DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the intellectual property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Hey, Dolls! I'll have Edward's POV posted soon after this chapter. I'm working on it now. I had a lot of people ask me where Bella went and if she was running scared, well, here's your answer. I don't usually change POV's in this story because I like to keep it just E's, but Bella was pretty persistent that I write this. She rarely shows up and talks to me, so, I figured that it had to be pretty darn important. Enjoy!

~ Inescapable Devastation ~

BPOV

Edward laid next to me sound asleep and I couldn't resist touching him. My fingers softly stroked him along his muscular bicep. His arms were, haphazardly, thrown over his head and his hands were deeply tucked underneath the pillows. The defined muscles in his back called out to me, loudly, like a siren and kept me captivated with each breath he took. His odd shade of bronze hair, which was always a disheveled mess, was now matted to his forehead. His strong, angular jaw was less strained with tension in his sleep. He looked peaceful and as leaned into him to feather kisses along his shoulder, I noticed that his eye lashes were incredibly long. They created a faint shadow against his pale, alabaster skin.

He was really quite beautiful, almost so much it hurt to look at him. That was one of the many reasons of why I could never seem to stay away from him. The attraction and pull I felt towards him was too strong. It didn't matter how hard I fought it—and I did—it was just always there. The more I tried to turn those feelings off, they only seem to grow and grow…He was swiftly becoming my undoing.

Shit! I'm beyond screwed.

Sighing heavily, I rolled on to my back and stared at the ceiling, slowly feeling the sides of my mouth twitching and forming into a smile.

The way he touched me tonight was still sending shivers throughout my body. He was so intense and so earnest. It was the first time I'd seen a man—let alone a submissive—really craved me like that. It was a heady thing to be wanted so badly, and in truth, I loved it. Everything about tonight was fantastic and possibly the best sex I've ever had. That's even counting the first time I was with him.

Maybe the difference was because I'd allowed myself to step out of the Domme role for once and really let him feel me, taste me… and love me.

Perhaps, it was because we didn't wear a condom…

God, I hated those things. Condoms had a way of dulling all of the sensations. The warmth, the slickness, and the softness of the skin on the penis were all lost the moment that piece of latex was rolled on. A lot of people would like to argue—mostly men—that it didn't really affect a woman's pleasure…Well, it does. I am acutely aware of it each time and extremely delighted when a man I was with wasn't permitted to wear one.

Unfortunately, that was a luxury that I'd hadn't had a lot of in my relationships, and even with James, I never really gotten to that point. There was something that I just didn't trust about him. In my mind, it was better safe than sorry and I wasn't going to be led by my carnal wants. That was why my decision to cross that forbidden bridge with Edward was unlike me. It was a huge leap of faith and that wasn't something that I did.

Everything that I'd aspired to be was slowly, but surely, fading into the oblivion. The Domme that I strived to be and how I wanted to portray myself to him was…well, that was hopeless and more of a self-prefilled prophecy.

I had no idea what I was doing anymore, but I couldn't find it myself to really care. The odd part about relenting all of my rigid need for control was that it felt like a natural progression. That it was something that needed to happen for me to finally admit that I loved Edward.

Ugh, what a pain in the ass.

The day Edward walked into my life, I was more curious about him more than I was scared. In fact, I never saw him as a threat. He was more of annoyance than anything else. He came out of nowhere, waltzing into my life with his guns blazing. I didn't know what to do with him at first. He was young, cocky, and completely self-involved. He was the furthest from what I looked for in a guy, but then something happened…he intrigued me.

He challenged me and I was never the type of woman who shied away from a challenge. In fact, I'd often throw myself into them. There wasn't anything that I wouldn't take head on. That was when I was at my strongest. So, when he proposed to see who would crack first between, I was positive that I would win. It was why I did what I could not to show him or myself how much I was losing.

The moment we made that bet, I already lost.

"Bella," Edward murmured as he shifted to his side, throwing his arm over my waist and effortlessly pulling me into him until we were practically spooning.

He dragged his nose along the back of my neck, hugging me tightly. At first I assumed that he awoken up, but after a minute or so of silence, he went into a faint snore. He had me trapped and as I looked up at the clock on the dresser, I realized it was time for me to shut down my brain. It was already three in the morning and I needed to try to get some rest. I'd planned on going to see Aro as soon as the sun was up, and I was going to need all my pistons firing.

Feeling completely safe and warm, I let my eyes drift to a close.

(0)(0)

"Edward," I whispered into his ear, "I'm leaving for a while, but I'll be back soon, okay?"

