DISCLAIMER: Not mine. I can wish though.

A/N: I need some help here guys. I still don't know what pairing I should use. I may figure it out as I write the next chapter. I'm just not sure. Please give me some input.

Dear journal,

I've been in Vegas for almost six months now. I'm staying with Enrique and having a blast.

Guess what? My complexion actually has a little color now. I started using a deep tanning oil and spending time in the sun. I have color. I don't look like one of THEM anymore.

I don't have a job unless you want to count signing for Enrique's packages for him when he's out. In return, he lets me stay in the suite and takes great care of me. It's something I've actually learned to enjoy. He orders me warm milk with saffron in it almost every night and I sleep like the dead.

I cut and colored my hair too. It's only shoulder length now and black.

Thanks to Enrique I have more self confidence than ever before. I even wear heels now. Not high heels but eventually maybe.

Good example: I went down to the pool yesterday in a string bikini with just a thin wrap over it which came off as soon as I got there. Eight different guys walked up and asked me if they could buy me a drink. Others just stared.

Can you believe that? Guys staring at me? WOW!!!!

Anyway more later.

Bella put the journal away and finished off the warm milk on the bedside stand.

*****

EnPOV

I can't believe how naïve this girl is. She's been here for six months and she doesn't realize what's going on yet.

Don't get me wrong. She's a sweet kid but how has she survived this long with those blinders on?

The first few nights the milk that I order her actually had saffron in it. Not anymore though. I've been slipping a little something else to her each night. I doubt she could sleep without it now.

Back in high school, I knew there was a hidden hottie in there. Now that she's not so pale, the guys are going even more ga-ga for her than they did back then. I have to slate some of my boys to watch over her at the pool when she goes anymore. Don't want anyone messing with my girl. And that black hair suits her so much better in that shorter style.

I've been teaching her how to gamble. She loves it. She's even getting halfway decent at bluffing when she plays. Every little thing I can think of to get her more under my control. Eventually, I'll have her trapped so deep that she'll never escape me.

She'd been so excited recently. One of the bigger designers decided to do something wild this year and open his fall line here in Vegas. He asked her to be one of his models.

"Is that okay, Rique?"

"It's fine with me, Izzy. As long as it's something you want to do?"

"I'd kind of like to try it."

"Settled then. You do it. I'm expecting several packages today. Sign for them, baby?"

"Of course," she smiled. "Don't I always?" She reached up and kissed my cheek. I decided then that I was going to make my move just before the show.

*****

Two weeks later, I caught Bella trying to get the hang of walking in slightly higher heels than what she was used to her. She was a bit shaky on her feet.

"Lookin' good, Izzy." And she was. She'd been going to the gym for a while each morning and each evening, sitting by the pool everyday. Her muscle tone was breathtaking.

"Thank, Rique. I need to get used to these before the show." Suddenly, she stumbled. Would have gone face first if I hadn't caught her. "Thanks again."

As I set her on her feet, I was staring at her lips. I felt myself getting more than a little excited. I leaned in and kissed her lips gently.

Now I've always been told that I could seduce a nun. But personally I like it when they fight some. I like it a little rough.

Izzy started to respond. God, her lips tasted good! She tasted like strawberries and mangoes. I stroked my tongue across her lips and she opened them for me. Man, this girl knew how to kiss.

I pulled her up close to me. She could feel what I wanted from her. That was when I expected her to start fighting me. But, no, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled herself closer to me.

I grabbed her ass cheeks in both hands and started rocking her hips against mine. That was the moment. That was when she started fighting me. I held her for another couple of minutes, relishing her struggles before letting her stumble back from me.

"Chica, I don't know who taught you to kiss like that but I'd like to shake his hand. What else did he teach you?"

She just put a hand to her mouth and, with tears welling up in her eyes, ran off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

I chuckled. This might not be as hard as I thought.

****

Bella POV

I ran from Rique after our kiss. How could I do that? More important, how could he say such things afterward?"

I locked the door to my room and sank to the floor, silent tears streaming down my face.

'I told you he was up to no good.'

"Shut up, Edward."

'Bella, you need to get out of here.'

"I can't. I don't have a vehicle. My dad would never want me now anyway."

'Your dad is worried about you, love. Call him. At least let him know that you're still alive.'

"I – I don't know." Of course, I knew I was going to do it. I owed Charlie way too much to just forget about him.

'Please, Bella. He needs to know. What if he's sick?'

That got me moving. I went to my duffle bag and pulled out my cell phone. Dialing the number, my fingers shook. What is he was sick? What if he'd died?

"You missed me. I'm sure you know what to do. Leave a message at the tone. If this is Bella, I'm not mad at you, honey. Just let me know that you're okay."

Tears were running down my face. I heard the tone and spoke. "Dad, I love you. I'm okay. I just needed somewhere that I wasn't always reminded of Edward so that I could get my thoughts together. I'll call you again." I hung up.

'If you need help and don't know who else to call, call Carlisle. The others changed their numbers. Carlisle kept his telling me that you might need someone to turn to. He didn't listen to me when I told him that we needed to make a complete and clean break.'

