Chapter 19 ~ An Uncomfortable Goddamn Truce

CULLEN POV

Trust me, Edward.

What?

Trust.

Me.

Emmett's voice was still sounding in my head as cool hands startled me out of the dream I was having. I tried to hold on to the thought.

No, seriously, I did…but…

It was, very.

Fucking.

Hard.

To do…

Roaming fingers slid underneath my shirt and I flinched from the tickle I felt.

I also smiled.

Wait.

Wasn't I dreaming?

"Morning, Swan," I said, groggily and she leaned in to kiss my neck, giving me goose bumps, while her other hand unhinged my jeans.

Quite expeditiously, I might add.

"I thought I'd wake you up for your watch," she whispered and I could hear the need in her voice, even though it was barely audible. "And maybe…." Lips on the neck…very nice touch. "Re-focus your mind."

I let out a chuckle, 'cause, I mean, seriously, did she really think I needed convincing?

I breathed in.

It felt…soooooooo….good, those hands.

"Mmmm, well…Eddy Jr.'s mind is certainly re-fucking focused," I told her, stretchin' out a little bit, eyes…unwilling to open.

Her lips found my chest…then my navel…then my…

Oh…yeah…

Then I remembered where we were and stopped her, momentarily speaking, that is. "Where's…"

"The door's locked, Cullen," she said, and then I felt her crawl up the bed, to my ear, while the hands continued with the roaming. "Relax…"

Fucking sexy.

"What time is it?"

She made her way back down toward the groin area, to continue removing my attire and whispered, again. "Four AM, shhhhhhhhh."

"What's the…"

She propped herself up onto her elbows, then…and into my gut.

Ouch, by the fucking way.

I groaned.

And yeah, sometimes, I think too goddamn much.

"Cullen," she said to me, a little annoyed, at that point. "Shut it, please…everything's fine…Kate's sleeping, James is…being James and I'm trying to give you head, so if you don't mind…"

And the things that come outta that woman's mouth.

I mean, aside from my dick.

I had bigger and better plans, though.

And…since I was awake, at that point…

I sat up, flipping my own, personal, bona fide temptress over onto her back, faster than she could say I'm about to get the best pussy lickin', ever...and slid a hand down to meet her wrist, pulling it over her head as I kissed her good morning.

Really fucking early in the morning, might I add.

Not that I minded the wake up call.

Then I told her, quietly, of course, "If I recall, correctly, I still owe you a little somethin' somethin',' and then I wiggled the old eyebrows at her, even though, she wouldn't see 'em. But, ya know, it's the thought that counts.

She smiled against my neck and bit down a little, squirming as I grabbed at her waist a little with my other hand. "I was trying to take your mind off of things, Edward, not visa versa…"

"Oh, believe me, Swan…it'll take my mind off of shit."

The jeans were gonners, after that.

As well as the lacey underwear she liked to tease me with.

She didn't mind.

Trust me.

I glided a hand down one of her legs, across her thigh, letting a finger find her clit in a highly talented, and efficient sorta way…and she was ready, alright.

So…so, ready.

Shit.

Fuck me.

And goddamn if I didn't love to feel Swan's…readiness.

Eddy Jr. made a move but I put him in check. It wasn't his turn, yet.

This was about Bella.

It would always fucking be about Bella.

She sucked in a breath of air and I could tell, we were in an extremely sensitive situation.

It'd been too long and there'd been too much fucked up shit goin' on…therefore, with my deductive reasoning skills, I'd arrived to the conclusion and was under the distinct impression that she'd probably cum a little too fast for her liking, if I kept it up…

And my liking, for that matter.

Which was just not fucking acceptable.

So, instead of continuing with the clit teasing, I pushed my thumb into her and the sounds she let out, ladies and gentlemen…

I had to close my eyes for a minute to keep from just skipping this shit all together and letting Eddy Jr. have at it, after all.

Seriously.

And hard.

As I pulled away a little, her legs rubbed against me, silently and desperately asking me to continue on.

So I did.

I mean logically, it made no sense to refuse the woman.

Right?

I pushed myself backwards, to get a better grip on…things…so to speak, and then I spread her lips for me, sliding a few fingers in, curling them around to her happy place and she was let out quiet moans of aching, wanting, and just about anything else you can imagine.