He grunted as he rolled over in the bed, his eyes barely fluttering open. It looked like he was fighting against the lure of sleep and failing miserably. I watched him, slightly amused with his effort. He finally got his bearings as he reached out for me, grabbing a hold of my hand and pulled me down to the bed. I leaned into his chest, inhaling his musky scent as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Okay, baby," he muttered against the top of my head. "I love you."

"Yeah, me too," I replied as I pulled away from him slightly and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

He hummed in satisfaction, but continued to tighten his hold on me. It took me a few minutes of prying his fingers apart for me to get free from his death grip. But as expected, he never seemed phased by anything and just rolled back over, spreading his body out on the bed.

The sheet was now tangled within his legs and his toned ass was fully out on display. I shook my head as I begrudgingly covered him back up, fighting the urge to take a little nibble. God knows that I didn't want to leave him, but it was important to get this one errand out of the way. My sister, Angela, was being an idiot and I needed to fix this situation before it got past the point of no return.

"Goodbye, Edward," I said one last time before I turned to leave.

I love you…I internally confessed what I couldn't say out loud.

In my warped mind, it made me feel powerful of the situation and I didn't want to look like a weak person by admitting to such a term of endearment. It made me feel like I was keeping myself safe from the possible hurt, but as I looked at him one last time, I realized I was a fucking coward. The actual courage was having the strength to say how much you truly loved someone loudly and unabashedly.

Closing the door to the room, I saw how scared I really was and it disgusted me.

(0)(0)

Just breathe…I mentally reminded myself as the elevator stopped on the thirty-fourth floor.

As the doors opened, I saw that Aro was already waiting for me. He was dressed in his usual morning attire, black silk pajama bottoms and a matching robe tied around his waist. He greeted me with a smile, reaching out to take my hand, which I automatically obliged him. The one thing about Aro that I'd learned long ago was that he could be sweet, endearing, and kind, but like the tails of a coin, he could also be cruel, unforgiving, and spiteful.

The little things that I could do to keep his devil at bay, I happily capitalized on.

"Isabella, darling" he purred, kissing my hand. "What a wonderful surprise to see you."

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. He was putting on an act and I saw right through him. It was obvious by the mere tenor of his voice that he'd been expecting me. He wasn't surprised at all.

"Morning, Aro," I replied in a sugary tone, smiling tightly.

"Come, come in side, child," he said, ushering me in.

He placed his hand on my lower back and escorted me to the main living room. The apartment was massive and had three levels to it. Aro lived in the middle of downtown in this massive Hotel Condo type of skyscraper. There were floor to ceiling windows, overlooking Chicago. It took my breath away every single time I was there. The major theme in Aro's house was white and pristine. Everything was dripping with high society flare. The days of club owning and other entrepreneur endeavors...some were legal and some were not, but still managed to make him a very wealthy man. He was a smart man and very generous with his money. If it wasn't for his faith in me or his investment in my Dungeon, it would have never happened. He was the one who made it possible for me to get that project up and running.

I owed him more than I could possibly ever repay and that was why what I was about to do was a huge risk.

"Would you like something to drink or maybe something to eat? I can have Jane whip you up something," he offered grandly, waving his hand towards the kitchen.

"Coffee should be fine, Aro," I said as I stood there awkwardly, unsure if I should sit down or not.

He smiled at me, nodding at my request as he waved someone over. Following his line of sight, I turned around and saw a small girl with sandy blonde hair walking over to us. She was wearing a hot pink sweat suit with big fluffy slippers, and as odd as that seemed to me, it was the gold chain wrapped around her neck that really caught my eye. It didn't take me long to put two and two together, and when she spoke in a soft, timid tone, I knew without an iota of doubt that she was one of Aro's submissives.

Apparently, one was just never enough for him.

"Jane, darling," Aro cooed as he placed a hand on her arm, bending down to her eye level. "Be a gem and get Miss Swan a coffee. She likes two creams and one sugar."

"Um, actually," I interjected, both of them looking over at me. "I like my coffee black with two sugars."

Aro raised his eyebrow at me with a slight smirk on his lips, probably amused that I was contradicting him. It had been a long time since I was under Aro's control and he wasn't used to me being so opinionated.

He turned back to Jane and nodded. "I stand corrected. Why don't you make those two black coffees and get two sugars for Miss Swan, Jane. Okay?"

"Yes, Master Aro," she answered as she lowered her head and hurried away.

"Would you like to sit down?" he asked respectfully as he gestured towards the large white sofas.

