Author's note: Hello everyone! Welcome back and thank you for sticking with me! You are always appreciated and again, I have full plans to finish this story. Life happens and I thank you all for being so understanding! Anywho, on to chapter 30 with Edward!

Disclaimer: Unedited.

…

"Don't lose your soul as your eyes roll shut

Don't worry, it will be over

Hold on though, you're alone, I am there with you

That much at least I can promise

You know what's to come to not accept this

Don't lose your soul, you must fight for each breath

Don't go quietly"

Skin and Bones - David J Roch

…

"I'll do it." Bella repeats, her voice stronger than before.

I feel my body heat as I look at her but she won't look me in the eye.

The fact that I was playing in the underground for Aro again was already a bad situation, but since Bella arrived, it has only become worse.

The fact that Jasper, Alice and Tanya are above us does not help the fear in the pit on my stomach. The only thing I can do is hope their presence stays a secret unless we need them.

I don't know what made me convince myself that I could make a plan without the idea of Bella or everyone else showing up is beyond me.

I knew Tanya still had connections down here.

I also knew Jasper was not going to be able to keep Bella away and I shouldn't have put it past Aro to seek her out.

I have put her through so much shit and the fact that she is still here saving my ass will never make sense to me. She wants me to be out of this as much as I do but I am a dick for putting her in this much danger… again.

"Isabella, darling, please come to me." Aro kicks his feet off the desk and stands swiftly, walking to Bella and giving her his hand.

I watch Bella hesitate and she looks back at me. I give her a small nod even though I am uncertain what his next moves are.

I watch her walk slowly towards him, before reluctantly taking his hand.

"If you fail, I will kill you." He is arrogant as he speaks, smirking as he watches her facial expression and body falter.

He grabs her wrist to keep her from falling too much and I see red.

I watch Aro's other arm move to touch her again and launch towards the desk they're beside.

Aro moves behind the desk, his eyes wild, loving my reaction.

Cauis moves to in front of the desk but before I can push through him I feel a strong hand on my shoulder. I turn around quickly, blocking a fist.

Felix stands tall over me, but I am prepared, swinging twice and hitting his jaw the second time. It doesn't phase him and he charges over me, grabbing my wrist before the next punch with one hand and punching my stomach with the other.

I hear Bella scream as I fall to my knees feeling the air being knocked out of me. Alec and Dmitri are quickly on my sides, grabbing my arms and pulling them. I struggle against them, not showing them my defeat.

Caius cocks his gun and Felix moves his jacket back to show his gun in his waistband as a warning.

Before I can do anything else, Bella screams and all eyes are on her as she scrambles from the desk to get to me.

Jane reaches for her, missing her body and grabbing onto her hair, pulling her back slightly.

Bella goes into defense mode much like she pushed Renee. She swings her arms, hitting whatever she can to get out of Jane's grasp.

Jane stumbles back and I yell for Bella, snapping her out of her darkness. She looks at her hand for a second before continuing to me.

Jane is pissed and she reaches for Bella again but before she can lay another finger on her, Aro yells bringing everyone to a stop.

Bella ignores Aro and runs into them now that Alec and Dmitri have let go. I wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tight. We ignore the room as we settle our breathing pattern together

I finally pull away from her, grabbing her face and wiping the tears away from her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." She deserves a better apology than that but before I can say anything else Aro interrupts.

"I don't want to kill you in front of Isabella," He says like he's doing us a favor. "But I also have no use for you anymore. It seems you are…" he pauses, looking at how me and Bella are wrapped around each other in the middle of the room. "Too far gone."

I feel my breathing pick up again as I search for anything to protect me and Bella with.

"For this, your debt will be paid." Aro words are more careful.

"And for tonight?" Caius is annoyed because like Marcus said earlier, he is more than eager for a fight.

"Forgiven," Marcus speaks from his corner.

Everyone in the room is surprised.

"You can't be serious?" Caius throws his arms in the air, waving the locked and loaded pistol as well.

"They are already putting their lives on the line tonight. She said she will do it. Let them go," Marcus argues his reasoning but I know Marcus is a sucker for a love story.

"Brother!" Caius whines annoyingly.

"Enough!" Aro yells, pacing behind the desk, thinking over everyone's words.

I know if Aro wanted to kill me, he would have done so by now, but the deal must be too important.

"Edward, the offer stands. You lose, you both die. You win, you are free," Aro reiterates one last time, but there's something in his tone and body language hinting that he is not bluffing.

I look at Bella, knowing that I have to say yes. If this is my ticket out, I have to do it and I will stand by my promise that it will be the last game I play.

I want to tell her, reassure her and let her know everything is going to be okay but before I can even get the right words out, she nods, agreeing that this is our only option.

"It'll be like old times," she tries to joke, but I can hear the apprehension in her voice.

