A/N... I wanted to let you guys know that the first half of this is in Edward's POV. And though it's slightly repetitive, I thought you'd like to know what he was dealing with, what was going through his mind as he picked a flower, chopped wood, and listened to his crew praise him. Because I'm not sure it's what you're thinking. :)

I know you're anxious to hear what Carlisle's message said, but Edward's thoughts are very important...and somewhat pleasant, if you ask me. So I'll let you go see what he's dealing with...and I'll see you at the bottom because I'm sure that I'll have more to say.

And I'm posting early...so that earns me reviews, right? Right?


CHAPTER 11

EDWARD

God, all I wanted this morning was to stay in bed with Bella. She was sleeping so soundly wrapped in my arms, but I knew I had to relieve Jasper and Mickey from their night shift.

I hadn't been prepared for what we'd done the night before. I hadn't been prepared to touch her, but she was so very responsive to my touch, my voice. I could see that I made her feel safe. I could see her inner struggle with what she wanted to do versus what she was capable of doing.

As I gave in, letting another few minutes tick by, I just looked at her. Really fucking looked at her. She was so beautiful, her dark curls brushed back from her face – totally my doing. Her lips were in a half-pout, half-smile, and she looked so relaxed, so very content.

It took all I had to pry myself from her arms. I wasn't lying when I told her I'd never held a woman after sex. I didn't normally, but with her...I'd do anything. She was changing everything about me, and I wasn't sure how to feel about it. I wasn't sure what to do about it, and I wasn't sure I wanted to do anything about it.

The biggest priority was her safety, but what about when this shit was all over? Would she still be okay with what I did? Could I be enough for her? Or was the job too much? She made me reevaluate everything. I wasn't even sure I wanted to do the job anymore if it meant being away from her. And that thought was what scared me the most because if I quit, what did I have left?

I showered, dressed quickly and quietly, and made sure she was tucked in tightly before I left the room. I made a quick pot of coffee and poured myself a cup just as Emmett wandered sleepily down the hall.

"Perimeter check first?" he mumbled, and I nodded.

We passed Mickey and Jasper on the porch, and they waved good morning. They usually waited until we got back and I'd cooked breakfast before they turned in for a few hours, but Jasper stopped us.

"Storm coming in tomorrow, Eddie. Just watched the news," he sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"Okay. We'll need some firewood for the house," I thought out loud, running a hand through my hair.

"I'll help, Ed." Emmett yawned widely, shrugging his huge shoulders. "No biggie, but let's get this done so you can make waffles."

I grinned, nodded, and took off to the left toward the back fence. The whole perimeter was almost five miles all the way around, so we usually ran it – Emmett going one way, me the other. On the way around, I found an entire field of daisies and couldn't resist picking one just for the beautiful girl asleep in my bed. If I couldn't be there when she woke up, I could at least leave something that told her I wanted to be there.

Once I was sure all was still secure, I ran back inside the house, placing the flower by a still-sleeping Bella's hand and a kiss on her forehead before going back to the kitchen.

Emmett said he'd go find a tree to break down into logs, leaving me to my work. I looked up when Esme joined me.

"How'd Bella sleep?" She yawned, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

I kept my attention on the waffle batter because I was afraid my smile would give me away, but I answered her. "She's still asleep. I just checked on her."

"Good," she sighed. "She needs the rest..." she muttered, heating the pan for bacon.

The next hour went by pretty quickly. Emmett had found a fallen tree, but I'd saved some of the wood for a project I wanted to build, so after stashing that in the shed, I grabbed an ax for after breakfast. Once back to the house, I found Bella up and eating at the table on the deck.

The girls were talking about Bella's time in that Godforsaken basement, and at first, I was pissed at them for making her relive it. She was making incredible headway, and I just didn't want her upset.

"When did Edward get in there?" Mickey asked, giving Bella a look of awe as she described what Miller had done at the end.

"There were a few explosions...I don't know what they were," Bella muttered, shrugging her shoulders, and before I could answer for her, Alice did.

She told her that the biggest explosion, the barn, had been a part of the plan. She let her know that we'd had to take Miller's communications down.

"The other was the front door," I interjected, and I watched as Bella spun around to look at me.

I knelt before her, making sure this conversation wasn't upsetting her, because if it was, it was over. But as soon as she teased me about the ax in my hand, I knew she was just fine. I knew she was just trying to get better.

"Nice flower, by the way," I murmured, noticing it in her hair. It was all I could do not to reach out and tug it down, but I knew that the ladies at the table were watching us.

"I thought so, too. That's why I'm wearing it," she said with the sweetest of smirks on her face.

There it was. There was that spark that she carried with her at all times that only came out for me. It was a sign of her strong spirit and just a glimpse of the woman that pointed at me and told me that I didn't get to tell her what to do.

I walked away from the deck, hearing the girls laugh and chatter the way they usually did, and found Emmett down by the lake shore, dragging a huge tree along.

"Let's get this done, Eddie," he grunted, dropping the damn thing at his feet. "The girls are talkin' about swimming today..."

It was the best workout I'd had in ages – breaking the tree into sizable pieces, chopping those down to smaller logs, and toting them to the storage bin at the side of the house.

"The girls are going swimming!" Jasper hissed as he ran up and took over the loading of the storage bin.

I laughed, shaking my head. "Then let's get this done. That bin was empty except for a few rotten pieces."

It took a few minutes to find our rhythm, but when we did, the work flew by until Emmett started talking about Rose. Rose in a bathing suit, Rose flirting, Rose's tits, Rose's this, and Rose's that.

"Enough!" I growled, just as both of their heads shot around to watch Alice, Rose, Makenna, and Bella walk down the dock to lay down blankets.

"Aw, too bad, Eddie... Bellsy's all covered up," Emmett teased.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Jasper hissed. "She has scars, asshole!"

My eyebrows shot up at Jasper's outburst, but he just shrugged, saying, "Alice said something. She's worried, you know..."

