I do not own these characters - just the plot!

Chapter 36

BPOV

She dressed and walked into the room where Emmett and Carlisle were engaged in a quiet conversation. She could not hear what they were saying so she made her way to the plate of food on the desk. She opened the tray and noticed a sandwich, sun chips, and water. She could not help but smile at Emmett's thoughtfulness.

Emmett left the room and Carlisle came over to the chair and sat. "Bella, Emmett went to warm up the car and check us out. If you are okay with sleeping as we ride, we are going to head to Atlanta. Plus, I wanted to check you out again before I leave tomorrow." He told her as she finished eating.

"That sounds great; I am ready to be home. Carlisle, I want to tell Edward, but I am …. Well I am not scared… more like worried. I don't want him to think I lied to him. The last thing I want is for him not to trust me. I did not tell him earlier because... well I am so use to it only being me. I have had very few people I could trust in the past. I could not even trust the police! I know your family is not associated with them, but please understand my apprehensions. Plus, I needed time to assess my injuries and get out of the city." She told him. She cleaned up her trash and began to gather her things.

"Bella, I think you are making a wise decision to tell him. I understand not wanting to tell him immediately, he does overreact at times. You have every right to questions the people you come in contact with. Your first priority is to protect your family! Edward will understand that and I think Edward is more perceptive than you think. (He glanced at his watch) He should have finished the most important part of his trip today. He will probably be back at the hotel at this time or hunting, so it is safe to call him now. But be prepared for him to be upset about it at first." Carlisle told her. Carlisle was the typical father figure; she had such respect for him. "I think I will call him when we get in the car, get on the road." She told him with a smile.

They gathered her things and made their way to the waiting car. Apparently, Carlisle had taken a cab so they would be traveling in Emmett's rental car. The SUV gave her plenty of room to spread out in the back. Emmett had even found a pillow and blanket for her, which warmed her heart at his consideration. For him to be such a big, scary looking muscle man, he was soft as a teddy bear.

Once on the road she pulled out her cell and called Edward. The phone went to voice mail, which she was relived. She could face the toughest mob, but was worried about talking to Edward.

She decided to leave a message. "Hey baby. Call me when you get this message. I love you!"

She glanced up and saw Emmett looking at her in the rear view mirror. "Bella, it will be okay. He is going to be pissed at first, but since you are okay and Carlisle is here he will be fine. Just rest sweetheart." He told her. She nodded and looked out the window wishing she could just put an end to this miserable life of running. She knew that they have a 14-hour drive back to Atlanta, well if she were driving. Emmett being a vampire and having a lead foot probably less. She might as well get some sleep the thought as she laid her head down and dozed off.

EPOV

He hated having to go out of town, but out of the country was even worse. He knew Bella was worried about going to New York and he wanted to be there. He was relieved that Emmett would be in the city and could drive her to and from the airport. It gave him a sense of comfort, but he still did not feel comfortable about her trip for some reason.

He knew he could be overprotective and obsessive about things, but Bella was his life now. He did not want to lose her and the thoughts of her being in the city she lived in for 12 years in fear rattled him. He knew that Jamie had been in the mob. It did not take a genius to figure it out from Bella's comments. He was not sure why she just didn't come out and say it, but he guessed it was fear.

She had every right to be fearful. He knew that Jamie Black was "J" of the Black cartel and they were bad news. He figured it out on the plane to Germany. He had forgotten about the information Alice had faxed him on Bella and her organization. He had put it in his briefcase in San Fran, actually forgot about it. He had become bored during the 11-hour flight to Germany and was looking for a book in his case when he stumbled across it again.

He looked back at the papers and then came to the wedding announcement. At first, he had just looked at her name and face. He never truly read the announcement until now. As he read Billy Black, Senior was Jamie's grandfather, he began to piece it together really quickly. The Blacks were known for drugs and prostitution especially with their nightclubs. It had been rumored that they were gun smuggling also. When Bella told him that Jamie had been working with Bio, he thought that maybe he was working for them.

His family knew that Bio was a under the table company and had ties to the mob, but could not be proven. Holy shit! He thought – the rumors about their connection had to be true. He wondered how much information Bella had about Jamie and the Blacks. If she knew too much then they would want her out of the picture. He was instantly angered at the thought of someone attacking or hurting her.

He had a feeling that Bella was in Georgia to get away from them. He was unsure if she was running or in hiding since she continued her business and travels. That part was confusing to him. But he knew her anxiety of going to New York was valid and was glad Emmett would be with her. This was the only reason he did not cancel his trip. Emmett would be there if she ran into problems. He also realized that Bella's safety, as well as the boys, was of concern now. He realized she had been fine for the last two years, which made him really wonder what was going on.

