I stood frozen with fear, his words echoing in my head.

"Kill you. Slowly."

"Let your husband watch."

The man I knew as Tom smiled coldly as he watched my growing horror, my hand flying to my stomach in a defensive gesture.

"But-but Garrett said you were dead—they had your DNA …"

He held up his hand, the gap of his missing fingers suddenly telling a different story. "A small price to pay." He shrugged. "A dead body, some donated blood and body parts, and an easily bribed lab worker—anything can be made to appear different than it really is. Like being dead—or assuming the identity of another living person for a while."

"There is really a Tom Smith?"

He tilted his head. "There … was."

I swallowed at his implication.

"He was kind enough to share many stories of his pregnant wife. They proved to be invaluable. I was most grateful."

"And?" I whispered.

"I thanked him by killing them both quickly."

He waved his hand as if it was no big deal. As if killing people and removing body parts didn't matter.

With growing horror, I knew neither did. He continued as if we were simply discussing the weather.

"This time, I can enjoy it. Take my time. What a treat it will be destroying the only things that matter to your husband. Taking away from him the two things he holds most dear." His smile became so evil it made my knees weak. "I shall have so much pleasure. So worth the wait."

"He'll kill you," I threatened wildly. "He won't stop until he finds you."

He laughed, not even remotely worried. "He will be so overcome by grief and anger he'll be an easy target. Little does he know his hell is only beginning."

"Wh-what?"

"I was going to take you and let him suffer. But it's not enough. I'm going to kill every member of his team, his family, and anyone else I think he might even remotely like. And when he has nothing left and nothing to live for, I'll kill him. Once I think he's suffered enough loss." He laughed, the sound so cold that I shivered. "And I think he needs to really suffer." He slid his gun into his pocket, and reached behind him, pulling out a knife. The lethal-looking weapon glinted in the light, traces of blood clinging to the blade.

I gripped the back of the chair to stop myself from falling. I could feel the color draining from my face, and my stomach clenched. I slapped my hand over my mouth and rushed to the sink, dry heaving over the edge as terror seized me. Hot tears spilled down my cheeks and my breath came out in loud gasps.

I cried out as James grabbed my arm, his grip brutal. He dragged me from the kitchen, down the hall, and into Edward's office. Sam was on the floor, surrounded by a pool of blood. It was obvious he had fought hard but lost. I fought down the nausea, turning my head and silently apologizing to him. We weren't close the way Felix and I were, but he had died trying to protect me. I owed him that much.

James pushed me into Edward's chair, leaning over me and typing on the keyboard, opening up a screen.

"Does your wife know what you do?" I asked, thinking of all the stories he had told me.

He laughed again. "You are so gullible. I have no wife. I knew if I told you bullshit about my 'own family,' you would relax and trust me." He shook his head. "It was all I could do not to kill you the first time I saw you, but this is so much better. Even if it was a pain having to disguise myself as someone else and avoid your husband and that fucking asshole of a bodyguard you had on you all the time." He leaned closer. "Just for the record, I fucking hate working in the dirt too. You have to pay for all that. You and your fucking Edward." He pushed a few more keys, opening the camera on Edward's computer.

"Call him."

"No," I said bravely. He could kill me, but I refused to make Edward watch.

He slapped me so hard, I saw stars, and my lip broke open, the blood dripping on my chin. "Call him, or I'll kill your child first. He pressed the gun to my stomach. "I can do that and keep you alive."

My hands shook as I tapped Edward's number. He answered after only one ring and with a sinking heart, I realized this would be the last time I saw him. His face filled the screen.

"Hello, love. Need something?" he teased. "Grape jelly perhaps?" Then his expression changed as he saw me. "Bella? What happened to your face?"

I tried to speak, but I couldn't. Tears welled, pouring down my face. I choked on the fear filling my throat.

"Bella! Baby, what is it? Get Sam!" His voice became panicked, then he gasped, shocked as James stepped behind me.

"Hello, Edward."

My head pounded, my throat tight as I watched all the color drain from Edward's face. I saw Felix step behind him briefly, then disappear. James laughed.

