Codladh sámh, a mhic~ Sleep well, my son.

Edward couldn't help pacing the length of the nursery while Bella said goodnight to Quinn. There was a pulsing energy inside him, rising quickly until it seemed close to overflowing. He was nearly drowning in his desire, and yet he knew it was an overreaction to what he considered her disappearing. The bottom line was he didn't know where she'd gone, but he knew she had the right to walk out the door after the way he'd yelled at her. It wasn't intentional, none of it, but he lost his mind at the idea of the Santiagos coming so close to hurting her. Then the massive relief of realizing Bella hadn't left him morphed into a raging hard on.

Finally, she turned away from the crib, and he took her place.

"Codladh sámh, a mhic," he whispered to Quinn.

Edward followed Bella into their bedroom. It wouldn't surprise him if she thought he'd lost his mind, especially after the things he said to her after dinner. Technically, he meant every word.

"Bella."

At his guttural whisper, she stopped and faced him. He met her halfway across the room, framing her face and pressing his lips to hers. To meet him fully, she rose on her toes with her fist wrapped around his tie. She moaned into his mouth, all the sign he needed to know she wasn't upset with him.

In seconds, she'd pushed his suit coat off his shoulders, and he'd toed off his shoes and picked her up. She let out a laugh, and he smiled down into her face.

"Edward, you know I . . ."

His throat seized up, his heartbeat pounding uncomfortably hard in his chest.

"I never meant to worry you," she finished, a crease marring her normally smooth forehead.

Letting out a hard breath, he set her down on their bed. "I know."

Swallowing, she nodded, reaching for his tie and yanking the knot until she could slip it over his head. He unbuttoned his shirt before reaching for her, tugging until he had all her clothes removed.

Naked in the late evening light streaming through the sheer curtains, she was a glorious sight to his starving eyes. He needed her, above all reason or common sense. Quickly, he pulled off the rest of his clothes in order to press skin to skin. Roaming fingertips trailed along her body, making her shiver and writhe. It brought him pleasure to affect her that way, to know her body responded involuntarily. Gently, he brought her leg over his hip, stroking down her thigh and back up. On a whim, he slapped her ass cheek and laughed at her squeak.

"Told you I would punish you," he murmured in her ear, flicking his tongue along the shell of it before sucking on her neck.

Bella moaned, telling him she enjoyed the spanking. Experimentally, he tried it again, earning a deeper moan. Her hips rocked, bringing her body in contact with his straining cock.

He shifted his hand between her legs, cupping her pussy. "You're so wet, Isabella."

"Just like you said I was," she replied, meeting his gaze.

With her in his arms, he could forget about all the wrong he'd done, all the sins he'd committed. Before Bella, the only way he could shut out the world was to lose himself in a bottle of whiskey. The new alternative was much preferred in his mind; he could lose himself inside his wife instead. Using two fingers, he caressed her clit as she clutched his shoulders and surged toward him. Heat built between them, begging for release.

Dipping his head to kiss her, Edward continued to play with her pussy as she sucked in uneven breaths and yanked on his hair. Impatient, he pushed into her while keeping his gaze locked on her tempestuous eyes. Desire wrestled with protection, but the devil inside him ultimately won. With rough movements, he yanked her hands above her head and held them there while he fucked her.

Bella's body bowed beneath him, and he snapped his hips wildly against hers. Edward lost control, shifting positions to grip her hips tightly and ride out the aggression of the day. Though she cried out, he heard nothing, his hearing blocked and his vision hazy. All he knew was the need to possess her, the need to claim her like he never had before.

Abruptly, he pulled out, flipping her over and ignoring the stunned look on her face. He yanked her up until he found the perfect angle and impaled her again, slapping her ass as he entered her drenched pussy.

"Fuck, you feel so good," he groaned.

With one hand on her lower back and the other wrapped around her hair, he let himself feed off the energy coursing through him. Arousal poured out of him and into her until she was muffling her screams in the bedcovers.

"Come, Bella."

Grunting, she pushed up enough to take a deep breath. "I'm close."

He moved harder, faster, finding that spot deep inside her which made her toes curl and her eyes roll back in her head. "You want it, baby?"

"Yes!"

Tugging on her hair, he demanded, "Beg me."

"Oh please. Please, make me come."

Not even the tiniest part of his brain cared if he was being too rough. "Say it again."