After his flight landed, he saw a text from Bella telling him she was at the airport. He looked at the time and decided to call her before his first meeting. She would be with Emmett by now.

"Hey there stranger!" she said into the phone which brought a smile to his face. He missed her so much. "Hey there gorgeous! How are you? Is Emmett taking good care of you?" He asked as he reached his hotel. "Oh he has been such the gentleman and it was good to see a familiar face here!" she told him.

He laughed but could hear the nerves in her tone. He went on to tell her about his flight, where he would be the rest of the day. He reminded her to call him if she needed him for any reason. He would be checking in with Emmett frequently today because he had a strange feeling about her being in New York. Something just did not sit well and he could not put his finger on it.

"Bella, I miss you and I can't wait to see you next week. I hate that I am so far away from you! I miss you so much baby!" He missed her so much that it was painful. He was also worried about being so far away from her.

"I miss you, too! I love you!" she told him and he could hear the emotion in her voice. She was struggling to keep it together and it worried him. Bella was a strong person, stronger than any human he had met. For her to be a bit rattled was a sign. "I love you more than you know! Tell Emmett I will kill him if you get into any trouble on his watch." He said with a laugh and caused Emmett to laugh also. However, he was dead serious! "Oh! Don't you worry little brother! I will take care of Jelly Belly for you!" Emmett yelled across the car obviously.

They hung up the phone and he thought carefully about going back to the airport. He called Alice instead. "Well, brother dear I see you made it to Germany. How were your travels?" She asked him. He was not in the mood for perky. "It was good, listen I need to you to keep an eye on Bella today. I don't have a good feeling about this trip." He told her with concern. "I do not see anything at this point. I will let you know. Be safe Edward and don't worry. We are all here; as a matter of fact Carlisle had to go back to New York for a board meeting." She told him.

This made him feel much better to know Emmett and Carlisle were near her. He decided to relax just a little. He got online and found an Air France flight back to the US that would only be an 8-hour flight. He bookmarked the flight times for the day, just in case. He made his way to the lobby of the hotel where his car was waiting. He decided to bring his luggage with him just in case. He would pay this driver extra to stay with him all day. He needed to be able to leave at a moment's notice.

His afternoon meetings went well and it was approaching 5 pm here so he was headed back to his hotel. He took his bags and paid the driver thanking him for his service. He knew that Bella would be at lunch now and worried about how her day went. He decided to call Emmett to see how things went. Emmett picked up on the first ring. "Hey little Eddie, how's it going?" Emmett asked. He seemed calm and his usual self. "Hey Emmett, I am fine. I just got back to the hotel for the evening. How were things this morning with Bella?" he asked. He noticed a pause from Emmett, which worried him.

"Oh, well she was good, a bit anxious but good. It was her first time back here since she left so I guess that has something to do with it." He told him. "Well, did everything go well, not problems at the airport and dropping her off at the office?" he asked. "Oh, that was all well and good. We hit some monster traffic, but I got her to the office in one piece. Hey Eddie, she was really nervous and kept looking over her shoulder. I told her to call me if she needed me to get her early. I am just a bit worried about the vibes I was getting from her." Emmett said. "Thanks Em, really appreciate you watching out for her. I am thinking about canceling the rest of my meetings here and taking the airbus back this evening. Just let me know when you pick her up later okay? Oh, Carlisle is going to be in New York this afternoon for a meeting just to let you know." He told him as they ended their call.

Not ten minutes later, he received a text from Bella telling him that they were at lunch, things were going well and Emmett would pick her up after dinner at about 6:30. Her flight was not till nine and she would have plenty of time to get there. His nerves were a bit frayed so he decided a quick hunt might calm him. He finished his hunt and realized it was close to 5:30 pm in New York. Bella would be finishing dinner soon and on her way to the airport. The sooner she left that town the better he would feel.

He was walking back into the lobby of the hotel only to catch the scent of other vampire. He immediately became alert as he scanned the bar and lobby. He proceeded towards the elevator and pressed the up button. The scent was familiar but not that of his family. He made his way to his floor and realized the scent was still very strong. The closer he got to his room, the stronger the scent. The minute he opened his door, a strong scent flooded his senses and so did the presence of Tanya. Fuck – of all days he had to deal with her. He had been avoiding this conversation with her, which was well over due!

