Devil Incarnate Chapter Twenty-nine

Once the dust settled, Quinn realized he was more than a little pissed at his parents. At first, he'd blamed his father. Edward told them the plan was to kill Bella; just dropped it like a bomb in their laps on the way to the lab.

There was silence in the dark vehicle for half a second before Jasper hit the brakes, practically exploding from the front seat. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

Edward remained calm. "Not even sort of. It's the only way to work this out."

Emmett turned in his seat, punching Edward squarely on the nose. "Maybe we'll just sacrifice your psychotic ass instead!"

Edward massaged his nose, and Quinn saw his eyes tear up. He couldn't think why his father would come up with this idea, but he knew something was very wrong. If they insisted on going through with it, Quinn silently vowed to stop his father, no matter the difficulty or what it might cost him. 

The radio squawked with Garrett's voice. "Why are we stopped?"

"Just need a second to disembowel someone," Jasper returned with a growl.

"I'll hold him down for you," Emmett muttered. 

"We've done some fucked up shit, Edward, but this is so far across the line, you can't even see it anymore." Jasper hit the steering wheel with his palm. "How did you come up with this insanity?"

"It was Bella’s idea."

More silence followed that statement. 

"What?" Emmett asked warily. "I'm not killing her at her request, either."

"I know you've all noticed things have been weird between us lately."

"You've gone off the rails, man." Jasper twisted in his seat. "We had a discussion about this, about how it wouldn't matter what they offered."

"When did you speak to Mom?" Quinn asked quietly. "You haven't been in the same room together in days."

Edward aimed a grin at his son. "I knew you were smart."

That didn't make him feel better. "When was it, then?"

"We've been communicating on burner phones for months."

Emmett frowned. "What are you talking about? You live in the same house."

"Bella came up with a plan shortly after we met Holden. At first, I thought it would never work." Edward faced his child. "My only regret is how it's hurt you and your sisters."

"You're not getting a divorce?"

"No."

"You're not going to kill her?"

"Technically?" Edward shrugged. "Yes."

"What the fuck?" Jasper shouted. "We just covered the fact that it's not happening."

"Let me tell the others first, and then I'll explain the plan in detail."

Edward exited the vehicle, rounding the bumper and walking to the driver's side of the second SUV. Garrett and Jake were in that one, while Seamus and his brother Killian were in the third one. 

Quinn could only imagine what everyone was saying. There were too many emotions, so much piled up inside, that he couldn't decide if he wanted to cry or retch. Silence stretched on between him and the other men, the wait nearly unbearable.

"Everyone out." Jasper tapped his earpiece and opened the door, and they all gathered between the vehicles to wait until Edward returned from speaking to the others. 

"Look." From his tactical vest pocket, Edward pulled out the architectural plans for the building and spread them over the hood. "Here's the bomb." He circled the area with his thumb, then pointed. "Here's where Bella will sneak in."

It seemed obvious enough. Seamus, Jasper, and himself would join Edward in the pretense of signing the deal with Zion. His mother would sneak out of the house in case their enemies were paying attention, and she'd break into the building to pretend she was there to steal the bomb. Quinn and his father would then apprehend her and tie her up. 

"But I don't want to knock her out," Quinn argued. 

"You have to if they’re to believe this shit is real. It's not only our safety on the line, but the whole damn planet. Otherwise, we wouldn't have gone to all this fucking trouble."

Pacing away and back, Quinn tried to tamp down the butterflies in his stomach. "You're saying I have no choice but to hurt my mother?"

"Just remember, it was her idea."

That reassurance didn't help the queasiness. "And then what?"

"Garrett, Jake, and Emmett will actually steal the bomb while we distract Ivan. Killian will keep a lookout. After your mother is shot, Seamus will cut the feed to the cameras we know they have everywhere, and Jasper and I will meet up to accept their money." He circled another spot on the plans. "Garrett, Jake, you’ll help Bella escape through these tunnels. We'll meet up later, once Zion has been stopped and it’s safe to stop this fucking charade."

"This is deranged." Jake rubbed his temples. "Why the hell didn’t you tell us about this insanity sooner?" 

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose. "Zion had everything wired from the get-go; the house, the forest, the vehicles. Whatever plans we tried to come up with were immediately thwarted, even when we thought we had the upper hand. Even when we made our plans from the basement, something inevitably went awry. With all the listening in, and, frankly, with all the damn moles running around, I needed reassurance that none had slithered through the cracks."

For months, Quinn thought his parents' marriage was over. And it wasn't that they suspected him of being a mole, it was that they wanted everyone to believe it was happening in order to facilitate the lie. If the entire Family believed it was real, then so would Zion. With Quinn’s emotions on the surface, it wasn't difficult to imagine what it would look like if the great Edward Cullen went through with shooting his own wife. His acting came from the knowledge that their world was dangerous, that she'd almost died at the hands of Zion and her father. Getting pissed at his own father for his insane plan only made their ruse more plausible. When the time came, he was capable of knocking his mother over the head because he understood the consequences if he didn't. When they all stood in the room in which she was held, he felt hysteria bubbling. 