"Oh, fuck...damn." Emmett frowned, looking over at the group of girls. "My bad...sorry."

I nodded, turning back to look at Bella, and despite the fact that she was more covered than her friends, she looked incredible. Suddenly, my mind wandered to the night before – my hands touching her, my mouth on hers, the sounds she made when she came...

"Shit," I sighed, shaking my head to clear it.

"You know Alice has an IQ of like one-ninety-one?" Jasper asked, grabbing the next stack of logs that had fallen.

"Yeah, well...Rose is like five foot ten...and has a concealed weapons license..." Emmett countered.

I snorted, shaking my head at them. They were gunning hard for those two girls, but that didn't stop me from acting just like them.

"Bella's been shot," I blurted out, watching both of them drop what they were doing to stare at me.

I was an idiot, acting the same way they were – acting like a lovesick fool – but I couldn't help it. And what the hell was I bragging about exactly? Why did the thought of Bella being that strong turn me on to no end?

"Where?" Emmett gasped, his mouth hanging open.

"How?" Jasper asked, his voice full of awe as he glanced over at the girls all lounging in the sun.

Bella was splashing her feet in the lake water, looking a little uncomfortable with the conversation around her, and I couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. As I watched her laugh, tuck her hair behind her ear, and look over at us, I took a deep breath.

"Do you want to fucking join them or not?" I growled, picking the ax back up.

"Hell, yeah," Emmett said with a cheesy grin.

"Well, then, stop fucking around so we can finish what the hell we're doing!" I yelled, spinning when the girls exploded into laughter.

Jasper stood quietly, waiting for the next load to carry to the bin, but I could feel his eyes on me. "You're falling for her... Bella, I mean."

"Jasper, not now," I grunted, swinging the ax down with more force than necessary.

"Are you?" Emmett asked, setting another log on the chopping block. "Seriously?"

"Drop it," I growled, swinging the ax again.

"Why are you fighting it, Ed?" Jasper asked, pulling the logs away so that I could chop another one.

"I don't know," I moaned. "Can we get this done, seriously?"

I glanced over at Bella again, wiping the sweat from my brow. Was I falling for her? I wanted to protect her, but even more...I just wanted her. She was beautiful and smart. She was quick and didn't put up with my shit. And she was stronger than she was giving herself credit for. She represented all things good – even though she was just as belligerent as I was – she was calm in tense situations, quick-witted when I was being an ass, and caring about those around her.

Last night flew to the forefront of my mind again as I chopped more wood. The way she'd clung to me, the way that she'd needed to hear what I'd do to her if I could, the way she'd sounded so broken when she said she wanted to get better. I'd told her everything I'd do to her. I'd told her things that I'd never do to another woman but that I wanted with her. And her reaction had been just amazing. Making her come again, with just my thigh and my words, had been the single most erotic thing I'd ever done with a woman. It almost beat the act itself, and I realized three things.

One, Bella – prior to her attack – had to have been amazing in bed. I'd be willing to bet she was fearless and sexy and all things that I'd beg God above to see.

Two, she desperately wanted to get back to that person.

And three, I wanted to get her there because the thought of her being with someone else, of opening that side of herself to another man, had caused me to cling to her as she fell asleep in my arms.

I looked to Jasper, who was watching my every move.

I was just about to kill Emmett, who was singing, "Eddie and Bellsy sittin' in a tree...K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

I took two steps toward him, ax in hand, but the voice from across the beach caused all of us to spin around.

"Hey, boys!" Bella called, holding up a bottle. "Beer?"

"Oh, God, Eddie," Emmett begged. "Please...please tell me we're done..."

"Fine," I growled, tossing the ax down onto the chopping block so that it struck with a dull thunk.

As soon as I'd downed the first beer Bella had given me, I gave in. I sat down beside her, tugging off my sneakers, and listened as the girls traded stories with Emmett and Jasper. They talked about practical jokes we'd pulled on each other overseas, like the time that we'd put a scorpion in Jasper's bed, causing him to scream like a woman and then sling it at us. Emmett had laughed so hard, he'd pissed his pants that night.

When Makenna had started talking about going out in Seattle, of dating and terrible pick-up lines, my jealousy reached an all time high, which only caused me to feel like an ass. How could I fault Bella for dating in the past when I'd done the same? But it didn't stop me.

But when they started telling stories about old missions, bragging about my piloting skills – specifically the Mexico mission – I wanted to walk away. I didn't see it as a successful mission, especially when the girl we were sent to retrieve had watched the violence unfold right beside me in the copilot seat. I'd strapped her in, telling her to hold on, that we'd get her out of there, that her father had sent us. She'd watched as the men that were told to protect her shot at us, despite the fact that she was in the helicopter with us. She'd watched as her mother had changed her mind, starting to come to her, but the man she'd left America for had shot her dead right in front of her daughter's eyes. My crew forgot about, or chose to ignore the fact that the young girl had been a mess as we'd finally pulled away.

I was just about to get up, but then Bella's question stopped me.

"You have your own helicopter?" she asked, and I turned to look at her face. Her eyes were dark, her head tilted in a flirtatious manner, and I couldn't help but tell her the truth.

"Yeah, at my house."

Her eyebrows rose up high into her hairline, a slow, sexy smile spreading across her face. "I wanna ride," she said with an amazing giggle.

Her friends begged to go, too, and I couldn't help but give in. I told them that once things settled down, I'd be glad to take them out.

My chopper was at my house in Forks, hidden in a camouflaged-covered tent. It sat just behind my wood shop, several yards from my front door. I missed my house, and I suddenly had the desire to take Bella there. I wanted her to see the real me because I'd never brought anyone there. Hell, my crew rarely visited me at my house. It was my refuge from all things violent. It was comfortable, calm, and simple – the way I wished I could be all the time.

