Haunted Angel Chapter 40

Chapter 40

EDWARD

My fingers skimmed lightly over the keys, Beethoven wafting out of the speakers. I wrinkled my nose a little. The keyboards weren't the same as my baby grand, but beggars couldn't be choosers at this point in time. My mind was fairly relaxed, but it had been that way since the first night we'd arrived on the island a little over a month ago. Bella had shielded me from everyone's minds for almost two days solid, and I'd been better ever since.

The house was a constant influx of activity. Someone was always busy doing something. Jasper was determined to give our parents what they wanted – a chance for all of us to stay together – so he was constantly researching, scanning the internet, and jotting things down in a notebook. There were games being played at all hours, whether at the table or on the Xbox. If it wasn't games, it was music.

Caroline was learning to control who and what she was with the help of everyone around her. She was a pretty independent thing, but she wasn't afraid to ask questions. However, she was absolutely determined to get her newborn strength and temper under control. Apparently, sex was an incredible motivator...not that Archie would discuss it.

Haunted Angel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

BELLA

My eyes took in Rio, causing a smile to curl my lips. I remembered my beautiful wedding and an endless flight to get here. Getting busted making out in the wee hours of the morning on the last flight into Rio, along with never-ending games of Hangman and Tic-Tac-Toe were just the simple, fun things that belonged to only Edward and me.

The large statue of Jesus guarded over the city on his high perch, arms outstretched and welcoming. The hustle and bustle of the nighttime activities waged around us as we walked down the sidewalk. Alice had asked us to stop at one of her favorite stores to pick up something she'd ordered before we made that final dash to Isle Esme.

Off to my left, I saw the motorcycle rental place that we'd gone to on our honeymoon. It had been the first time I'd hunted something other than deer or moose. And it was also the first time Edward and I had realized that hunting carnivores created some sort of carnal reaction between us.

"Say my name again," he said against my skin. "It will be the only name you will remember when I'm through fucking you."

I'd come simply by his words. Then again, Dirty Edward had more power than he was willing to admit. It had started to rain that day, and Edward had taken me hard against a tree, his mouth at my ear spilling the most delicious and sensual words I'd ever heard.

Haunted Angel Chapter 38

Chapter 38

BELLA

"I don't know, Carlisle," Edward grunted frustratedly. "She hasn't made the decision yet... I refuse to push her!"

I turned the volume up on my iPod, drowning out the two of them. Carlisle was trying to explain that the Jacksonville coast was coming up, but Edward would defend me to the end of the world and back. I loved them both madly, but I just didn't know what I wanted to do.

The thought of seeing my mother – even from a distance – sounded amazing and way too tempting to pass up, considering we were already this close.

On the one hand, I missed Renee like crazy. I missed her never-ending chatter, her fantastical ideas, and her hobby of the moment. Because no matter how whimsical my mother was, no matter what was going on in our lives when I was growing up, I knew that my mother loved me. It was simple and free and easy. It was also hard to keep her in line, focused, and driven, but that was just how our relationship had worked. So to see her, to make sure she was okay and happy was calling to me at the moment more than the scent of blood ever had.

On the other hand, I wasn't so sure if I could just...look. I missed the feel of her hugs, because no one hugged like a mom. Ever. And I missed her smell – all flowers and sugar, the smell of my childhood. I missed the sound of her laughter and the brightness of her smile. I missed her begging for details about my personal life, Edward, and even pushy questions about sex and love.

Haunted Angel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

BELLA

"Alice! Please!" Archie begged, his eyes wild with worry, but I held him steadfast in my shield and my arms as he physically shook. We watched my sister pace frantically in the library.

She'd been pacing since she'd had to send Emmett and Jasper right out the door not twenty minutes after Carlisle and Edward, even more when I was told to send my husband a text giving the go-ahead for everything. I could see the turmoil etched across her face. Whatever decisions my husband and our father were making had been shocking for her. And I wasn't so sure it was because this moment had been blurry in her visions since the beginning. Every now and then, I wished for Edward's gift, if only to see what she was seeing. This was one of those times.

When Carlisle and Edward had spun out of the driveway, Alice had remained silent after explaining to Archie what she'd seen that had brought her to her knees. A car accident. A really bad one. Archie had flown into a panicked rage, and I'd had no choice but to hold him in my shield to save the house and his sanity. Edward had said Archie couldn't follow, so I kept him bound to me.

Haunted Angel Chapter 36

Chapter 36

BELLA

The glow of my laptop screen illuminated the back deck as I opened it up. I glanced up to watch Jasper pace back and forth in the backyard as he spoke quickly, firmly, and decisively to Jenks. I rolled my eyes because Jenks was absolutely terrified of my brother. And for good reasons, I would assume, but still... Jasper loved to exploit it.

