The Angel and The Billionaire

chapter 58

Tony

Steve and Natasha try to change my mind for another 15 minutes before Barnes and I take off, using the smallest and fastest jet available.

20 minutes of flying has never taken so long.

- There he is. - I point to the leftovers of the Norco. It angers me how I didn't recognize it when Edward first sent a video. It's also surprising how much of the oil tanker is standing. Well, not standing but you know what I mean.

Barnes takes a machine gun while I take one of Natasha's pistols. Once we step into the boat the only sounds are his footsteps, the tread so hard it muffles mine almost completely. Everything around us smells like either gasoline or burnt metal and it takes a while of searching before we find them.

Grace is tied to a chair, her head hanging low and a couple of bruises on her cheek. She fought back, it was visible. On a table about a meter to her left there's a webcam, a live stream whose number of viewers keeps increasing.

Edward wears the same snarky smile, as usual, only this time it's twice as big as in the videos. His sweatshirt is old, there's a stain that looks like oil on the front of his pants and the socks are mismatched. The guy's a wreck but he has a gun pointed at my girlfriend's head so I don't point that out. Edward keeps the barrel on her temple even though she's not conscious. An IV injects a blue liquid into her arm.

- Finally. - He speaks up, drifting his eyes away from her to glare at us. At me. He's looking at me. - Took you long enough.

- What do you want? - Barnes speaks carefully, his eyes subtly scanning the room. Trying to find something to do, a way out, a loophole. It seems too easy, two against one, we're obviously missing something.

- Don't bother trying to shoot me. - Edward chuckles, pointing his gun at us and pressing the trigger twice. I flinch at the movement but both bullets get logged in an invisible barrier of protection. - Me and Stark's girl are surrounded by my creation. The one my father started and I finished. You don't see it but it can stop you. Impenetrable, resistant to water, lasers, bombs and all that jazz.

- You used it when you tried to get SHIELD agents to help you, right? - I don't know why I'm asking but stalling him sounds like a good idea. - In the bar with agent Lynn when you told him you were Trevor Slattery.

- Among other things. - He uses the gun to caress Grace's face and I almost do something stupid. - Her super soldier strength blindsided me that first time but not this one. The serum in the IV was designed to knock her out.

- What do you want from her? - Barnes keeps a calm tone but his metal hand is making a noise from how hard he's clenching it. - She didn't do anything wrong.

- Oh, you haven't heard? She got in bed with the wrong man, sergeant Barnes. - He presses his thumb on her nose. - I told her earlier, such a shame. She's beautiful. I can't wrap my head around the fact she wants you.

- That makes two of us. - Barnes nods, his eyes blazing. - He's been manipulating her for a while now. I'm sure she'll see the truth if we give her time.

Fuck you, metal man. I get what you're doing but fuck you.

- I'm afraid it's a little late. - Edward chuckles. - I have nothing against you, Barnes. I really don't.

- You exposed him for JFK's murder. Tried to make a whole nation hate him. - I argue. - Don't act like you care about anyone other than yourself.

- It was a necessary evil to achieve my big goal: getting my revenge. - He keeps his gaze on Barnes. - I'm sure you can understand.