Chapter 36

EPOV

I opened the door to reveal Stefan standing on the other side of the threshhold.

I invited him in and introduced him to my parents.

I explained how I knew him before the assault and my parents were very surprised.

"I have some news," he said.

"12 guys, both current and former dancers, came forward to dish the dirt on Tanya. They have given us loads of information that we weren't previously aware of. You'll never guess who gave us the most useful information?" he said looking directly at me.

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to think of who it could be. I shrugged.

"Demetri." He said shaking his head.

"He knows all of her little secrets. Many she doesn't even know that he knows. He took us to the club giving us proof we needed. We think we can convict her not only of your assault and forcible confinement, but on sexual harassment of no less than 6 dancers, tax evasion, liquor license infringements, forced prostitution, and human trafficking." He finished.

"Human trafficking?" We all gasped. The thought of how much worse this could have gotten just hit us all. HARD.

"Yeah, when we searched her house we found..."

"What?" we all said collectively.

"We found 2 other men, your age Edward, locked in some type of bondage cages in her basement. The scary part is that...their hair was cut and dyed exactly like yours. They were naked and drugged.

I don't want to even think about what she may have done to you if I hadn't walked in when I did Ed." He stated seriously.

We were all silent for a few moments, contemplating what he had just revealed.

"Needless to say, she will never again walk this earth as a free woman.

Those boys were in really bad shape. She got off on hurting them as well as sexually assaulting them.

I think that's why Demetri spoke up like he did. He showed us her fake books she uses for the IRS. He also had proof of the illegal liquor purchases, and her safe revealed blackmail she had on several of the prostitutes at the club. She was forcing them to stay there turning tricks with the blackmail she held." He said proudly.

Fuck! Why did he have to mention the prostitutes? Damn it!

I glared at him giving him the hairy eyeball for his last words. He just looked totally confused.

When I looked from him to Bella she was glaring at me.

"Prostitutes? Edward? What is he talking about? What prostitutes?" she said beseeching me with her eyes.

I hung my head.

"Prostitution isn't illegal in Nevada." I said quietly. I glanced at her and she looked completely horrified.

"I wasn't a hooker!" I shouted, reading her expression.

"Of course not! Neither was I!" Stefan interjected. "Tanya hounded us when the ladies 'red slipped' us, but we ALWAYS decined. ALWAYS!"

"What is 'red slipped'?" my dad asked.

My head fell into my hands, elbows resting on my knees. I inhaled a deep breath and prepared to tell Bella and my parents about 'red slips'.

Stefan beat me to it. They all looked upset again but managed to digest it without any major drama.

"Did you ever get 'red slips'?" Bella asked me timidly.

"Are you kidding?" Stefan sputtered. "He got more slips than anyone!"

I glared my hairy eyeball at him again and he instantly stopped smiling and looked suddenly uncomfortable over his avoidable TMI.

"I NEVER even considered it! No matter how much was offered! You all KNOW I would never consider that!...and no, I didn't let the women touch me either when I danced...Look, please let me put this behind me...I don't want to talk about it anymore...okay?" I said.

Looking relieved my mom and dad nodded their compliance.

"I just need to know one thing" I said looking at Stefan.

"Why did you come back to the club that day?" I asked.

"Well, if anyone was there I was going to use the excuse that I forgot my ipod. If no one was there, I was going to search through Tanya's office. I was floored when I saw your car still there. I thought maybe Em picked you up or something." He said.

"I have a question" Bella asked timidly.

We all turned to look at her. She had been very quiet the past 2 days.

"Who was Phil convicted of raping?" she asked.

"Jessica Stanley. Did you know her?" he asked.

We all gasped.

"Stefan? Forks is a small close knit community. Everyone knows everyone. Quite well actually. We all knew her," my father said.

Poor Bella looked completely stunned.

"The others?" I asked.

"I can't talk about those till actual charges are filed. I'm sorry. I just came by to let you know we have a death grip on Tanya and she isn't ever getting free. I have to be going. It was nice meeting you," he said to my parents. "I just wish it was under better circumstances. Another thing" He said heading for the door. "We have your signed affidavit and your taped testimony, you can go home. I'm gonna miss you man."

We gave each other a one armed man hug and he left.

Bella looked stunned and my mom squealed in happiness. My eyes found my dad's. We were both smiling too.

Home. I couldn't wait.

That night Bella made us all a wonderful supper. Scalloped potatoes, chicken breasts and carrots. She also made a salad and a rice pudding. It was delicious.

"We had no idea you were such a good cook Bella" my father praised."You and our son compliment each other well."

Bella blushed but I just smiled because he was right.

After supper my dad and I did the dishes. Then we sat around talking till late in the evening. Now that we were all back together, we were reluctant to separate again.

Emmett had called and invited us all to his house for a lunch BBQ tomorrow. We accepted and I was looking forward to it.

