A/N: I had a burst of energy that came out of nowhere, and this chapter was the result. I thank everyone for the well wishes, I appreciate it so much. I did start the next chapter, but woke this morning not feeling very well. I can't promise when that will get finished.

Kari-my rock, my cheerleader; my lovely friend, can't ever say enough about how much I appreciate you. Thank you for answering my reviews, it quite literally changed my life. Much love to you! She just posted a new chapter of Push-go check that out if you haven't!

Kim-I know you don't want this, but you're getting it. I'm grateful for your friendship, as well. You have such a refreshing point of view and always brighten my day. Stay strong, chica. I owe you a manicure!

Stephanie Meyers still owns Twilight, I'm just lucky to play with her characters. 25 days, ladies...YAY!

Rated M for language and lemons... Now, let's go!


Love Ink

Chapter 27

BPOV

"But I know you, Bella. And more importantly...I know Edward."

James and Victoria had left me alone. I could hear the low murmur of their voices from the other room, though I could not hear what they were saying. I pulled at my restraints, desperately trying to escape. I could feel the rope cutting into my wrists. I'm thankful that I put socks on this morning, or my ankles would be cut into, as well.

A thousand scenarios raced through my head as I tried to figure out why this was happening. The one thing I kept coming back to was the tattoo that Edward put on Carla, er...Victoria.

I heard the heavy footfalls of James' boots as they made their way back to where they'd left me. He startled me when I felt him tuck my hair behind my ear.

"I'm back, Bella." he whispered. His hot breath made me shudder. I pulled my head away and closed my eyes. Deep breathing and the thought of Edward finding me, was all that was keeping me together right now.

"What is it that you want?" I asked, looking straight ahead. I'll be damned if I let him see my fear.

James laughed and sat in a chair that he pulled in front of me. He reached into a satchel and started thumbing through a bible. I heard Victoria fumbling around in the other room, then the static of a radio being turned on. The volume was too low for me to hear anything else.

I stared at James as he ignored me and my question. What the hell was up with this guy? He started talking to himself, barely above a whisper, and I wondered about his sanity. After 10 minutes, he closed the bible and dropped it on the floor with a thud. James looked up at me with a sinister smile.

"Bella, has anyone ever done you wrong?" he asked.

"What?"

"You know, did something to you that was unforgivable?" he pressed.

I immediately thought of my parents. "Yes, I suppose so."

"The bible speaks of retribution. Vengeance. Revenge. Paying for the crimes you've committed." He stood and started pacing. I could see his agitation growing, and hear it in his voice. "Have you read the bible, Bella?"

"I've read it some, when I was younger." I wasn't sure where this was going, but obviously he had some kind of ax to grind, most likely with Edward.

"You know about the Golden Rule, yes?" he asked, stopping in front of me and leaning over with his hands on his knees. He was looking me squarely in the eye. I swallowed hard, so much so, I think he heard me. James' smile widened. "Yes, I think you do know it. Tell me." he straightened, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Do unto others, as you..." I was having trouble getting the words out as my mouth was dry and my throat felt constricted.

"DO UNTO OTHERS, AS YOU WOULD HAVE DONE TO YOU!" he bellowed. I shrank back against the chair. He was starting to sound like a TV evangelist. "That means, that when you've been wronged, you pay that wrong back."

"What about 'turn the other cheek'? Doesn't the bible talk about that?" I asked frantically. James started pacing again. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Have you ever been cheated out of something that was rightfully yours? Had something taken from you?" He bent down, only inches from my face. "HAVE YOU?" James' anger was so violent, I felt his spittle hit me in more than one place. My entire body was shaking with fear. He seemed right on the edge of going mad.

I closed my eyes and took a shaky breath, trying to calm my racing heart. I didn't know if I should play along with him, or just stay quiet. I decided that the more information I had, the better I could deal with this.

"What was taken from you, James?" I asked tentatively.

He spun around, cocking his head as he looked at me. I could see him weigh whether or not to answer me. An evil grin slid across his face, his body relaxing. James sat back down in the chair.

"What was taken...hmm. Well, let's see. My father, my sister and my inheritance. What do you think about that, Bella?" he said snidely. I knew I had to be careful with what I said to him.

"Those are terrible things to lose." I said, trying to sound convincingly sympathetic. "But what does that have to do with me?"

"The way I see it, you are Edward's most prized possession." He smiled, picking his teeth with his pinky finger.

"Why do you want to take me from him? Why do you want to hurt him?" I begged for an answer.

"Let's start at the beginning, shall we? You need to know the whole story."

