With that in mind, Edward sent another request to Dylan so she could start working on a story. They were keeping it at ‘what if’ for the time being, with the eventuality of the shit hitting the fan. He couldn't wait for that time to come; just like everyone else, he was sick of living a half-life in hiding. All he really wanted was to go back home and back to normal, working at the roastery during the day and enjoying his wife at night.
Edward could remember vividly all the times his cousin and best friend had his six over the years. Emmett and Jasper had signed up to help him run the mafia in Seattle, but they’d also agreed to retire from that job. The others, though, had mostly gotten involved for Bella’s sake. To protect her, to help her, and maybe even insulate her from her husband to a degree. Jake was a perfect example of that.
Now that they were legitimate businessmen, Edward couldn't blame Jacob for being pissed at having his family dragged back into the mess of bloody schemes. The thickest mess they’d waded through yet, as a matter of fact. When he was helping to rescue his son-in-law, that was one thing. Now, it was a whole new mission, and he was understandably over it.
Didn’t mean Edward wouldn’t gladly cold-cock him in the fucking face if his tantrums threatened everyone’s safety.
On the other hand, Holden had become surprisingly helpful; it seemed they all knew it was because he’d been betrayed by his mentor. The further they dug, the more dirt they uncovered against Blithers. That would fuck with anybody’s head.
“Okay, we’ve got Dylan throwing out a hit piece on the money trail. So we’ve ruined his personal life, and we’re about to ruin his financials.” Edward scrubbed a hand over his face, then rubbed his tired eyes. “At least, I sure fucking hope someone takes the initiative to investigate.”
Holden closed the laptop in front of him, also rubbing at his eyes. They’d been up early and had yet to call it a night, despite it being past one. “It depends on who else is involved. It’s possible they’ll help him cover it up so they’re not next on the hit list.”
“For someone who’s in bed with terrorists, he sure has a lot of friends in high places,” Seamus commented.
“Unfortunately, yeah.” Holden stood, stretching his back. “I’m heading up to bed.”
Edward nodded at him, gazing around the room. “All of you, go get some sleep.”
Bella moved over, dropping her head to his shoulder and leaning in when he automatically wrapped his arms around her. “I’m beat.”
“I know, baby. Let’s go upstairs.”
Everyone in the dining room closed out what they were working on, saying goodnight and traipsing up the stairs. Ben had found the missing link between Barrett and Blithers, but it would never hold up in any official capacity. It would have to be the court of public opinion, which was Edward’s main goal, anyway. If they were successful, then there was no way Blithers could continue to cover up his crimes using the good ol’ boy system.
“You’ve yet to shut down that brilliant brain of yours,” his wife said as she closed the bedroom door behind them.
Turning to face her, he began the process of undressing for bed. “No, I guess not. Even when I try to sleep, information crowds into my mind.”
Smoothing her cool fingers over his brow, she massaged his temple. “You have to try, or you’ll burn out.”
What he wanted was to purr like a kitten at her touch, especially when he pulled his dress shirt off and she ran her hands up his bare chest. “I do try.”
“So you’re saying you need sufficient distractions?”
At her teasing tone, he blinked, focusing on her more intently. After a few seconds of him merely staring at her, she frowned. “Edward?”
“Sorry.” Shaking his head, he tried his damnedest to clear it. “What were you saying?”
Bella’s frown deepened, and she dropped her hands. He immediately missed her touch. “You’re keeping secrets from me.”
Her words were nearly silent, but might as well have been a shouted accusation. “Yes.”
There was hurt in her eyes now, and he regretted it instantly. “Fuck, at least pretend to spare my feelings.”
Pacing to the far wall, Bella spun on her heel and came back, an anguished expression clear as day on her angel face. All he could do was stand there, knowing he had no excuses and no defense against her allegation.
“Bella, we’re well past sparing feelings—”
“We’re well past lying and hiding things,” she snapped, interrupting him.
Since she was right, he said nothing.
“What the fuck, Edward?” Back to whispering, Bella swiped a hand over her eyes, and her tears nearly brought him to his knees.
Keeping at a distance from her angry pacing, he said, “I don't know how to tell you without it becoming the biggest thing we’re facing. I don’t know how to deal with all of this at once, while keeping Blithers’ ruination our number one focus.”
“After all the therapy, all the lies we lived through and recovered from years ago, you’d do this to me again?”
