A/N: Thank you all so much for taking the time to read and review/fav/follow. I appreciate each and every one.

Big freaking warning here. Very rough stuff ahead. This chapter is graphic and violent. I broke it up into four sections marked by ~oOo~, told in bouts of lucid moments. If the hard stuff is too much for you, then skip toward the bottom of the third section.

As always, I don't own Twilight, Stephenie Meyer does.

EPOV

"Aw, baby, are you sure she's dead?" Vicki cooed at James, sauntering over to join him on the bed. She gripped Bella's chin and turned her head from side to side, her nails digging into my angel's flesh. "Hmm, this won't be as much fun if you killed the little bitch."

My body shook as I stared at Bella, willing her to wake up. "Please, Bella…you can't be dead. Please." Seth was going to get us out of this. I just had to keep us alive until the cavalry arrived.

James chucked at my desperation and picked up Bella's wrist, pressing his fingers against her skin. He then moved his fingers up her neck, feeling around for a pulse. "Ah, there we go! She's not quite dead…yet."

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief as tears fell from my eyes. I loathed showing any kind of weakness in front of these monsters, but the relief that she might still live through this was overwhelming.

"Oh, goody," Vicki purred rubbing her hands over her breasts. "Guess we'll just have to wait for the little princess to wake up to have our fun with her." She leaned forward and licked James' neck while palming his crotch.

He reached out and grabbed a fistful of red hair, yanking her head back forcefully. "Doesn't mean we can't still have some fun while we wait. Why don't you be a good little whore and cook me up a treat, hmm?"

"Sure, Jimmy," she panted, almost falling off the bed when he released her. She snickered at me as she disappeared into the back of the warehouse. There was no telling what bullshit the two of them were concocting, so I tried my best to calm my anxiety and keep my wits about me.

James sneered at me as he groped Bella through her t-shirt. "Hmm, can't wait 'til she wakes up. The fun we're going to have-"

"You're such a sick fuck," I spat, trying to draw his attention away from Bella. "Does it make your dick hard to feel up an unconscious girl?"

That little statement did the trick and he flew at me in a rage. His fist made contact with my jaw, sending me sprawling to the concrete floor as he stood looming over me. "I'll do as I damn well please. If you're smart, you'll shut that fucking mouth of yours before I put something in it."

Vicki returned a few moments later carrying a blue rubber tourniquet and a syringe, a sinister grin plastered on her face as she headed straight for James. I tried to keep my face stoic, but inside I was turning cartwheels. If they were high, I had a better chance of getting loose. They wouldn't be paying any attention to me.

All of my hopes were dashed and panic took hold when Vicki planted a sloppy kiss on his lips and then turned back in my direction, her expression almost giddy.

"Time to play, lover." She sneered and placed the syringe between her teeth. Digging her talons into my arm, she swiftly tied off the blue band and tapped around for a vein.

"No, no! Don't do this!" I tried my damnedest to wriggle from Vicki's grasp, but the plastic ties around my wrists and elbows only dug into my flesh further and made it impossible for me to move my arms. My heart threatened to pound out of my chest as Vicki tightened her grip. I struggled against her, but cried out when I felt the sharp sting. Vicki withdrew the needle and released the rubber band on my forearm, placing everything to the side as she began to undress.

Oh, God…please, no.

The heroin hit my blood stream with the force of a freight train, the feeling of euphoria taking over every sense. I whimpered as I watched Vicki crawl to James and kneel at his feet. My head began to swim and I cast one more look toward Bella, praying with everything in me that Seth would find us soon. After a few moments, I floated…

~oOo~

Waking slowly, I first registered the pain. I fucking hurt…everywhere. I couldn't pinpoint one particular point of origin. It was just everywhere. Despite the pain, I felt a warm mouth envelop my cock followed by a deep rumbling moan. I tried to reach down, but my hands were bound above my head.

"Ah, Bella…your boyfriend's awake," James sang, cutting through the last of the fog in my brain. My eyes snapped open, frantically looking for Bella, only to find her still unconscious, lying next to me on the bed with James hovering over her.