"Tell your sidekick whatever he thinks he's going to start won't work. I have control, Edward. The outside men are dead and so is the useless bodyguard. I have your wife, and I have the code for every door, lock, and gate in this house. Every code that has been used in the past three months has been cancelled. No one can get in." He leaned forward, running the knife down my cheek. "And no one can get out."

"Whatever you want is yours. Anything." Edward spoke. "Just let her go. She is innocent in all this."

"Would you trade your life for hers?"

Edward didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"Too bad I'm not interested."

"I have millions. It's all yours. Every cent. You can disappear and start over." Edward stood, holding his phone, pacing the way he did when upset. His voice was tight but calm, although I could see the panic in his eyes. His gaze would dart to the side then back to the phone, and I knew his mind was racing to come up with solutions. I could hear shouting and see he was moving, then the sound of a car door slamming. He was trying to get to me, but I knew it was too late.

"Oh, I'll get your money. But first you have to suffer."

A muffled sob escaped my lips. Edward held the phone close, his voice low and gentle. "It's okay, Bella. It will all be okay. I promise you."

James leaned down, chuckling. "Listen to him lie. He knows nothing is going to be okay. He knows you're going to die, but the best part is coming." He pushed me out of the way, filling the camera. "The best part, Edward, is you get to watch. Everything I do to her. Every painful slice of my knife, slap of my hand, skim of my bullet—you get to witness."

Edward lost it. He began shouting obscenities, screaming at James, who listened, calm and detached, studying the knife he held in his hand. One he planned on using on me. I looked at the monitors surrounding the property. A car went by slowly, followed by another. I wasn't sure if they were here because they had been sent or simply driving past admiring the estate. It didn't matter. The thick walls and unclimbable gate that had been designed to keep the occupants inside safe would work against them. If Sam was dead, and James had killed the other men who patrolled the perimeters of the grounds, I was alone and trapped. James was going to kill me and my child, and I would never see Edward again. Never feel his mouth on mine or hear his voice.

"Edward, I love you!" I cried, needing those to be the last words he heard from me.

My voice stopped his tirade. "Bella," he rasped. "Fight him. Give me a chance to get to you."

"How touching," James mocked. "But Edward is right. You deserve a chance." He sat down, crossing his legs. "I fancy a bit of a game. Hide and seek. I'm going to give you ten seconds to hide, then I'm going to find you, and my enjoyment will begin. Won't that be fun?"

"What?" I asked dumbfounded.

He leaned forward. "You must be a good fuck because you are pitifully stupid. I said run. Hide. You have ten seconds." He sat back. "In fact I'll give you twenty given your, ah, delicate condition. Only the house, I'm afraid." He patted his pocket. "I have control of the codes now. The outside doors won't work, so no one can join us."

I heard Felix's voice behind Edward.

"Bella! Think!"

Something twigged in my fear-induced mind, and I grappled to figure it out.

Codes.

Codes.

It clicked.

Codes.

James said three months. Any code used in the past three months was locked out. There was one code that hadn't been used for a longer period than that.

And I knew exactly where to find it.

I drew in a deep breath.

He lifted one eyebrow, ignoring Edward's cursing and threats. James held the knife up to the light.

"One," he said.

I ran.

*o0o*

I raced through the kitchen, one arm wrapped around my stomach protectively. The door into the garage was the only one that didn't require a code. It was keyed from the outside and in, and I always had one in my pocket. It was another one of Edward's rules in case of fire. Out through the garage which housed its own emergency fire system. I lost a few precious beats trying to get the key in the lock but was able to pull the door open. I could already hear James bearing down on me. In the garage, I ducked between the cars, with one target in mind. At the far end sat Mrs. Cope's car—unused since Felix had backed it in. I had shown him the opener with the small piece of tape on the back, hoping he wouldn't be overly angry with her. He had shaken his head in mirth.

"She never realized we could see her every move. We knew about the tape and the code." He had begun to chuckle. "She never figured out why she couldn't remember because we kept changing the code and the tape for her." He placed the opener back above the dash. "We'll leave it there for her."

