Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Seventeen

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 117

The next time I opened my eyes, I had something tucked in my arms. It was soft and I was afraid that I was squishing Carino. Bella would kill me if I suffocated her cat! I looked down in my arms and saw a tuft of black. Carino was gray with a white belly. I picked up the black thing and my eyes watered when I saw what it was.

Sylvester.

God, I'm such a pansy.

I struggled to sit upright and I held the stuffed Sylvester cat in my hands. Bella had remembered my story and gotten this for me. Tenderly I ran my fingers over the polyester coat and smiled when I touched its red nose. Like a kid, I wrapped my arms around the animal and hugged it close. Tears were spilling over my cheeks and I sobbed quietly for my mom, for the situation I was in with Bella, for everything...

The door opened and Bella poked her head inside. She wore a soft smile, her eyes swimming with emotion. "Hey," she said, sitting down next to me. "I didn't mean to make you cry."

"No, I'm fine," I said, wiping my face. "I just can't believe you remembered." Pussy...you're a pussy, Edward. Crying over a stuffed animal? You're getting soft, douche.

"Edward, I saw the sadness when you told me that story in Italy. I seriously wanted to resurrect your dad to kick his ass for doing that to you," she growled, her nose wrinkled and her tiny hands balled into tight fists. Giving me a warm look, she continued, "So, I went on eBay when I got home, searching for Sylvesters from Six Flags. I'll have you know that this Sylvester is from the Six Flags in Gurnee. I asked for proof of that from the seller."

"Thank you," I whispered, kissing her temple and balancing the stuffed cat on my knees.

"How are you feeling?" Bella asked.

"Still sore, but not as bad as before," I answered. "My leg itches like a bitch."

"I can imagine," Bella said. "Doc will be here in the afternoon to change your dressing. I'd do it for you but my overwhelming fear of blood kind of hinders that ability. I'm pretty certain you don't want me puking on your leg."

"Ah, no." I sighed and stared longingly at the bathroom door. "Is Emmett here?"

"You need to pee?" she giggled, arching a perfectly sculpted brow.

"Yeah. My leg hurts and I don't want to injure myself further with the crutches. I'm not very confident on them, especially since my ribs are taped up and my arm is 'brittle.'"

"I'll go get him. Don't move," she laughed, bouncing off the bed. I glowered at her as she ran from the room. A few moments later, Charlie came in with Bella. "Emmett is taking care of some business. Daddy's going to help you."

"Sir?" I said, shifting on the bed, wary of his ability to help me to bathroom.

"I'm stronger than I look, Edward," Charlie chuckled. "I half carried you into the kitchen the night you were attacked."

I frowned. Charlie put his hands on his hips, huffing quietly. "Okay, okay," I grumbled. I swung my legs out of the bed and Charlie ducked under my arm. Slowly, we walked to the bathroom. He really was stronger than he looked. Once in the bathroom, Charlie left and I went about my business. I felt very slovenly. I had, for all intents and purposes, lost four days of my life because of this injury, sleeping and doing nothing. I sighed, brushing my teeth and slumping against the counter. Charlie knocked, helping me back to the bed. "Where's Bella?"

"Making you some dinner," he said as he tucked the blankets around me. "I wanted to talk to you about Felix and Demetri."

"Demetri's still dead, right?" I asked, quirking a brow.

"Yeah. He didn't pop up after getting a gunshot wound to his brain," Charlie snorted humorlessly. "No, he was cremated and dumped into Puget Sound. The same funeral home that took care of Billy's funeral disposed of the body. The owner is a friend of my family." That's so not legal...

"What about Felix?" I asked.

"He's...he's not being cooperative at the moment," Charlie said grimly. "That's where Emmett is right now. He's trying to get Felix to tell us where Aro's headquarters are. We know he opened up his club, Volterra, but the headquarters is not there."

"Why aren't you doing it?"

"Because, I don't want that blood on my hands," Charlie responded. He got up from the bed and looked out the window. "I don't like this life, Edward. I do it because it's expected of me. I've killed men for not obeying orders. I've given drugs to gang bangers, to sell on the streets. I've sold weapons. But, none of it can be traced back to me. The network in my Syndicate is twisted and convoluted." He stared at me. "I know you care about my daughter, probably more than you let on. Keep her safe, Edward."

"I'd die for her, Charlie. I've told you that," I said.

"I don't want you to die for her. I want you to live for her. She needs someone like you to take care of her, if I'm ever gone," he said, giving me a sad smile.

I blinked at him, shocked at his demeanor. Was he our informant?

A/N: I had to with the Sylvester...:-) No pics with this one. If you want to see previous pics, check out my blog or my tumblr. Links for that are on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation or on twitter: tufano79. Please, leave me some!

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