It did not escape his notice how she fisted her hand over her heart, the way she did when she was extremely stressed. A gesture he hadn’t witnessed in such a long time, its reappearance nearly tore him in two.
“Listen, aingeal, I can only do my best.” Squeezing his eyes shut, he pinched the bridge of his nose. Was he doing his best, or was he fucking up his marriage yet again? “I don’t want to worry you, but I can’t stand to see the look on your face when you rightly accuse me of being a terrible husband.”
Opening his eyes, he saw her watching him, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. She nibbled on her lower lip, and he knew with absolute certainty that his next words would gut her completely. It took him several deep breaths before he could speak.
“I fully expect to die at the hands of Derrick Blithers. Though I’ve tried to come to terms with it, I can’t abide the idea of leaving you.”
Her face crumpled, and tears ran down her cheeks. His heart clenched when she sobbed, and he didn’t know if he should hold her tight or let her punch him in the balls.
Bella hugged herself, struggling to catch her breath. Her mouth opened and closed a few times, and finally, she spit out, “You’re a selfish bastard.”
“I know it.”
“You’ve been preparing to die without even telling me?”
“Yes.”
Another sob escaped her, and he finally decided he’d rather hold her in his arms, even if she kneed him in the crotch. Wrapping her up, Edward dearly wished he could have protected her from himself twenty-five years ago.
“I have no defense for my actions, Bella. I willingly ripped the wings off an angel to keep her by my side. To force you to remain with me, willingly or not.”
Shoving him away, Bella wiped her face and glared up at him. “We’re supposed to be a team, Edward. How many times do we have to have this discussion over the years before you’ll realize I can handle whatever you’re going through, as long as you don’t follow through on misguided attempts to protect me? That only makes things worse.”
“Because I’m constantly blindsided by your beautiful forgiveness. I expect you to hate me, and instead, you continue loving me. You know who I am deep down inside, and you love me anyway.”
“Yeah, that’s how this works. I’m not fucking perfect, Edward, despite the pedestal you’ve kept me on over the years. I have a fucking kill count, too!”
The very thought weakened his knees. “You wouldn't if it weren't for me.”
“You’re right,” she bit out, and that admission hurt worse than he’d ever thought it could. “But I’d also be miserable, stuck in a dead-end town with parents who hated me.”
“They didn’t hate you before I brought you down to my level.” Fuck, why couldn't he catch his breath?
“Their apathy was worse than hate, for God’s sake! Their utter disregard for me and my life was killing me slowly. I needed out, and maybe I went about it the wrong way, but it was my decision!”
“It was me, Bella. I forced you to live with me because you were carrying my child.” Because his seed was more important than anything else in the world at the time, even Bella herself. His progeny; his heir to the empire.
“I fell in love with my eyes wide open. I may hate your actions from time to time, but you are my soulmate. Stop trying to take that away from me!”
And then he was the one crying, the helplessness he’d felt for the past few months rising up to choke him. He sank down on the bed, unsure where to go from there.
“Every time it gets rough, you blame yourself as though I’m not an autonomous human being. As though you hogtied me and forced me to live with you, to bear your children against my will and create a fake life with you. I knew what I was choosing, and I chose it regardless of the consequences. That’s true love, Edward. That’s what I live for. I choose it every single day, unequivocally.”
When she sat beside him, he said, “The idea that all of it could be ripped away in a moment tortures me.” He had to grind his palms into his eyes to stem the stupid tears.
“It’s always been a possibility. When we were younger and more foolish, and again when Zion put targets on our backs. We deal with it together. Every time, no matter what.”
She was right; every time he attempted to protect her, he only made things worse. “You’re so much stronger than me.”
Huffing out a bitter laugh, she said, “Do you think this shit isn’t eating me up inside too? That I wasn’t anguished over the idea of losing Quinn? When we’re given no choice, we do what we must, regardless of how it makes us feel. But right now, we have the upper hand.”
Edward nodded. “I know, but eventually it’ll come to a face-off, and that’s where I worry Blithers will get the drop on me. He has the entire CIA at his disposal, after all. One word from him, and I’m the primary target.”
“We’ll never go down without a fight. That’s got to be our mission.”
She was right, and he knew it. “I will never accept defeat, and I will never quit.”
Bella smiled. “In another life, you would have made an excellent soldier.”
