Disclaimer: Characters, (except the ones I create) belong to Stephenie Meyers. Lucky lady.

Wow! I have over 100 reviews! Thank you so much!


Trafficking

Chapter 7

"Will you stop your crying bitch." I cringed slightly at James' stinging words but they didn't dig nearly as deep as they would have earlier. Edward was coming. I couldn't stop thinking those words in my head. Edward was coming. To save me! I caught myself smiling and immediately stopped. It would be the end of me if James found any of this out.

"Get up." I glanced up at James. He was sitting on the bed, naked and aroused. I wondered how long I could hold out. I would be leaving this dump tonight. Would I be able to hold James off until then? James ordered me again. "I said get up and get over here. I wanna take you for a ride." I slowly rose to me feet, grasping the wall for a moment as the room spun about me. I concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other and successfully made my way over to the bed without tripping. I stopped at the foot of the bed. James was pleasuring himself and I didn't want to…interrupt. More like I didn't want to have to take over. James stopped when he noticed me standing there…staring. "Well, what are you waiting for?"

James leaned forward and grabbed me by the arms easily picking me up and placing me directly on top of him. He groaned in sick satisfaction and I held back a grimace. He must have really enjoyed himself because thankfully he didn't last long. He pushed me off of him and rolled over in bed swiftly falling asleep, leaving me to my own thoughts. I let them drift to Edward.

EPOV

My family stared at me anxiously as I got off the phone with Bella. I'm sure they heard the entire conversation. I turned to them. "We need to find out where Fettuccine's Italian is. I know there's one on each side of the city. Bella is located across the street from one of them, in a three story building."

Emmett quickly grabbed his laptop and pulled up the website for the restaurant. Yes! We were in luck. There were exterior photographs of each restaurant. We all gathered around the laptop and studied the two hard. Each was taken at an angle so that both sides of the street were visible. Jesus, which one was it? I was starting to panic. I didn't want to have to drive to both locations, that would just waste time. Time my precious Bella didn't have.

"Edward, try to relax. We'll figure it out." I was instantly calmed and thanked Jasper. I would have to stay calm for my Bella, she needed me now.

"There!" Alice's tiny hand pointed to the photograph on the right. And there it was. A plain looking three-story building, the curtains drawn on top floor. A small, somewhat tasteful "Entertainment" sign hanging on the outside at street level. It was small and in the corner of the photograph but it was visible, especially with our superior eyesight.

"That's where we need to be at 2 am. Bella will be waiting. Alice, Jasper, I would like you both to come with me." Both my siblings nodded. Carlisle stepped forward about to protest. I could hear it in his mind. He wanted to join us. I held up my hand to interrupt him.

"Carlisle, I'm going to need you here waiting for us. Bella will most likely not be in the best condition. I've thought about it. We can't take her to the hospital. Too many questions will be asked; they could find her there. It is safer if we help her recover at our home."

Carlisle nodded agreeing with me. "I'll make a trip to the hospital and grab as many extra supplies as I can, morphine, sutures, bandages, gauze…anything and everything, especially since we can't take her to the hospital. We'll be ready for you."

I nodded my thanks to Carlisle and turned back to Alice and Jasper. "We should probably go hunting. I don't want any of us to be any more tempted than we need to." We left the rest of our family to prepare for the impending arrival and headed out to the surrounding woods to gorge ourselves on whatever animals we could find.

BPOV

We hadn't moved for hours, the day had slipped away. James was still sleeping and I had no energy or strength left to move. I would probably end up back on the bed anyway. I was still lying in a fetal position cradling my uncomfortably swollen wrist to my chest. A numb tingling was settling into my fingers. That couldn't be good. And how I craved a simple glass of ice water. I could almost imagine it cooling off my burning throat, easing the ache of hunger in my chest, quelling the fire I felt burning within me. Edward would be disgusted when he saw me. I was dirty, grimey, swollen. My body was at least fifteen pounds underweight and my skin was pale. I was broken, a rag doll, a shell of who I used to be. And to top it all of I was starting to feel sick. I could already feel a fever burning within. It was probably just my bodies way of responding to all the stress its been under.