"Shhhhhhh, Swan," I teased her, as a warning, of sorts. "Wouldn't want the kiddies to hear, now, would you?"

That's when she found a pillow and covered her face with it and I had to muffle the chuckles, on my end, too, before goin' on about my own business.

A business I like to call, showin' Swan the best pussy lickin' of her life.

Number two hundred and forty four.

I pressed my tongue against her clit and her hands flew to my head, pushing me into her harder and I complied. 'Cause gettin' the Swan off was a part of this relationship that I was happy to concede to.

At all fucking times.

I couldn't resist nipping a little and as the smallest of muffled grunts and moans came out of her I pushed my fingers around further.

The pillow disappeared and I could hear her pleading with me…"Yes, god…please."

As quietly as she could, anyway.

And then I couldn't help but let out some muffled grunting of my own because with Eddy Jr. as my fucking witness, I loved it when she role played, like that.

I pulled my fingers out of her and let my tongue do the communicating, from that point on.

And yeah, I added the fingers back into it, for good measure.

When she felt like she was swelling beyond the realms of being able to deal with that shit, I circled her clit, again, with only the best of intentions.

If ya get what I'm sayin'.

And then she came for me.

It was intense and if she'd pulled any harder on my hair, I'd a been one bald motherfucker after that session.

But I digress because thank the gods, she let go of the hair and instead, went with raking her nails down my back.

She was happy.

And fucking loud as shit.

"Jesus."

And now I'm downgraded to Jesus.

Nice.

I stayed there…letting her come down from the high, licking, rubbing, sucking…until she couldn't take it anymore, then I moved up over her, knowing Swan's second orgasms were even more intense, when I slid my dick into her while she was still shaking and quivering, from cumming hard like that.

So imagine my fucking surprise, when I was pushed over onto my back and Swan was now the one dominating the situation.

Not that I was complaining.

And I don't know what it was, about sliding into Swan for the first time…every time…but goddamn if I didn't feel the goose bumps again.

Her hands moved to my shoulders with a death grip as she moved, slow at first, then her eyes opened, looking straight into mine, with that look...the one she made when she was about to go all fucking hog wild on my ass and my hands made their way to her hips, pulling her against me, harder.

"Let it go, Swan…there's nothing you can fucking do about it," I told her, feeling her holding back, trying to make it last longer.

She was a woman after my own goddamn heart.

She let go of my shoulders and sat up a little straighter then, pushing to get me deeper, rolling to feel me harder.

"I don't wanna let it go," she breathed, rolling her hips as I moved in sync with her, trying to hold back, myself.

She fell forward and pressed her chest up against me, leaning her head to the side of mine.

"I love you," she whispered and that's when I knew she was ready.

'Cause she did that shit on purpose.

She knew I couldn't take it when she said it during sex.

Especially when she said it all…fucking sultry and shit, like that, into my ear.

I put a hand on her hip and slinked it around to get a good grip on her ass as I pushed into her further.

More urgently.

Just the way she liked it.

The way I loved it with her.

No holds fucking barred.

"Let it go."

And then she pushed harder, rolled faster, and, "Fuck."

Why'd I tell her to let it go, goddamn it.

I pushed one last time, cumming intensely into the woman I loved as she sucked on my neck a little, 'cause my skin to tingle in all the right places and I found it a little fucking disturbing that a moment like that was in some cabin, in the middle of bum fuck, with a psychopathic, gun for hire in the other room, helping…I shivered at the word I'd used to describe what he was doing…us protect a girl who'd, by all practical means, lost her family to Aro Volturi.

But I couldn't have been more content than I was, right then.

I know.

Fucking freaky, right?

I kissed Swan's shoulder, then her neck…then the earlobe.

"Thanks for re-focusing me," I muttered into her ear and she ran her fingers up my arms, landing them on either side of my face, before telling me, "It was my pleasure, believe me."

I could tell, all of a sudden, she had somethin' on her mind but I wasn't ready to deal with the fuckery, yet.

"Do you think…" she started and I cut her off.

That moment wasn't gonna be fucking ruined, not yet, anyway, so I told her, in my own, Cullenesque way, to, "Shut up, Swan."