He never cancelled her code. The keys were left in the ignition the same way she always did. Edward always laughed at that, saying no one would ever steal the little Escort over the rest of his luxury cars, and it saved everyone time when she misplaced them once again.

If I could get to the car and start it, I could get out. At least as far as the gate where I could cause a scene and buy myself some time.

I heard James enter the garage. "Nice try, Bella. You can't get out. But there are certainly a lot of items in here I can use to punish you."

I risked peeking over the edge of a car. James was holding up his phone, now videotaping his hunt of me to torture Edward.

I refused to allow that to happen. Ignoring the pain it caused me, I crawled on the floor, scraping my knees, carefully edging my way toward the far side. I knew James was strolling the garage, not concerned, giving Edward a running commentary on all the things he was going to do to me when he caught me. I tried to shut out his vile, terrifying words, allowing my tears to fall soundlessly as I tried to escape. I had almost gotten to the car when he appeared behind me, yanking me up by my hair, causing me to cry out at the pain in my scalp. He began to drag me toward the large worktable at the back, and I remembered some self-defensive things Felix had taught me.

"Use the element of surprise, Bella! Always!"

James tossed me toward the table, and I grabbed the edge, preventing myself from hitting full force. He set down his camera and I took the split second his concentration was off me to grab the heaviest item on the table. When he turned back, I swung the wrench, striking his head.

It was his turn to howl in pain.

I took advantage and began to run straight for the car. I was inside, with the doors locked, just as he grabbed the handle. He glared at me, lowering his face to the window.

"You just made this ten times worse on yourself, you bitch. Open the door and I'll forget this happened."

"Fuck you," I yelled and with a silent prayer, turned the key. The engine sputtered, then roared to life. James began to laugh. "What are you going to do? Crash this car into the garage door? It's reinforced bulletproof steel! You can't get through it, you stupid woman." He sneered, then lifted his gun. "Those windows aren't bullet proof though. Turn it off and get the fuck out of the car."

I lifted my eyes and read the six-digit number, punching them into the remote. The garage door began to roll upward, and James gaped at the entrance, then began to run toward the panel, and I knew he intended to override the code. I shifted into drive, stepping on the gas. The tires squealed, and the car shot forward so fast, I could barely control it. The door stopped midway, beginning to re-shut, and I closed my eyes, letting the car go forward, deciding I would rather die this way than let him hurt us. The car shot through the entrance, the bottom of the large garage door scraping the roof, the sound loud and wrenching. I kept going. I got to the gate, and I flung open the door and began screaming. Bullets whizzed past me and I ran blindly, heading for the trees, zigzagging to put off James' aim.

Burning pain, vivid and sharp, tore through my chest, sending me sprawling. Blood seeped from the hole as I lay on the ground, my gasps ringing in my ears. There were shouts and screams, loud obscenities, and more gunshots as I curled up, holding my stomach, the life draining from me. Darkness edged in as I cradled my baby, hoping Edward would survive when he got here. That he would somehow pick up his life and carry on.

I heard my name being shouted, and I stayed still, allowing the darkness to take over. If I was dead when James found me, he couldn't hurt me or Edward anymore.

The feel of gentle hands and a voice filled with love and worry calling my name were the last things I knew.

The angel who greeted me sounded very much like Edward.

*o0o*

I awoke slowly, my head aching, my body on fire, and the strangest sensation on my arm. My eyes opened, blinking in the dim light. I was surrounded by machines that beeped and whirled. I frowned, confused. Why did Heaven look like a hospital room?

I looked over and discovered the source of the strange sensation. Edward was asleep, his hand wrapped around mine, his cheek resting on my forearm. My arm and hand were numb with the weight of his head. In the corner, Felix slumbered, his large frame taking up most of the small sofa.

"Am I dreaming?" I asked, my voice low, raspy, and confused.

Edward's head shot up, and Felix pushed out of his chair, hurrying toward the bed.

"Bella," Edward, whispered, his hands running over my face and arms. "Oh God, baby. Thank God you're awake."

"I'm not dead?"

"No," he shook his head. "You're not dead."

