Mafia Princess

Chapter Thirty-One

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter Thirty-One

EPOV

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Bella said. She was close to losing it. Seeing Billy in the casket obviously rattled her.

"Go with her, Edward," Charlie insisted. Planning on it, boss.

"Daddy, it's the ladies room," she complained. "Besides, you need protection. Emmett's taking care of Jacob."

"Seth is here. I'll be fine," he said. Seth walked in and he gave me a smile. Then, he sat down next to Charlie, his eyes furtively looking around the room.

Bella sighed, walking to the rear of the funeral parlor. Her steps were uneven and her breaths were coming in irregular pants. She caught her hand on the wall and started hyperventilating. "Bella, you've got to breathe," I whispered as I crouched in front of her. Her brown eyes were panicked, terrified and pleading. Tears were falling down her cheeks. With a gasp, her eyes rolled and she slumped. I caught her, sweeping her in my arms. Kicking the door open of the parlor adjacent to Billy's, I was grateful it was empty. I carried her slight, unconscious form in my arms to a floral couch. I sat down, holding her in my arms, cradling her against my chest.

Gingerly, I ran my fingers down her flushed, damp cheek. She looked so small and sad. So unlike the spunky girl from this morning who challenged with her comment about putting her hand on my groin. I stared at her longer than I should have. I felt like some creeper.

She's a job. She's...you...it's not possible.

Stop thinking that way.

Yes, she's beautiful and feisty, but...she's a part of the del Cigno Syndicate. You're there to put her father behind bars.

I urged her to wake up. She groaned and cuddle closer to my chest. Fuck, that feels good. I begged her. I even called her 'Little One.' Yeah, you're soooooooooooooo not attached, Cullen. Smooth. Eventually, her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me. The sadness in her eyes killed me. It was a sadness that I understood a little too well.

Note to self. Talk to her about it. She needs to talk about it. If not, this is going to eat away at her psyche.

You don't want her to have an issue like you do with touching, right?

She noticed it. Bella, in her infinite wisdom, noticed the touching thing. Then, I fucking hugged her. It felt so nice, holding her tiny, womanly body against mine. Thank God, my cock didn't choose this moment to roar to life. Talk about awkward...

Then, I did something I never did. I told her how I killed my father. The entire bloody story. Not even Carlisle or Esme know. They just know that I killed Edward Masen Sr. in self-defense. They didn't know that I stabbed him over a hundred times, screaming that I hated him. They didn't know that I hugged my mother until she breathed her final breath, saying that she loved me and that I was her angel.

Fucking broken angel.

Then, THEN, I spilled the beans on how her touch doesn't make me feel panicky or anxious. And I held her hand. Again, fucking felt amazing. Her tiny hand was engulfed by mine. It was soft, warm and her finger nails were painted the most alluring shade of red. I never wanted to let her hand go. Ever.

Yep. Zero attachment.

You realized you're screwed, right? Sigh...

Unfortunately, Emmett had to go and ruin it. "All hands on deck, kids. Volturi's here."

Fan-fucking-tastic.

"What should we do?" Bella asked. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was becoming erratic again.

"We go out there and greet him," I said, untwining our hands. "He won't try anything here. He'd be a fucking moron if he did."

She gulped and nodded. Blushing, she turned to me. "Should he be made aware of your position as my bodyguard or should we keep up with the ruse of you being my boyfriend?"

I'd rather it not be a ruse...

Where in the bloody hell did that come from?

A/N: No pictures but check out my blog for pictures from previous chapters. Link is in my profile. Additionally, find me on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on Twitter: tufano79. Reviews are better than holding hands with broken FBI/Mafiaward.

3c