James started talking about his father, Marcus. Apparently, Marcus had a mistress, who bore him a son. A son that Elizabeth's mother couldn't give him. James grew up in the shadows, kept a secret, until Beth was taken and adopted by Carlisle and Esme.

After the adoption, James was brought into the fold. He was promised everything that the other Cullens had, including the trust fund that Grandpa Cullen set up for all the grand kids. Even though Marcus was in jail, he assured James would reap all the rewards that being a Cullen offered.

When Beth died, however, Grandpa Cullen split her trust between Alice and Edward, leaving none for James. Apparently, he knew a bad seed when he saw one.

"So, dad and I started searching for a lawyer. We figured that it was time for him to get out of jail, so he could fix things. Put everything back as it should be. It took a while to find the right person for the job. When he was denied parole, then denied another hearing to plead his case, we decided to sue. It was really our only option that we had left." he chuckled.

"When the lawyer voiced her doubts, we hatched another plan. After all, this is all about revenge, and righting wrongs." James closed his eyes and shook his head wildly. He started talking to himself again, still barely audible.

My only thought, was to keep him talking. "So this is about the money?" I asked, optimistically. "I'm sure Alice and Edward would give it back to you." I offered. He spun around again, this time, his eyes were blazing.

"Do you really think this is just about me?" He shook his head. "This is about so much more than money, princess. This is about vengeance. Retribution."

James had said that a few times now. He obviously felt that Edward had done him wrong in some way. Now I needed to find out how.

"What does Edward need to pay for, James?"

"Ever heard of the 7 Deadly Sins, Bella?" he laughed. This guy was all over the fucking place with his moods. Laughing at me one minute, and screaming at me the next.

Of course I had, who hadn't? There were at least a few movies with the theme, not to mention literature.

"Yes, I have." I said, looking him in the eye. He stared right back at me, then continued his pacing.

"Edward and his family are guilty of committing those sins. It is my job to seek vengeance for that."

I couldn't even think how to respond to that. When I didn't speak, he took to the chair again, and pulled it closer. He was so close that our knees were touching and I jumped when he laid his hand on my thigh.

"I know you aren't an innocent, Bella. What's wrong? You don't like me touching you?" he asked, rubbing his hand over my thigh.

"No, I don't." I replied honestly. I wanted to scream, and would, if I thought it would do any good.

"I know that Edward has touched you, much more than I'm doing. I was there and saw the two of you. All hot and sweaty, sharing carnal knowledge of each other in his car." he grinned.

I had to swallow hard to avoid throwing up all over him. The thought of him watching us made me ill. The way he was touching my leg worried me, too.

"Why were you watching us?" I demanded.

James grabbed my jaw, gripping it hard and got right in my face. "Watch. Your. Tone." My breath hitched in my throat. He let me go just as quickly as he grabbed me, and slid the chair back. James went back to pacing, but this time, he looked excited, not angry. James clapped his hands together, making me jump again.

"So, the 7 deadlies..." he started. "There's Pride," he smiled proudly. "Which is defined by ostentatious displays and disdainful behavior."

I gasped. "You vandalized Edward's car."

"Yes." he admitted. "Next is Envy. Those Cullens are an envious bunch. Duping Grandpa into giving them anything and everything he had! Things that should've been mine and my father's!" James' voice was getting loud again.

"It wasn't their fault that Grandpa Cullen gave them those things, though. He did that because he wanted to." I defended.

"Greed is a nasty little sin. They have so much, while we have nothing." he continued. "That's why we're suing that bastard, Carlisle. Dad and I will get what we deserve."

"But...," I queried, "Doesn't that make you guilty of greed, as well?" James came at me with his hand raised. I braced myself for the blow, closing my eyes and tensing. When nothing happened, I chanced a peek. He was just standing there staring at me with his head cocked to the side.

"Then there is Lust. You know all about that, don't you, Bella? You've been nothing but a cheap harlot for Edward. Slutting yourself out to him." James' hand finally made contact with me; he brushed his hand over my breasts. "Do you whore yourself out to anyone?" he asked.

"What?" I shrieked. "First of all, NO! And secondly, it's none of your Goddamned business!" James slapped me hard across the face. I didn't even see it coming.

"You blasphemous bitch!" he yelled. I heard Victoria laugh somewhere behind me. James looked over my head at her. "I told you to stay the fuck out of here!" I was able to turn and see her scurry out of the room. When my eyes landed back on James, he was seething. The pain was excruciating and I fought the tears threatening to escape.

"Mouth off to me again, and see what happens." he growled. James abruptly stood and left the room, I suppose to go after his wife.

