Thanks to my beautiful betas, Sherry and Paige! I added some stuff, so any mistakes in this chapter are entirely mine! Enjoy!

BPOV:

"All I ask of you is to keep an open-mind. Bella, I don't know if I could bare you looking at me differently. I didn't mean to lie to you, I merely feared what would happen once you knew the truth. I've never been such a coward in all my life. For that, I'm sorry."

Edward sits up and stares down at me with an unfathomable expression. Remorse is swimming in the depths of the eyes I fell in love with. I've never seen this beautiful man look more hesitant. Feeling quite vulnerable myself, I sit up next to him and get comfortable, knowing already that this story will be a long one.

"I forgive you, Edward. I just want you to tell me the truth."

He looks away and nods. I watch his jaw clench in the faint light of our bedroom. The light dances across his features, highlighting the sorrow and discomfort that must be burning inside of him. I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder, wanting him to know that regardless of his past, regardless of what he's done, I'll always be there for him. He might have not taken our wedding vows seriously, but I did. I'm his partner in this life, and I intend to be there for him until the very end… and perhaps beyond that if it's a possibility.

Edward stares at me for a long minute, as if judging whether I'll be able to handle this conversation or not. I raise my chin and look him dead in the eye, wanting him to see that I can deal with whatever he shares with me. He shakes his head, as if he can't believe he's doing this, before he begins sharing his story.

"When I was young, I had no idea that this world existed. I was so much like you, Bella. Yearning for knowledge and adventure, while I was trapped by my own circumstances. I grew up with my uncle and aunt, while my father and mother were constantly traveling. My Uncle Ned was a kind enough man. He wasn't close to my father or his father, but he liked me well enough. My Aunt Joan was kind as well, but never could remain faithful to my uncle. Of course, I didn't know this until I was much older, but she'd been having an affair with a friend of my father's."

Edward pauses, as if reaching a painful memory, and trying to cope with the feeling. "When I was twelve years old, I came home from a neighbor's house to find my aunt dead on the couch in our living room. She was naked and covered in her own blood. That image has been burned into my mind ever since. She was the first dead person I ever saw…" He trails off with a look in his eyes that suggests his soul is in the past, reliving that horror all over again.

"My father was there, comforting my uncle as he dealt with the death of his wife. Ned had been an absolute mess and my father couldn't calm him down, despite his efforts. Eventually, my father noticed me in the room and saw that I wasn't crying. Hell, I wasn't doing anything. I merely stood there and looked at the mess in front of me. After that, father took me aside and explained that I was finally a 'man' and he was going to take me back home. I had no idea what he meant at the time. I was just so happy to be returning home to the family that had abandoned me, so I readily agreed."

A mirthless smile tugs at Edward's lips, and he takes a deep breath before he continues. "I was happy with my father and mother. My father was distant, but that was to be expected, since his life always seemed to revolve around his work. My mother was an alcoholic socialite, who threw parties with my father's money whenever she could. Things were normal until I turned sixteen."

I gulp, knowing this was when he killed for the first time. I don't know if I want to hear this. He's such a gentle man when he's around me, it's hard to reconcile the two personas Edward seems to have. However, I need to hear about this part of him because I want to know him completely. This is still the man I fell in love with after all.

"My uncle found out the truth about our family. I never knew if he had been blind to it all before, or if our family purposely left him in the dark. Either way, when he found out about my father's affiliation with the mafia and what my father intended to do with me, he was going to rat on us."

Edward's whole demeanor changes as he stops speaking. His eyes look so vacant… so dead inside. It frightens me. I reach out to take his hand in mind, and give it a squeeze, wanting him to know that I'm here and I couldn't reject him regardless of what he's told me. Edward takes a few deep, shaky breaths, before he finds the strength to continue.

"It was late at night when my father took my older half-brother and I to Ned's house. I was stricken, but my father and brother acted as if what we were doing was a normal occurrence. Of course, to them it was, but I could barely wrap my head around the gravity of what was happening.

"Ned had been living by himself since Joan died, and was sitting on his couch listening to the radio when we arrived. My father barged into his home with my brother right behind him. I was so hesitant. I remember the gun slipping around in my hand because my palms were so sweaty because of my anxiety and fear. When I walked into the house, I didn't think I would be the one to do it. I was certain that if not my father, my brother would handle it. However, when it was time for my brother to shoot, he turned to me and smiled such a malicious smile that will be engraved in my memory forever. He insisted that I shoot Ned, stating that he felt it was finally my time to be indoctrinated. My father didn't say a word, but he seemed to encourage the idea. I thought I was going to piss myself as I held the gun toward my uncle, the man who had practically raised me. While I was trying to find the will to pull the trigger, my brother taunted me with his gun, stating that perhaps he was wrong, and I was not yet 'man enough' to perform such a task. His taunts didn't bother me… it was when he placed the barrel of his gun against my temple that I reacted…"

Edward's eyes fill with tears, but none of them fall. His face is tense, and he looks angrier than I've ever seen him.

