A/N: Thanks to Paige, Sherry, Tiffany & Cristina x x

Chapter 36

BPOV

"Does it hurt?" I asked Marcus, looking up at his sore face. I knew Edward had more or less insinuated that I shouldn't say anything to him, but I still felt bad about it. He had gotten that sore face because of me, because I was too stubborn for my own good sometimes. We were alone in the backyard; surely it wouldn't hurt to apologize to him when no one else could hear us.

Marcus shrugged, shoving his hands in pockets. "It's not so bad."

"I'm sorry for making Edward hurt you. I know I must be a real pain in your ass at times. I'll try to not be as difficult from now on," I said, smiling softly, hoping that he would accept my apology.

"You have nothing to apologize for. I got this," Marcus said, pointing at his face, "because I didn't do my job. This serves as a reminder to do it better next time."

I wasn't sure how to respond to that, but I didn't get the chance to anyway. Bruno must have seen something that grabbed his attention, because he pulled the leash, yanking me forward. I would have landed on my face if Marcus hadn't caught me. "Are you all right?" he asked concerned, standing me up, and not letting me go until he was certain that I had regained my balance.

"Yes, fine, thank you," I said, fixing myself. I looked up to see that Bruno was racing towards the trees that lined the backyard. When he had yanked me forward, he had pulled the leash straight out my hand. "We should go after him," I said, worried. I didn't want to lose him within an hour of having him. appreciated Edward thought about me, wanting to protect me, more than words could say, but my actions wouldn't show that if I lost the dog.

"I'll go get him. You go back into the house," Marcus said firmly.

Although, I didn't like his tone or the fact that he wouldn't let me go with him, I nodded my head and walked back towards the house. After-all, I had just promised him that I would try to be less difficult and it probably wasn't a good idea for me to go walking around in the dark anyway, now that I thought about it. Marcus watched me until I opened the patio door and went inside, which I thought was a little excessive. Didn't he trust me? Probably not and with good cause I suppose.

I heard Esme and Rosalie talking once I was inside. I followed the sound of their voices to the kitchen. It looked like the wine drinking had proceeded from the living room to the kitchen. That might have been because they were hungry as Esme now had a selection of food out on display on the kitchen island. Come to think of it, I was feeling pretty hungry myself, but I wanted to know where Edward was first.

"He's with his father," Esme said, as if she could read my mind.

"Oh, is he annoyed?" I asked. He didn't look pleased when he had found us giggling over his baby pictures. It had just been harmless fun, but he didn't seem to see it that way. He had taken it as an insult against his manhood, which no one was questioning.

Esme shook her head. "Not as much as he pretends to be. I'm sure he has forgotten all about it by now. Would you like another glass of wine? Are you hungry?" she asked, going into the wine cooler and pulling out another bottle of wine.

I already felt tipsy, probably tipsier than I should be, but I was having fun. I had never gotten to really do anything like this with my own mother and sister. Plus Edward hadn't actually said anything about my drinking, so it must not have bothered him. "Sure," I said, taking the stool beside Rosalie and helping myself to some chips.

"You should try the garlic dip," Rosalie said, motioning towards one of the dishes. "Mom makes it herself. It's orgasmic."

Esme sat a glass of wine down in front of me and I lifted it to take a drink, but I didn't even manage to get a sip before the sound of gunfire filled the air. Three shots to be precise. I set the glass down and looked at Rosalie and Esme. The same fear and worry, reflected in all three of our eyes.

Esme headed in the direction of the hall, Rosalie and I quickly followed after her.

"Where's Isabella!?" I heard Edward shouting. He, his father, and Emmett made it into the hall at the same time we did. They all had their guns drawn. Their expressions told me that they were on high alert.

"I'm here," I said, running over to him and placing my hand on his chest. I looked up to him, hoping he would know what was going on, hoping that he would tell me that everything was going to be alright.

"Where's Marcus?" he asked, cupping my cheek. His face filled with relief.

"In the backyard," I said, wondering if he was in danger. "Bruno ran away. Marcus sent me inside before he went to find him."

Edward glanced at his father, then Emmett as if having some sort of silent conversation, before he turned back to me and kissed the top of my head. "Stay with my father, Isabella," he ordered. I grabbed onto his shirt before he could walk away. I didn't like the thought of him going outside, not when I knew there was danger out there. I'm not saying that I didn't think he could handle himself. I knew he could. I just wanted to keep him safe. "I'll be fine," he said, grabbing my hand. He gave it a squeeze before removing it from his shirt. Then he and Emmett headed towards the patio doors.

"Come, Isabella," Carlisle said, putting his hand on my arm and pulling me towards his office. He ushered Esme, Rosalie, and myself inside and locked the door. He went over to his desk and pushed a button, making steel shutters lower over the windows. "We'll be safe in here," he said, turning to me. We might be safe, but what about Edward, Marcus, Emmett, and Bruno? Were they safe?

"He'll be fine," Esme said coming over to me and clasping a hand on my shoulders. She guided me towards the sofa at the far end of the room and made me sit down beside her. She held me the entire time we waited in that room. I can't say I wasn't grateful. If it hadn't been for her touch I may have fallen apart. I was so worried about Edward. I couldn't stand the thought of any harm coming to him.

About an hour later there was a knock at the door, followed by the sound of Edward's voice. "It's me. The house is secure." Carlisle, the ever careful man pulled up the security feed on his computer to ensure that Edward was indeed alone, and the area was secure before pushing the button on his desk again. The shutters started to rise. The door clicked open once the shutters were fully up.

Edward came rushing inside, his eyes scanning the room for me. I jumped out of my seat and ran to him, throwing myself into his arms. He kissed the top of my head and held me tight. No one spoke until he let me go. "Bruno and Marcus caught an intruder in the woods. It seems he was testing our defenses," Edward reported to his father.

"Where is he now?" Carlisle asked.

"Dead, but he wore the brand of the Russian's. I think it's safe to assume that they sent him."

"We'll double the security," Carlisle responded. "I'm putting the house on lockdown. No one comes or goes without my authorization."

Edward nodded.

"Where's Bruno?" I asked worried.

"He's outside with Marcus. They are doing another sweep of the grounds just to be safe. Without Bruno we wouldn't have known about the intruder for another hour. He had taken out one of our men guarding that area and the guards weren't due to report back in for another hour. The attack was perfectly timed. It seems Bruno is already working to protect you."

"It would seem so," I agreed.

"You two should get some rest," Carlisle ordered. "I'll handle things from here."

I was happy Edward didn't protest. I wanted him with me. I felt safer when he was around.