"Bella?" I croaked. My mouth felt like it was full of sand and each breath sent stabbing pains through my chest.

Vicki popped off my dick and crawled up my body, leaving stinging bites along the way. "Don't worry, lover. She's not awake yet. James' little pet has been out of it all this time and he hasn't really gotten a chance to play." She positioned herself over me and sank down on my cock with a shuddering sigh.

I turned my head to the side as bile rose in my throat. For the life of me I couldn't figure out how I was hard. Back when I was using, I'd get an erection right after shooting up, but I was never able to maintain it.

As if she could read my mind, she leaned down and bit my nipple, her sharp little teeth leaving purple indentions in the sensitive flesh. "You, on the other hand…I should still have several hours with you yet. Even on H, Viagra is some potent shit." She leaned up and back, bracing her hands on my thighs as she rode me hard.

Having come down from my high, I fought with what little strength I had left. With one wild thrust of my hips and a little jag to the left, I was able to dislodge Vicki, throwing her off of me and onto the concrete floor. She screeched and leapt to her feet, her talons clawing my skin hard enough to leave bloody welts. I gritted my teeth against the pain and reveled in the fact that I'd pissed her off so spectacularly.

"Hmm, Vic…seems your pet is a little too feisty to handle. Maybe you should dose him again," James sneered. "Besides, I believe it's my turn."

Vicki chuckled and gnashed her teeth right above the head of my dick. "Sure thing, baby. I'll be right back." Still nude, she sauntered away only to return less than a minute later with a syringe and that fucking blue tourniquet.

"Oh, Jesus…please don't do this. I'll fucking give you every dime I have. I'll sign over everything my father left me." I hated pleading with these monsters, but I had to try to get us out of this.

James just laughed maniacally as Vicki slipped the needle into my vein. Again, within just a few minutes, I faded into the abyss…

~oOo~

My waking moment could only be described as pure agony, the pain returning the moment my high began to wane. I was bruised and bloody, my flesh ripped apart and my bones broken. There was no fight left in me.

I couldn't be sure how long the torture had been going on, but I was close to giving up at this point. My body and mind had been through too much, pushed well beyond my breaking point. The only reason I was still hanging on was Bella. She had been unnaturally still until about an hour ago, at which time she began to twitch and moan softly, exciting James to no end. He wanted his victims to feel the pain he was inflicting and was elated that she might wake soon.

It had to have been at least six hours since my last hit. Withdrawals were beginning to kick in and I was a shivering, puking mess. I had a feeling this was exactly where James wanted me. He'd always known precisely how to break me. My reasoning was slipping and it wouldn't be long before I'd be begging for a hit, ready and willing to hand over any piece of me he wanted.

My head lolled to the side as I made a pathetic attempt to pull my hands free from my constraints with no discernable results other than to embed the plastic even further into my skin. It seemed that Vicki and James had left me alone for the moment, but even in the dimmed light I could still make out Bella's shivering form next to me. I wanted so badly to hold her and beg for her forgiveness, but the most I could hope for was to see her again in whatever lay beyond this existence.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart. I…I wish I could have spared you this." I ached from the knowledge that I had failed her so completely.

My heartfelt apology was interrupted as laughter wafted over from somewhere near the front of the warehouse. James had hung a thick, heavy curtain from the metal beams in the ceiling, effectively separating us from the rest of the warehouse. Despite the buffer, I could make out three distinct voices, but couldn't understand what they were saying. I was in really bad shape, but I strained to hear the words none the less.

The voices got louder as James made his way back toward us. "I'm still not sure how you found me, Whit, but I guess it makes no difference."

"Yes, well, I had to do some…persuading. This isn't a social call, James. I'm looking for Alice. I trusted you with her safekeeping until I could get the Feds off my back. Now, where is she?" Whit's voice was dark and menacing and I imagined the look on his face was probably just as frightening.

"I told you, Whit, the bitch ran away-"

The click of a cocking gun sent shivers down my spine.

"Disrespect Alice again and I'll put a bullet in your head."

"Goddammit, Whit! Put your fucking gun away. I'm not some common thug that'll cower at your feet," James spat. "Like I told you before, I put Alice up in a hotel room under a fake name. She stayed for a few weeks, but when I went back to check on her, she was fucking gone."

