His Bella

TWENTY-NINE

WADE'S POV

WADE

"So, what was your dad really like?", Mrs. Storm asked.

"Not easy to have a conversation with", I said making her chuckle.

"So less of a dad and more of the head of a criminal organization?"

I froze, staring at her in silence. She ignored my gaze and glanced at the open arch which led to the kitchen where the sound of cluttering plates came from. Bella seemed to be having a hard time. She looked back at me and rose the small mug in her hand to her lips, sipping silently.

"You know...", I said softly.

She placed the mug on the coffee table in front of her, wisps of smoke danced out of it. "Your mother didn't have a lot of friends", she said, "and the ones she did have, she trusted blindly enough to open up about the reason why she was so protective of you and your brother"

I stared at my feet. I missed her too much

"She was a brave woman", Mrs. Storm said.

"I guess she was"

"I thought you died"

I looked up at her, "what?"

She shrugged, "I thought your father's lifestyle had somehow killed you", she said, "I just didn't know how to tell my daughter that there was a possibility you weren't even alive anymore"

I snorted, "it did more than that"

"Why are you really here?", she asked.

I glanced at the opening again as I heard Bella cuss and smiled to myself. It hurt that I couldn't do anything what we had. I would have to settle for just knowing she was fine. I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to her because of me. She moved on and she was happy. Who was I to ruin it for her?

"I figured if I took the mandate of leadership as head of the raiders, then I could at least control things from the inside", I said to Mrs. Storm, "protect Axel from everything but I've had to sacrifice the dreams I had when I lived here", I added, "I'm not sure I even remember what I wanted to study in college"

"Axel knows everything?"

"Yes", I said, "If anything ever happens to me, it would be good for Axel to know what to do"

She took the mug in her hands again and crossed her legs, she stared into it, "what do you think my daughter would do if you were to come back into her life and suddenly die due to some-", she paused and looked up at me, "-conflict?"

"I won't expect her to do anything", I said, "I'm not trying to take everything she has built here with the people she loves. I think I've done a pretty good job at hiding how I feel so far"

She nodded and I smiled at her.

"I won't lie and say I'm not worried about Bella's safety around you", she said, "anything can happen when it comes to what you do but I will ask you one question", she added, "are you happy?"

"No", it came out so easily. I didn't even have to think about it. I needed Bella; I needed that shred of normalcy in my life. I needed Axel to graduate from College and be able to live without being watched by bodyguards all the time. I needed to be free.

Talking to Bella's mother made me feel like I was talking to my mom and I appreciated it so much.

She placed the mug on the table, it was empty now, "have you ever heard of how effectively take down a body, you need to aim for the head?"

"My father mentioned that to me when he was alive"

She grimaced, "he did?"

I nodded.

"Well okay", she cleared her throat, "well, when the worst comes, I want to know what lengths you'll be willing to go through to fix things and finally be happy"

I frowned, "are you telling me how to get rid of my enemies?"

She chuckled, "no Wade", she shook her head, "when the time comes and you feel like you have no other options left", she said, "I'm telling how to rid of the raiders"

"Wade..."

I turned to stare at Megan, she stared at me with concern on her face.

"Is there a problem?", I asked.

"This plan could go very wrong", she said.

"I agree", Axel said. He frowned at me, "this is crazy"

"It's perfect just the way it is", I cracked my finger knuckles

"What the hell are you trying to do?", Megan asked.

"Be happy", I said softly.

I gazed around the room. There were at least twenty men. Some of them had been with me since my father died, the rest came along the way. They all looked at me expectantly.

"Most of you have been working with us since my father was alive", I said to them, "some of you, I've grown quite fond of. You've been loyal, brave and willing to do anything to get the job done", I added, "you have never been giving this choice, not by my father and not by his father before him but today, I'm going to do so"

I took a deep breath, thoughts of Bella flashed through my head. If I wanted to be with her, I had to take this risk. She was willing to stay with me therefore she deserved this.

"I'm giving you the chance to go out there and walk around without a gun hidden on you. I'm giving you the chance to live a little. The families you haven't in years, I'm giving you the chance to finally go back to them. The dreams you never got to fulfil; I'm giving you the chance to go fulfil them"

I turned to Axel and forced a smile at him. He didn't look so convinced so I turned back to the men, "as soon as we're done with this mission, Axel here will make sure you're paid off to leave the organization forever", they began to murmur amongst themselves.

Ace stepped forward, "boss, is this some kind of joke?"

I shook my head.

"Must be a trick", I heard another voice say.

"I assure you it is not. From now on, to our enemies and the world alike- the raiders will no longer exist", I smirked, "and we're going to keep it that way"

***
"And me? what am I supposed to do?", Megan asked after the men left the dining hall.

I stared at her, she blinked quickly to hide the tears welling up in her eyes.

"If you're going to cry, please don't", I said softly.

"This is too much Wade", she said flatly, "on the list of crazy things you've done since I met you, this will be number one"

"It's okay", I said, "if you're this worried, how do you expect me to feel?"

The door opened and Axel walked in, "the men are ready", he said soberly.

"Good, you go with them first and set up that cabin for us, be careful not to do anything that might give Noah a hint that we're already there", I said, "Don't get to close and be careful"

He nodded and reached out to hug me unexpectedly before walking away from us.

"Think about him too", Megan said, "I'll go get ready to leave with Bella", she added

"I need to talk to her before you guys leave", I said

"About the plan?"

"No"

"What am I supposed to tell her when she asks where you are?", she asked, "I'm pretty sure you wouldn't want her to find out"

"Come up with something", I said, "Bella can't know anything"