AN: This chapter comes with a warning. There is a mention of abuse that may be triggers. It's not detailed, but I wanted to be safe. See you on the flip side.
Chapter Ten
"I apologize for my behavior Edward, Bella," Tanya stated, wringing her hands.
Edward and Bella sat across from his clients. Though they appeared better, it was clear they were tired. Tanya appeared sincere in her apology.
"It's just, I know you've been through so much recently, Bella, with the loss of your grandmother and what happened with Vicky was hard enough on you. I would never want to trouble you with all this. You could've been hurt here, Bella."
Edward looked at Bella, as she nodded, accepting Tanya's apology. He knew Bella lost her grandmother recently, but who was Vicky? He'd have to ask later, along with the questions still left unanswered. At least he understood why Tanya was angry when they first arrived. A part of him hated that he had put her in danger, but he also knew they were safer working together.
Tanya and Alec weren't aware Bella technically stumbled upon the situation and helped save his ass and Jane's soul. He wasn't going to tell them they only just met, either. It was best that they knew as little as possible.
"Will you tell us what you know?" Alec asked, taking Tanya's hand. "We have so much to do. We need clean up and decide if we're staying. Right now, I just need to know the truth." Tanya agreed with her husband, and then, all eyes were on Bella.
She cleared her throat. "Irina was a deeply disturbed individual. She was very angry after her father died when she was a child, especially when her mother remarried less than a year later. She adored you at one point Alec, maybe even truly loved you, even your sister. She did her best to not be that person when she was with you."
"Are you saying she was deeply disturbed as a child? Why?"
Bella closed her eyes briefly, taking in a fortifying breath. "Something happened with her stepfather soon after joining the family."
"Oh God," Alec groaned, exhaling sharply. Tanya tightened her fingers around his, rubbing his back. "I never liked the man, and she said he hardly paid any attention to her all day."
"Unfortunately, at night was different," Bella murmured, her hand searching for an anchor between them. Edward quickly took a hold of her hand in both of his. It couldn't be easy to discuss what she found out. "He threatened to kill you, if she talked or didn't do what he wanted. This went on for years."
It was vile and Edward was happy he hadn't had a chance to eat. He would've been sick just then. It was so much worse that he believed it could be.
"The trip to Florida," Alec muttered, tears in his eyes. "That monster went after my sister during that trip, didn't he?"
"Your sister had one of those faces, looked much younger than she actually was."
"My poor sister," Alec cried, sobbing and slowly rocking within his wife's arms.
"Jane attacked him, fought like hell, until he threatened you and your parents." Bella shook her head. "After that first night, she avoided sleeping in her hotel room for the rest of the trip. Irina gave her the first taste of alcohol and some pain meds after Jane told her. Jane realized that he was hurting Irina, too. Irina wouldn't say anything, too afraid of him. Jane had every intention of going to the police, but he made it clear that he had the power to destroy them all. Who would believe a girl with mental health issues over an upstanding pillar of the community?"
"What mental health issues?" Tanya asked her husband.
"She was bipolar and they had just diagnosed her with depression," Alec said, his eyes staring blankly at the floor. "She was going to therapy once a week, but she stopped shortly after that trip. Now I know why."
"Jane couldn't handle keeping it a secret and staying home, eventually she left," Bella said and pulled her arm to her chest, taking Edward's hand, too. "She worked to pay the bills, eventually turning to drugs more and more. Irina kept in touch with her, showed her where to get the best shit that would make her forget and how she wouldn't have to pay for it."
"Keep going," Alec said, his voice deeper.
"She hooked for a few years, and it wasn't until she almost died at the hand of one her johns that she decided enough was enough. She asked Irina for help, but she said she couldn't give it to her. She was getting her shit cheaper because of Jane. Why would she want to help her? Irina made excuses, but from what I could make out of their memories, Irina had purposefully put Jane in her stepfather's path. She wanted someone else to share her misery."
The information sent Alec into another series of sobs, Tanya trying her best to calm him. He begged a tearful Bella to continue.
"Jane went into rehab, was clean for almost two years when she bumped into Irina again in the next town. Irina claimed that she was clean, that she was in therapy, and that she and Alec had married and happy. By then, Alec had already found out about drugs, cut her off financially, but Jane had no idea. Jane had money, a trust fund after your grandmother died. Irina saw her potential new cash cow, but she just had to make sure Jane didn't get to you."
"That bitch." Alec's voice was nearly animalistic. "Jane was ready to come home, that's what you're saying."