My parents left and returned to their hotel for the evening.

Once Bella and I were in bed, I pulled her body close to my chest and just held her.

She sighed.

"What?" I asked bending back to try and see her face.

"I was afraid you wouldn't let me close to you for a while. I'm so happy to have you holding me again. I missed it sooo much last night." She said burying her face in my chest.

"What happened has nothing to do with you and me B. I will always want you. I missed you last night too." I said kissing the top of her head.

I wanted her. Part of me wondered if that was normal given the circumstances? But another part of me screamed out to be hers again.

I had claimed her many times but tonight I wanted her to claim me too. The assault made me feel distanced from her. I wanted to bridge that and get back to how we were.

I rubbed her back slowly going lower and lower till I was gripping her butt in my hands. I pulled her into me and groaned at the feel of her. I rolled her onto her back and settled myself between her legs. I kissed her with all the passion and love I could muster so she would know that I always wanted her.

I pulled up her tank top and took her breast into my mouth giving attention to one and then the other.

She arched up into me causing her heat to press into my groin. She was so damn soft and felt like home.

I sat back on my heels and hooked my fingers under the elastic of her underwear. I looked down into her eyes for permission to remove them. She gave me a shy smile and nodded her head twice.

I pulled them off and then pulled my boxers down to my knees and settled back between her thighs. Her legs came up and she used her feet to pull my boxers down as far as she could. It was far enough that I could kick them off.

I rubbed myself against her moist heat and revelled in the wetness that was already present. I slid myself back and forth between her slippery folds and coated myself in her moisture.

I was as hard as titanium and wanted her so badly.

I positioned myself at her entrance and entered her very slowly. When I was all the way in I held myself completely still. After a moment Bella's hips raised up to me and caused me to go a little deeper inside of her making us each groan.

Slowly I withdrew my cock till only the tip remained inside of her. She made a small groan of protest so I slowly pushed back inside of her starting up a slow but steady rhythm. I wanted this to be slow and gentle. A meeting of hearts, minds and souls.

I grabbed her legs and hooked them around my waist and continued the slow torture of making love to the love of my life. I reached down and took her bottom in both of my hands drawing her forward with every down stroke of my cock. I got so deep this way and I could tell by Bella's little moans that it was good for both of us. Time after time I ground us together till I felt Bella begin to quake below me. How I loved knowing I could do this to her.

As her pussy clamped down on me it triggered my own orgasm and I exploded within her. I continued to thrust a little harder and faster as she rode out her orgasm. When her tremors stopped and my dick finally stopped pulsing I held her and told her how much I loved her.

I rolled us to our sides and stroked her hair and back over and over until we both drifted off to sleep with my dick still inside of her. Neither of us wanted to break our connection.

The next day we went to Emmett's with my parents. They got along famously. Emmett was his usual crazy happy LOUD self, but it was great and no one mentioned the past few days.

They had invited Mac and Margie as well. Em BBQ'd steaks while drinking a beer with my dad and Mac talking about his bar. Dad said he would like to see it before we left.

That was the only time during the afternoon that Em was quiet. It was the mention of us leaving I'm sure. Em was like a protective older brother.

I saw my dad and Mac drift away from Em as he cooked and appeared to be talking quite seriously for some time.

Margie, Rose, Bella and mom were sitting around the patio table drinking ice tea and laughing at a story Rose was telling about Em.

Margie doted on Bella. Bella thrived under her appraisal. It was sweet how close they had become. I worried how hard it would be for Bella to leave her.

"I'm gonna miss you man!" I told Emmett, slapping him on the back. "You've been a good friend. I hope you will visit us?" I said sincerely.

Em's smile returned, showing off his dimples for the ladies, as he asked a million questions about Forks and pestered Rose to set a date that they could visit.

"Think about it Rosie – ROAD TRIP! We could stop at every hick town and buy a t-shirt!" he boomed.

Rose just shook her head at his foolishness. It was a great afternoon.

The next day we surprised Emmett at McCarty's for lunch. His face lit up like a Christmas tree when we all walked through the door. It didn't take much to convince him to join us.

It was a funny afternoon.

Emmett never turned off and kept us completely captivated the entire lunch.

My mother found him particularly amusing and again invited him to visit us in Forks.

Rose showed up for dessert.

We said our teary eyed goodbyes and promised to stay in touch.

"Thanks Em – for everything. You've been more than a friend...you're more of a brother. I won't ever forget you Em." I said feeling his loss in my life already.

"We'll keep in touch too. Don't be a stranger or I'll have to come down there and kick your ass! Oh, and when we do visit I'm going to give you some self defence lessons."

We both laughed at his silliness.

We said our goodbyes and walked out of McCarty's for the last time.

Tomorrow we were going home.

The End.

A/N an epi will follow.