Thank you all for the amazing feedback. I'm blown away by the amount of reviews!
As always, big 'thank you' to CoppertopJ for all the help. Mwah! All mistakes are still mine, because I can't help and change/add stuff in the chapter before posting it.
I'm hoping to change your mind about Aro with this chapter. He's not the bad guy, really.
Despite the fact that Bella was only wearing a short leather skirt and a spaghetti top, she felt hot in her skin. Edward held her hand as they walked up the metal stairs and toward Aro's private section in Black Velvet.
Outside the closed door stood a bulky man, who Bella recognized as one of Aro's security people, who was also one of his many Subs.
"Hello, Felix. Is Aro available?"
"Hello, Lady Isabella. Yes, Master is expecting you." Felix opened the door, allowing them to step forward.
Aro was sitting in a stuffed armchair, with a young girl at his feet, rubbing his soles. Bella squeezed Edward's hand firmer, hoping there would be no triggers during this meeting.
"Hello, Sir," she said clearly.
Aro turned in their direction and smiled broadly. He waved off the girl, and she scurried out of the room, as he rose and stepped into his shoes.
"Always a pleasure to see you, Isabella." He walked closer, taking her hand and kissing the back of it. "Edward, my, you look fine."
"Thank you for having us," Bella replied. "I trust everything is well." She was aware how upset Aro had been to find out about Jessica. Hopefully, he'd react as violently regarding his children and have them banned, or incarcerated. Whichever outcome was better than them being free to hurt more people.
"Ah, never a quiet moment." He gestured to the leather sofa. "Please take a seat. I was a step ahead and had Jared prepare your favorite drinks. In case we need more, let me know."
Bella noticed several glasses of her top choice – Cosmopolitan, and a bottle of whiskey with three glasses next to it. Thankfully, there were some bottles of water, as well. Edward would be the one driving, but she felt selfish for being the only one allowed to drink considering they'd both have to talk about things they didn't want.
Aro poured whiskey in two glasses, offering one to Edward.
"You can drink," Bella told him. "Don't worry about driving. We'll get a cab home."
His eyes searched hers for a moment, before accepting the glass. "Thank you, Sir."
Bella picked one of the cocktail glasses, raising it in salute.
Once they were all seated, Bella had no idea how to broach the subject. Aro saved her from overthinking it.
"What brings you here? It must be important for you to want a private conversation with me." He leaned back in his stuffed chair, linking his legs at the knee.
"Yes." She took a sip from her strong cocktail. Jared had outdone himself. "There are a couple of things we want to bring to your attention. They're both long overdue."
"I'm all ears." He swirled the ice in his glass, looking from her to Edward and back.
Edward had chosen to sit next to her, and his sole focus was on the contents in his glass, but Bella could see his profile. His jaw was set and there was a frown between his brows.
She touched the side of her neck, taking a shaky breath, nerves throwing a party in her body. "You must remember my terrible reaction at last year's Halloween Party when your foreign friend came on the stage."
"Yes. I remember Jacob telling me how I had no idea who my friends were."
"I'm sorry he accused you of not knowing how to choose your friends. But my experience with Liam might change your mind about him."
"I'm intrigued, Isabella. I had no idea you two knew each other." He tapped his chin, watching her curiously.
"I hope not to bore you with my story, but in order for you to understand it, I have to go to the beginning."
"You're my only plans for the night," Aro promised.
Bella placed her glass on the table, before she could drop it. "I moved to Chicago for college, like any ambitious small town girl, ready to conquer the world. I was lucky to take this step with my best friend – Jacob Black. We didn't know anyone here, but we have common interests so we didn't worry too much about making friends." Bella gripped her knees, swallowing the knot that formed in her throat. "Then he met someone during a night he went out without me. Next thing I knew, he dragged me here to Black Velvet, telling me about this world and how he believed it was what we needed."
"Quite the confident man, Mr. Black," Aro acknowledged.