Even knowing she wore a bullet-proof vest and that his father's weapon held rubber bullets, Quinn anticipated catastrophe. He was terrified he wouldn't be convincing enough and they'd all die. Edward’s bullet slammed into a blood pack in Bella’s shirt, and Quinn used one to coat the wall behind her. All he had to do was cradle her body in his arms and shed a few tears to convince his estranged grandfather and the rest of the men that she was truly gone. 

In the following hours, Quinn couldn't contain his emotions, and his father's cavalier attitude didn't help. Knowing Uncle Garrett and Uncle Jake were there to help his mother up and get her out safely didn't help. Rage brewed in his heart, filling his veins and racing through his blood. Theirs was a world Edward Cullen had thrived in, had nurtured and encouraged. Quinn couldn't decide if his father was a monster for all that he’d done, or if he was a hero.

Only after facing death at the hands of his grandmother did he gain clarity. Stubborn like all the Cullens, Quinn had blamed the situation on his father, refusing to accept the parts he didn't condone. There was no alternative, really, and his mother had seen that.

It wasn't lost on Quinn that his mother had come up with the plan to save them all. On the long helicopter ride back to the house, he sat by her side.

“All these years, I thought Dad was my role model, but it turns out I was hoping to emulate you.”

Her smile was quiet and all-knowing. “Don't discount what you’ve learned from your father.”

“He’s taught me a lot, I admit." Quinn stared out the window at the lights below. "He started a business from the ground up to spend more time with you, to work in tandem with you." Facing his mother, he said, "Dad went legit for you.”

“I can’t take all the credit, sweetheart. He wanted that life for you first, and then for your sisters when they came along.”

“I understand better now; he never had a choice growing up. You were sort of thrown into it, but you rose to the occasion and did what you had to do.”

“Sometimes that’s our greatest strength; doing what we have to do, regardless how difficult.” She picked up his hand and held it between hers. “It’s true I wasn't born into this life, and was even horrified at the bloodshed. When I thought it was the only way to be close to your father, I swallowed my fear. There were times I reveled in the deaths that came at my hands, days and nights I saw a demon in my reflection.” Blinking back tears, she continued, “I regret some of it now. Together, your father and I have done our best to make amends. To be decent human beings making a positive difference in the world. Even when we think we have no choices, we press forward with what we hope is the right answer and accept the consequences.”

“I want you to know, I don't hold anything you did against you.” He swallowed painfully. "Even knowing what you did in the past."

“It’s hard not to judge when you’re on the outside looking in. When you aren’t aware of all the facts and mitigating circumstances. When you weren't in that position.”

“Yeah, I guess that’s what I was doing, ever since you and Dad told us about your old business.”

“Understandable.” Her expression spoke of the decades she'd lived, of the burdens borne on her soul and the price of her penance. 

“But no more. After all, I almost lost you both.”

“Technically, we almost lost everyone. If Zion had been successful, God only knows what would have come from it.”

“The end of the world, or at least of the United States.”

"You helped save the world, kiddo. I'm proud of you."

Edward scooted closer to them and draped an arm over Bella’s shoulder. "I'm proud of you both." He kissed Bella on the temple. "You can do anything, baby. I'm in awe of your strength."

"I'm more than ready to go back to running the bookstore. I'm tired of being strong."

"I can't blame you for that."

"I love you, Dad," Quinn said quietly. "In case I haven't said it lately while I was angry."

"I love you too, son. Even if you're still angry with me."

"Is this the point when we start singing Kumbaya?" Bella asked with a yawn.

"This is where we take a nap." 

Quinn watched them curl around each other as the sun began to rise on a new day. Caitriona would get to go back to school for her senior year. Maeve could attend college in person. Maybe he and Layla would make things official and get married. 

The end of the world hadn't come about after all, but he was forever altered nonetheless. A better understanding of his parents and the life they'd lived before his birth and shortly after would hopefully serve him well throughout his life. Though he knew he tended to be more mature and responsible than others his age, he actually hoped his newfound knowledge didn't change him too much. 

By the time they made it back to the house, more than thirty-six hours had passed since they left. His sisters and everyone else stood on the front steps waiting for them. Layla ran for him, and he gathered her in his arms to squeeze her tight. 

"I'm never letting you go again," she vowed.

"No need to worry." He pulled back to brush her hair out of her face. "It's back to the bookstore and coffee roaster for me."

"Thank God." She buried her face in his shoulder. "I was so scared for you."

"I'm here, and I'm whole."

Maeve and Caitriona hugged their parents, and Leah tugged Jake in close. Jasper and Maria embraced, and Seamus and Killian kissed their wives. But Rose plopped her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. 

"Bitch, I knew you were up to something."

Bella laughed. "Is that why you warned me about the guards?"

"I couldn't let you get caught no matter how stupid I thought you were acting."

"I was worried you would blow the entire thing wide open."

Rose huffed loudly. "You gotta give me more credit than that. Sure, I hoped you'd let me in on your secret, but I figured you weren't at liberty to discuss it."

"That's because you're smart." Bella hugged Rose. "And you're my favorite bitch."

"Hey," Angela protested.

"Okay, okay. You, Rose, and Leah. I admit, it was very hard pretending I hated Edward’s guts. Lying to myself had begun to wear me down, and each of you helped in your own way."

What Quinn realized with that statement was how much they'd all sacrificed in the past three months. They would need time to heal, but they would be okay. 

After all, family is everything. 

Layla