Well, that was absurd enough to make him laugh. “Me, the one who can’t follow orders for shit? The man who bucks authority and the system we’re meant to abide by? I would have made a shitty soldier.”
“A sniper, or maybe a SEAL. That, you could have pulled off.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but I’m only built to fight back these days. The offensive is foreign to me now.”
Dropping her head to his shoulder, she whispered, “Look at all you’ve created. We’re about to bring down the most powerful men in the country. May the devil take anyone who disagrees with you.”
Snorting a laugh, he kissed the side of her head. “I am the devil, remember? The devil incarnate, walking this earth until I someday return to hell where I belong.”
“You’ll have to take me with you when the time comes.” Snuggling into his side, Bella ran her hand up and down his thigh. “For now, though, you need to sleep.”
He really did. Even her touch wasn’t enough to force his eyes to remain open for another minute, and that served to remind him how old he was.
She was quiet in the morning, and he couldn't blame her. It wasn’t every day they faced the possibility of one of them dying, but the odds had been higher when they used to be notorious mobsters. No one had forgiven or forgotten at the agency, that was for damn fucking sure.
“Look at this,” Dara said, pointing her spoon at the laptop screen before dropping it into her empty bowl. “Blithers scheduled a press conference for later this morning.”
“Perfect,” Edward said, reading the statement over her shoulder. “Looks like he’s trying to cover his ass.”
“Let’s not give him the chance,” Bella remarked, leaving the dining room with dishes in her hands.
“I agree,” Dwayne commented. “If he thinks he’ll weasel his way out of this one, we need to ensure he knows it’s not possible.”
Edward held up his phone. “I have a message from Dylan. Looks like she plans on being there,” he read. “Christ, I hope she has protection.”
Holden frowned. “She could be a mark if he realizes who she is.”
“We’re on it,” Nigel told them. “The boys and I will give her an escort.”
“But you’re supposed to be dead,” Dara pointed out.
Dwayne’s grin was quick and wolfish. “We’ll have to dress the part, then.”
It wasn't until a few hours later that everyone understood what he’d meant. Dressed all in black, looking more like militia than mercs—though Edward admitted the two could be interchangeable—the six men headed out through the garage in an armored vehicle.
“Let the circus begin,” Seamus said from the couch, holding up his coffee cup in a salute as the press coverage began on TV.
Emmett and Jasper sat beside him, and Edward was about to join them when Aerinn and Layla came down the stairs.
“I wanna watch TV, Grandad!” She threw her arms around his legs, blinking her large eyes up at him. In one hand was her stuffed unicorn, and in the other was a doll.
Bella came in from the kitchen, locking gazes with Edward. “Sweetheart, there’s a television on the third floor.”
Layla extracted the sticky hands from Edward’s pant legs, scooping her daughter up and blowing raspberries on her belly. “I told you, jelly bean, we have to let the adults do their work.”
Aerinn pouted, sticking her lower lip out as far as it would go. “But I wanna play with Grandad.”
Bella reached out and tickled her. “What about your old Gran? Can I play with you?”
Smiling again, Aerinn nodded. “Eat a snack with me, Gran.”
Bella looked from Layla to Edward. He could tell she wanted to watch the shit on TV unfold. “Listen, beagán, we’ll spend some time together after we watch the news, okay? Let Mama give you a snack, and then we’ll all do something upstairs.”
Tilting her head, Aerinn finally relented, curling up against Layla’s neck. “ʼKay.”
Breathing out a sigh, Bella joined Edward. “Thanks. I want to be in here for this, but I hate that she’s cooped up.”
“Only for a little longer, hopefully.”
He wasn't sure if he believed his own words.
Derrick Blithers appeared on the screen, stepping up behind the podium. It appeared he was in the CIA headquarters, and only a few reporters were in attendance. Edward wondered how Dylan had gotten clearance to join such a small press pool.
“Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for being here,” Blithers began. “Shortly, I will give a statement regarding the recent allegations, which are entirely baseless. There will be no questions afterward.” He cleared his throat, and Edward felt his pulse pick up its pace.
This bastard would smile and lie, ingratiating himself into the homes of millions of Americans. Many of them would believe whatever he said; no one really wanted to think that someone of such high authority would lie straight to their faces.
And he would continue to get away with murder until Edward and the rest of the Cullens managed to stop him.
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| Blithers |
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