"Yes, but Jane was worried that you would hate her, wouldn't be able to forgive her for running away. Thought you'd see her differently after what happened to her, for all the things she'd done." Bella dropped her head, tucking her chin against her chest. Edward brushed his thumb over her knuckles, gently turning her hand. Her sleeve slipped up just enough for him to see that her markings were glowing a deep blue. The others were close enough for them all to feel.
"Irina had hoped to get Jane access to her trust before she went to see the family. Jane was staying at a motel, worked at a diner, a place she knew you wouldn't ever stop to eat. One night Jane found Irina high as hell in her hotel room, a used condom wrapper in the trash, and found paperwork stating that Alec had cut her off and about her trust fund. Irina was using Jane's room to make money so she could pay for her next hit."
"Fucking hell," Edward groaned, wiping at his mouth and tugging at his hair. "They fought, didn't they?"
"Irina came around and Jane confronted her, said she was going to call her brother right then. Irina knew if Alec found out she was still using, that she'd been selling her body for money that the chance for a fairytale life would end. They fought, Jane was exhausted after a twelve-hour shift, and she was considerably smaller and stronger. Irina wrapped her hands around Jane's throat, put a knee on her chest, it didn't take long for Jane to lose consciousness."
Before Bella had a chance to continue, Alec ran to the half-bath down the hall. Tanya wiped away tears, running after her husband.
Edward sat beside Bella, staring at nothing but seeing too much. Everything Bella described he saw in his mind.
"She buried Jane alive, didn't she?" Edward was afraid of the answer.
"Yes." Bella whispered Jane's name, and she appeared, looking nothing like the figure he'd seen before. Her hair was down in loose curls that reached the middle of her back. Her skin no longer held the grayish tint that most spirts had.
"Are you ready to crossover?" Bella asked, squeezing Edward's hand. He didn't want Jane to go without a proper goodbye, but it was ultimately her choice.
Jane looked at Edward and then at Bella. "No."
"You have to give your brother some peace of mind," Bella replied, holding out her hand. Jane slipped her fingers through Bella's and smiled. "Will you do that for him?"
Jane nodded and slowly disappeared. At the room's doorway stood Alec and Tanya. They hadn't caught the conversation, but they'd seen Jane. Bella leaned toward Edward and whispered, "Let me do the talking."
He had no idea what was going on, but he had to trust Bella once again.
"My sister is here," Alec said, holding onto his wife.
Edward explained to them that Jane had attached herself to him the night of his accident, claiming that he reminded her of someone though she wasn't sure whom. It wasn't until he arrived to meet Alec that Jane finally remembered who she was and everything that happened to her.
"I could continue," Bella offered, gesturing toward the couch they had left. "I'm sorry if I was a little too detailed, I tend to get lost in the memories I see."
"How did Irina get away with this? She wasn't capable of handling a murder scene." Alec seemed to know what was coming, and maybe a part of him didn't want to know.
"Irina called someone she could trust to help and they were able to get Jane's body out of there without anyone catching them. Jane's rent wasn't due for another week. They used Jane's phone to text her boss that she was sick and wouldn't be in for a few days. When management came in after no answers from her, they found the room key and her things gone and thought nothing bad about it. Her boss was used to girls coming and going without a word, and didn't report her missing either."
"Was my sister alive when they dumped her body?"
"Just barely," Bella whispered, looking away. Tears slipped down her cheek as she continued to speak. "During the struggle, she had hit her head, combined with the choking, she couldn't wake up. She felt very little when they buried her, but she may have been aware."
Alec shifted until his head lay on his wife's lap. "She was alone, she hated the dark."
For several minutes, no one said a word. Edward wasn't sure what he felt. He'd known Jane for five years, had helped him through the worst part of his gifts. Bella held up her arm and together they sunk further into the couch, holding each other. Edward had always been protective of Jane, in a brotherly kind of way. It was no wonder she had attached herself to him, he was the same build as her brother and other than the color of their hair and their ages, they could pass as relatives.
"It hadn't been long after that Irina had overdosed, her secrets dying with her." Alec shook his head, clenching his eyes tight.
"That was Jane right?" Tanya asked, running her fingers through her husband's hair. "The spirit we saw a while ago."
Bella sat up, keeping her arm tucked against Edward. "She has a message and then she'll be able to move on."
Alec's tears renewed, his face paling further. "How can I face her when I failed her? She was my sister and I didn't know. I didn't know."
Jane appeared between them, dressed in something very different from what she usually wore around Edward and the others. The dress was white, a little past her knees, and seemed to be in constant motion. Tanya stared up at Jane, even gave her a little wave and smile. Jane laughed and the room seemed to warm up with the sound. Alec startled, but eventually turned to see his sister.