She twisted her mouth but ceased with the seriousness and we enjoyed the last few minutes of post ecstasy bliss before we needed to head out and experience another day of fun filled fuckery with our very own Jack the Ripper wannabe out in the other room.

Fun times.

Ya take 'em when ya get 'em, folks.

…

We got a shower, and then it seemed like…

What?

We were conserving water.

Anyway…seemed to me, like just about everyone we knew had some kinda sixth sense when it came to quality timus interuptus, because my cell phone instinctively rang off the goddamn hook, as we attempted to get dressed.

Call number one…Muldoon.

Ignored.

Like a motherfucker.

A, I didn't really need any shit from our questionable at best, possibly shady Police Lieutenant in the middle of the shit storm. And B, I didn't have any answers for him yet, not to mention the fact that I didn't know for sure who's side that guy was even on, so there was no way I was tellin' him where Kate was.

Call number two. Mom.

Non-ignorable.

Dad was doing better, she was hunkered down at the house, two of DC Metro's not so fucking finest, outside the front door and still, no word from Em.

Fuckin' A.

Call number three, was the Jazz man.

And Alice.

Definitely, non-ignorable.

Now, as much as I'd wanted to keep my sister out of the loop of pure, unadulterated, bullshit that went on around me at all times, it seemed that, where Jasper was, Alice followed, these days and visa fucking versa, so…

Swan and I closed the door to our room and held a semi-private conference call with them, pulling them both up to speed on finding Kate.

And James.

…..

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Jasper'd screeched into the phone, once I'd explained the ins and outs of Kate's genius skills on finding protection.

It was the most I'd ever witnessed Jasper losing his tempter, since I'd known him.

And yeah.

Feel my fucking pain, pal.

It seemed like he was speechless, or…maybe off getting his ducks in order, as my sister reared her bossy, sisterly head, after that.

"Edward, you need to call the police, I know how you feel about that Lieutenant, downtown, but…"

"No go, Alice. She's running from the cops. No tellin' who's in and who's out on this thing."

"What about Emmett…he's out…you know he's…."

"Emmett's not fucking answering his goddamn phone, sis…."

Silence invaded our space.

On both ends.

Until…"I want to help, what can I do?"

And that was when I made a mental note that she'd been hangin' out with Japser a little too goddamn much, if ya ask me.

"Nothin', you don't enter this equation, Alice."

"I agree," we heard, from Jasper and then, as an added bonus, an arm slap…from Alice.

I'd know that sound, anywhere.

And again, feel my fucking pain.

"I can go incognito," she insisted, excitedly and okay…seriously…did she just say, Incog-fucking-nito?

The look on Swan's face, from our end, was nothing but agreement with what I'd been thinking, with regards to Alice and I was grateful.

Fucking finally, we're on the same goddamn page.

And at least I knew, this time, there was an out with my sister. A no way over or under, ten foot tall road block that would make it impossible for her to get involved with this shit.

"They know you Alice. It'd be counter productive to even try it, so…that's a big goddamn no go…and I fucking mean it."

It's the expletives...they get the point across.

Seriously.

"But I could…."

"Alice."

It was Swan.

My mouth was only half way open when she'd spoken.

"This isn't something you want to go into without experience…" she said. And then, "It's not even really something you want to go into with experience."

And I couldn't have said that shit any better.

"Fine, then…what can I do?"

Awesome, now she's pissed.

But she'd get over it.

And at least, she'd be alive.

"You can follow Jasper's lead, and…" I breathed in.

And out.

"Stay safe."

Once the argument with my sister subsided, I went over a few more, important details with Jasper and then he promised he was pulling all the stops to figure out where in the Hell Emmett was.

When I ended the call, and Swan and I started to leave the bedroom, we both stopped short.

It was Kate.

Standing at the bedroom door, watching us, nervously.

Thinking about….something.

"Where's James, Kate?"

She looked over her shoulder, nodding toward the door. "He's out…scouting…he does that."

Hmmm.

"He leaves you here? Alone?"

Not exactly the smoothest of moves, considering.

She smiled. "I'm not alone, today."

"But normally…?"

"Normally, he takes me with him."

Double Hmmm.

"So we don't know if he's coming back, in other words," I said to myself, more than anyone else.