My eyes drifted to the library windows, where I could see Edward, Carlisle, and Archie in a deep conversation. Archie was – without a single doubt – completely wrecked. Caroline had been gone for less than an hour, and poor Archie had barely uttered two words once we'd gotten him inside and the door had shut closed.

He was – I was happy to note – checking his phone every fifteen seconds. Although, I worried that he hadn't heard back from Caroline since she'd pulled out of our driveway.

Haunted Angel Chapter 35

Chapter 35

EDWARD

"Edward, are you sure?" Esme asked nervously as she watched Archie lead Caroline into the woods from the library windows.

"Yes, I'm sure," I sighed, giving her a placating smile. "I have more confidence in Archie than I did in myself the first time I took Bella to our meadow." I snorted, shaking my head, but I couldn't help but smile when she cooed, running her fingers through my hair.

"My sweet boy," she soothed. "Very well...I trust you're still watching over him," she surmised, and I nodded in answer.

Archie had wanted away from the house for a bit of privacy with Caroline, though he was well aware that I was able to hear them. A part of him thought to be embarrassed about that, but another found comfort in the fact that I was watching out over them. It also gave him a satisfying sense of propriety that he was being "chaperoned," more or less. He never wanted to hurt her – to do so would kill him – but he also wanted to shelter her from prying eyes, listening ears, and teasing brothers. The latter of which were getting their asses handed to them by Bella and my sisters, despite Carlisle's warnings to leave Archie in peace.

Haunted Angel Chapter 34

Chapter 34

EDWARD

Hands flew to the hems of shirts, while others blindly reached for the bedroom iPod or locked our bedroom door. I needed to block out the rest of the house...or at least drown out the sounds we were making. Words were barely uttered between us as our lips stayed attached. Shoes and socks were scattered across the room, shirts were yanked roughly over heads, and jeans were savagely shoved down, if not ripped off completely. I hardly had time to register sweet lilac underwear before they, too, were made to disappear.

I'd never wanted a human to go to sleep so badly in all my life, but now that she had, lust had filled the house. I knew Jasper couldn't help it. I also knew that Caroline and Archie were new at trying to get a handle on everything they were feeling, but damn, she'd played video games for hours, only to then ask Archie to play chess. And that had resulted in way too many sexual thoughts between them.

Archie was trying his damnedest to be a gentleman, but having Caroline accept him, having her blue eyes dance over him at every possible opportunity had caused his emotions to spiral out of control. I understood it because Bella and I had done the exact same thing, not to mention every other couple in the house, but all of it at once was driving the entire family crazy.

Haunted Angel Chapter 33

Chapter 33

EDWARD

My fingers flew over the keys of my piano as my eyes followed Carlisle, who was pacing back and forth in the yard on his cell phone. He was speaking in low tones to Marcus, but I could still hear his mind. The discussion was about the size of our family, possible options, not to mention the current situation with Archie and Caroline. Marcus had faith in Carlisle's decisions; he simply wanted to offer some insight. Jasper was with him in order to remove himself from the house and the wide range of emotions that were swirling around in it.

Archie had been squirreled away by the girls, Kevin, and Adrian. They were currently speaking about anything that didn't have to do with love, mating, or small, blonde human girls. In fact, toenails were being painted as a movie played in the background upstairs in Kevin and Adrian's room.

Rose and Emmett were still gone, though they were expected back soon. I knew that they were working on some sort of contingency plan should we have to move quickly – something Alice had suggested – but the details were not something anyone was thinking about. And at the moment, I just didn't care.

I'd needed a break from all the thoughts swirling around, so I'd opted to lose myself in music. It didn't completely drown them out, but it helped my own mind zero in on a single thing, a single activity.

Haunted Angel Chapter 32

Chapter 32

BELLA

Gazing out over the backyard, I watched the sun come up to another cloudy day. It wasn't raining, but the sky was already threatening it. I leaned back against Edward as we shared a chaise lounger, my fingers turning his wedding ring slowly over and over. I was tired of debating, so I ignored the hushed arguments around me.

Caroline had fallen back asleep, but even from where I was outside, I could hear her tossing and turning. She was restless, something that most likely stemmed from her overwhelmed mind.

All the deception and secret keeping was weighing down the entire house. If it were up to me, I'd tell everyone everything. Archie should know that Caroline's future was sketchy, at best. Caroline needed to know that she wasn't crazy, that everything she'd put together in her mind was the truth. And dammit if Archie didn't need to tell her that he'd been living in this house not only ten years ago, but a hundred.

Alice gasped my name, and I turned to face her while Kevin, Rose, and Emmett debated with Carlisle over how we could tell Caroline and then let her leave with her father in a little over thirty-two hours. Alice was practically in the same position I was, only in Jasper's lap. She nodded slowly, but Edward gave her thoughts a voice softly in my ear.

"She says it works, Bella. But you'll have to tread carefully," he whispered, pressing his lips to my temple.

"Then you have to start...with him," I told Alice, pointing in Archie's direction.