Everyone left us – including Alice, who said that she was going to check for messages from my father – and I turned to look at the beautiful girl by my side. She was staring out over the water, the sun glinting off her hair and highlighting a reddish tint to it that I'd never noticed before.

"Can you swim?" I asked, surprising even myself because the perfect silence between us was just so damned comfortable. But I needed her away from the house, if only for a moment.

I pointed out the floating dock, and just like a fucking kid, I challenged her to a race, which she gracefully accepted with a sweet smile and a beautiful laugh. She was fast, faster than I'd expected, when we practically tied at the floating dock. I'd been swimming that race against my father for years, and the first time I'd beaten him, I was fourteen. I hadn't lost since.

"Still champ!" I teased her, laughing when she dunked me under.

It was while I was under water that I opened my eyes to her sexy form in front of me. And despite how much I wanted to reach out and just take her, I needed to be mindful of her boundaries. She was wearing little tiny shorts instead of bathing suit bottoms, and I couldn't help but notice that she was athletically built. I'd felt her muscles under my hands before, but to see them was a completely different story.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, thinking that would do, that would be enough to just hold her close, but when her strong, smooth legs wrapped around my waist and I could feel her skin against mine, we both gasped at the feeling.

I never wanted her to do something that made her uncomfortable, so I had to check with her. "Is that okay?" I asked, making sure I was looking at her facial expression.

"Yeah," she snickered, a slight smile of shock, surprise, or maybe even pride flickering over her wet face.

"I wanted to stay this morning," I confessed softly to her, hoping she knew that I was telling the God's honest truth.

"Thank you for the flower," she whispered, her cheeks flushing a little redder now that she'd been in the sun for a few hours.

And I finally got it. I finally figured out that Jasper was right. I was falling for her. Hard. I realized it because every little step she took, every fear she met head on and conquered, it was a win for me, too. It made me happy that she could cross some imaginary line and take a step toward what she considered normal. I didn't know what the fuck normal was, but I damn well wanted to celebrate every time I saw that sweet face break into an amazed but proud smile.

I pulled her closer because that recognition made me want to kiss the shit out of her and drown myself in the lake at the same time. If I was falling for the brown-eyed beauty in my arms, then all bets were off. I'd never be able to let her go, even once this fucked-up shit was over, because by God, I'd keep her safe until the bitter fucking end, until I was old and gray and couldn't walk from the fucking arthritis.

Before I could even formulate a plan to kiss her, her mouth was on mine, and I thanked God that she wasn't shy. It wasn't a shy kiss, either. It was full and deep and slightly rough. I wanted to ask her what she was thinking, what had made her pull at me so hard, but I couldn't stop kissing her to even try. I wanted to tug her up on that floating dock and claim her in the sunshine, but I knew it wasn't possible – not yet, anyway.

"Edward! Bella!" Jasper called us from shore. "Carlisle sent a message, guys!"

I pulled apart from her, my heart pounding, my dick throbbing, and my mind screaming. I felt out of control with the need to just hand this girl my heart, my balls, and my hand so that she could lead me into hell because I almost didn't care anymore.

"Can't it wait?" I growled, finally breaking away from her stunning, flushed face to look over at him.

"No," he said, but I could barely hear him until the last thing left his mouth. "They may know where we are..."

"Oh, fuck me," I groaned, looking over at Bella.

She reached up, wiping water away from my eyes and nose, taking a deep breath, but I could see the worry in her eyes. If they'd found us, we'd have to move her again. If they'd found us, we'd have to fight.

"Come on, Edward. Let's go see what he says."

She started to swim away from me, but I couldn't let her – not when everything about her now tied me to her, not when I thought I was falling in love with her. Instead of saying that, though, the chicken shit that I was blurted out, "No matter what, Bella. I will protect you... I'll keep you with me..."

She relaxed minutely, nodding a bit. "I know. Let's go."

By the time we swam back to the dock, dried off, and wrapped towels around ourselves, I had played every scenario out in my mind. My imagination had taken over, and the enemy was right around the fucking corner. There were ninjas on our property, as far as my overactive brain was concerned. So when I got to the dining room where everyone was waiting, my heart was in my throat.

"What'd he say, Alice?" I asked, standing behind her with Bella at my side.

"Just...listen," she sighed, clicking the mouse. "I'll read it to you." She began to read.

I need all of you in the room, and I need every single one of you to pay attention.

First things first. Royce King is still being detained in a county jail cell, but that doesn't stop his reach or his power. If anything, it's making him more powerful because the idiots that are in there with him just worship the ground he walks on and have no problem protecting him in there for future favors on the outside.

According to Ben, King has offered some sort of huge payout to the person that captures Bella, her father, and whoever defends them or tries to hide them, and that includes the FBI and you, Edward. Do not let your guard down for the next few days.

I've done my best to hide each and every one of my properties. I've used different identities, but with the right resources, they are still traceable. The house you guys are in right now may be the most well-hidden one I own because it's still in Edward's grandparents' names.

Bella, I think we were right. I think that not only was Billy behind the press release concerning your disappearance, but I think he's after your father's business. He's been a nervous wreck since I walked in the door. I've been acting CEO since I arrived, and he's been avoiding my calls and my requests for meetings.

He's got a huge problem, though. He knows his son is with Charlie Swan, because the Feds contacted him. If he sells out his boss, then he could damn well get his son killed. So I think he's bitten off more than he can chew.

Alice, I'd like for you to delve as deep as you can into Billy Black's financials. Go outside of the U.S. if you have to, but I want to know if he's skimming from the top at TT, taking from someone else, or being blackmailed by King to get to the Swans. I want to know every penny this bastard is spending or accepting.

Also, Alice, I'm attaching a list of recently-hired TT employees. Could you please look into them and let me know if any of them stand out to you? I'd use Ben, but he's got his hands full.