"Eddie, oh how wonderful! Rosalie told me you were in Berlin on business. I thought I would come join you. It has been so long." She purred. He tried to avoid looking at her displayed on the bed in a red negligee. All he could think of was Bella and how he needed to get home to her. "Tanya, what are you doing here? And who gave you permission to be in my room?" He spit at her as he laid his phone and room key on the desk. "Oh Eddie, rough day sweetheart? I can help you relieve some of that stress." She said as she approached him placing her hands around his waist and kissed his neck. He was instantly disgusted and quickly moved out of her grasp. He turned to face her, holding her away from him. "Eddie, I simply told the attendant that I was your wife. They did not question it. I can't wait until we make that a reality." She told him as he closed his eyes in frustration. He suddenly felt her lips on his and he opened his eyes immediately pushing her back. "Tanya, first my name is Edward! Second, I told you months ago that this relationship was not going anywhere. I do not love you!" he told her has he noticed his cell phone buzzing on the desk. Before he could grab it, Tanya had it in her hand thinking (Oh no! They will not put their nose in this! Alice is probably calling to warn him about me being here) "Hello, Alice, I am sorry Eddie can't come to the phone right now. He is a little busy at the moment." She told her the hung up the phone.

"Give me the damn phone!" he spit at her. He was suddenly worried that they would get the wrong idea. What if Bella was in trouble? What ?.. Fuck! Tanya's thoughts pulled him from his thoughts. (You are mine Edward and no one can change that. You love me and only I can please you!)

Edward was angry at this point. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. He did not love her and never would. He was cursing himself for even being intimate with her. What a mess he had gotten himself into. He was also pissed at Rose for telling Tanya where he was. He would deal with her later.

Tanya walked towards him and put her hands on chest. "Eddie, you know you want me. How could you not want my body?" She said as she suddenly ripped the shirt off him sending buttons flying across the room. Her hand then reached down and grabbed his cock. Fuck! He thought as he pulled back and away from her. "Tanya, I do not want this and I do not want you. This (he motioned between them) is over and has been since September. I care about you as a friend, but I will never love you." He then grabbed her wrists and held them firmly away from him.

"Eddie, I could feel your arousal and know you want me. We can work on the love part. It will happen eventually." She told him attempting to get out of his grip.

"Tanya, we will never be together and you know I am not aroused by you right now. I have found my other half, my mate and it is not you." He told her as he waited on the fury.

"You what!" she yelled at him and pulled her hands away from him. "Who is this bitch? You are mine and I will rip her to shreds!" she yelled. Edward wished for the comfort of his family at this moment. He knew that the situation was only going to get worse.

"Tanya, you know good and well the process we go through when we mate. We, you and I, have never had that and you know it! I found her in October and I love her. She is my world now – I am sorry! I told you in September that we were done and I did not want to continue our relationship." He told her in a calm voice. He could hear his phone buzz again and Tanya threw it across the room.

"You son of a bitch! I have given you the best all these years as you sat lonely and brooding. You never complained when I would fuck you! I also remember times when you came seeking me for a good fuck!" She yelled at him.

"Tanya, that was just it – just a fuck – just a release of stress. Did I ever whisper words of adoration or love? Never! Did I ever want more? Did I ever stay the night? NO! I never wanted that with you! You knew from the beginning sex was all it was. If I recall, you were never lonely when I was gone." He told her as he walked toward his phone. He picked it up and noticed a call from Carlisle – fuck! He needed to call them, but this was not the time. He glanced at the clock to see it was 6:30 p.m. in New York.

"Fuck you Edward, it does not matter who I was with when you were gone. That was my business!" she spit at him. "Oh really, if we were so together then I would call that cheating!" He spit at her.

She did not respond just walked around the room and suddenly changed her tone. "Eddie, I am sorry! You are right. Well, how about one last round and we will call it a truce." She said walking back towards the bed. "I am sorry Tanya; I will not cheat on Bella. She is my world and I am with her now. I love her!" He said just as someone knocked on the door. He threw her clothes at her and opened the door to find Jasper. Fuck! This was not going to look good at all!

Jasper entered and looked at the situation then looked back at Edward. (If Alice had not sent me with the details, this would not look good you know) Edward could only nod his head. "I was just asking her to leave. Thanks Jasper!" He said as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Well, you need to wrap this up quickly! I will be outside the door waiting!" Jasper said while blocking his thoughts. Shit! This was not good.

Edward walked back in the room and pulled another shirt out of his bag. "Tanya, I ask that you respect my wishes. I am sorry if I hurt you, but I have finally found my other half and she is it for me. You are a good friend and I hope we can stay friends." He told her as he dressed and gathered his things.

