Dine&Dash Chap11 (Part 2)

Disclaimer:  All publicly recognizable characters, quotes, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners and are simply used under 'fair use'. The original characters and plot are the property of the author KittyTylz. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is story is written for the legally recognized adult population.

Dine and Dash

*~*~* Chapter Eleven – The Answering Miracles *~*~*

‘He's the only stable thing in the swirling chaos.’ ― (Beth Revis)

I lie. "We were about to leave before you guys got here." At my answer behind him Rose and Toria release breaths I'm not sure they're aware they were holding. "Can you take me home instead?" Consequences and alibi be damned. I scan his injuries, I needed more time with him.

He must've sensed it too because next thing I know he's pulling us both up. "Yeah."

My fingers remain fisted in his shirt. He doesn't make any move to pry it off. Pulling me into his side with an arm around my shoulder he calls over my head that he's out.

We don't make it far.

"The fuck—" Emmett sidesteps Rose to peer at the entryway, the movement grabs our attention and a chain reaction of violence ensues.

Edward follows Muscleman’s gaze and his face drops from calm to damn near arctic in 0.1 seconds flat. He's across the room. The burning sensation of the material pulling free from my hold plays on my fingertips the only reminder that he was ever within grasp in the first place. A bone crushing crunch follows drawing my attention back to the guy I'd seen earlier.

"Edward."

A chorus of his name escapes Rose and my lips but it falls on deaf ears.

"E— Man— I didn't know—" His tone is strained from his awkward position. "They came in from everywhere— I reacted— I didn't see the others— I cleaned up everything— Everything's cool E. It's taken care of."

"Really?" Edward's voice could cut diamonds. "Then where the fuck are Jazz and Alec? Cause I don't see them."

"I didn't—" the guy can't continue as he wheezes for breath.

"Who made the shot Riley?" Edward asks, walking forward with trembling fury. Riley flinches.

He tries to explain but Edward's not listening. "Who made the shot?" this time louder.

Far behind Edward, I flinch with Riley.

He opens his mouth again but at this point Edward's right in his face. Fists wrathfully balled, face locked in a dark, murderous rage. His sharp eyes narrow to cold slits. " WHO. MADE. THE.

SHOT?! "

Riley breaks.

"I DID—"

He's plugged against the wall faster than anyone can react to.

"E, c'mon, not like shit can change now." Reluctantly, Emmett tries to reason with Edward when Rose grabs onto his huge bicep in a silent plea for him to do something because Riley's growing more and more frantic for breath in her cousins' hold. It's a very weak attempt to stop Edward though. Muscleman’s eyes are as hard and void of leniency as Edward’s are.

No one moves towards them. Even when Riley starts kicking his legs in struggle, Edwards grip on his neck doesn't loosen.

"His mistake" Edward seethes in a low, uncaring tone, "got two of my men cuffed." No emotion shows on his face, it's like he's in a different universe from us. I'd tell him to stop if I didn't figure out Jasper and 'Alec' got arrested because of miscalculations on Riley's part. "Give me one fucking reason why I shouldn't ice you right now Biers?"

My eyes grow to saucers and just like that I decide against my impassive approach.

Riley chokes and wheezes. His hands clutch onto Edwards' trying to pry them off him as his face turns from red to blue and slowly edges its way to purple.

"What's that?" Edward tightens his grip. His tone impassive and daunting. "You need to speak up Biers. Your blind shot alerted the Feds. You know it and I know it." His fingers flex again, digging into his flesh almost at the point of snapping his windpipe. "I can't hear you Biers. One reason?"

"Edward."

Rose's eyes dart to me, a mixture of gratitude, desperation and fear.

"Il nipote, lascia andare il ragazzo. (Nephew, let the boy go)" Royce says in a voice similar to

Edward's usual one. The unaffected-by-jack-shit voice. Only it sounds a little less sexy to my ears.

Yes, crazy. I'm crazy. I'm watching my boyfriend threaten the life of another human being and recalling that he sounds sexy when he speaks Italian. Crazy! I'm losing my Goddamn mind.

"Abbiamo altri problemi per affrontare. (We got other problems to deal with.) Kid won't make the same mistake again. Will you kid?" He continues switching back to English when addressing

Riley and I'm brought back to the present.

Riley's close to blacking out. He tries to nod his head despite his plight and fails. His eyes flutter frantically as he desperately tries to convey his compliance.

"He said okay! He agrees!  Jesus, Edward! "

I don't even realize it's me that's spoken until several pairs of eyes dart to me save my boyfriend, Emmett and James.

"Il nipote, lascia andare il ragazzo. (Nephew, let the boy go)" Royce repeats with little stress even though he's standing up.

Edward unlocks his fingers from Riley's throat and watches dispassionately as he collapses to the floor.

Riley's hands clutch at his throat to soothe the ache under the angry finger marks on his neck. He coughs and gulps air in one huge, busting lungful after the next, looking like he's going to pass out any second. Crawling with one hand to his throat to keep him upright, he fights desperately for consciousness when his eyelids droop.

"Don't cross me Biers." Edward warns with low venom staring at him at his feet. "Don't forget how I got here. One move that says you crossed me and by the time I'm through with you there won't be a muthafucker on the street that will take you. It won't end well for you Riley." There's unmistakable promise in his words even though his face is a serene mask of nonchalance.

Someone's arm brushes against mine as they step forward. I don't have to turn to recognize the blonde hair in my peripheral vision. Rosalie.

"How often does he stop at Royce's request?" I whisper, still looking ahead, slightly shaken by the whole experience.