"I'll ask one more time, James. What happened to Alice?"

"I. Don't. Know. For the last fucking time, you persistent motherfucker, she ran off." James' voice rose in volume with every word.

There was a moment of silence before Whit finally conceded. "Alright, James. You say she ran off. I'll find her." Shuffling footsteps approached the curtained off area, but stopped abruptly. I desperately wanted to call out to whoever was on the other side of that curtain, but my mouth and throat were so dry I could barely manage a whisper.

"Uh, uh, Whit. What's back there is none of your business," James spat. "That's my own personal little pet project." A few harsh whispers were exchanged and my hope dwindled as their voices grew fainter.

What seemed like an eternity later, the curtain was thrown open and James sauntered toward us with Vicki wrapped around him. He dumped her onto the foot of the bed and proceed to crawl on top of Bella.

"I'm fucking sick of waiting. Time to take what's mine," James sneered.

"No!" I cried out. "Leave her alone…please. Take me, use me-"

Vicki climbed up my body and perched herself atop my chest. "Aw, sweetie, I'm afraid you've just about outlived your usefulness." A gleam of metal caught my eye as she swiped across my shoulder. "See, you don't even cry out anymore when I cut you." She pulled her hand back to reveal a scalpel clasped between her bloody fingers.

She laid the scalpel on my chest and tied the blue band around my arm once more, quickly finding a vein and shoving that fucking needle in my arm. With a sinful purr, she released the tourniquet and tossed her supplies to the floor. The heroin surged through my body, lighting up every cell. But my high was bittersweet.

Vicki grasped the scalpel and cackled as it licked at my skin over and over. "Just lay back and enjoy the ride, lover. It won't be long now."

Just as I had come to terms with my imminent demise, a gunshot rang out from the darkness. I gazed at the woman perched above me. Her gray eyes, once filled with malice, now showed only confusion. Through my drug induced haze, I watched as the scalpel in her hand slipped from her grasp and came to rest on my shoulder.

James lunged and caught his sister as she slumped forward, laying her down flat across the foot of the bed. "Vicki? Vicki!" Her only response was a wet gurgle as blood began to ooze from the corner of her mouth. James snarled and whipped his head back and forth wildly, trying desperately to find the shooter hidden in the dense shadows. "Where are you, huh? Show yourself!"

"You shouldn't have tried to kill Alice, James. Did you think I wouldn't find out?" Whit stepped out of the shadows, flanked by two men I didn't recognize.

James growled at the menacing figures standing next to Whit. "Alec, Stephan…what the fuck are you two doing?"

Whit chuckled and shook his head. "I'm going to let you in on a little secret, James. And I'll make this quick as we're about to be…hmm…interrupted." He smiled and tilted his head as a police siren wailed in the distance. "See, loyalty's a funny thing in this business. And you, my friend, have pissed off all the wrong people. I could kill you right here and now and no one would even bat an eye."

"You wouldn't dare," James spat. "My men would-"

"Your men?" Whit laughed. "You have no men, James. They are and always have been my men. No one is coming to help you. See, when you first popped up on my radar all those months ago, I saw you as a means to an end. I allowed you to cultivate your business, hoping you would take some of the heat off of me, thinking all along that you'd make the perfect fall guy. But you got cocky, James. You overstepped your boundaries."

The sirens in the distance grew closer by the second and I fought against the darkness threatening to envelop me. I swallowed hard, wincing at the pain in my throat. "Whit…"

Icy blue eyes snapped to mine. "Just relax, Edward. They're coming."

James had finally had enough and lurched off the bed toward Whit. The thug on the left stepped forward and intercepted him, delivering a swift blow to his nose and knee to his gut. James dropped to the floor like a sack of potatoes, coughing and wheezing as blood poured from his broken nose.

Whit stepped forward and crouched low. "You know…it's really a shame. I'd like nothing more than to bludgeon you to death. I know all about what you had done to Alice, you sick fuck." Whit shook his head. "I should return the favor. Sadly, there are other…plans…for you, I'm afraid."