All I could do was try to wriggle my arms out of the rope. I'd seen in the movies someone in this situation topple the chair over, breaking it and thus getting free. I doubted that would happen if I tried it. If I yelled for help, someone might hear me, but I now knew that James had no qualms about hitting me. I could already feel my cheek starting to swell.

When he came back into the room, he tossed an ice bag onto my lap, then pulled out a cigarette from his chest pocket. He dramatically flipped the top of a Zippo lighter. He must've wanted a response, because he kept opening and closing it, extending his arm out towards me. Like a ton of bricks, it hit me. That was Edward's lighter.

"Where did you get that?" I asked.

"Ahh, you DO recognize it. Good." the dark smile reappeared as he lit the cigarette. James reached into his front pants pocket and dropped the items he found onto the floor. I watched Alice's earrings and, what I assumed to be, Carlisle's cuff links skitter across the hard wood. I followed one of the earrings until it stopped. A clicking noise brought my eyes back to James. Of course, it was Esme's pen.

"What else did you take, you son-of-a-bitch?" He had watched us, taken things from us and now held me captive. My fear was being replaced with anger. I expected another backhand, but instead, the fucker laughed.

"You've got that right, princess. My mother was a bitch!" he made a show of wiping his eyes as his laughter died down. "So, you want to see what else we took, huh?" I nodded. "VICTORIA!" he yelled.

"Yes, dear?" I heard her walk to the doorway. The way she pandered to him was sickening. She was just as crazy as he was.

"Get the red bag." he ordered.

Victoria's steps faded down a hallway, then came right back. She handed him a red bag, and he wrapped an arm around her waist, planting a sloppy, wet, loud kiss on her. Victoria smiled at him and left the room. I gulped down the bile that was threatening to rise.

"THIS," he dumped the bag, "is what else we took." I watched as he shook the last of the bag's contents on the floor.

"Those are mine." I said, barely above a whisper.

"Yes, they are." James bent down and pawed over my clothing. He stood, bringing with him a camisole and matching panties. "These are my favorites." His eyes danced excitedly. James tossed them towards me, the cami landing on my lap. I looked at it in horror. It was covered in white stains.

He had used my underwear to...Oh my God!

"That's right, sweetie. You have a problem with me jacking off with your pretty little top there?" He cackled. "Edward gets to fuck you, whenever and where ever he wants, apparently. What's wrong with me fantasizing a little?"

James started pacing again. He obviously had some kind of nerve problem; the guy couldn't sit still for longer than a couple of minutes.

"So, we have Pride, Envy, Greed and Lust. Do you know what the others are? He stopped, and looked at me. When I said nothing, he continued. "Gluttony is next. Edward is guilty of that, in so many ways. Most importantly, though, are his friends. He had Beth, but was careless and lost her. Now he thinks that he deserves all his friends? I don't."

"Oh my God," I whispered. "Are you the one who hit Emmett?" I looked at him, not believing he could be that evil and demented.

"So, did everyone make it? I had hoped at least one of them had died."

Fucking bastard.

"Our friends had nothing to do with that. Beth's death was an accident! Edward is still beating himself up over it!"

"GOOD! That fucking bastard took my sister away before I could even know her!" the spit flew from his mouth like a rabid dog. "I was going to get her back for my father, he missed her terribly." he said sadly, his demeanor doing another 180.

"Missed her? Are you fucking kidding me? Your father almost killed her by neglecting her!" I really should not have said that, because the next thing I knew, James' boot hit me in the chest, knocking me backwards. I screamed as my head bounced off the floor, and I saw stars.

"You have a real smart, fucking mouth. I guess Edward is a huge pussy. He obviously hasn't trained you to keep your trap shut!" James was standing over me, visibly shaking. I fought to not lose consciousness.

"Now...Wrath is the last one. Wrath is defined as retribution. Tit for tat. Eye for an Eye. Do you see where this is going, sweetheart?"

This time, I didn't even try to stop the tears. I knew what he meant to do. In his twisted, fucked up mind, he saw Edward as the reason why he wasn't a Cullen heir. He blamed Edward for Beth's death. He meant for Edward to pay.

"Please don't hurt him." I begged. "Please don't..." I could hardly say the word, "don't kill Edward." James' eerie smile returned.

"I'm not going to kill Edward, silly. I'm going to kill you. Right in front of him."

As hard as I fought it, the darkness swirled around me. I closed my eyes for a moment, but a moment was all it took. I found myself in a dream. Edward was there and we were in a field of wildflowers. He was saying something to me, but I couldn't make out the words. I could tell he was pleading with me; I could see it all over his face. Finally, I heard him. 'Come back to me. Fight, Bella.'

A cold splash of water woke me from my unconscious state. I was sitting up again, but still tied to the chair. My hair was stuck to my face, dripping wet.