"Counting that time?" she whispers back. "One." Then she turns a bit more to look directly at me, all kinds of bewildered at the next words she speaks. "And it wasn't Royce that he stopped for, Bella…"

~.~.~D&D~.~.~

The ride is quiet in the dark car as I bury my face into Edward's hoodie. He's seething at the thought of Jasper and Alec in the can. Waylon will be able to pull some strings when he reports back on Sunday. It brings me down a bit too, both that he's worried and that Jasper's in the slammer. I know for a fact that a lot of the Shadow Fangs tolerate me. I'm not dumb. There's no way in hell that the whole damn gang likes me. I couldn't really care less. No gang would be pleased at a rival bitch being brought into their territory regardless of who she's with. Heck just last month, if Sam rocked up with a girl affiliated with the Shadow Fangs, I would've knocked her into 6 years from now, while Rachel and Leah sedated his crazy ass. The Shadow Fangs tolerate me out of either fear or respect for Edward. Which one of the two doesn't really matter because, in our world, fear and respect go hand-in-hand and Edward's skillfully earned both. So yes, they tolerate me to save their own asses but Jasper and James are kind of different. We're not close and, unlike Tyler, they don't go to school with me for me to have that excuse, but they're nice enough either way and I like them for it. The thought of Jasper in prison bums me out.

The only thing keeping my mood afloat right now is tall, dark and handsome beside me. There's a shit-eating grin on my face hidden under his hoodie, I know it and so does he.

"Just say it already." Breaking me out my thoughts, he runs his hand carelessly up my thigh, leaving goosebumps in his wake.

"No."

He scoffs. "You will eventually."

He sounds so certain I'm in love with him, I turn away and stare hard out the window, watching a very important street zoom by. My one.

"Edward?"

He runs his hand higher up and my body flames. "Hmm?" he hums, deceivingly innocent, still staring ahead out the windshield.

Oh hell.

"You gotta take me home." I grab his arm and he hisses. It's from pain. Unwittingly, I roll up his sleeves to break the trance and damn near hurl when I see the slashes ripped through his arm. When his eyes open again, they're burning black with something more primal and hungry.

"That's where I'm taking you." He responds.

My eyes dart up to his searing gaze on me. I swallow thickly, literally shaking my head to clear it. I move away from him to gain some perspective.

"Edward home is the other way." I remind him in case he forgot where I live… Hoping he forgot where I live and that's why he's driving in the opposite direction from my street.

I open the glove compartment. I half expect him to stop me but he doesn't so I easily rummage through the personal shit in his car. Moving aside the automatic, shifting the black fingerless gloves, snatching up the torch I find so I can see better. First thing I spot with the added light are his cigarettes. I pocket them and I hear him chuckle but I ignore him when I finally see something useful to me.

"No. Home is this way." he counters. "I just let you live somewhere else for now."

I swallow hard and my pulse quickens. He changes gears, obstructing my attempts to tend to his arm. Completely unaware of how his words affect me as he drives us to the warehouse.

Willing myself to stay focused and remember that even though it seems this way to me, Edward and I are in reality. We are not the only people in the world. I start dabbing at his cuts with the tissue from my pocket, soaking up the excess blood before wrapping it with the bandana from his glove box. I feel his eyes on me but we don't say anything.

"Edward my dad will be home." I try to reason but once again I've underestimated Edward's foresight and uncanny ability to know things he very well shouldn't.

"No." he answers.

I whip my head to look at him and sure enough he looks certain of the words escaping his tempting bruised lips.

"I need Jasper and Alec transferred to Seattle." He says easily.

I stare at him blankly, blinking in a way that says, this is supposed to mean something to me?

He laughs under his breath, then smiles softly at me, finding me adorable for some reason. Then he switches into his usual calculating, impenetrable gangster mode. Absentmindedly he slowly trails his fingers in circles on the inside of my thigh. I shiver.

"Charlie has no fucking clue the amount of brass I've got in my pocket down in Seattle." He chuckles. Dark humor. "But it doesn't matter, with two Shadow Fangs in custody? He's not going to trust the system to transport them to fucking Seattle." He finishes and I'm speechless for a while.

True and true. Lord have mercy, this just got easier. No wonder he didn't bitch and moan about the Tori alibi. Notorious gangsters in custody? Dad won't be home until he personally sees that they're handed over to Seattle in cuffs. That leaves me free for tonight and the morning at best, maybe even noon. I feel the sudden urge to hug Jasper and Alec. Then I feel a little guilty about it. They might be getting out thanks to the crooked cops on Edward's payroll but they're still in jail right? Right.

"Call the mutt's place and tell his ol' lady you're staying with a friend tonight."

My jaw drops. I gape at him. I'm fucking floored. There's just no way in fucking hell he knows

Dad makes me stay with Sarah when he's delayed at work! It wasn't even a habit of ours for that long! We only started doing it since someone tried to break in a few months back and thankfully dad got home early that night! I'm usually at home because dad and I get limited time together so he tries to soak up as much time as he can on school days. How does Edward know any of this?

How long's he been watching me? I realize something that makes my body feel like it's been hit by a freight train. I'm never going to be able to stop it... It's inevitable that I will fall…But I'm falling head first for someone I don't know…

He tosses his phone at me when I don't retrieve my own and I'm brought out of my thoughts. The raw, rigid beauty of his face takes my breath away. He smiles crookedly and my heart flutters traitorously at his voice.

" Midnight. "

Huh? In a knee-jerk response, I look at the glowing screen of his cell in my lap. 00:00. He smirks and tucks some of my flying hair behind my ear, a gesture so sweet it's in stark contrast to the devilish playfulness in his bright, green eyes and promise in his dark velvet voice.

" Friday's over. "

~.~.~D&D chap11 cont~.~.~