"But he didn't say goodbye, did he? If he cares so much, why didn't he at least call me to say goodbye?"

'I wouldn't let him. I told them all that you would get over it quicker if we just left. I was the only one. I couldn't stand the thought of just disappearing on you.'

I must be crazy. Edward left me, telling me that he was no good for me but my mind apparently just couldn't let him go. I have been having conversations with him in my mind for six months now. I think I should be seeing a psychiatrist.

'Bella, you aren't safe here. He's no good for you. For only the second time in my existence, I find myself scared. I don't like the feeling. Please, for Charlie if not for me, get out of here.'

"I'll think about it, Edward. Leave me alone for now." His voice disappeared and I went to take a shower.

****

Elsewhere

Jake had been out running when he found the small junkyard in the middle of nowhere Idaho. He phased and walked over to check it out.

There at one edge of the junkyard was sitting the old truck Bella had been driving. He walked up to it and was looking inside the cab when the owner of the junkyard walked over.

"They don't build them like this anymore."

"No, sir. They don't. How long has this baby been sitting here?" Jake asked trying to sound as casual as he could. He had seen the faint traces of blood on the steering wheel and on the door.

"You seem awful young to be appreciating this piece of machinery."

"I rebuilt an engine in a truck much like this one for a friend of mine a little over a year ago. I've been looking to get my hands on another one for myself."

"Are you any good with these things?"

"Not to brag, but yes, sir, I am."

"How old are you, son?"

"Eighteen."

The old man looked him up and down. "You're pretty big even for eighteen."

"No small guys in my family." Jacob gave the man a big smile. "But anyway, how long has this beauty been here?"

"About six months. Someone found it abandoned at the side of the road about ten miles east of here. Interested?"

"How much?" Jake was getting down to business and he wanted Bella's truck back where it belonged.

"It doesn't run."

"Can I take a look?"

The guy shrugged. "Sure. Tell you what. Nobody around here wants it so if you can get it running, you can have it."

"Really?" Jake was trying to sound like an excited teenager. "That would be cool."

Jake popped the hood and started tinkering around the engine. He smiled to himself. Bella had warned him that she knew nothing about cars. All that was wrong was a few loose wires after bouncing over some of the back roads. He reconnected the wires solidly and slammed the hood.

Smiling at the guy, he climbed behind the wheel and turned the key which Bella had left in the ignition. The engine turned over like it had been waiting on him. The guy looked at Jake as if he suspected something. "I get the feeling that I've been had."

"Thanks, man. I'll see you around."

Jake drove away, eager to get home and turn the clues over to Charlie and Sam. Sam was the best tracker they had and maybe he could figure out which direction Bella had been heading when she left the truck.

****

"Billy, I'm on the way back. It's going to take me a while though."

"Why?"

"I'm in Bella's truck and you know how slow that thing is."

"Did you find Bella?"

"No. No Bella. But I did find some blood and she'd left the keys in the ignition."

"That doesn't sound like Bella."

"No. And the blood has me worried. I don't know what happened but the guy said the truck had been found about 10 miles east of where the junkyard was located."

"Sam's already on his way. He has the location of the junkyard from you. You might want to phase and tell him about the 10 miles east part."

"Will do. I'll take care of that here in about 20 minutes. He'll be closer then."

"Okay. Be careful, Jake. We still don't know what happened to Bella."

"If I find out that the Cullens staged this and took her away, so help me I'll tear each and every one of them apart."

Jake felt himself starting to tremble and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Jake, calm down. This isn't easy on any of us. And Charlie most of all. Bring the truck home, son. We'll find her and bring her home safely."

"We have to, Dad. We just have to."

*****

"Rique, what's going on? Why did you say that I couldn't go down to the pool without Micah and Daniel?"

The man sighed. "I didn't want to tell you this, Bella. I was just trying to protect you. I've been getting some hate mail. And enough people know that you're staying with me that they might try to hurt you to get to me. That's the only reason. I swear."

"Hate mail? What do you mean? Why would you be getting hate mail?"

"Because of my brother. Remember I told you that he was part owner in this hotel?" When she nodded, he continued. "Well, not too long ago, we had to kick some people out for trashing rooms and raising a lot of hell. They started sending hate mail to me here because I'm the one they saw. My brother is rarely here and I'm the only one who knows how to get a hold of him. Hell, anymore I don't even dare to leave the suite without at least two of the boys with me. Usually more."

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. "I'm sorry, Rique. I promise, I won't give you any more trouble. I'll listen to what you tell me."

Letting go of him, she darted into her room. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed nine of the ten digits to call Carlisle. She couldn't take the controlling atmosphere any more. Enrique held sway of everything she did and she was starting to doubt some of the stories that he told her.

Her finger hovered over the final number that would connect her to the man who'd been a father figure to her when she needed the help.

'Call him, Bella. He'll come for you.'

She closed the phone. "I can't. I just can't do it." She put the cell phone back in her bag and sat down on her bed.