Fucking. Awesome.

She averted her eyes for a second or two and then didn't waste any more time with what she'd come to talk to us about.

"I think I can help you, Mr…" she started and then, appropriately corrected herself. "I mean, Edward."

"Sure thing, kid, why don't start packin' up the shit you brought with you and…"

Swan's attempt at hiding smiles, by the way?

Sucks.

And pretty much always makes me suspicious like a motherfucker.

"No, I mean…" she looked nervous, but stood her ground. "With bringing Aro down…finding him, maybe even…I think if I go to Alec and tell him…"

"No."

"What? You haven't even listened to what I was going to say…"

"Don't care…it's still a no."

She was like the female version of Seth.

I didn't like it.

Like, at fucking all.

A heavy sigh from Swan and I was feeling the pressure to hear Kate out.

And what the fuck was with all the women wanting to put their lives in danger over this bullshit?

I stopped fiddling with my gun and gave her my full on attention.

No that it was gonna do her any good.

"You said yourself, Alec doesn't know what we know…he doesn't even know that I know…he only knows, I disappeared…"

I let that shit sink in for a minute, translating from eighteen year old to private eye speak.

It was futile.

"What is it you think you're getting' at, Kate?" I asked her and Swan made herself busy by fiddling with her own gun, then…leaving me to fight the ideals of an eighteen year old. On my own.

Typical.

"I think I'm getting at, the fact that I'm probably your best bet at getting us close enough to Aro to make a serious move on him…maybe even your only bet."

She was stubborn as she said it and she stared me down after that.

Part of my over active, paranoid brain wondered if Swan had already talked to her about that shit and gave the girl pointers on how to break down Cullen's defenses, one oh one.

I rubbed at the stubble forming around my neck for a minute.

Shit.

Fuck.

Mother of…

This is Bullshit.

I stood my ground, despite the temptation of the whole idea. I mean, let's be honest, here…there's nothin' better than having some good bait when you're tryin' to catch the big fish.

"No."

"Edward."

That one was Swan, applying a little bit of that psycho-analytical bullshit voice of hers.

"No."

"This could work."

"Do the two of you not understand the words that are coming out of my fucking mouth?"

Seriously.

"I'm not afraid."

Kate.

They were double teaming me, now.

And yeah, Swan had definitely given a class, goddamn it.

"I know you're not a-fucking-fraid, that's the problem. You should be fucking afraid…we should all be fucking afraid…this isn't…"

Crazy private eye, guy…losing his shit in three…two…

And then I felt it.

Swan.

Or rather, Swan's hand.

On my shoulder.

My lifeline.

It brought me back to logic. Brought me back to thinking like the professional fuck up that I am…

"Edward…" she said softly, and I stared off at nothing, shaking my head at the idea.

The very idea…

"We wouldn't be far away from her at all times, and if there's anyone I would trust my life with, it's you."

Fucking hell…

"I dunno," I threw a hand up at nothin'. "Shit…I feel like I'm runnin' out of goddamn man power, here…the fucking Metro PD is no good…dad's been shot...my fashion designer sister wants to go all goddamn...bat girl on my ass and try to insinuate herself into Aro's organization as a voluntary fucking slave…I mean…" I laughed.

A little maniacally, maybe. "What the FUCK?"

"Edward…"

"Emmett's…"

M.I.-motherfuckin-A.

"Just breathe, please…" she told me and then I closed his eyes, rubbing at my fucking temples, thinking things through, getting myself focused, again.

Or…trying to, anyway.

This was wrong. On so many levels.

Kate was…inexperienced.

Young.

Inexperienced.

But in reality, she was our best shot at finding Aro.

I hated it and loved it at the same time but mostly, I wanted Aro. And this was my ticket…directly to him, I wouldn't be passing Go, wouldn't be buying any fucking hotels.

Just…beelining for the big guy.

And takin' him down.

And hopefully getting Muldoon of my goddamn back, for good.

But was I making the wrong choice, just because I wanted the sugar coated candy topping on the rotten apple of rotten apples?

"She's got a point, ya know."

I spun to see where the voice had come from, even though I knew who it was.

James.

From the other side of the door and my adrenalin pumped from the cravings it was having to just…fucking shoot that guy.

