Giving into you (Bruce Wayne/Batman - Robert Pattinson)

Chapter Eighteen

Payment received. Your secret is safe with me. Now, go and be free.

I couldn't stop reading the note. How much had he been paid? Had he been been paid, or was my father the payment? None of it made sense. It was evident the note was directed to me, and I couldn't make out whether he was trying to help me for some reason. Was it a trick? Was he trying to pretend he was on my side? I had never been more confused by it.  I didn't really know how I felt. There was so many emotions running around my mind that I just couldn't pinpoint the one I was feeling. I was angry that this had happened. My relationship with my father had been complicated and honestly, he didn't really deserve to be called father, but it doesn't mean I wanted him to die. I wanted to cry about it. I wanted to be inconsolable like any daughter should be at the death of a parent, but I couldn't. There was apart of me that felt relief and I hated myself for it. I was nothing but conflicted.

My mother was still weeping as forensics suffocated the office my father's body lay in. I stood with Detective Jim Gordon, who must have been sick of me by now. It was always me lately or something to do with me and I was truly over it. I wanted to escape and get away from Gotham. It was as if I was cursed.

"Ms Montez, can I ask why you're here? You had a restraining order against your father. Neither of you should have been close," Jim questioned.

"I know. I came here on my own free will. He's still my father, I wanted to try and see if we could work things out," I lied and I was curious as to whether Jim knew I was lying. He didn't seem to convinced.

"And Mr Wayne was okay with that?"

"Not really, but we aren't together anymore so it wasn't his choice."

"Okay," he muttered taking more notes in his pad. "Did you both manage to work things out?" I glanced up at him, and tilted my head in question. "You and your father," he confirmed, and I was relieved he answered because I thought he meant Bruce and I.

"No, sadly we didn't."

He sighed a little, looking slightly disappointed. "Well, I'm truly sorry about that."

"Am I a bad person to say I'm not sorry?" I asked, and he cleared his throat. "After everything that happened, I thought maybe we'd be able to get past it. I guess I hoped that he could actually be a father to me...I was wrong. All he cared about was himself, his career, the amount of money he had...it was all about him."

I wasn't wrong, but Jim didn't seem to comment.

"Do you know who might have done this?" His question struck me. Was I the only one that knew the visitors name? Did the butler not hear or know? I had to decide quickly if I would make matters worse by telling them or whether I'd keep it to myself and only tell Bruce. If I told them I'd only give them an opportunity to dig deeper and by doing that I'd be risking my own life and Alfred's, potentially even Bruce's. I had to be smart.

"I really don't know. I know he had a business meeting, but I was out for a run. Security accompanied me. I don't know who he had a meeting with. You know what he was like. He was involved with a lot of bad people."

"And what about the note left, do you have any idea what that might mean? Anything? Even if it's just a guess?"

"No idea, I'm sorry. I wish I knew. As much as I didn't get along with my father, I'd never wish death upon him."

"I understand that," Jim said and put his notebook into his pocket. "We'll look into it. We'll get the coroners report and I'll let you know. From first look, it appears it might have been poison, but we'll have to confirm it," Jim explained, and just as he finished I noticed Bruce rushing over to me. I expected to see him next dressed as the bat, but he wasn't and because of that I was relieved. When he reached me, he threw his arms around me. It felt good being back in his arms. I had missed everything about him. I closed my eyes and embraced the moment.

"I'm sorry I didn't listen to you when you told me not to come," I said into his shoulder hoping that he would have gotten the hint.

"I'm just glad you're okay," he said, leaning back and examining my face as if to make sure I hadn't been hurt. "What happened?" He asked turning to Jim.

"We're still trying to figure that out, Mr Wayne. For now, I'd recommend that you go back home and try to stay there. We don't know if this is someone targeting your family, anyone around you, we need to make sure you're safe."

"She'll be safe with me," Bruce confirmed, and Jim nodded.

"Be careful, Ms Montez. I'll be in touch."

When Jim walked away, there was a part of me that wanted to reach out and just tell him everything. He had a trustworthy vibe about him, but he was also very much a police officer and I couldn't put him in a situation that would make him go against his belief in the truth. I didn't even know if he would help me or throw me in jail. Maybe he'd understand? I shook the idea out of my head. I knew I had to keep it to myself otherwise we'd be in more of a mess. I had to think about Alfred and Bruce too and what implications it might have had on them if I let slip. Perhaps this man had something against my father. Maybe he just wanted his money and he didn't really care about what I did to Carmen. I wouldn't know. No one would. I didn't know who he was aside from a name, and that could have even been fake. There wasn't anything I could have done. My father had paid this man off, and I hoped that was enough for him to keep quiet. All we could do was wait, but in the mean time I didn't want to waste anymore time. My father couldn't blackmail me anymore, he couldn't control me and I was free again to make my own choices without having a hold over my shoulder. The only person that knew about what had happened was the so called Mr Nashton, and I just had to trust that this man would keep his word.

Bruce was standing beside me and I continued to stare at my father's body in the body bag that was now being zipped up. It sent a shiver down my spine and I immediately stepped closer to Bruce, putting my hand into his pocket. He noticed I was uncomfortable and put his arm around me.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I just want to go home," I said, and he smiled, squeezing my shoulder and placed a kiss on my head.

"Of course. I'm never letting you go ever again, I promise."

I knew that when we got back we'd talk about it and I'd be able to share everything I knew with Bruce and Alfred. If anyone could have fixed it, it was Bruce. He could have gotten to the bottom of it, and I knew he'd do anything to make sure I was safe. Throughout the car ride home I didn't let go of Bruce's hand. I couldn't even if I wanted to. I felt safe again and I wasn't ever going to be without him again. 

I was going home and that's where I would stay.

To be continued...
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So, again, small but necessary chapter. Mr Nashton causing trouble again!! What do we make of the note he left and why has he killed Harry Montez?

A lot to unpack, but I hoped you enjoyed it!

Much love to all.