Descent to Corruption

11

I am on the road for a little over a half hour before the thought registers that they may have the SUV tracked somehow, and with that I waste no time in parking it at the first gas station I spot. All but running inside, I circle to the register where a sleepy attendant sits behind the register, he barely blinks when I ask to borrow a phone and he produces a dusty landline for me to use. Dialing the number that's been burned into my brain since he got the number that ends spelling 'poop', not even one ring passes before he picks up.

Not letting him speak I blurt out a scared, "Clark I need your help."

"Bella? Where the hell are you calling me from? Are you okay?"

I nod my head even if he can't see me, "I-" I see the attendant leaning in, now looking more awake, so I pivot and whisper into the phone, "I'm at a Clam gas station off of Highway 12 on Wilber Road, I don't know exactly what town this is, but can you please pick me up as soon as possible?"

I hear him shouting into the background before he hurriedly replies, "Tom and I are on the way hold tight."

"Clark, please hurry I'm really scared." I say now sniffling, the relief that hits me at hearing his voice makes the tears I had been holding back now come forward.

"Oh Bell, please don't cry we'll be there soon I promise."

I sniffle out an okay and with that we hang up.

I return the phone to the attendant who has returned to his sleepy expression and I walk back to the SUV. Placing the keys inside, I lock the doors before shutting it and stepping to the other side of the gas station. I settle on the sidewalk and pull my knees tight to my chest as I watch the sun lower in the sky.

I'm not sure how long I sit there before the familiar bright blue of Tom's Prius comes whipping into the parking lot. He's not completely parked before Clark runs out and I sprint to him. Jumping into his arms I start crying again and he holds me tight, the relief at seeing the two of them again outweighs any aches and pains I still have.

"Bella! What happened, are you okay?" Tom exclaims as he comes out of the car, rushing over to where we are.

I try to catch my breath, but little hiccupy sobs hold me back from answering quite yet.

"Lets get her back, she can tell us at home." Clark firmly says as he walks us back to the car.

We get back to their place, where Clark and Tom set me up under a mountain of blankets in their living room and as Tom goes to make us all some tea I finally am able to talk. I spill everything that went down from the coffeeshop, all the way to the car chase and subsequent 'kidnapping'. By the end Clark sits back with a furrowed brow and Tom looks just as confused.

"The Rossi name still sounds familiar to me for some reason, I have to check when I go into work on Monday, but I swear I've heard it before."

Looking down at his phone Tom speaks up, "Well the only thing that comes up here is that the Rossi Group is a multimillion dollar operation that deals with imports and exports. The family is famous because they're old money and they're all super hot."

I unconsciously nod, agreeing with the last bit.

'Kidnapper or not I cannot deny they are hot.'

Clark claps his hands, "Okay super hot guys dealing with shady affairs needs to be put out of mind for now, Bells you need to go to sleep and try and forget all of this. Okay?"

I murmur a quiet okay and slump down into my blanket burrito, shoving my head into the layers, hoping to muffle the loud thoughts in my head.

The weekend flies by as I camp out on Clark and Tom's couch and they dote on me. I am reminded why I love them both so much and I resolve to get the two hour wait donuts for Clark as soon as possible.

Sunday night I make the trek back to my apartment and before Clark pulls away he gives me a tight squeeze that makes me feel like it's all going to be okay.

I am a paranoid freak the whole way up to my apartment and when I finally make it up I triple check my locks before settling in for the night.

The next day I am looking over my shoulder the whole way to work, and any previous nervousness I had about returning to work after the robbery fiasco is buried beneath my overwhelming paranoia. Every black SUV I see fills me with dread, and I opt to getting squished between the crowds standing on the bus rather than my usual seat plastered against the window, all in fear of being spotted.

My anxiety has me coming in way too early to work, so I make my way to my beloved coffee cart in need of some caffeine after my restless night.

I am sipping at my drink with both hands as I look down on the clumps of people rushing through the lobby when a voice startles me.

"Now you can't tell me this isn't fate."

I turn my head to spot the beaming smile on Sebastian's face. Decked out in a gray suit that is molded to his built physique I make quick work of checking him out in hopes he doesn't spot me doing it, but by the time I make it back up to his face he dons a smirk that says he knows exactly what I just did.

"It's not fate if you have to camp out at the coffee cart to run into her." Gabriel's brusque voice cuts in.

Still having not said a word I turn to take in his towering form in an equally form fitting blue suit that brings out his eyes. He turns to me and its in this moment I remember we were supposed to go out this weekend.

"I am so sorry!" I blurt out the apology to him before he has a chance to say a word to me, and I continue to ramble now feeling incredibly frazzled that I forgot about our date.

"I swear to you I was not standing you up, this weekend has been one long fiery ball of crazy and not in the good way, and I just got back home last night- you can even call Clark to verify because I promise I was looking forward to it and-"

Cutting me off in the middle of my apology tirade, Gabriel steps closer to me and pushes back my hair to get a look at the deep cut I had tried to hide behind my bangs. It stopped bleeding from the accident, but it was too sore to put a bandage on top of so I was trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible.

"What happened?" He asks, the concern clear in his tone.

I peer around his imposing figure, still suspicious of those around us, but all I spot is an equally concerned Sebastian leaning in to take a look at my face too.

When I take too long to respond Sebastian is prompted to ask, "Are you hurt anywhere else?"

I don't want to panic them anymore, so I shake my head no right away.

"I was in an accident on Friday and I was just trying to process it all in the days after."

'Good god we're calling being kidnapped part of the process now.' I think to myself, but I can't involve them in whatever drama the Rossi's are a part of.

"What type of an accident could have caused a cut this deep?" Sebastian asks as he shoulders Gabriel out of the way to get closer to me and ghost his fingertips over the cut.

"A car accident, but it wasn't my fault I swear!"

Getting nervous again as I recall the crash I begin to ramble once more, "Clark says I'm a bad driver, but I wasn't even the one driving this time so it cannot be blamed on me. Plus this was road rage to the max or something because one second we're making jokes and the next we're tossing and turning on the road. And oh-"

This time I'm the one to cut myself off as it registers I never asked if Leo made it out alright after I woke up.

"Leo...oh my God I didn't even ask about Leo." I whisper to myself, but apparently not quiet enough as the name has both men hitting me with questions.

"You were with the Rossi's?" Gabriel asks me in a pressing tone.

"How the hell did you get dragged in with the Rossi's?" Sebastian follows up.

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Hello!! Exciting stuff is happening!! As always let me know what you think, I love to read your reactions and comments they really do motivate me to continue this story!!