Jesus Christ.

I let out a sigh.

As loud as I could muster, and caved.

"Well, there ya have it…the murderous maniac agrees with the child…definitely not my idea of a good sign."

"Don't I count for something?" Swan asked me with her a-typical hand on hip, eyebrow raise move.

"Is that a trick question?" I retorted and she didn't think it was very fucking funny, unfortunately.

Delivery is key, my friends.

"I'm not putting an under aged kids life in danger because I want this guy taken down."

I was talking to Swan, but James, for some fucking reason, thought it wise to reply.

"Technically, she's not underaged."

"Was I fucking talking to you?"

He didn't get the opportunity to respond to that one. I wasn't in the mood.

"This isn't forty eight hours, we're not Starsky and fucking Hutch and I'm definitely not negotiating with you…there are people's lives at stake here, dill weed…"

"Guess you don't want Aro as bad as you thought you did then."

"Guess I fucking didn't."

Did I?

"Edward…listen…"

Swan again.

'Cause by now, Kate was pretty content with Bella making all points in case with regards to the argument she'd been trying to make.

Considering she was winning…I couldn't exactly blame the kid.

The three adults argued and debated on shit for a while and while I thought I was making progress…possibly even wearing Swan down a bit…I couldn't help but wonder if I was fighting it simply because James was for it.

Regardless, in the end, the two co-horts busting my chops were right…Kate was eighteen, she was legal. Therefore, since it was Kates life, we made it Kate's decision.

And I'm guessing you've figured the fuck out, how that went.

So I conceded.

Yeah.

I was a conceding motherfucker.

What about it?

The irony of the situation, was that, while I was smiling and nodding at the love of my life slash lady dominatrix, I was simultaneously realizing, on some level, somewhere…that my life had changed really fucking drastically since 'round about a year ago or so.

Not that that was a bad thing…

Sorta.

"Alright," I finally said. "Let's make a plan."

…..

The most disturbing moment of the afternoon for yours truly?

When I noticed that despite the fact that James was public enemy number fucking one with regards to me, that the guy was actually, in a highly demented, darkened, kinda way, a genius.

Which wasn't a very comforting thought, considering that once our business was done here, I'd need to take his ass down, too.

So I paid attention to the way his mind worked and the ideas he came up with pertaining to playing hide and seek and I stashed it all away for when I'd need to have an inkling as to where he was and what he was up to.

Which, let's face it, was bound to happen.

We were packin' up and about to head out when my cell buzzed for the first time since that morning and when I looked at the number, I didn't' recognize it.

Emmett, maybe.

I slid the bar across the screen to answer, but didn't say anything.

At first.

"It's me," I heard from the other end and then motioned to Swan that I needed a few minutes alone with the call.

There was just no way in Hell I was lettin' James in on anything having to do with knowing where Emmett was.

Just in fucking case.

I found the room furthest away from where everyone was and finally spoke.

"Where. The fuck. Are you."

"You can't keep calling me, Edward, you're gonna blow my whole…"

Muffled noises cut him off and I couldn't hear much after that.

"Em…"

Fuck.

"EM…"

"Shhhh…listen, I don't have a lot of time, I need you to pay attention…"

He sounded hurried.

And desperate.

A combination I wasn't a big fucking fan of.

I knew there was gonna be time to give him hell, some other time.

I hoped, anyway.

So I did what he said, realizing something was goin' down and this shit could be important.

Would be important.

I listened as he explained where he'd been and after I'd let out a few "what the fucks" and "are you a crazy homicidal motherfucking idiot?" comments about the shit he'd somehow gotten himself into without letting me know anything about any of it, I calmed the fuck down and made a few additions to his plan, from my end.

"You sure this can happen?" I asked, after some frantic note jotting and plan concocting, internally.

"Hell no, bro…" he answered. "It's all assuming they react the way we expect and I don't exactly know what to expect anymore, ya know?"

"Excellent," I told him. "Sounds like my kinda fucking plan."

The was sarcasm, by the way.

But despite the odds, I was suddenly, actually thinking this whole thing was winnable.

Provided everything we'd just discussed went down without a hitch.

I mean like…a lot of shit needed to go right.