"This is not over Edward!" She said as she dressed. "I will not go down without a fight! This Bella- well we will have to see who the better woman is!" she spit as she walked out the door. "Jasper" she said as she walked out.

Jasper entered the room and proceeded to help him clean up the mess. "What the fuck was that about? She was pissed as hell, but hurt also" Jasper commented. Edward shook his head and sat on the bed with his face in his hands. "I did not know she was here! I came in to find her in my room. She had told the front desk she was my wife. Which I will deal with! FUCK!" Edward said.

"Edward, as much as I would like to stay here and chat, we have other matters to deal with so let's go!" He said still blocking his thoughts. "Jasper, what is going on? I know I missed a call from Alice and Carlisle. Tell me!" He said as they got in the elevator. "Edward, I will tell you but we need to get to the car first." He said. They went to check Edward out as Jaspers phone rang and he walked out the door.

Edward dealt with the front desk and proceeded to tell them his disgust for the security breech. They were apologetic but he did not have time to worry with them. He tried to call Emmett but it went to voice mail. He was afraid something was wrong with Bella. He pulled out his phone and called her quickly as he approached Jasper in the waiting car. Bella picked up on the third ring.

"Hey there" she said with a sigh. The sound of her voice comforted him and she was okay! "Hey there beautiful, are you on your way to the airport?" He asked her but could hear the sound of a speeding car. She must be with Emmett and he did have a tendency to drive too fast. "I am on my way home! How was your day?" she asked him but her voice was strained and different. He knew something was wrong and typical Bella was trying to hide it. He looked towards Jasper who kept his eyes on the road and thoughts blocked. Something was off. He told her about his meeting and that he had a shitty afternoon. He heard her laugh and suddenly wince. Something was definitely wrong!

"What is wrong baby, are you okay?" He asked with concern in his voice. He knew she was use to masking her pain and fear. He wished he could talk to Emmett! He looked at Jasper who was texting on his phone while thinking of battle strategies. Fuck – they are hiding something from him, but Bella was obvious with Emmett. She was safe so this calmed him quite a bit!

"Oh I am fine; I am just really tired and ready to get home. My muscles ache, but I am fine. Look, I need to let you go. I love you Edward." She told him quickly. He looked at the phone as it disconnected.

"Jasper, what the fuck is going on! I know Bella is safe and with Emmett but did something happen today?" He asked as they drove towards the airport. "Edward, I was only told to come help you with your situation with Tanya and then get you back home. Something did happen that rattled her today, but I have not been privy to anything else. I have been locked inside a fucking airplane all damn day with a bunch of EMO humans! You just talked to Bella so she is apparently safe." He said. "Yeah, she is safe, but something is wrong! I have felt it all day then that shit with Tanya distracted me!" he told him.

"Speaking of which, she is not going to let that die – Tanya that is! I place dibs on Bella!" He said with a laugh. This angered Edward that Tanya would dare touch Bella. He sat and thought about how to keep Tanya away from Bella also how to deal with the new information about her ex. They made it to the airport and checked in. Jasper had already made arrangements for them to fly Air France back into Atlanta. The flight would be about 8 hours. He decided to call Emmett and Bella once again before they boarded the plane. He needed to make sure things were fine. He also checked on Bella's flight and noticed it should have landed in Atlanta already. He knew Bella would try to brush it off. He called Bella's phone and got voice mail. He then called Emmett and on the sixth ring he picked up, which was odd for him.

"Hello Eddie boy" he said in a nervous tone. "Hey, I have been trying to get in touch with you for the last hour. Bella should have been home by now and she is not answering her phone. Did her flight get delayed? It is showing that it was on time online." Edward commented and noticed a long pause before Emmett commented again. "She was fine when I saw her last. Maybe her phone is on silent, hey can you hold on a minute I have a text coming in I need to read." He asked him. Emmett was acting weird and it was really bugging him. He knew Emmett had to catch a flight and then thought that it might be Rose. He knew Rose told Tanya about his trip and instantly figured Tanya had called Rose.

"Sorry bro, so how is Germany?" He asked him. "It is fine; I am getting a decent amount of research and data that will help us. They want me to stay through next week, but I just don't know. I was going to visit Bella next week in Atlanta, but now the forecast has changed. It is to be sunny through Friday of next week." He was pissed about the weather changing, but it would not detain him at this point from going to Atlanta. He noticed an incoming call from Bella "Oh, this is Bella calling, Call you later, Em." He said as he quickly clicked over.