Bella sketched a small smile. "He just knows me. He didn't stay much with me, abandoning me for his new friend." Edward reached to pry her hands off her knees when she'd managed to draw blood with how her nails dug into her skin. He kept them in his hands, rubbing her fingers. It was the comfort she needed. "I didn't plan to linger, though. Clubs aren't my thing. I mean…you know how seldom I come here." Aro only nodded, staring at their joined hands with interest. He had no idea about the depth of their relationship. "An older man offered me a glass of alcohol. I tried protesting, but I knew he could hand me to the cops if he found out I was underage."
"Were you eighteen, at least?" Aro interrupted.
"Yes. I was close to twenty, actually, but still not allowed alcohol."
"Away from home, a college girl, afraid to break the law?" He laughed, clearly amused.
"My father is a police officer. I guess these things have been cemented in my head from a young age." Bella shrugged.
"I see. Allow me to take a wild guess. The man offering you a drink was Liam."
"Indeed," Bella whispered, squeezing Edward's hands. She met his eyes briefly, because he didn't know everything. She hadn't told him about the beginning of her relationship with Liam. "He was a charmer. I was a silly girl, finding someone interesting and good-looking for the first time in my life."
"It's the Irish charm," Aro joked.
Edward's grip on her hands intensified so much it hurt. Bella pulled her hands away, reaching for her glass. After a generous gulp, she continued her story. She felt like she was telling a story about her characters, not a real story that had happened to her.
Liam invited her to a private room at the BDSM center, which no longer existed. Bella insisted to tell Aro that Liam hadn't told her much about the lifestyle. He'd simply assumed she was a Submissive and shoved her into scenes – unprepared and most times unwilling. If what he used to do to her body hurt, he'd tell her good girls didn't make a peep.
The sessions were long and tiring, which left her with little time to focus on school, but she was willing to learn and make Liam happy. Bella didn't go into details about what they did, but she let Aro understand that in time, she'd understood how nothing was consensual that trespassed between them.
Then, Bella had attended a show in early December, roughly two months after she'd entered that relationship with Liam. At the show, she'd seen another guest of Aro's, and she was a woman in charge of her man. That scene had made Bella understand who she was and why nothing had felt right with Liam.
Aro lifted a hand, looking shaken. Bella blinked, startled at being interrupted.
"I'm sorry, my dear. Were you under a contract with him?"
"Not exactly. I had a word that would end our arrangement. Liam had told me from the moment we started that relationship that he was in town until December. I was growing anxious about his departure, but after seeing that scene…" She downed her glass, grimacing. "I went to confront him. I said my safe word." She could hear the desperation in her voice. Aro's pale blue eyes widened, because it wasn't hard to figure out where it all led to. "He mocked my confession – I'm a Domme, not a Sub. Liam made me prove to him I could dominate a man. I had no idea what I had to do," Bella mumbled, tears pooling in her eyes. "I did the most stupid thing in the world. I tried punching his shoulder." Her voice broke, and Edward scooted closer, embracing her tightly.
"He raped her," Edward said, taking over the story. His voice was rough and hard.
Bella heard Aro's glass shattering to the floor. "Goodness. Isabella, why haven't you told me until now?"
She shook her head in Edward's chest, unable to stop sobbing. Edward rubbed a hand over her back. "There's more," he told Aro. "Bella ended up pregnant. She kept the baby."
"Unforgivable." She heard Aro muttering. "Good Lord."
"The child lives with my dad, back home. I plan on bringing him here for high school."
"If you're worried about that monster finding out about your son, don't. I will personally take care of him." Aro's voice was unyielding. "Liam might have friends in the Irish mob, but my brother is the head of the Italian mob. Isabella, I don't want you worrying about your safety, or your son's safety."
She lifted her head to look at Aro through a veil of tears. "Thank you so much, Aro."