James moaned and began to wake up. Great. I really hope he's not expecting me to be ready to go again. I could barely move. "Mm, I'm hungry." He glanced over at me and stroked my back. "It's our last night together Isabella. Let's make it special. I'm asking for a bottle of wine with dinner." He got up and called downstairs, yelling out orders unintelligible to me.

I could smell the food before it even entered the room and my stomach gave out a cry of protest. James heard it and burst out into a fit of laughter. "Are you hungry again? Well, tonight is special. Here." James held out a cube of cut steak to me. My mouth watered as I started at it. Was he actually giving me something to eat other than toast? I grabbed it from his hand and shoved it in my mouth. I was instantly ashamed. I acted more animal than human. All over a tiny piece of steak. Tears sprang to my eyes and I held them back. Toughen up Bella.

James laughed a billowing laugh as he watched. "You do have an animal side to you Isabella. I like it. I'll keep that in mind for later." He uncorked the bottle of wine and poured himself a very large glass almost downing half of it before he continued with his meal. "Would you like some animal girl?"

I shook my head no, but since when did James care about what I wanted? Never, and now was not an exception. "I want you to enjoy this just as much as I am Isabella." He grabbed my chin and thrust the neck of the bottle into my mouth pouring way too much. I chocked as the liquid went down and fought to keep it from coming back up. James licked the spilt wine off my face and moaned. "Good girl."

My mind reeled and my stomach churned from the wine. I couldn't think straight. Lack of food, water and body weight, not to mention the fever, were proving fatal in my trying to stay level headed. And alive. I watched through hazy vision as James downed his second glass of wine. At this rate, my work would be done for me. I needed to make sure he slept very very deeply tonight. I reached out with a shaking hand and refilled James' glass, giving him my best seductive smile. He raised the glass to me, cheers, and drank greedily. I noticed his eyes were getting more sluggish, his movements more sloppy. I needed him to finish the rest of the bottle.

I took a fake sip from the bottle making James think I was enjoying myself before handing the rest of the bottle back to him. He didn't even pour it in his glass this time. He held the bottle to his lips, tipped back his head and gulped. I watched as the liquid level became less and less until the rest of the wine was gone. I prayed silently for the alcohol to take effect. He was very drunk, but not enough so for me to get my hopes up.

James stood and swayed before giggling…giggling? Wow, he must be more inebriated than I thought. "Come animal girl. I want you many more times before the night is over and you're no longer mine."

I stood, swaying as James did and followed him to the bed. "James, are you sure…" My cheek burned. He slapped me, the hardest he's ever slapped me. "I never said you could call me by name. Now where were we…" He pushed me on the bed and my injured wrist caught the bed frame sending agonizing waves of pain throughout my body. James didn't care. He grabbed each side of my face and roughly pushed his lips on mine. "You taste delicious."

As James' lips continued to assault mine he guided my hand to his crotch. I knew what he wanted, and easily complied. It was a better option than sex. "Damn it woman, pleasure me!" I didn't know why James was yelling at me. It's not like I was completely inexperienced at what I was doing. This has worked fine for me other times.

James gripped my wrist hard. Thank god it wasn't the broken one. "I said pleasure me. Clearly you're not doing it right." I looked down. He was right. I was having no effect. And then it hit me and I couldn't suppress a giggle. He was too drunk! I gasped as James punched me in the chest sending me into a coughing fit. "If you knew what was good for you, you wouldn't laugh." Even the punch couldn't steal my enjoyment away from me. James deserved to feel embarrassment as I had for the past two days.

James' words were slurred but that didn't stop him from pushing me down onto my back on the bed and lying on top of me. He moved around a bit, trying to get comfortable, trying to get things to…work, that weren't working. And then the movement stopped. James was still on top of me, but he wasn't moving. What…? He had passed out! My luck was finally changing. Unfortunately James was very heavy and his weight was crushing me. My lungs exploded in pain as I tried to inhale. I had to push this monster off of me, even unconscious he was causing me pain. I wiggled and wiggled until finally I could pull myself out from underneath him, rolling off the bed and onto the floor. I stilled myself listening for any movement or sounds. I heard nothing.

