Edited by Stilldreaming85.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

Edward Cullen.

I didn't want to hurt her, but I was left without any other choice. I could not leave her in Ragusa, it was not safe.

Leo had disappeared right from under our noses and Janina, well she was of no help. No matter what she said, I didn't believe her. She may not know where her father is now, but Leo is bound to make contact with her sooner or later.

The way I saw it, in order to catch a fool I had to act the fool. And so with that, I let Janian free, much to my father's disapproval.

I hadn't hurt Jania while she was in our basements, but I did have to knock her out. It was a necessary means in order to keep track of her and have her lead us to Leo. I had a chip inserted into her back below her shoulder just before the curve of her underarm.

Janina did not disappoint. The first thing she did when let free, she caught the first flight to Rome and then out to the States.

But that meant nothing. It didn't mean that Leo was there, but it was still a step ahead for us.

Leo hadn't disappeared without a bang. Carmen and Eleazar house had been reduced to nothing but rubble and ash. We were told it was a drive by. They had driven through the fence and thrown bombs inside. The explosions so powerful it shattered the windows of the surrounding homes.

They had to have thought we were there, thought it would be an easy kill. Finish the job that they couldn't have done the night before.

The arrangements had been made. We had to head back to New York, regardless if Isabella liked it or not. But this wasn't about liking or disliking, it was about safety and keeping her, and all of us safe.

Clearly we had underestimated Leo and whoever it was he was working with. It was pathetic and worrying at the same time. People knew their places, they knew not to mess or cross a line with us. But money is a son of a bitch, it can turn anyone into a cold blooded killer. If offered the right price, anyone could betray us. But I knew it was an inside job. Whoever had helped or was helping Leo, it was someone close to us, very close to us to be able to get in undetected the way they had.

~MINY~

Eleazar's funeral had been a quick event. It was over just as quick as it had begun. That did not mean we did not pay our respects, we just had a time limit to stick to. Our jet could only flight out at a certain time and if we did not meet that time, we had to wait another twelve hours until we would be cleared for departure.

I had had an array of men surrounding us at the cemetery. Carmen and my father had even taken to wearing bulletproof vests underneath their clothing. Although I found that to be a step too far, I kept my opinion to myself and let them be.

"Che riposi in pace," the priest said as he sprinkled a handful of dirt on Eleazar's coffin.

One by one, we all made our way past him to pay our final goodbye and lay a yellow carnation atop his coffin.

Carmen was holding herself well, too well if you ask me. She appeared heartbroken, yet she did not have a single tear in her eyes.

I remember my father had stopped and picked up some pills for her yesterday. I did not ask what they were, frankly, I did not care. But whatever it was she had taken, they were keeping her calm and for that I was grateful. The last thing any of us needed today was to deal with a hysterical, crying woman.

"It's time to go," my father said to his sister.

Carmen did not turn around or acknowledge him at all. My father put his arm around his sister's shoulder and pulled her closer to him. They stood there together as they watched the coffin lower into the ground.

A silence fell all around us. It was so quiet all that could be heard was the shoveling of the dirt filling the grave.

I glanced over at my mother, wondering what must be going through her head, what she must be feeling. She appeared distant, off in her own world, physically here but mentally not.

The last funeral she had attended had been her own son's.

A wave of guilt washed over me as I thought about my brother and stared at my mother. But there was nothing I could do about it. Things were just better this way, for now at least.

We had finally left and were on our way to the airport. Isabella had been quiet the entire morning. Not even my niece could stir a conversation with her.

It was unsettling seeing her in this state, with a blank expression on her face and in her eyes. There had only been one other time she had appeared this lost, in this state. I don't know why it bothered me more now than it had then.

I was not taking her back to New York to be my prisoner. I was not going to lock her away or hide her anywhere. She would be free, well as free as I could let her be for the time being. Until everything was sorted out and we had dealt with this whole situation, there would always be someone with her. It wasn't about me keeping a track of her, or keeping her under the radar. It was about her safety only.

If someone wanted to get to me, they would think to get to her first and I would not leave her an easy target.

She began to fidget as the car came to a stop on the tarmac. Her fingernails were digging into the palms of her hands. It wouldn't have surprised me if she had drawn blood.

"Hey," I said, putting my hands over both of hers, hoping that I could stop her from hurting herself. "Look at me," I demanded, but she wasn't quick to follow. I placed my hand on her cheek and turned her to face me, removing her glasses.

"I promise you, everything is going to be okay." She scoffed at me, pushing my hands away. "Isabella, please."

"You have made me so many promises, and yet you are not capable of keeping one," she said, turning her head away from me. "Let's just go."

She tried to open the door, but it had been blocked by our driver only to open when I gave the order.

"Why are you doing this to me?" She asked, as she pounded on the door.

"What am I doing to you right now, dolcezza?'

"You are taking me back there."

"I don't have another choice. You are not safe here. Can you not understand that?" I tried to reason with her. I hoped she would get on the plane peacefully. I hoped she would not put up a fight.

"I am perfectly safe here. It's you they are after," she yelled, turning her whole body back in my direction.

"Everything was fine, we were all fine. No one was trying to kill us until you came here. You brought all this destruction with you."

Maybe there was some truth to what she had said. Maybe it was me, my presence here that had brought all of this on. Or maybe it had always been their plan and my timing was only coincidental.

"It's all your fault." She cried, softy. "If you wouldn't have come, Eleazar would still be alive."

"That's not how it works, dolcezza."

She sighed, sounding defeated. She looked defeated, drained as if she had no willingness to fight anymore.

"Let me out of the car, Edward. I'm not going to run into the airport. I'll get on the plane. I'll go where you want me to go and be who you want me to be."