A strangled noise came out of her mouth. "Please!"

"Like that, baby?" Watching his cock disappear inside her pussy was the most erotic sight.

Without warning, she shouted and trembled around him, squeezing his cock so hard he had to slow his movements as she came loudly. Letting it all go, he gripped her hips and thrust into her a few more times until he froze against her, emptying what felt like everything he'd ever had inside her.

When the high of his orgasm left him, he realized how badly he'd manhandled her. He backed away from her, standing and looking down at the marks on her skin. "Bella, I'm so sorry."

Sluggishly, she rolled over and blinked up at him. "For what?"

Shoving his fingers through his hair, he moved away from the bed. "I shouldn't have been that forceful."

"Edward, do you think I wouldn't speak up if I didn't like it?" He felt her at his back, her lips touching his shoulder blades. "I enjoyed it. You never let yourself go, not all the way."

Just as he began shaking his head, he felt the sting of her palm on his ass.

"And that's payback for spanking me."

Whirling, he stared down at her. "You think it's funny, do you?"

With a smirk on her lips, she backed up. "Hilarious."

Edward stalked her, trapping her against the dresser. Hoisting her up, he sat her on the smooth surface. "You honestly enjoyed it?"

Pulling her lower lip between her teeth, she nodded shyly.

He grinned. "Interesting."

There was no way to know what he'd done to deserve her. The truth was he didn't deserve her, not in the slightest, but he was grateful she put up with him.

"Thank you," he murmured, gathering her in his arms.

"No thanks needed," she replied, holding on.

"I didn't hurt you?"

Laughing, she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. "I don't want you spanking me every day, but I don't mind it a little rough. You're just so . . . so good at sex."

Male pride puffed up his chest, but he leaned down to kiss her. "You came hard."

"So did you," she said.

Edward squeezed her tighter to him, and she rested her head on his chest. "Harder than ever in my life."

He also slept hard that night, waking only once the alarm went off. It was the first night in many that a nightmare hadn't woken him. Feeling grateful, he snuggled against his wife and kissed her neck.

"I don't ever want to let you go," he whispered.

Mumbling something incoherent, Bella pried one eye open and squinted at him. "What?"

"I'm lucky to have you."

With a smile, she stretched enough to kiss him back. "That's nice to hear."

Quinn's wailing came through the baby monitor, and Bella jumped up to throw on clothes. Edward followed her to the nursery, entering the room right as she picked up their red-faced baby.

"I think he's getting a new tooth." Bella put her finger in his mouth, feeling around the gums. "Poor little man."

Edward held his hands out, and Quinn leaned in his direction. Bella passed him over and headed down the stairs to the kitchen.

"Tyler, do you have any of those teething rings in the freezer?"

For the next half hour, Edward and Bella took turns helping Quinn hold the icy ring to his gums. Tyler brought them breakfast, and Bella gulped down several cups of coffee.

"It feels like it'll be one of those days."

Edward looked down at Quinn, who was drooling down the front of his shirt. "His head is warm."

"That happened with the last tooth, remember?" Bella replied. "I'll get the fever reducer."

Edward took Quinn into the office to entertain him on the spinning desk chair while they waited for Bella. He was thankful he hadn't put on a suit yet, considering how much drool he was covered in. Quinn held another frozen ring, occasionally offering it to his father. Again, Edward counted his lucky stars that he was blessed enough to be in his son's life, which he credited solely to Bella.

Jasper slammed into the room with a thunderous expression on his face. "Edward, I have awful news."

Startled at his friend's unannounced entrance, Edward looked at him with a scowl. "What is it?"

"Carlisle dodged his shadow."

"That's impossible," Bella said from the doorway.

"It gets worse." Jasper stalked to the window, glaring out the rain-soaked panes. "Alice is missing."

Edward stood so abruptly that Bella hurried over to take Quinn from him. "What the fuck do you mean, my sister and father are both missing?"

Tugging at his hair, he said, "I don't know, Edward."

"What the fuck happened, Jasper‽"

"I don't know!" Throwing his hands up, Jasper spun to face the office. "I had to give her an ultimatum last night. She was all over the place, telling me I was disloyal to her if I didn't demand you let her back into your good graces. She insisted I should understand where your father was coming from when he lied about Bella and Quinn." He shook his head. "Alice is no longer the woman I married."