He stared at her, still in shock. "I'd never…I can't believe…I completely understand your reaction to seeing him again."
Edward handed Bella a paper napkin from the table, and she gratefully wiped her eyes and nose.
"There's more, if we can impose with another delicate matter," she said, trying to get a hold of her nerves.
"More?" Aro asked faintly.
Bella cupped Edward's bicep. "I'm here," she promised.
"Have you crossed paths with Liam, too?"
"As a matter of fact, yes," Edward said tersely. "I apologize, Sir. Yes, I have." He ran a hand through his hair. "Unfortunately, Liam is my uncle. We discovered he was a common acquaintance at last year's Halloween Party." He caught Bella's eye.
"Of course," Aro said as if remembering something. "Liam was here visiting Lizzie, that unfortunate time."
Bella had no idea who Aro was talking about, but she had an inkling that Lizzie was Edward's mother.
"Yes," Edward agreed. "We had no idea what he was doing. Me, less than my parents. I used to spend most of my time at Lady Katherine's back then."
"You never mentioned who your parents were when you were mine," Aro commented, the shock in his eyes sincere.
"Would that have made you treat him better?" Bella bit back, unable to hold her tongue. "Or maybe, if Edward had told your daughter who his parents were, she wouldn't have tortured him so much!"
"Bella, we agreed not to make a scene," Edward said softly.
"I had several chats with Jane about the way she treats her Subs."
"You probably don't know half of the things she and Alec do to them. Edward agreed to tell you what he's been through, because I'm ready to fight you over removing her from the community. Please, let me finish," she begged when Aro's eyes hardened. "I know they are your children, but everyone witnessed how Jane drew blood at your birthday bash last year. You were the only one to stop her, too late, in my opinion. And the things Edward told me about his time with Jane and Alec…I'm sorry, Aro, but they don't deserve to be called your children. I've seen your demonstrations and you were never cruel."
"Edward?" Aro demanded in a voice Bella didn't like. It sounded close to his Dom voice, but she was willing to let it slide – once. If he dared to forget his place, she wouldn't hesitate to remind him Edward was hers, and Aro had lost any power over Edward when he'd set him free.
Edward looked into Aro's eyes as he recounted his months spent with Jane and Alec. Bella knew most of the stories, but some scenes were new, but not less disturbing. Aro was growing paler by the second, and Bella feared he'd have a heart attack. At some point he kept shaking his head and mouthing the word 'No', as if he refused to believe the reality.
Bella cupped one of her hands over the back of Edward's neck, massaging that place softly to dissolve the tension in his body. She was so proud of him. He was much stronger than her. He didn't break down as he spoke about the tortures he'd faced with Aro's children.
"I don't know what to say," Aro managed several minutes after Edward finished talking. His eyes met Bella's. "I promise you right now, that I'll bring this subject to the committee. You're more than welcome to attend the meetings from now on, because there's a lot to discuss."
"Didn't you say the end of the year?"
"Stefan would be more than happy to share his insights with you. I expect him to board the first plane out of here when the contract is up. He plans to retire somewhere in the mountains in Europe."
"I see. Of course. I'd be honored to start attending the meetings," Bella agreed.
"Dear, dear." He leaned closer to the table, pouring liberal amounts of whiskey in the third glass, before downing half of it. "I will discuss Liam's fate with my brother. There's nothing to worry about. If anything, I feel terrible for bringing him back and making you face your worst nightmare."
"You didn't know. I appreciate it, Sir," Bella said softly.
He waved a dismissive hand. "As for this other delicate matter, I will need to track down Jane's previous Subs."
"I got in contact with only two of them, but they were afraid to go into details or meet with me."
Edward shot her a confused look, because Bella hadn't told him about her detective work. "What," he asked softly.
"I can give you their contacts," Bella offered Aro, placing a hand over Edward's thigh. She hoped he wouldn't insist on knowing why she'd hidden this from him. Because she didn't have a good enough reason, besides the fact that she didn't want to cause him more pain.