Before he could elaborate, chaos erupted in the warehouse as the doors were kicked in and people flooded into the dark space. James tried to scamper away, but was tackled to the ground by a half dozen bodies. I was barely hanging onto consciousness as a blond blur suddenly appeared at my side.

"Oh, Jesus…" Carlisle muttered, shining a penlight directly in my eyes. "Edward? Can you hear me?"

I tried to respond, but I simply…couldn't. The pain was excruciating and had sapped every last bit of my energy. I just didn't have the strength to fight anymore. I could make out the sound of people shuffling around me, barking orders. I suddenly realized the tension in my arms was gone, so someone must have cut away my restraints. More shouting and the sting of a needle in my arm caused me to jerk away, a completely instinctive and unconscious reaction.

"Edward? It's just an I.V.," Carlisle explained. "The EMTs are working on Bella. We're getting you both out of here, okay? Just hold on…"

~oOo~

"…pretty serious, Carlisle….overdose…broken ribs…remove his spleen…exacerbated by withdrawals…"

The voices tugged me from my unconscious state. I felt like I was surfacing from a dark abyss. Only getting glimpses of the sunlight filtering through the surface before being pulled back under.

"…don't know if she'll pull through…significant brain swelling…medically induced coma…"

I fought against the dark, trying desperately to break through, but I was dragged back under every time. Lost in the perpetual void.

"Edward?" A warm hand gripped my fingers and squeezed gently. "Edward, I know you can hear me."

Emmett. What was he doing here?

"Carlisle, how much longer is he going to be like this?" he pleaded, his voice full of desperation.

"I don't know," my uncle responded from across the room. "He's been through so much. His physical injuries alone will make for a difficult recovery. We…we almost lost him in the ambulance. The amount of heroin in his system…"

"Oh Jesus," Emmett sobbed. "Edward…please…you have to be okay. You're my best friend."

I tried to squeeze his fingers to give him some indication that I was here and had heard his pleas. Everything seemed slow to respond, but I actually felt like if I fought hard enough I might be able to break through the surface this time.

"Carlisle! He squeezed my fingers!" Emmett exclaimed. "Edward, can you hear me? Come on back to us, buddy."

The amount of effort it took just to open my eyes was exhausting, but I finally managed to force my eyelids to obey. The lighting in the room was dim and everything was blurry and out of focus, but I could still make out Emmett and Carlisle's worried faces.

"Edward, son, can you hear me?" Carlisle asked reaching into his pocket for his penlight. He flashed the light briefly in each eyes, causing me to squint against the harsh glare.

I tried to open my mouth to speak, but my throat was too dry. I could only manage a small squawk.

Emmett jumped to his feet and scurried around to the other side of the hospital room. "Hang on, man. Let me get you some water. That'll help." He returned a moment later with a styrofoam cup. Carefully placing the straw at my lips, he held the cup steady while I sucked greedily.

"Not so fast, son," Carlisle pleaded. "Go easy. You've been out for a while."

"Bella?" The raspy sound of my own voice startled me. I sounded like a three-pack-a-day smoker.

Carlisle's eyes held nothing but anguish as he pulled at his hair. "She's here…she's alive. But, Edward, the damage was…extensive. Her injuries from the accident were already severe and were only compounded during your captivity. The surgeons have operated twice to relieve the pressure on her brain, but…it doesn't look good."

Had I not been so incredibly weak, I would've lurched straight out of the bed, but Carlisle managed to keep me from hurting myself with a firm hand on my shoulder. "Please, Carlisle…need…to…see-"

"Calm down, Edward. Your poor body has been through so much. You haven't exactly had it easy."

I took a deep breath and swallowed hard, thinking back to that last night in the warehouse. Although, all of my memories were incredibly fuzzy, I tried to recall what had happened. I clearly remembered Vicki taunting me with that scalpel before jabbing that damn needle in my arm again, but I couldn't remember much after that. I seemed to remember Whit, but surely that was a fucking hallucination. Frankly, I didn't give a fuck what had happened to me, I just needed Bella to be okay.

"Want to…see Bella…now."