Makenna, I know that you've studied the FBI's intelligence file on King. Unfortunately, we lost the files in the fire at Gravity's office, but I know what you can do. Sit down, draw every face you can remember, and get everyone in that house familiar with every single member of King's army. You have a perfect memory, Mack. Please put it to use.

We all stopped and turned to look at Mack, but she was already sitting with a dozen freshly-sharpened pencils in front of her, and she was carefully and silently sketching away, utterly absorbed in her task.

"Perfect memory?" I whispered to Bella.

"Photographic," she snickered, poking Alice playfully in her ear. "Continue, pixie."

Edward, I'm depending on you to make the best decision here. If you want to stay in that house and chance King's men finding you, then you risk having to fight. If you want to move on to the next place we've already discussed, then do it. I trust your judgment. My opinion is that you wait it out, keep a watch, and the very minute someone unwelcome shows up, get rid of them and move on. Unfortunately, you risk exposing Bella to not only King's men but the police that are now looking for her. She was last seen with you, Edward, so you two really have to lay low. Don't go out if you can help it.

The problem is this. The Feds' undercover guy has told Ben that Riley Miller has lost his mind over what happened at his cabin. He's treating this as his own personal manhunt to find Bella and finish what he started. He's even called in a few favors from King, so there's a rumor that King called his nephew in. James Hamilton. He's the only son of his older sister, Sasha. Alice can look him up for you – and what you find will not be pretty.

The undercover Fed is also telling the FBI that Miller is now acting in King's stead. He's calling the shots. Edward, if that's the case, then Bella is the prime target. She's the only witness he's ever left behind. Not only did he abuse her, but he committed murder right in front of her. Ben says the FBI wants to talk to her, but even he says that they can't keep her safe. They've had to move her father once already and lost an agent in the process. And if they're trying to get to Charlie, they'll try to get to Rose, Alice, and Makenna, as well. Miller's taken this personally, so he will want to be the one that takes her back, and he won't care who he uses in order to get to her.

Son, King's roots are thick, and they run wide, spreading out through most of the state – and I'm willing to bet farther. There's not many people you can trust outside the room you're standing in. You know how to contact me when you decide what to do. And please do me a favor. Please take Esme with you. No matter what, I need you to take care of her in my stead.

I'm doing my best to get back to you, but I want to keep an eye on things around here. I'm privy to more information this way. With Charlie's absence, I'm way too public of a figure for them to touch me, so please don't worry.

If you stay at the house, all of you...then be prepared to be on lockdown and on high alert. The way it's set up is a perfect hideout, but at least no one will hear you when you blow their goddamn heads off. I'll back any decision you make because I know it's not an easy decision for you, but you can handle this, Edward.

Contact me soon, C.

"Well, shit," I growled, gripping my hair as the whole room waited in silence for me, but amazingly, Bella remained calm.

"Alice," she said, her voice taking a different tone. "Look up James Hamilton before you do anything else."

"Got it, got it, got it," Alice chanted in her usual three-time manner as her fingers started to fly across the keyboard of one of the laptops in front of her.

She then turned to Makenna. "How many soldiers did King have in that file, Mack?"

"Fourteen. However, we...or rather you, Edward, and Jasper took down five of them in the garage of that law office," Makenna answered without even looking up from her drawing. "So I only have nine faces to draw..."

"Only..." Jasper snorted, looking to me with the question on everyone else's face – what now?

Before I could answer, Alice gasped.

"Holy fucking hell," she breathed, her eyes wide as she read whatever was on her screen. "James Hamilton. Thirty years old, six foot one, a hundred and seventy-four pounds. Blond hair, blue eyes. No identifying ink, no scars, no college degree... What he does have is a scary list of juvenile offenses – petty theft, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, assaulting an officer, battery, grand theft...on and on. He spent most of his teen years in a juvenile facility, except the last year, which he spent in a mental health facility for the criminally insane because he decided that he'd not only attack a female guard, but he cut her open to...and I quote 'see what was inside of her.' They couldn't keep him past the age of eighteen, when he was released back to his mother, Sasha."

Bella started pacing, and Rose sat down next to Alice, muttering, "This is a seriously fucked-up gene pool."

"He stayed pretty quiet for the next few years, and I can't really see what he did until just about six years ago. He was caught for possession of narcotics with the intent to sell but only served six months in county jail because the case was thrown out. He was also accused of stalking one...no...three girls, all who recanted their stories, causing the cases to be thrown out of court, but...huh...two of those girls were never heard from again. The third? That would be Victoria..."

"Stop it!" Makenna gasped, finally looking up from her drawing of a guy with a huge scar down his neck. "You mean that redhead from the law office?"

"The very same one. Guess Uncle Royce liked that one and decided to keep her," Alice said wryly, but she finally looked up at Bella. "This guy is every twisted, sick fuck you've ever heard of, all rolled into one motherfucker."

"Like Miller is an angel," Bella sighed, looking over her shoulder. "Rose, can you remember that project we worked with your dad on?"

Rose nodded, turning to look at her. "Yeah, sure...wait! You want to do that here? Bells, you want to stay?"

"No!" I growled, shaking my head. "We aren't staying. We're getting the fuck out of here."

"Why?" Bella asked, standing up from leaning on the back of Alice's chair. "We have time to plan here, Edward. We have space to fight them. Let them come to us," she urged, but I was shaking my head the entire time she was speaking. "I can—"

"Bella, no!" I snapped because I just couldn't risk it. I'd wanted to keep her moving, keep her out of sight until this shit was over. I couldn't just stick around and let not only one, but two fuckers with sick intentions come after her with however many of King's men with them. "Not a fucking chance in hell!"

"Don't!" she growled, pointing a finger at me, and I felt the whole room go still. "Don't fucking order me around. Even your dad said that he'd wait until they showed up here, finish them, and then hide again if we have to. I don't want to run. I want to end this!"

"You can't end this, Bella," I yelled, fisting my hair and starting to pace in front of the kitchen. "King will run this until he's dead."