"Please, do so." Aro rose to his feet, and started pacing.
Bella wasn't sure if their meeting was coming to an end, because it felt like that. Edward tensed up, and she threaded their fingers together, rubbing his palm with her thumb. He glanced at her, relaxing minutely. But he winced, when Aro spun to a stop close to them. It was clear his reaction was based on his time with Aro.
"I will have Jane and Alec on probation starting tonight. They will be removed from any activity inside this club or outside. I'm afraid that's all I can do for the moment. They have two Subs right now." He tapped his chin. "I will visit them more often and assist in their playtime when they don't expect me."
"Is that wise, Sir? To remove them like that?" Edward's voice shook as he spoke, but Bella admired him for standing up for what he believed in.
"I'm going to think of a good enough reason why I don't want them in my club or doing scenes anywhere else. I want to keep both of you involved in how this case will go." He came closer. "May I?" he asked Bella, reaching a hand for Edward.
"Please, no touching," she said softly.
"Understandable." Aro nodded. "Why did you never tell me? I remember asking you on several occasions about what they've done to you, because it was obvious you were scared of them and relieved to be away from them."
"I apologize, Sir," Edward said quickly, looking down. "I couldn't tell you. I imagined you wouldn't have believed me. You are their father."
"I hope I changed your mind tonight with my promise to take care of them."
"Yes, Sir. Thank you."
"Such a well-behaved boy. You're very lucky, Isabella." He smiled, for the first time showing the emotion.
"I know." She beamed, clutching at Edward's hand.
"I will keep you updated with how the chat with my children goes. I appreciate the honesty, both of you. If you ever need to confide in me with any injustice you see in the community, please feel free to do so. It seems we're living in trying times."
"Thank you, for listening to us, Aro," Bella said, relaxing completely for the first time since she'd read that Aro was ready to talk to them.
After parting with more well-wishes, Bella pulled Edward to the bar. "I need some plain vodka after that."
"I need to use the bathroom," he said softly. "Just water for me, please."
She let go of his hand, allowing him to head to the toilets, while she waved Jared to one end of the bar. "Vodka. Neat. And a bottle of water."
"Everything okay with the boss?" Jared asked, worried, as he poured vodka in a glass.
"Yes. Don't worry. The Cosmo was perfect."
He winked, placing her order in front of her, before heading to a man several seats away.
Bella sipped from her glass, checking her phone. Riley hadn't called, which meant he was sleeping. She wanted to stay a while longer and celebrate the small victory.
Edward's arm came from around her, grabbing his bottle of water. He gulped from it, making Bella wonder how Edward could make the simple act of drinking water so goddamn sexy. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, giving her an amused look.
"What?"
She spun in the chair, pulling him closer, between her legs. "You should be illegal."
"Thanks?" He laughed throatily.
"I'm serious." Her hands ran up his arms to link behind his neck, pulling his head down for a heated kiss. "Let's stay a while. Riley's sleeping. And this is something to celebrate."
"Were you serious about taking a cab home?"
"Yes. If you want to drink, please order anything you want."
"I doubt Jared has what I want on the menu."
"And what exactly do you want?" She couldn't imagine there wasn't a drink Jared could provide.
Edward nipped at her earlobe. "Bella's juices."
"Edward," she gasped.
His hands curled around her waist, as he stepped even closer, so she could feel his erection. "I'm so proud of you, love."
"Same," she breathed. "I restrained myself from kissing you in front of him."
"No need to restrain yourself anymore." His mouth crashed over hers.
Anxiously waiting for your comments.
PS: I hear you. You want to hear from Edward. I'm not sure I'm ready to dive into his mind...especially because I'll have to write about his time with Jane and Alec. I'm not saying never, though.
PPS: Did you check my FAGE entry? It's called 'Love is Worth it All'
Reviews are love.
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