Panicked, I looked down, my hand flying to my stomach. Edward laid his large palm on top of mine. "Our little one is fine, Mommy. We've been waiting for you to wake up."

"How long?" I asked.

"A week. You hit your head when you fell, and you lost a lot of blood," Edward explained, his hands still running over me in a constant motion. "The doctor assured me you'd be fine. He said you'd suffered a lot of trauma, and your body needed the time to recover." Edward's eyes glistened in the dim light. "I've been right here, waiting to see your beautiful eyes open for me." He cupped my cheek. "And here you are."

The doctor came in, making Edward stand back while he examined me. He refused to leave the room, and the doctor didn't argue with him. I had a feeling he'd already had that argument many times. When he finished, a nurse help me settle a little, then once again I was alone with Edward. He never took his eyes off me the entire time and as soon as he could, he was right back beside me, holding my hand and stroking my cheek.

"James?" I asked fearfully.

"Dead," Felix stated, walking in. "For real this time. I put the bullet between his eyes myself."

I shuddered and Edward leaned down, stroking my head. "It's all right, Bella. He can't hurt you again. Baby, I'm so sorry. I failed you so badly."

"You didn't," I insisted. "We all thought he was dead. None of us knew. I had no idea what he looked like until he told me his name. I thought he was one of the workers. He seemed so nice," I explained. "He told me about his wife and their life." I shook my head. "I believed him."

"That was how he lured all his victims in. He was the consummate actor. He'd get women, children, entire families to trust him, then before they knew what was happening their lives were gone. They were sold as slaves or worse. He murdered the real Tom and assumed his identity. He was a new crew member so even his co-workers didn't know him. He planned it all very well." Edward shook his head. "James was the worst excuse for a human being I ever had to deal with, and his death only benefits the world."

He leaned close, his voice low. "I hate that he touched you. Hurt you. Threatened you. I loathe the fact you heard all those vile things he said he was going to do to you."

"I was so scared," I admitted, my voice shaking as the memories swirled in my head.

"You were so brave," Felix spoke up. "You did exactly what I hoped you would do. You bought us enough time to get to you."

"How did you get in?"

Felix laughed. "James thought he was so smart, but Edward is always one step ahead. There was one override code only we had to get in no matter what. We were pulling up with reinforcements when your car shot down the driveway, and you jumped out and started to run. James began shooting wildly at you and us." He looked upset. "A stray bullet got your shoulder."

"And you got him," I said quietly.

"Yes. Four times. Added to Edward's six, I'm certain he stayed down this time."

I looked at Edward. "You shot him six times?"

"He hurt you. If I could have, I would have resuscitated him and done it again. I wanted him so bullet-ridden there was no doubt this time."

I had no reply for that.

Felix cleared his throat. "I'll leave you two alone. There are guards outside, so I'm going to go home and get some sleep. I know you're in good hands."

Edward stood and shook his hand. Felix came to the bed and crouched down. "I'm glad you're awake, Bella. He isn't right without you anymore so get better and go back where you belong. Beside him—okay?"

"Okay," I whispered, my voice thick.

He left and Edward returned to the bed. He held my hand, stroking the bruised skin. He was quiet for a few moments, then began to speak.

"I didn't know if I could get to you. I didn't know what I would find when I arrived. All I knew, the one thing I was certain of, was if you were gone, my life would cease to exist." He raised his eyes, and I was shocked at the tears that filled them. "You are my life, Bella. My everything. I'm done protecting the world. From this day forward, I will spend my life protecting you. Our family." A tear rolled down his face. "I will never risk you again. I cannot be without you."

His head dropped, and his shoulders began to shake as he crumbled. I edged over, pulling on his arm, and he crawled onto the bed beside me, letting himself be vulnerable. I held him as best I could with the wires and bandages, marveling that this man was mine. That there was so much goodness under the darkness I had first seen. That he was capable of such love.

I pressed a kiss to his head and let my own tears flow. We could weep tonight and share our demons.

I vowed tomorrow was a new day—one without fear.

One we could face together.