"That can be arranged," Jasper said calmly, leaning against the wall behind him. "I mean, we've taken care of assholes in prison before..."

"King?" I asked, looking at him like he was crazy. "They'll know it was a hit. The man probably doesn't take a shit without the entire guard crew knowing about it and documenting it."

"I'm with Bella on this one, Edward," Mickey said softly, shrugging a shoulder when I spun to glare at her as she sat next to Emmett on the sofa. "Seriously, think about it. We can set up traps, continue our overnight runs, only let one person go out for supplies. There are nine of us, all smart, all able to handle a weapon."

"Um...no, not all of us," Alice muttered, blushing profusely.

"I'll teach you, darlin'. Don't you sweat it," Jasper told her, shooting her a wink and looking up at me when I glared at him. "What? Where's the next safe house, Edward?"

"We hit Alaska," I told him.

"Kate's?" Emmett growled. "No way! I'd rather fight! There's no place for supplies up there, Eddie!"

"I vote we go," Rose mumbled, looking scared when we all turned to her, but she flushed when Bella scowled at her. "Bellsy...these guys are scary. Miller's got bad intentions with you. I get what Carlisle is saying; I just... Look around you, Bella. They could hike in from anywhere. One mistake, and they'd be on us like white on rice."

I nodded in agreement, though that wasn't my biggest concern. My biggest concern was looking at me like I was an asshole. "No, Bella! Please. Let's just get you out to the next safe house—"

"I don't answer to you, Edward. I've told you that before, and you need to start listening," she snapped, and fuck, it wasn't the time to notice how fucking gorgeous she was when she folded her arms across her chest, set her jaw, and tilted her chin in defiance. "We could put it to a vote."

"No fucking vote," I growled, throwing my hands in the air. "I can't risk it. I just can't. We'll pack up, and we're out of here by tomorrow morning."

"No!" she snapped back, her hands on her hips. "I don't want to run from him, Edward. You told me he doesn't deserve the best of me, and the best of me would fight. I'm staying here."

I picked up the bar stool closest to me and threw it out the back sliding glass door because she was using my own words against me. "Damn it!" I growled, watching it shatter down the steps before turning back to the room.

"Okay," Esme sighed, finally stepping between us. "Everyone just calm down. Edward, I know this decision isn't easy, but you really need to stay calm because breaking furniture isn't helping."

I snorted at her, rolling my eyes, but I couldn't see staying. I couldn't risk anything happening to Bella, which by proxy included Alice, Rose, and Makenna because I knew Bella would protect them to the point of no self-preservation.

"Edward, why leave?" Esme asked, staying calmer than anyone else in the room.

"He won't fucking touch her again! I can't risk it, Esme," I growled through gritted teeth. "I swore I'd keep them all safe!"

"But at what cost, Edward?" Bella countered. "If we keep running, if they figure out every property that Carlisle has, then we'll run forever. There won't be a next safe house because they'll know every move we make..."

"Ed?" Emmett interjected, using a softer tone than usual. "She's kinda got a point, dude. I mean, why not stick around? If we're waiting for this shit to be over, and King won't stop until he's dead, then at least take out the psycho fuckers when they come for Bellsy. If we can take them out, maybe King will get the hint. I'm pretty sure we can handle it. Don't you remember the garage? That shit went down pretty damn smoothly..."

I sighed, obviously outnumbered, but I turned to Esme for one last silent plea.

"I know you feel responsible for her because you found her, Edward," she said softly, placing a hand on my shoulder, "but sometimes, demons have to be faced nose to nose...or at lease through the sight of a gun." Her smile was wicked, all-knowing, and all things confusing at the moment.

The whole room chuckled except me. I turned to look at Bella, and I could see that I wasn't going to win this. I was outnumbered and obviously thinking with something other than my mind because they all had valid points, but I just didn't know what I'd do if something happened to the girl that was currently waiting for me to answer.

I didn't say anything; I just walked out the back door to the shed, slamming the door behind me. I needed to think, and I needed to get away from the girl that I'd sworn to protect. I couldn't look at her, knowing that if she didn't survive, neither would I.

~oOo~

BELLA

A shiver went down my spine when I heard the shed door slam. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath, because I'd seen Edward pissed and frustrated and just plain bull-headed, but this wasn't any of that, or maybe it was all of that combined, but it was also panic.

"Fuck!" I shivered again, and I suddenly realized I was still wet from swimming in the lake.

"Why don't you give him a some time, Bella?" Esme said, wrapping an arm around me. "Go get warm, and maybe by then, he'll be calm enough to talk to."

I nodded, but I had things to do first. I turned to Jasper. "You'll teach Alice? Guns, I mean..."

"Yeah, sure," he said, pushing away from the wall. "Give Eddie a few minutes, Bells. He's..."

"...too close to this," Mickey finished cryptically with a one-shouldered shrug. "The problem with that? We have to answer to him."

Her smile was crooked, and her eyes were full of mischief. I totally understood what she was saying.

"I don't," I stated. "I'm not a part of your team. I have my own girls to worry about."

"Exactly," Emmett chuckled, giving me a wink. "Now...what's this project you and Rosie were talking about?"

I turned to Rose, raising an eyebrow at the term "Rosie," but she just fought her smile and shook her head.

"My dad was an electrical engineer," she explained. "He wired houses under construction, but he liked playing with spy shit. He liked trying to build booby traps. Said he got his inspiration from the movie Home Alone. The project that Bella is referring to is the time he wired our whole house...every window, every door, even the driveway. He was protesting the fees that the security companies were charging."

"So you could do that here?" Mickey asked, standing up. "An alarm or something would go off say...if someone turns in the driveway or breaks a window?"

"Yeah," Rose and I said at the same time.

"But we'd need a ton of supplies, like wire, connectors...I don't even know what tools are around," Rose stated, looking up to Esme.