More like everything needed to go right.

It was all just one big ugly roll of the dice, hoping to get Yatzee.

But if there was one thing I'd learned you needed to do in the line of work I'd chosen to partake in for my life's career.

It was that Yatzee always came along, when you least expected it.

So I tried not to.

Expect it, that is.

What?

It was worth a shot.

Making my way back out to the rest of our motley crew, I told them we needed to make a couple of…really out of the fucking way pit stops, before following through with the rest of the plan on this side of the moon, eying Swan quietly to let her know, I'd fill her in when I could.

James dropped some money off at the front desk for his monkey and I became increasingly confused with his ass, wondering what exactly makes a dick like that loyal to his word with a payoff for shit?

But who was I to question?

I just needed to take advantage of the resources we had, while we had them and hope to fucking Hell that resource didn't double cross us any earlier than I needed him to.

A few new clips for the Colt and Hechler, some hand grenades and …. Something having to do with smoke and mirrors, later…and we were headed for step one of operation, blow a hole in Aro's life as he knew it.

I wished I'd had closer access to Jasper, so I could borrow one of his tracking devices, but since he was out of area, so to speak, I had to make due.

In other words, we picked up something modern and…tweaked it.

…

"Okay," I said, pulling up to a phone booth, just outside the small town we'd been holed up in. Against my boyfriend-type instincts, I left Swan in the car with James, so he didn't leave us high and dry…then got out, with Kate and made my best attempt at a pep talk before she called up her bad boyfriend.

"You just be…you, and don't be nervous, we're all right here."

Kate rubbed her hands together.

I could see it in her eyes.

It was the same look Swan would get when she'd go on those dates with Newton, the year prior.

"If you don't wanna do it, we'll find another way, Kate…don't feel oblig…"

"I'm doing it," she said. "I'm just…"

"This will work, and you'll do great," I told her because something inside of me said, she would.

She opened the booth, picked up and the phone and dialed the operator, asking for a collect call to the dick twat and I swallowed. I'm not goona lie. I was fuckin' nervous as shit. It seemed like these guys were always just a millimeter ahead of us up to then.

But the tides…they were a changing…and I willed that shit to start goin' our way.

I wasn't against bustin' a cap into mother fucking nature, if I had to.

Seriously.

I snapped back into reality when I heard Kate talking.

"Alec?" she cried into the phone and even though I knew that was the plan, to sound scared…I could tell, she really was.

And yet, wasn't.

If ya know what I'm sayin'.

"I don't know, I've been hiding, I'm so scared, Alec."

I looked back into the car and noticed Swan talkin' it up with James and wondered what the fuck that asshole was saying to her and planned on a nut removal as soon as this fuckery was over.

Then I watched as they got out of the car to join us.

Curious, I supposed, as to how the call was going.

"I love you, too," Kate was telling Alec. "I don't know what to do, I didn't want to involve you, but…"

James leaned, lazily, against the telephone pole, near the phone booth, checking the time.

Dick.

Swan took my hand.

"Yes…can you please come get me?...Yes….oh, please, yes….okay…thank you Alec."

It was a small victory, beginning a series of many victories needed.

And when she ended the call, she wiped the tears from her face and the four of us stood there, letting the beginning of the battle sink in before I planted the tracker onto Kate's body.

We had a few hours before Alec would be there.

We didn't know if he'd be bringing anyone with him or if he'd come alone but we did know that there were three of us that had better not be around when he and his merry band of fuck ups arrived, so we decided where those of us not heading into the lion's den would hang out, close to pick up time and then we went to wait out most of the lag time at a diner across the street.

"It's gonna work," Swan told me, noticing the deep thoughts protruding my mind.

"I know," I told her, watching Kate walking in front of us, alongside James.

"She's tough," she reminded me.

"Yep," I said.

"And we're ready, Edward. If anyone can do this, we can."

"Uh huh," I mumbled and then I smiled over at her, throwin' an arm around her shoulder to let her know I was on top of the game even though I wasn't even sure that was true, anymore.

I held the door open for her, when we got to the diner, checked my watch and scanned the area, just to make sure we were indeed, the ones that were one step ahead this time and then made a silent declaration to myself to get the mojo rollin'.

And so, it begins.