"Yes. Thank you," I replied equally as pleasant.

The formalities of our relationship were based on our past history, but I still felt that it was essential to remain polite. No matter what the circumstances were now, it was always wise to play the courteous card.

He took the seat across from me and leaned back. He crossed his legs in a casual manner, but stared at me with his deep brown eyes, looking at me expectantly. It left me feeling uneasy being under his sudden scrutiny and I fought to keep some my nerves in check, feigning the air of confidence and control.

There was only one reason I was there in the lion's den and I wasn't leaving until I got what I wanted.

"How are you, my dear?" he asked, breaking the silence. "How is the business?"

"I'm good and the business is great. It's actually better than ever. I don't know if you heard or not, but I had to fire Victoria a few weeks ago."

"Yes, she told me." Aro chuckled. "She wasn't too happy with her termination."

My body tensed as I imagine Victoria running to Aro and claiming foul. She was fucking infuriating. Suddenly, I felt the need to defend my decision. God only knows what that conniving woman went and told Aro.

"Well, I had no choice in the matter, Aro. She was becoming a major liability to the Dungeon and she was getting multiple complaints from the clients. There was no other way around it and if she knew how to play by the rules…" I let my sentence drift off as Jane walked into the room, returning with the coffees.

She headed straight for her Dom, first and foremost, set down his mug on the table that was beside him. He grabbed her by the arm, whispering gratitude into her ear before coming over to me. She placed my sugars on the table, along with my spoon, but handed me the hot cup into my waiting hands. Smiling up at the sweet girl, my eyes roamed down her arms until I saw the red, somewhat blistered, rope rashes on her wrists. They were recently acquired, but old as well. The sudden reminders of Aro's stamp as a Dom came flooding back to me, and the anger in me boiled to an explosive level.

I will not let this happen again.

"Thank you, Jane," I said.

She gave me a stiff nod before rushing off into her little corner…

I remembered that corner all too well.

"Victoria is a bad seed and always has been. I've never condoned her actions in this lifestyle. She's a wild card and you know how much I don't like wild cards," he said as he took a sip out of his coffee, eyes trained on me from over the rim of his mug.

I sighed, tapping the sugars on my knee. "She's a nightmare, Aro. I mean, the things she was saying to Edward last night and the way she continued to touch him. It was crossing the line."

"Edward?" Aro asked, puzzled. I froze, knowing that I just fucking slipped up. "Who is Edward?"

"That's my submissives name," I admitted as I kept my eyes locked on my coffee.

Aro knew me better than anyone. He knew the way I behaved as a Dominatrix and how treated my submissives. He was the one who trained me. So, the moment I called Edward by name was a big clue to Aro that I thought of him as more…and that alone was more telling than anything else.

"This Edward is the one with the tattoo, correct?" There was amusement in his voice.

"Yes," I answered indifferently.

"Did he ever tell you about the origin of his tattoo?"

I shot my eyes up at him and saw the devious smirk on his lips. He loved every moment of this conversation and he was purposely trying to make me squirm. It was the game he often liked to play with me. However, I was already ahead of him, and in a way, I'd already prepared myself for these questions.

I smiled. "Yes, the tattoo was about me. I'm the Mistress."

"If memory serves me correctly, you seemed a bit surprised by the tattoo last night…wait. Did he get inked without your permission?" he inquired, shocked.

"He did."

Aro shook his head in dismay. "Well, I hoped you punished him, Isabella. You can't have your submissives marking up their body like that. It's one thing if you demand it, but a whole another issue if he goes behind your back."

The punishment that Edward received from me last night caused me to smile and I had to shake off those thoughts. It was not the time to be fantasizing.

"To be honest, I didn't come here to talk about my submissive, Aro," I said firmly, changing the subject. He tilted his head to the side and quirked his eyebrow at me as he sat his coffee down. "I wanted to talk about yours."

"Mine?"

"Yes, I want to talk to you about Angela."

"This wasn't just a social visit, was it?" he asked, hurt.

"No," I affirmed.

"Well, that's too bad, Isabella. We never get the chance to just talk." Aro's voice had a way of slithering into my psyche like a snake, making me feel guilty and horrible, dragging me down into the black abyss.

Things never change.

"Listen," I scooted my ass to the edge of the couch, "I'm concerned that she's jumping into this lifestyle way too soon. She doesn't know what she's getting into. She's not like me, Aro. She doesn't understand discipline."

"Angela is a big girl, Isabella, and she seems to know what she wants," he said brusquely.