"There are a few things," she mused, looking out the back door, "but you'll have to brave the shed."

"I'm not scared of him," I growled. "He can get pissed all he wants. He can't fire me!"

The whole lot of them chuckled.

"Bellsy, why do you want to stay?" Rose asked, but everyone was listening.

I looked around the room. They were studying my face because if anyone should want to run, it would be me, but I didn't.

"He tried to break me," I whispered, looking only at Rose. "He tried to make me less than human – and he came damn close, but he won't win. I can't let him win." I sighed, looking over to Esme, and finally, Alice. "My dad is trying to do the right thing, and I'll admit, the way he went about it wasn't great, but he deserves to try. Without his soldiers or gang members or whatever the fuck he wants to call them, King is nothing. The bully can't hurt you if he doesn't have his backup..."

I shrugged, turning back to Rose. "It's my turn to bully, and I want Miller on a fucking slab because he's made me a freak! I don't want to be that anymore!"

With that said, I left the room because I was freezing. I needed a shower and dry clothes, and I also still had a perimeter to check, even if Mr. Cranky Pants had forgotten.

My shower was as hot as I could stand it. I took my time, giving Edward his space because I knew this wasn't an easy decision for him. Not only did he have to follow his father's orders, but he was responsible for every single life inside the house. It wasn't something he took lightly. However, when it came to me, he was almost irrational, and I wondered if he felt so fucking obligated due to finding me in that basement that nothing else mattered, nothing else could reach him.

And that hurt because I wanted him to fight by my side. I wanted him to want keep me safe...for him. And I wanted his team to work with my team because together, we were fucking good. Really good.

When no one was looking, Edward and I had...something. It was deep and quiet and slow burning. It was honest and so sexually charged that I could barely see straight. It was sweet and soft and kind. Edward was gentle with me and respectful. He was attentive and acted like no one else mattered, but when everyone was around, I could see his restraint. He didn't touch me, other than a hand or a shoulder. He didn't say the things he said when we were alone, and his voice was harsher, rougher.

I knew he was a private person, but those actions gave off a vibe of embarrassment or shame. I normally had pretty damn good self-esteem, but I knew I was slightly broken. I knew I was scarred, scared, and easily discouraged, which was one of the reasons I'd like to put a bullet in Miller's head because this wasn't me.

I wanted Edward. I wanted him heart, body, and soul. But I wanted him to want me in return – privately and publicly. I was falling hard, too hard for the private man, but the man in charge of a mercenary crew needed to be kicked in the balls.

I stepped out of the shower, dried off, and dropped the towel to the floor, studying every scar that Miller had left on me – visible and invisible. I started at my sternum, seeing tiny hair-sized scars that he'd used his knife to make. There were ten of those – two across my sternum, one on each breast just above my nipples, two on both sides of my rib cage, and one on each hip. It seemed Miller's only focus was on my torso.

Then there were the burns. Fortunately, there weren't scars on my nipples, though he'd held the lighter to each of them until I'd dry heaved, but there were still the ones on my stomach and under each breast, and one just below my belly button, above the line of my pubic hair.

I closed my eyes as I remembered where Miller had put my own hands against my will, shuddering at the thought and moving on to the rest of my own personal evaluation.

The scar on my eyebrow didn't bother me; it was barely there. The one on my leg, probably the ugliest one of all, didn't bother me because that was the very last shot Miller had gotten in. The scar on my leg, the long gash, it represented the end of Miller's time with me and the first time I'd heard Edward's voice – and with that last thought, I knew what I had to do.

I dressed back into the shorts and T-shirt I'd had on that morning before going swimming. I steeled myself, taking a deep breath, and finally opened the door to the hallway. I walked into the main room, noting that everyone was there except Edward.

Emmett, Rose, and Jasper were hovered over a piece of paper, sketching out what looked like the house. Alice was typing away furiously, occasionally switching from my laptop to hers. Makenna was working on her second portrait, her hair now pulled up into a messy bun secured by one of her many pencils.

My girls were, if anything, hard-working, smart bitches, and I knew they took this shit seriously.

I looked over at the sofa, my brow wrinkling as I saw Mickey fast asleep. The poor thing had been up all night and most of the day, so I knew she was exhausted.

I finally found Esme. She was starting dinner, and that bothered me a bit because that was something Edward seemed to live for, and if he wasn't in here to do it, then he was still pissed off, hiding in the shed.

She held out a small brown paper bag. "Here," she said, and I walked to her, taking it from her. "I think it's time you start using this."

I peeked inside, glancing back up at her. "Does it work?"

"Yeah, but you really have to follow directions," she told me, adding pasta to a pot of boiling water. "And I'm wondering if someone helped you...maybe your sensitivity to touch will lessen."

I didn't know what to say, so I just nodded, gripping the bag in my hand. Esme had been the best help since she'd shoved me into the shower the first night. She'd cleaned my wounds, stitched me up, and held me together.

I walked around the counter, kissed her cheek, and said, "Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie," she whispered, kissing my forehead before I could turn away. "Now, go give that boy what for, because you're right...Carlisle's right. Staying is the smartest thing."

I walked quietly out of the house, stepping off of the back deck. I walked around the shed, not recognizing the sounds I was hearing. The shed doors were propped open, and I could see a bare bulb swinging in the evening breeze, the smell of rain eminent in the next few hours. I looked up at the sky, and sure enough, clouds were rolling in.

I sighed but turned my attention to the brooding man that seemed to be taking his frustrations out on a piece of wood. He was using some sort of tool, rubbing it up the side, causing little curls to fall to the shed floor. Once he was satisfied with that, he grabbed a piece of sandpaper, placing his hand flat on the board, and rubbed with the grain.

Every muscle in Edward's bare torso flexed with the movement. His brow wasn't as furrowed, though he was completely absorbed by the things he was doing. His shoulders were hunched over in action as he braced one arm on the workbench and weren't as stress-filled as they had been when he was yelling inside the house. I realized then that Edward made things to escape the tough shit.

