

He sighed, "I figured you might. See you at the house?" he asked.

"I'll be there in twenty minutes with a friend," I said, looking up at Carlisle. He nodded and I ended the call. Tossing some cash on the table, we left the diner.

Just before I got into my car, Carlisle pulled me into his arms. I stiffened. "Edward, trust me," Carlisle whispered in my ear. "I know this is killing you, but we'll get Bella back and I have a feeling that you two will survive this." I choked out a sob, wrapping my arms around his waist. For a few moments, I allowed myself to be comforted by my father who loved me. He just held me, whispering words of comfort in my ear. I pulled back, giving him a watery smile. "Better?"

I nodded. "See you at Charlie's," I rasped as I got into the car and drove to Charlie's home.

As we did, I was shocked at how quickly Charlie acquiesced, especially since Bella was missing. I was calling on her phone. He must have known something had happened between us. I had so many questions and the only answers I could get were from Charlie.

A/N: I know the chapters are shorter, but they just lend themselves to be more succinct. Leave me some!

! Leayޫp