"I know it may seem like that, Aro, but she's a kid. I mean, there are so many girls out there dying to be in this lifestyle and be dominated by you. Why did you have to pick Angela?"

"I didn't pick her, Isabella. Your sister came to me."

"What? What do you mean she came to you? When?" I asked, shocked.

"About six months ago Angela showed up in my club looking for me. At the time, I was newly retired from the Dom life and I'd finally gotten used to how things were. I was completely done with it, but when your sister approached me about taking her on, I reconsidered. She was very adamant about being a submissive, but even more adamant about me being her Dom. At first, I wanted to say no to her because she was a newbie and I wasn't sure if I had the strength to train a submissive again. Well, I'm happy to say that she proved to be quick learner. She reawakened the Dom in me," he said boasting with excitement.

The thought of Angela searching him out made me so upset with her. How could she do this to herself? It was like all the things I'd ever said to her went out the fucking window and she was hell bent on rebelling. She was literally trying to push me over the edge.

"I can't believe her," I muttered under my breath.

"Why are you so concerned with your sister and who she chooses as her Dom?" Aro asked suspiciously.

"I didn't want her to follow in my footsteps. I wanted more for her."

"Isabella, that's a lie. If you were so worried about keeping Angela sheltered from this lifestyle then why did you employ her in the Dungeon? You can't have it both ways. What's the true reason?" he asked.

The truth was that I didn't mind her be a submissive and I would've encouraged if I knew about it. The only thing I didn't want was her to be under his dictation—which he ruled with an iron fist. There was nothing consensual with Aro when you pissed him off. His punishments were cruel and harsh. I was trying to protect her from that.

But I couldn't tell him that.

"She's working with me to pay for college, Aro. I want more for her than this life," I explained.

He stood up from the couch and walked over to me. He took a seat next to me and pushed a few strands of my hair from my face, he caressed my cheek lovingly. I made sure that I stayed still and not flinched at his touch. It took me years of practice.

"Do you want to know the real reason I took her on as a submissive?"

"I don't know. Is it because she's young and beautiful?" I replied unemotionally.

"Yes, she's beautiful, that point is obvious, but more than anything she reminds me of you."

"How does she remind you of me, Aro? We're nothing alike. She's mouthy, crude, and very immature at times."

He chuckled. "Isabella, you aren't seeing what I see. She has the best parts of you, but the only difference is that she shines as a submissive and you always wanted more."

"Yes, I wanted to be in control of my life, Aro."

"I know, but I can't help that I still miss you," he whispered into my ear as his hands curled their way into my hair, and instantly suffocating me.

This wasn't why I came here and I knew I'd over stayed my welcome.

"I can't be that for you anymore," I stated firmly as I pulled away from him and stood up. "I'm sorry that you miss me, but I'm really happy as a Domme. My business is going good and it hasn't conflicted with my job as a teacher. I've managed to create a life for myself. It's what I want, Aro."

He pursed his lips in a tight smile, folding his hands in his lap as he looked up at me. "I understand that you are happy and that your life is fulfilled, Isabella, but you have to understand where I am coming from. I want what I want as well and I tend to get what I want. If you're happy living your life as a Domme, I won't stop you, but don't expect me to take orders from you."

"I never demanded anything from you," I said calmly.

"Really? Then why did you come here? You came here because you want me to stop seeing your sister, right?" he snapped. "Well, I'm sorry, I've collared her and she belongs to me. Nothing that you say will change that…unless…"

"Unless what?"

"You trade her places," he suggested as he rose from the couch and towered over me. He smiled gently as he rubbed his hands up and down my arms. "I want what I want."

I shook my head, realizing that I'd made a huge mistake by coming there. "Aro, you know that I don't make deals."

He dropped his hands from me as his eyes darkened and I could see that the beast was in full form. I'd reached the point of no return and I knew it. The devil was awoken from his black pit and he was pissed.

"I think it's time you leave, Isabella. Jane will show you out," he said flatly he side stepped me.

The tension in the room increased to overwhelming levels and I watched the man who was a mentor to me and also my worst nightmare mixed into one, leave. He hissed something to Jane as he passed her and I knew that it couldn't have been good. The poor girl stood frozen in her spot by the corner, her face completely horror stricken.

A cold shiver ran down my spine as I gathered my things and walked towards the door. The realization of my actions hit me like a cinder block.

Because of me and my need to protect my sister, Jane was going to be punished…brutally.

A/N: Hey, I have Edward's POV coming soon! Love ya much!