"There she is." James cooed. He fixed my hair, so it wasn't hanging in my eyes, and straightened my wet shirt. James took the hem of his shirt and wiped some water away from my face. "There." he stood back, admiring his work. "You look good enough to eat."

"James, I'm right here. If you're going to kill me, then just do it...please." I begged. If Edward had to go through that again, it would be too much. I was breathing hard, and my chest hurt. I think James cracked a rib or two when he kicked me.

"Bella, I have to follow the natural order of things. Edward MUST pay for his crimes. For ALL their crimes." he contended.

"That will kill him." I said softly. The tears were now streaming, and I cared not at all.

"Do you think that I give a fuck? I hope he goes mad! I hope that making him watch you die, will send him straight off a fucking cliff!"

"PLEASE!" I yelled, not caring if he got mad. Maybe I can provoke him into just doing it, so Edward wouldn't have to watch.

"Please," he mocked, in a high pitched voice. "So eager to die. I am impressed, sweetheart. I wonder if Edward would be so gallant, if the tables were turned?" he mused.

"Edward would die for me, I already know that." I screwed up my courage and looked him dead in the eye. "JUST FUCKING KILL ME, YOU BASTARD!" I screamed. I saw James flinch. He really didn't like it when I got loud. He was pacing again, fists clenched tightly by his side.

"Maybe we should, James." Victoria interjected. "We could just do it and leave. Go to Mexico, like we talked about." He turned towards her, and if looks could kill, I would have heard her hit the floor.

"If I want your FUCKING OPINION, Victoria, I will ASK for it! I have a plan and am sticking to it." James scrubbed his hand over his head. "GOT IT?" he screamed at Victoria. "GOT IT?" he screamed to me.

"You only named 6." I pointed out to him.

"WHAT?" he spat.

"6. You only named six deadly sins. What's the last one? Sloth, isn't it?" I answered.

"You would be correct."

"How does that play into this?" As fucked up as James was, I couldn't reason how sloth had been committed.

"Edward is one lazy S.O.B. Sloth is laziness." he told me, sitting again.

"How the hell do you figure that Edward is lazy?"

"Oh, Bella." he laughed. "Edward was lazy in that he didn't take enough care. Care about Beth; care about his friends; care about you. He is guilty of all these deadly sins, in one way or another, and God has empowered ME to seek vengeance." He stood and got in my face again.

"Vengeance WILL be mine."

"NO!" I screamed. "Kill me NOW! DO IT, James! Don't wait for Edward, you sick fuck!"

It was now or never. I had to provoke him into killing me before, or if Edward found me. I saw how he reacted when I was loud. Right now, it was my only weapon.

"You don't even have the deadly sins RIGHT! YOU are guilty of them, not Edward or his family. You aren't doing God's work, and now you're about to commit the most heinous of sins. MURDER!"

The wild head shaking started again. He walked into the corner of the room and banged his head against the wall. He stood, then slammed his fist into the wall. He stalked back over to me, his face red and full of rage.

"STOP YELLING AT ME, YOU BITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU RIGHT NOW!"

"GOOD!" I hollered back at him. "Just do it already, James. Please...just do it." I pleaded.

"You almost had me. You almost made me abandon my plans. Do you know how long I've worked on this? Do you know how long I have waited to get my revenge?" he looked at me for an answer. I had none. "Years, Bella. Years." James walked past me, leaving the room.

"Please James!" I hollered after him. "Do it before Edward gets here," I sobbed, quieter now. He wasn't listening to me. I knew that I was going to die, while Edward watched.

I started crying again. Crying for myself, crying for Edward. Crying because of this fucked up, shitty situation. All I wanted now, was for Edward not to have to watch me die. I knew it would be the end of him, regardless of his love for me. For him to have to watch someone else die, that he felt responsible for, would kill him. I heard James on his way back, and tried to compose myself.

James tied something around my mouth, effectively gagging me. He came around to the front, smiling again.

"Perfect." he patted my shoulder. "I can't have you hollering at me anymore." We both turned towards a noise, coming from outside the house. James went to the window, peeling back the blinds. He came back to me. "Now, don't go anywhere, sweetheart." His laughter chilled me to the bone as he left the room again.

I closed my eyes for a moment, saying a silent prayer that somehow, we'd make it out of this. I heard another noise, then footsteps and opened my eyes. I expected to see James, but instead, it was Edward.


A/N: Yup, kind of a cliffy here, but I HAD to end it somewhere...AND, you now have most of the answers. Let me know what you think-love to hear your thoughts, and your reviews make me smile. I need that more than you know!