"I'll always remember the way Ned looked at me right before I shot him. I tried to tell my family that there could be another way, that this was a route we didn't have to go down. I tried to reason with Ned that this didn't have to happen and if he'd just stay quiet, he would be able to walk away from the confrontation. He looked me square in the eye and said, 'Do what you have to do.'. I pleaded with him, and tried to barter with my family for his life. 'They've made up their minds already, Edward.' Ned had said to me, before giving me a sad, but resigned, smile. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and pulled the trigger.

"My brother laughed after it was done. He was just as sadistic then as he is now. He mocked me for taking so long, but was proud that I'd finally found it in myself to do it. I stared at Ned, before promptly throwing up on his living room floor. It turned out that Ned had been gambling with my father's money and was deeply in debt. My father explained that we were doing Ned a favor by putting him out of his misery now. Every time I thought back on what I'd done, I would try to tell myself that Ned was a bad man… but he wasn't. When I told you the man I killed deserved it, I lied to you, Bella. I just couldn't fathom the thought of you knowing the truth."

Edward's quiet for a long time, and I can feel his pain as he wallows in it at my side. I wish I could carry some of his burden. I wish he hadn't been brought up in a world that was so horrible. Tears fill my eyes as I think of the young boy who had witnessed things most never see in their entire lifetime. I mourn for the childhood he never had and the love he never experienced. I want to hold him in my arms and take away every bad memory, but all I can do is reach out and hold his hand in mine as we sit in silence.

The mood relaxes and Edward begins to rub circles on my palm. "I didn't know you had a brother," I comment.

Edward stiffens at my side. "I barely knew him, Bella. He was my father's bastard child. He had an ongoing affair with a prostitute a few years before I was born. From what I understand, my father got the whore pregnant and paid her off so she would keep her mouth shut. My father wanted the baby aborted, and in retrospect, having the baby killed would have done the world a favor," he spits out.

My eyes widen at his declaration and I quickly ask, "How could you say that?"

"He's sadistic, Bella. He's a wild card and has never done what he should. He's ended more lives than he's had to, and I've grown tired of seeing it. He's sick in the head, Bella." Edward pauses for a moment, a tense, but thoughtful expression on his face. "However, when I consider his past, I can somewhat understand how's he's become this way."

When Edward doesn't elaborate, I quickly urge him to continue, too engrossed with the story to allow him to hold out on me.

"The prostitute, his mother, was killed when he was a toddler. He was alone in a small hotel room with her dead body for a week or so before anyone found him. My father went with an officer and found him sitting next to his mother, covered in her blood. He was looking at her as if he was waiting for her to wake up. I don't know if that's what made him a sociopath… but I doubt someone could ever be the same after something as traumatic as that."

"So, you weren't around him growing up?"

"No, I practically grew up with my uncle. Like I said, my parents were rarely around, and I didn't even know I had a half-brother until my father took me back home after Joan's death. I think my father knew my brother was mad. Even when he was only a little kid he was completely demented."

"What happened to him?"

"He went down a very dark path," he tells me, his eyes glinting with anger. "He's a terrible sort, Bella. He left our family behind years ago to pursue things on his own. He's done horrible things and has killed many people since he went off on his own. He was always sadistic and killed with a pleasure I've never seen in another man, but now has completely unrestrained and he's been wreaking havoc ever since. My father and I have tried to control him, but it's been to no avail. There's only one option left, Bella."

Edward searches my eyes for an answer, but I scarcely know what to say. Is he asking for permission to murder hiw own brother? What would my husband like, my approval? I've caused the death of two men already; can I really add another to that list of names?

"Do I know this man?" I finally ask, unable to tell him no.

Edward stares at me for a long time, his face tense with anger and pain. The look he gives me is unnerving and my stomach begins to turn as I consider the possibilities of what he's getting ready to say.

"Do you remember that night I rescued you in that alley?" He hesitantly begins.

My stomach drops and I feel as though I'm going to throw up.

"James is beyond help. He's threatened you even now, and I can't stand for it. The woman who we saw the other day outside the restaurant is his estranged wife, Victoria. However, now it seems she's not as 'estranged' as we'd originally thought. If she's following you…" He trails off, lost in thought. "Bella, I have to act soon."

I nod, still reeling from his story. I'm sure Edward is not telling me everything his half-brother has done, I can tell there's so much that he's still holding back. There's this look of fear in his eyes that chills me to the bone. If Edward is scared for me, I can't imagine how horrible this man could be. James violated me once, but somehow, I know that if he got his hands on me again, what he would do to me would be devastating.

A/N: So… what do you guys think? I'm always nervous/excited to read the reviews for these sorts of chapters! Hopefully you guys enjoyed that one! Also, the line Ned says 'Do what you have to do' is a nod to Hank from Breaking Bad. I just thought of Hank when I was writing this scene for some reason and wanted to throw a quote from one of my favorite shows in here. Random, but if you haven't seen Breaking Bad… watch it now! Also, the idea of James being found in his mother's blood was from another great show, Dexter! Too bad it got bad as the seasons went on…

Please review! :)