"Whatcha makin'?" I asked, leaning in the doorway.

Without looking up, he muttered, "I have a stool to replace."

I grinned, shaking my head, and looked down at my feet before glancing back up at him. "Terrible thing, tempers," I teased, smirking when his gaze shot up to meet mine briefly. "But at least you own it."

"At least," he huffed, dusting his hands off on his shorts before picking up what looked like the seat of the original stool. He placed it on top of the new board, tracing around its edge to mark what I assumed would be the new seat.

"Is there one of these at every safe house?" I asked, just trying to get him to engage.

"No...just my house, here, and my father's house."

I nodded, though I was pretty sure he didn't see. "Does it help?"

He looked up at me, his eyes sharp but so very green in the light of the bare bulb. He set the pencil down, ran a hand through his hair, and shrugged.

"What's in the bag?" he asked, leaning back onto the workbench.

I could see we were avoiding the elephant in the room. Never mind that we needed to come to some sort of compromise about safety. Never mind that we'd just been snarling at each other approximately an hour prior. And never mind that my urge to run into his arms was just about making me shake.

I didn't like arguing with Edward, but I couldn't let him think he could just order me around. He was in charge of his crew but not in charge of me.

I was also completely aware that the only time I felt safe was when that man was in the room, and that utterly unnerved me.

I tossed the bag at him, and he caught it effortlessly, opening it up and taking out the tube of scar removal cream that Esme had bought for me. He quietly read the instructions, the name, only to look back up at me with raised eyebrows.

"Esme," I said in answer to his unasked question. "She says it works." I shrugged, sitting down on a crate that was holding the shed doors open. "She also says that it should help with my fear of touch," I mumbled, looking down at my sneakers.

I heard Edward sigh deeply, and suddenly, his legs appeared in my vision. My eyes raked up his form, over his shorts, and up his bare chest to lock with his, and he handed the bag back to me. I took it back, setting it in my lap with a nod.

He knelt in front of me, but I didn't look at him.

"Look, I promised you that I'd do the perimeter check, Edward. Can we just get it over with?" I sighed, starting to stand. I was all brave in the bathroom by myself, but sitting there in front of him, my fears came back full force.

"Bella, wait," he said, his voice soft, the voice that he used when it was just the two of us, and suddenly, I was pissed, glaring up at him.

"Wait for what?" I snapped, gripping the bag in my hands in order not to shove him over.

He flinched, his hands stopping to hover just over mine. "I know you're still mad at me, Bella. Can't you see my point about leaving?"

"No, I can't, Edward." I folded my arms across my chest. "They'll find us everywhere. Carlisle said this place was the best hidden...that it would take them longer to find."

"It's not that," he groaned, running a hand through his hair, his fingers gripping it hard. "God, I know you can handle yourself, but I can't...I just don't know... I c-can't l-let anything happen to y-you," he spat out after struggling through that sentence.

Despite the adorable stutter, I was still mad because he didn't get it.

"I'm aware you feel responsible for me...some sort of obligation to your dad, or because you found me, or whatever," I sighed, holding up a hand when he started to interrupt. "But I'm responsible for those girls in there, Edward. And I can't have someone use them against me."

"You still think you're just a fucking obligation to me?" he asked, his mouth hanging open.

I didn't answer his question because in all reality, I didn't know shit when it came to Edward. "I need to stay," I told him, pointing to the ground. "I need to finish Miller. I want him to come to me and not walk the fuck away."

I watched as Edward's eyes darkened, his mouth in a tight, thin line as he studied my face.

"He's made me someone I don't recognize in the mirror anymore, and I want him finished. I want him to find us here, Edward," I growled, standing up and turning away from him because I was losing my battle with my tears.

I could feel him step closer behind me, but he didn't touch me. "I'll kill them if they touch you, Bella," he said softly, and I could hear the truth behind those words. He meant it.

"I know," I said with a sniffle, nodding, and finally felt the arms around me that I needed.

He kept his grip high on my shoulders, never forgetting where he could and couldn't touch. "No, you don't know," he groaned, and I swore I could feel feather-light kisses to the back of my head. "You think you do, but you don't. But we'll stay."

I turned around to face him, and his face was dark, almost scary with his intensity.

"But I need you girls to listen to me, Bella. I'm not kidding. We will all sit down, make a plan, and stick the fuck to it, got me?" he commanded, pointing a finger at me.

I grabbed it and nodded. "I just want to give my dad a chance to testify, Edward. I'd rather take these guys down so that all King has left is himself."

He pursed his lips, his head falling back just a little, letting out a deep sigh. "Yeah, I know. And it's the better way to go, but I swear to God..." He paused, looked back at me, cupping my face. "I will fucking rip apart the next motherfucker that touches you."

"Okay," I said with a shrug, because as long as Miller stopped breathing, I didn't care. "Perimeter check, Edward," I reminded him with a poke to his stomach.

He nodded, let me go, and turned to walk back into the shed. He picked up his gun, tucking it into his waistband, and pulled a T-shirt on over his head. "You armed?" he asked, and I nodded, lifting the back of my own shirt to show him my nine millimeter. "Good, then let me show you the grounds. I want you so familiar with it, you can name the fucking trees," he mumbled.

I snorted, grabbing the bag that Esme had handed me earlier.

"Here," he said, holding out his hand for it and tucking it into one of his pockets. "I want your hands free, just in case, okay?"

"'Kay," I said with a nod as he closed up the shed and locked it.

We were quiet as we walked toward the back part of the property and almost halfway around. I wanted to ask him a thousand questions, but we'd fought and kissed and fought again until I was tired. I was hungry, and I just wanted the day to end, but I blurted out one thing at the same time he asked a question.

"Tell me about your house."

"Do you think the cream will work?"