Epilogue

Laughter and high-pitched giggles floated up from the beach, the sound making me smile. I walked to the edge of the deck, peering down at the open expanse. Edward was tossing Carly in the air, with our twins, Anthony and Mason, clinging to Emmett's legs as he crab-walked toward the water. Rose came up beside me, her laughter quiet but happy.

"Look at them."

"I know," I sighed, contented. "They love having you here."

She slipped her arm around my shoulders and squeezed me affectionately. "We love it here, too."

I watched my husband and daughter play in the sand. His head was bent over hers, the color of their hair so similar you couldn't tell where his ended and hers began. She was born here on this private island far off the grid, but close to a bustling mainland. Born in the sun and warmth in the place that restored both Edward and myself. Rose walked down the step to the beach and I sat down with a weary sigh. I felt tired today.

My thoughts drifted to the past.

We never returned to the house. When I left the hospital a week after I woke up, we boarded a private plane that took us thousands of miles away from the blood and pain of Edward's past life. For weeks, we strolled the beach, visited islands, sat in the sun, and healed. When Edward found this small group of islands, he knew we'd found our home. Large, private and sprawling, it was still easy access to larger areas by boat and helicopter. There were other people like us—those looking for a fresh start. No questions were asked, and we were welcomed graciously.

We settled into the villa just before Carly was born. I had never witnessed joy the way I did the day she was born. Edward changed overnight. His smile was constant, his happiness contagious. Soon the visitors started, and they became permanent residents. Emmett and Rose first, then Carlisle and Esme, and finally Jasper and Alice. We all had our own villas and space—even our own lives, but the main beach was our shared playground. Felix visited on occasion, and I always missed him when he left.

Carlisle stayed busy helping many people in the small areas with medical issues, opening a small clinic on the main island. Esme helped him out there. Alice taught the younger children, and Jasper and Emmett ran a chartered boat company. Rose was still best in the safety of home and continued to work on the monies the foundation issued. I helped her on occasion, but Edward and my three children kept me occupied most of the time.

After six years, Edward proved to be true to his word. He was the fiercest of protectors, the most loving father, and the sexiest husband I could ask for. His eyes were clear and bright these days, the torment of his earlier life fading away with the years. He had his moments, but the sun and water always seem to wash them away.

And me. He said I was the brightest sunbeam in his life.

I startled as Edward sat on the edge of my lounger, interrupting my musings. He smiled, the ends of his hair tinted gold from the sun, his skin darker than when I first met him. His green eyes were warm as he leaned forward, pressing a lingering kiss to my mouth.

"Hello, my wife."

I smiled, running my hand along his short beard. He was barely recognizable from the man in the warehouse so many years ago.

"Hello, husband."

"You looked very contemplative." He ran his hand over my rounded stomach. "Our girl causing you some discomfort?"

I covered his hand with mine. "No, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"When we got here."

He leaned forward, giving me another kiss. "Only good thoughts now, Bella. Those days are long past. We're all together and safe. Nothing is going to change that."

"Oh, I know." I hastened to assure him. "I was simply thinking how wonderful it is to have our whole family here."

"Soon, there will be one more."

I smiled. "Yes. Another daughter for you to spoil."

He grinned. "Carly is so excited about going to school next month. I'll miss her here every day. She has grown so fast. So have the boys."

I chuckled. "You're going to take her and Alice in the boat every day, Edward and pick her up. She'll only be gone a few hours. It will be good for her to have other children to play with."

"I know. I don't have to like it though. She's my best little buddy." He shot me a teasing smirk. "We'll just have to keep having new ones so I don't get too lonely."

I shook my head in resignation. "Whatever you say."

He stood, lifting me in his arms. He kissed me, the caress long, lingering and filled with promise. "I thought you'd see it my way. I think we should go practice a little. Rose and Em are taking the kids out on the boat and the house is empty."

I smiled at him, cupping his cheek.

"Okay, boss."

He threw back his head in laughter and strode into the house, his mouth hovering over mine.

"That's right, Bella, I'm the boss." Then he winked. "As long as you say it's okay."

I joined in his laughter.

And this one is complete. Thank you for reading. Many thanks to Midnight and Sally for their beta work. Thank you for being part of the journey. Until next time, stay safe.