I crept as silently as possible over to where I had left James phone earlier to check the time. 1:51. My heart jumped. I would be getting out of here in mere minutes. Minutes that would feel like seconds after all the time I had been here. I made sure my dress was in place and unsteadily tiptoed to the door.

EPOV

I glanced the glowing blue clock in my Volvo. 1:45. Bella would be free in fifteen minutes. I could barely contain myself and that was with Jasper's help. I looked around. The streets were empty. Many businesses were closed, even "houses of entertainment."

" I see her Edward. She's going to make it out of there. At 1:58 exactly. You should wait nearby for her. Her strength is fading." Thirteen minutes, how ironic, lucky number thirteen.

I opened the car door and stepped out. I made my way over to the building trying to keep to the shadows in case anyone saw me. I didn't want to draw attention. I wanted to make sure the coast was clear for Bella, and if I heard anything inside, I could intervene making sure she got out. Right now all was silent. I leaned back against a wall and got comfortable. No wait would be too long for my Bella.

BPOV

I pulled at the door in the room expecting having to struggle with a lock but it opened easily. James forgot to lock it. I smiled inside. I could almost taste freedom. I stuck my head into the hallway. It was dark and empty. The girls must be downstairs and my guards must be sleeping by now.

My heart thudded painfully in my chest. I can do this. I was strong. I may be broken, but I could do this. I stealthily made my way down the quite hallway and began to tackle the stairs looming ahead, grasping the handrail for deal life. My balance was off, my head spun painfully and each step felt waited. But I did it. I got to the bottom of the stairs without incident. Now all I had to do was make it to the back of the building and out the back door.

I paused for a moment to check for sounds. Again, I heard nothing. Good. I continued on past the door leading to the main room open to the public and into the hallway that led to my exit. I stopped in my steps, waves of emotions overcoming me. Before me was the door leading to my freedom. I ran as fast as I could, limping ever step but not letting it stop me. Freedom would be mine tonight. My speed increased and I reached the door ripping it open and throwing myself into the cool night air in the alleyway. I looked around wildly. Where was Edward? Where was my savior?

"Bella?" A hushed voice murmured my name. I turned my head. There he was. My god, my hero, my champion. I couldn't see his beautiful features in the darkness of night, but I knew he was just as gorgeous as the last time I saw him.

EPOV

I heard something. Uneven steps, irregular breathing. And then a door was roughly pushed open and someone gasped. It was coming from the alleyway to my right. I ran towards it. It had to be my Bella. I needed to get to her.

It was dark, but my eyes more than compensated. There stood my angel looking around wildly in a tattered and dirty white dress. Her hair was unruly, her face smudged. I could smell alcohol on her and her bruises stood out starkly against her white skin. But she still looked beautiful and she was still my Bella. My Bella. That sounded so good, so right.

I watched. She still hadn't noticed me. "Bella." I kept my voice quite and controlled. Had she known how much pain I was in, how rampant my emotions were running…God if she knew. She would think I was crazy. How I could I feel this much love for someone I had just met? How was this possible? I couldn't tell her, ast least not yet. Let her heal first.

Bella turned her head at the sound of my voices and I gladly held out my arms to her.

BPOV

"Edward." As soon as his name left my lips, uncontrollable sobbing begin and I half ran half limped into his waiting arms, collapsing as soon as we touched. His arms were hard, yet comforting, the coolness soothing my aching burning body. I sobbed without abandon into his shirt. I had survived. I was free and in the arms of a man whom I wanted to never be separated from again. I finally, after what felt like forever, felt safe and cared for.

Edward's cool hand brushed my hair back causing me to cry even more. It had been so long since I had felt a soothing touch, a touch out of care and concern rather than want and lust. It was at this moment that I knew the rest of my life was beginning and I could finally begin to heal my broken body and spirit.


Please please continue with your wonderful, smile causing reviews. They are like my ray of light as I write this dark story. I LOVE them. Review and I'll update!

-lmbrtvll