Selfish

Chapter 53

Bella's P.O.V

My body hits the floor, hard. My head bangs on the ground, followed by a bang. It all happens so fast, all that follows are shouts, shooting and banging going all around me. It's hard to distinguish what the hell is going on. A body moves from on top of me and I'm dragged up, a strong arm wraps around my neck and pressing to the point where I can't breath. I'm yanked over and when my vision clears, I see it. Men dressed in SWAT Team suits, pointing guns at us, all the men who came here to watch me die are on the floor with their hands behind their hands.

The one man I have yet to recognize, who kept looking at me during dinner is now on his feet, pointing a gun at me. Irina is right behind him, wide eyed and completely petrified. I gasp with the cold end of the gun is pressed right again my temple and Charlie's ragged breathing hits the back of my neck.

"Charlie," the man said in the most cautious way I have ever heard anyone speak. "Put the gun down. Let her go."

Charlie chuckled. "Oh, and what if I don't?"

"Don't make me do this, Charlie. That's your daughter you're holding a gun against, you do not want to hurt her," he continued. "Let her go, come willingly and no one will get hurt."

"And then what? Throw me in jail, have me rot for the rest of my life, let this bitch-" he pressed the gun harder against my head, "-live."

"Dad." Irina stepped in. "It's over. Please, let her go."

"Years on the run, do you really think anything is going to stop me now?" He snapped. "I've lived for this moment ever since I found out Renee was dead, nothing is going to ruin it now. Absolutely nothing. Not even you."

This was it. By the looks of it, Charlie had been on the run for a very long time, longer than I have been. Longer than Elizabeth herself had been. By the looks of it, he has nothing left to lose. Nothing that means anything to him, other than kill me.

"Charlie," I choke out. "If you're going to kill me, kill now. Get it over with."

"Isabella!" Irina cried out.

"He's right." I try hard to swallow if it wasn't for the fact that his arm is wrapped tightly around my neck. "I wasn't supposed to be here. If he wants to finish what we started years ago, then go ahead. Pull the trigger, Charlie. Go on, pull it."

"Charlie, you pull that trigger and that'll be the biggest mistake you'll ever make," the man said.

"Pull it, Charlie!" I cry out. My tears started clouding my vision and my heart beats were tuning out any sound that wasn't the blood fiercely pumping through my veins. "Please, Charlie, just pull the goddamn trigger. Grow some fucking balls."

He tightens his grip around me and steps back, dragging me along with him. I close my eyes, readying myself for what there is to come. My breathing is heavy. There's a pain in the center in my chest, growing and growing with each breath I take. When it happened next, left me completely dumbfounded.

"Goodnight... Goodnight... It's time now to sleep" he quietly sang against my ear. Irina covered a sob with her hand.

* * *

Twenty Two Years Earlier...

Mommy is sleeping on the old couch. The blue blanket is covering her all the way to her nose, so I can't see her face. I don't know where Daddy Edgar is, but Mommy seemed really upset about it. She grabbed our bags and told me we had to look for a new home and here we are. Uncle James said he'd be back with food, but he hasn't come back.

I crawl off my little bed, grabbing Mr. Teddy with me. Uncle James gave him to me, he's my only friend. I look at Mommy and she's still asleep. The windows are all covered with wood. Mommy said we had to be hidden for a while until Uncle James works his magic to get us a new home, I wonder what happened to the old one. I liked it. Daddy Edgar got me so many toys I could play with and even Nanny Julia played with me when Mommy didn't. I walk up to the only open window and climb up a chair. There are so many trees outside, it's like the magical woods from the fairy tales Nanny Julia used to read to me. I giggle, the sky is full of colorful stars. They're really pretty.