Edward clenched his hands into fists, but he had no one to use them on. The person he wanted to hit was in the wind, and it appeared his sister was his accomplice. "She helped Dad?"

The expression on Jasper's face was one of a man tortured. "I can't be positive, but it sure as fuck looks like it."

"We have to get our men on top of this. The Santiagos won't hesitate to accept whatever my father wants to offer them."

"I know. I called Emmett; he's on his way, but I didn't tell him what happened. I asked Garrett to send him back and not bother announcing him."

"This will take more than just us," Bella said. "We need every man in the organization on the lookout. They need to be camped out in front of the remaining Families' known headquarters, their homes, their favorite bars. All of it."

Crying in earnest, Quinn dropped his teething toy on the floor and shrieked. Bella soothed him, stepping out into the hall. Edward glanced at his watch, seeing that Rose would be there soon. He needed Bella back in the game so they could come up with a solid plan.

Turning, he studied Jasper. His shoulders slumped, his hair was a mess, and his suit was wrinkled. "Coffee?"

"If it comes in a glass of scotch, then yes."

"It's not your fault," Edward said, though the words nearly stuck in his throat.

Jasper's brows shooting to his hairline was all the confirmation Edward needed that he would not have said such a thing before Bella.

"I mean it. We had a team on him, but my sister is canny. God knows Dad is devious and might have planned this for months."

Jasper sank onto the couch. "My marriage is over, Edward."

Emmett came into the room, glancing back and forth between the other two men. "Did you just say your marriage is over?"

Edward answered. "Apparently, Alice helped my piece of shit father escape his detail."

"Oh damn."

"Yeah." Pinching the bridge of his nose, Edward tried to think past the blinding hatred. "Looks like he conned Alice into helping him, but there's no confirmation on that as of yet."

Standing in front of the liquor cabinet, Jasper lifted his glass of scotch in an ironic toast. "And that's why my marriage is over."

"Fuck."

Bella came back to the room alone, wearing a suit and heels. Edward had to give her credit for her speed.

"Who'll make the calls?" she asked, standing by Jasper and pouring a cup of coffee.

Edward grimaced. "Usually, that was Alice's job."

"I can do it," Bella said. "I just need names and numbers."

"No, I'll do it," Jasper countered. "I'll clean up my own mess."

"It's not your mess, Jasper. I hate that you're caught in the middle of this." Bella rested her hand on his upper arm briefly before moving to her chair on the opposite side of the desk.

Emmett sat as well. "What do we say?"

"We have to be honest." Edward glanced down, remembering he was in a stained t-shirt and pajama pants. "I'll be right back."

He passed Rose, who was walking Quinn up and down the hallway and singing. Giving them a smile, he continued to his room to dress properly. Once he was finished, he returned to the office to find the other three writing on legal pads.

"We're listing any properties we know the other Families hang out at," Emmett explained.

"I hate to do it, Jasper, but we need to look at your bank statements since he was cut off financially. Alice had to have taken out a sizable sum of money in order for them to pull this off without being homeless." At the expression on Jasper's face, he sighed heavily. "What?"

"I've already discovered she was taking money from her allowance account and giving it to him. Since I took her credit cards and put her on a stricter spending limit, she kept asking me for money, claiming she wanted to donate it to charity. When I asked which one, she was very vague. I guess I should have seen it coming."

Edward sighed. "No, I don't think anybody saw this coming. I can't wrap my head around this, Jasper. I grew up with her. Emmett grew up with her. She was never like this."

"Nah, she would never act this way without Uncle Carlisle pressuring her."

Jasper gaped at Emmett. "So you think all of this—the attitude, the disrespect—is because he's been in her ear the whole time?"

Edward slumped against his desk. "Did she know about Bella before I did?" Bella cast her gaze to the carpet, and Edward felt the familiar sting of betrayal. "Did she?"

"I don't know!" Jasper lurched out of his chair, heading back to the alcohol.

Clearing her throat, Bella said, "This isn't the way to solve anything."

"If Bella spent seven motherfucking months on the run, and my sister knew about it the whole time . . ." He had to stop speaking before he ruined the relationship he had with Jasper. He loved him like a brother and had for years, but Jasper loved Alice. If he said the words out loud, he feared there was no coming back from it. "I can't think about that right now. We have to come up with a plan, and we need it yesterday."