We both chuckled. "Answer mine first, and I'll tell you about my house in Forks..."

I grinned, looking up at him and barely seeing his eyes in the dying light of the day, and for a split second, I was wondering exactly what he was asking. Would the cream take away the scars? Or would it help with my fear of touch if he helped me?

"I have no idea," I said with a shrug. "The label says it will take care of visible scars."

My answer must have satisfied him in some way because all he did was nod once, but he was quiet for a few more yards as we walked together, our hands brushing against each other but free, not tied together, in case of trouble.

"Forks is a really small town," he started softly. "When we first moved there, I hated it. There was nothing to do, and since we'd moved from California, I really just despised the place." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I didn't have my mom, I kinda stuck out in school, especially with my stutter," he admitted with a grimace, "and my dad was constantly gone. So I started exploring the woods around our house."

I nodded, eager for him to go on because I remembered that Edward, that stuttering, sad kid.

"Eventually, everything grew on me," he sighed. "I started taking shop classes and learned how to build shit. Dad put me in touch with a speech therapist, and my stutter started to go away. But I still hiked the woods, still found places that looked like no one had ever seen. I played baseball, making friends with the wrong crowd. I got caught smoking weed one day behind the bleachers, and my dad doesn't give second chances, so he shipped me off to military school."

"Where?"

"Back to California, believe it or not," he laughed, taking my hand for a moment and squeezing when I chuckled. "I discovered that once I was there, once I got settled in, I missed the woods, missed the...quiet of the trees, so I vowed that I'd buy a place back there one day, and my dad still has his house there."

"But you joined the Air Force...got shipped overseas," I urged, wanting him to continue.

"I did, and it was great. I met Emmett and Jasper in training," he said, turning us to the left as we met some boundary line. "I saw Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and lots and lots of sand..."

I laughed, having to stop to catch my breath, because I could well imagine it was nothing but desert over there.

He chuckled, tugging me to keep going. "Anyway, as you know...we met Mickey over there. When I got hurt, they paid for my medical bills, and I took most of what I'd made over there and came home. I found a place; it's off the main highway, and you can barely see the driveway, but it winds back into the woods.

"There's a separate garage, the house, and my helicopter, which is covered up most of the time, but I can fly it out of there if I need to." He stopped, pointing along a row of trees. "Before I finish, look where you are, Bella. This line of trees? If you walk straight through it, you'll meet the main road. And on that main road is—"

"That gas station...right there!" I gasped at how far we'd walked, turning to look behind us and then at the line of trees again.

"Exactly. Good girl," he muttered, leading us on. "If something happens to me and you need to get away, that's where you go. Okay?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me, and my heart sank at the thought of him hurt...or worse, but I nodded.

"Anyway, my house isn't big...three bedrooms, two baths, a living room, but I remodeled the kitchen first thing!" he said with a wide grin, chuckling when I giggled; I could imagine that was very important to him.

"Next, I turned the garage into a workshop. And I hid my helicopter. At night, you can see every star, hear only the woods around you. You can even hear a wolf howl every once in a while. It's...calm there."

"Sounds beautiful," I told him, looking up at him.

His nose wrinkled, and he shrugged. "I don't know about beautiful, but it's simple, and it's mine. I paid it off with the first job my dad sent me on."

"It's sounds really nice," I sighed, looking around, and I could see we were coming up on the lake; we were almost back to where we'd started.

"You'll see it," he told me, tugging me to a stop and chuckling at my confused expression. "I owe you a helicopter ride, remember?" he asked, his slow, sexy crooked smile creeping over his handsome face, and suddenly, I felt ill.

"Oh, right," I muttered, again feeling like another obligation I'd just forced upon him. "You don't have to, Edward. I was just surprised to know someone that had their own means of flight. I owe you too much already; don't add to it."

I turned away from him and walked back toward the house, leaving him there. I stomped into the back door, and everyone glanced up, looking past me for Edward, who hadn't followed me.

"Alice, email Carlisle that we're staying," I sighed, waiting for her to nod before turning from the room and walking down the hallway to the room that Edward and I shared, which was just one more thing I was too tired to dwell on.

I shed my clothes, tugged on pajamas, and fell into bed – the same bed we'd shared the night before. I was just too confused, scared, and exhausted to think about the night before and the things Edward and I had done, the possibility of seeing Miller again, and all the planning we'd yet to do. I just needed to shut it all out for one night, and I'd face everything else tomorrow.


A/N... Okay...before you get upset with our Bella...please, please keep in mind that she's running the gamut of emotions right now. And Edward hasn't exactly been forthcoming with his feelings. He's gruff and only seems to vocalize his need to do his job, and that's just discouraging, especially to someone that wants someone she can't seem to reach out and take.

Now...Carlisle's message... He's given everyone a task, and he's staying in Seattle to watch not only Twilight Tech, but Billy Black, as well. I know James sounds like a real peach, and I know that both Edward and Bella have legitimate reasons for being on opposite sides of the fence, but Carlisle made the most valid points about staying.

Now...next chapter will be shorter than you're used to but highly important! It's actually a bit pivotal when it comes to Edward and Bella.

I want to thank a few people...JenRar for betaing this when she's busy as hell. Have you freakin' slept yet? And second (and they go together), les16 and MedusaInNY for pimping this story like there's no tomorrow. Les16 has a kick ass story, The Greatest Gift, and I'm so invested in it that fights break out regularly on Twitter, much to MedusaInNY's amusement, I'm sure. So... Come play with us... All of us.

Now...review...because I just know you've got stuff to say...like: "Bella's done lost her damn mind..." or "Edward needs to learn how to communicate," or "I hope Daddy C knows what the hell he's talkin' 'bout!" LOL … The next post will be around Tuesday or Wednesday...so the obvious yelling remark can be... "OMG, hurry up!" Which is something I see in just about every review. Lol Now...until then... Come play on Twitter, or I'll see you guys next post. Until then...later.