Property of an Obsessive Vampire

Chapter Five

She must have fallen asleep at one point because Edward was there again, gently tapping her side. "You need to wake up," he informed her. "You haven't had anything in twenty-four hours."

They were on the road again. It was completely dark and drizzling. Bella recognized the car to be a Volvo.

Edward's words finally hit her when she smelled fries and chicken from the backseat. Fast food. Bella wasn't one for McDonald's, but her stomach was so empty it stung with pain.

She grabbed the bag from behind her and then a water bottle from the cup holder. With an urgency she didn't understand, she all but inhaled the water. It was gone too soon.

"Here." Edward held up another water bottle without taking his eyes off the road.

"Thanks," she whispered and devoured that one as well. Then she made a grab for the fries and stuffed her face.

Two water bottles, ten chicken nuggets, and a box of french fries later Bella groaned. She had eaten too fast and now the food sat uncomfortably in her belly.

Taking a sharp breath, she glanced at Edward. "Are we almost there?"

His mouth turned into a frown. "To the hotel, if that's what you mean."

"That's not what I mean," Bella answered. There was a short silence between them as they turned at an intersection.

"We have a few stops along the way," Edward explained in a curt voice. His hands were gripping the wheel to the point where his knuckles turned white. "It will take days to get there by car."

"Is that when I'll meet him?"

Edward's jaw clenched. He turned to face her and she gasped at the intensity of his stare. "It would be a rather stupid move to take revenge, Isabella."

Her heart stopped. It was the first time he had said her name.

The rest of the car ride was silent. They pulled into a hotel that hadn't looked much nicer than the last one.

Edward turned off the engine and they just sat there for a moment. Then he turned to her. "I'm assuming because of the new information, you have no objections."

Bella shook her head.

"Then you're going to have to act the part."

He leaned over her and the action made her eyes widen. His hands were like ice as he grabbed hers, slipping a diamond ring over her ring finger. He adjusted her shirt a little too, unbuttoning the top so the tank underneath showed. Then he raised his hands to her face, brushing a few locks of hair out of her eyes.

Bella did her best not to breathe. He was touching her. If she lifted her head up she would probably catch those perfectly sculpted lips. The heat flowed to her face and her skin tingled where his fingers touched.

Slowly, Edward pulled away and was out of the car in nanoseconds. Bella took a few moments for herself, letting out shallow breaths.

She couldn't believe she let that happen. She had allowed herself to be carried away in his attraction. He was still an awful person, no matter how beautiful he was. He had kidnapped her and was now delivering her to an unknown man who could possibly harm her.

But something still nagged at her. The pucker of his brow; those clenched fists; that expression of misery. Bella couldn't understand why he always looked like that; like in her dream. She remembered wanting to get him to smile. The man never did. Now she realized it was possible he may never.

She got out of the car and Edward was at her side. "Follow my lead," he said softly. He hesitated, but then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Bella blushed ten shades.

They began walking toward the hotel. It was still dark and the cement was drenched in water. Bella kept her arms awkwardly at her sides, not sure what to do with this stranger holding her. She shivered slightly and that's when she realized there was no body heat coming from Edward's embrace. It was cold, a lot like his composure.

The lights were bright inside the lobby compared to the darkness outside. There were sofas surrounding a fire place to the side and crystal chandeliers hung above them in intricate designs. Bella gasped. The place was stunning and appeared awfully expensive. She briefly wondered how Edward got his money.

A middle aged man stood behind the desk, well groomed and important looking. Geez, this place was definitely high class. What were they doing here?

Edward seemed rather at ease for someone who was kidnapping a girl and taking her to her doom. His arm tightened around her waist, in comfort she assumed. "My wife and I would like a room."

Bella tried hard not to react to the word wife. She glanced down at the ring again, as if to confirm this. It was a rather unusual piece, something you wouldn't find at the Kay Jewelers. Another thought struck her. Why would Edward be carrying around wedding rings?

The man smiled politely and nodded. "Have you been to the Silver Legacy before?" He asked as he searched the computer.

"No, this is our first time." He gave Bella a wide smile, showing all those pearly whites. It was a breathtaking grin, but something about it made her feel frozen, captivated.

He was still looking at her. Was she supposed to say something? She cleared her throat. "Y-Yeah," she managed, blushing.

The man didn't notice the "newlyweds" odd interaction and handed them a key. "Good for one night. I hope you enjoy your stay at the Silver Legacy."

When they got to the room, his arm dropped and Bella awkwardly took a few steps away from him. "Here." She pulled off the ring and held it out.

Edward shook his head. "Keep it on. We'll stick to the story in case anyone else asks."

Bella nodded and looked to the ground. "Why did you call me your wife?" she asked, blushing slightly.

He didn't seem to notice her embarrassment. "It's the easiest explanation. They would be suspicious if I just asked for a room without any explanations."

"Oh." Her voice came out flat. What had she expected? Two teens going to a hotel never looked good. So why didn't he just say they were related or something? Wouldn't that have been easier?

That's when Bella saw it. The one bed. She shifted uncomfortably. "Should I...?" She pointed at the queen sized bed.

Edward shook his head. "You'll be sleeping there."

"And you?"

"I don't sleep."

She found that hard to believe. It was strange how even the simplest of questions seemed to put him off edge. Was it really that challenging just to say he'd be up or simply not there? Unless he was lying for whatever reason.

Before it could get anymore awkward between them, Edward gestured to the door. "I'll be going out tonight." Then, with a glare, he added, "Do not try to run again."

There was a real threat behind those words. Bella swallowed and nodded. She didn't have the time to get mixed up in his charm. Yes, he was extraordinarily good looking, but it didn't mean he would hesitate to hurt her. He could very easily take advantage of her and if her last escape plan hadn't been a dream, Edward was capable of great strength.

But it didn't matter anymore. She was here for one reason now. To meet the man who stalked Renee. Who could have possibly murdered her. And, hopefully, bring some justice to this world. It was a dark path she was walking down and there was no turning back.