"Hey there beautiful! God I miss you!" He told her as he listened to what sounded like water in the background. "I miss you too. So when will you be home?" she asked him. "Not sure yet, they wanted me to stay a little longer, but I am not sure. What are you doing, I hear water?" he asked her. "Oh! I am soaking in the tub. I am a bit ache, nothing big." She told him. He was relieved! If she was in the tub that meant she was home and safe. He would be there in 8 hours.

"Bella, the weather is going to sunny next week so I have to postpone my meetings in Atlanta. Look love, they are... I need to go. I will see you soon, I promise!" He told her as they called for their flight. He was going to surprise her in the morning. He could not wait to see her and have her in his arms again. He did not care if he had to stay inside all damn week – he was going to Atlanta!

They boarded the plane and settled into their first class seats. "You know I was about to make this reservation before Tanya showed up. I just had this feeling something was wrong all day." He said to Jasper as the airhostess began serving drinks to the first class passengers. "Well, I can assure you that these last minute arrangements were at a pretty penny! Plus, it was the only way to get back in less than 8 hours." Jasper told him.

He scrolled down his phone and remembered a call from Carlisle. "Fuck! Carlisle called when Tanya had my phone. I hope everything is okay! I know he was in New York today." He said as he dialed the number. It went right to voice mail, which was not uncommon. The pilot came over the speaker indicating they were preparing for takeoff and all electronic devices would need to be turned off and stored.

Just as they were taking off he received a text from Carlisle – With a patient, will call you back later

What?? Carlisle was not on shift today. What was that about? About that time, the plane began to take off and his signal was lost. He kept replaying the fact that Bella was okay, she was in the tub, and all was fine. Carlisle must have been called in to consult with a patient. No big deal! At least he tried to convince himself of that. Jasper must have picked up his mood and sent a wave of calm to him. "It will be fine Edward! You spoke with her and Emmett and they did not tell you any different." He said. "I know Jaz, but something was off with Emmett. He was nervous and not telling me something!" he said. Jasper laughed then said, "He was probably dealing with Rose – she is enough to make me nervous at times. Maybe she told him Tanya was paying you a visit!" He continued to laugh then pulled out his book on the Revolutionary War.

Edward cringed at the events that happened earlier, but still worried about Bella and the fact that she had been living with the mob for the last 12 years. From what she had told him, things were not good and she took a lot of beatings. This angered him at the thought of these men touching her and hurting her. It explained her need to take self-defense classes and beef up on her exercise work out. He knew she could defend herself and saw that in California when James attacked her in the alley. She was a tough little thing but not invincible. He also knew that the emotional shit that tagged along with her beatings had to run deep. She was not the type of person to show her emotions. He knew she was harboring a lot of stuff, whom did she have to share or talk with? Whom could she trust?

"Jaz, why do you think Bella did not tell me out right about Jamie being involved with the cartel?" He asked. Jasper looked at him then said, "Edward, it sounds like she told you he was in with some bad associates. I think she pretty much told you, just not directly. She told you his name and even about Bio. I guess she thought she had said enough. Plus, it is the mob and she probably did not know who was listening. They could have bugs and people listening. She was probably trying to protect herself and the boys. I can't say I blame her – they are a bunch of bad mother fuckers and she had every right to be scared. Shit, I am shocked she had not barricaded herself in a Caribbean town." He said. "But she knew we could protect her." Edward commented.

Jasper shook his head. "Not necessarily Edward. Everyone she thought she could trust, she couldn't. Come on and think about this, you have known her how long? You met on a business trip! Do you really think she is totally comfortable and ready to pull her walls down? She has to really guard herself and with warrant." He said thinking back to his past experience with such groups.

He was right, Edward had not met her children and they had only known each other for a few short months. "Edward, remove yourself emotionally and look at it as an advisor. What would you recommend to her in this situation?" He asked him. "I guess you're right. She needed to learn more about me, our family before letting her guard down. She has no way of knowing if we are associated with the mob, especially being that we have roots in New York and in the pharmaceutical research division." He said as he laid his head back on the seat.

"Edward, if you look at it from her perspective, we have multiple homes, multiple offices, and not hurting for money. Black Enterprise has multiple companies across the US and from what I hear they have multiple homes. They have plenty of money, despite the fact that it is blood money. They have connections, private planes, and much more." He said making Edward think through all of the details.

He was right and he knew it. He put his iPod in and cranked up some of the music to distract him since they had seven more hours to go! Seven more hours until he could make sure Bella was fine –it was not that he did not trust his family. He just need her more than life itself and this was for his peace of mind.