She has only known the underground casino games, not this kind. I know I can win and Aro does too, I wouldn't be alive after the stunt I pulled if he didn't. He needs me, he wouldn't keep offering me chances tonight if he didn't.

But hopefully he really thinks I am too far gone to hold onto his word.

"I want a blood oath." I state, feeling some confidence knowing that I am the only man for Aro's job tonight and he has to give me this.

Caius looks irate Aro nods, motioning for him to give him something.

"Stay here." I tell Bella, kissing her forehead and unwrapping her arms that have melted into me.

Everyone stands back with caution as I walk from the middle of the room to meet Aro by the fireplace.

Caius hands him an all black dagger with a gold emblem in the shape of a V with a shield on the front. Marcus comes from the side, carrying a large black book with the same crest on the front.

"Leave us." Aro tells his confused brother as this is normally an oath that includes all of them.

They don't argue and walk back to their previous spots in the room.

I take another look at Bella, who has moved to sit on the couch next to Felix instead of Jane.

"I think you know just as much as I do that if this were not crucial, you would not be here." Aro speaks softly so that only I can hear him.

I nod.

"I am not a person who cares much for love and frankly, had I known about her when I found out you were not coming to Italy with us, I would have used her as a pawn sooner." He chuckles but there is no humor behind his words.

I watch as he takes the black book and opens to a page with my name on it. There is also a picture of me with information like my birthday, place of birth, previous jobs, and my family member names. At the bottom of the page is an open space with two columns.

He sets the book on the fireplace mantle then adjusts the dagger in his hand.

"I knew from the moment I met you that you were something special." He continues, wiping the dagger with a handkerchief and stares into the fire. "You came into my casino as if you had been there before and outplayed men that have been playing since you were but a tiny specimen in your mother's womb."

I ignore the mother's comment and listen as he talks about how when we first met. The games I played for him and how he could have given me the world had I followed them to Italy.

"I did not realize how troubled you really were before you came to me. You must have been on your downward spiral then."

I think back to my times with Aro and the family. Compared to my games with Bella, the underground was much simpler for me. I didn't party all night, I didn't travel to top cities day after day, and I sure as hell did not come home with anyone. I played the games Aro needed me to and I went back to my hotel room awaiting my next assignment.

If I had met Aro before getting my ass kicked off of my money crazed horse, I would probably be deeper in this shit than I am now.

"Isabella seems like she is smart and can handle herself." His accent is strong as her name rolls off his tongue even in a whisper. Reminds me of my mother. Strong and always willing to fight for the men she loves, even if it means getting herself killed." He snickers.

I continue to ignore Aro's taunting, wanting to get this over with so we can finish what I came here for.

"Tell me, Edward." He asks as he takes the dagger and slices a large cut in the middle of the palm on his left hand. "Do you love her?"

He unwarningly takes my left hand and slices a cut in my left palm too. I try not to let the sting of the blade opening my skin bother me.

"With everything I have." I tell him without question.

"Let me tell you a secret about love," He says, holding his hand up in front of the book. I mimic his movement, watching blood trickle down our forearms before he lightly presses his palm to the page. "Greed always overpowers it."

I push my hand against the page, sealing my fate of the night and ready to prove Aro's words of wisdom wrong.

"Now that those theatrics are over." Aro rolls his eyes and sighs loudly. He grabs a second handkerchief from his pocket and throws it to me before using the one from earlier on himself. "Bella, there's a couple of dresses in the bathroom. Please change into something you like and be out no later than ten minutes. We have wasted far too much time."

Aro moves his hands across his suit, putting himself together before walking out the door we so long ago came through.

"Edward, please be at the table in fifteen minutes." Felix speaks to me like he didn't just try to rupture my intestines, but I nod and say nothing as I watch him close the door behind him.

I stand frozen in the middle of the room, still processing everything that has just happened.

I don't know how much time has passed but I am sure it has been long enough to peak interest in the guest so Aro is right that we should hurry.

Bella.

She sits, staring at the floor, arms by her side. Her long brown has curtained over her face.

"Bella." I speak softly.

I don't know if she hears me so I walk closer to her, slowly, then call for her again.

This time her eyes snap up at me and my heart begins to race.

"I'm so-," I try to apologize again but she holds her hand up to stop me.

She stands, grabbing my left hand that is now throbbing in pain. I wince and she kisses my knuckles, bringing attention to the bruising that has started to form.

"We can talk about it when it's over," she whispers before walking off quietly into the bathroom.

…

Author's note: What did you think about the fight from Edward's POV? I hope you liked it. Also, how do you think the rest of the game is going to go now that Bella is in the mix? Also, are we forgetting Jasper, Alice and Tanya upstairs? So many questions to be answered. See you all next time!