"I'll be okay," Jane said softly to them. "I am okay. I needed you to find out the truth for so long and I couldn't move on until now." There was something about her voice, Edward never noticed before, an echo of sorts, as if she were speaking across a canyon.
Edward shared a look with Bella, confused about what was happening. Jane had said she didn't want to crossover. Had she changed her mind?
"I'm so sorry, Jay," Alec cried, sitting up and looking desperate to touch his sister. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I couldn't risk him hurting you, or our family. I thought it was for the best." She shrugged, her curls bouncing around playfully. "And now the man that hurt me is dead and in hell for everything he did. So is Irina."
"Irina's stepfather had a heart attack a few years after Jane disappeared. They got away with everything though, they didn't suffer," Alec spat, seething. His hands curled into fists. Edward noticed the change in Jane's appearance the angrier Alec got. The tips of her fingers were black, wisps of the darkness circling up into her palms.
"You need to let it go," Edward warned him. "Jane was very angry earlier, and she almost lost her soul because of it. She feeds off your energy, too."
Alec's face softened, the cruel twist of his lips fell away. "Why would she lose her soul?"
"Because I had almost reached the point that I would've sacrificed all of you if it meant she was sent to hell."
Alec closed his eyes, Tanya whispering softly in his ears. "My parents deserve to know something and have some peace."
"Bella can lead the police to where my body is buried," she whispered, reaching out for her brother. "Let them come up with their own conclusions. If you tell them any of what you've learned tonight, they'd think you're crazy."
"They'll be devastated, but they'll want closure."
"They'll get some, there's enough evidence to convict the man that helped Irina cover up my murder." Jane's hand reached out to touch her brother's cheek, the same one that Irina had scratched. His breath hitched, the red marks disappearing. "It's time for me to go."
"I can feel you." His whisper seemed to choke him. "I'm sorry, Jane." He dropped his head on his wife's shoulder and cried. "I love you. Goodbye, Jay." Tanya held him as she whispered said goodbye.
"I love you, too, Ace," Jane whispered, using her brother's nickname. "Take care of him, Tanya. And my niece, protect her and love her."
Tanya nodded, raising her tear-filled eyes at Jane. Her head tipped upward, smiling. They watched as Jane's form started slowly to dissipate in a brilliant, warm light.
Bella whispered something softly under her breath, pulling her sleeves down. "What was that?" Edward asked, confused and hurt that Jane had said nothing to him.
Bella pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering, "She laid it on a little thick."
His eyes widened, as he finally understood. "She's still here?" Bella nodded and offered Tanya and Alec some privacy. They walked into the kitchen and sat in two of the only remaining chairs.
"Can you explain what just happened?" Edward asked as he adjusted Bella's chair so that she sat right beside him.
"Jane isn't ready to move on, but she knew her family needed closure."
"So all of that, the light, the warmth, her disappearing under that bright beam was her faking it?" he said, not buying it. It looked pretty fucking real to him.
"I helped a little," Bella said, shrugging. "She did what she had to do so he could move on. She had to leave for now, because now that her brother is aware of spirits, he would've known she hadn't left." She pulled out her cell phone and asked him to point out where his accident occurred.
He pointed it out and she enlarged the map. "Why do you need that location?"
"The police will need to know the starting point to the map I'm going to give them. To find her body, I mean."
"But if they have her body, wouldn't Jane be forced to crossover?"
Bella sighed and looked at him. "Jane isn't attached to some inanimate object or her body. She's attached to you."
Edward had always feared that Jane remained with him for that reason.
"And if they do find it, then what?"
"Well, officially they'll take another look at her original missing file case, investigate. They'll eventually learn that Irina had been involved, along with a drug dealer that helped her. I'll give them just enough information to get started."
"I don't know if I should be upset that Jane won't move on or happy that she hadn't left without saying goodbye." Edward rubbed his face and wanted a few more shots. "That was fucking brutal. I can't charge them now." Bella hummed and reached for his hand. His gaze rose to meet hers. "You saw all of that didn't you?" She shivered violently in reply before he pulled her into his arms.
.
.
.
It was after two-thirty in the morning by the time Edward and Bella, along with the homeowners Alec and Tanya Williams finished with the police. They would report the break-in to the insurance company first thing in the morning. A search team conducted by Detective Biers would start the search for Jane's burial site the following day.
Edward walked into the neighbor's house with Bella close behind him. Without even talking, they each made their way to the game room, and their first stop was the bar. He walked around the bar and served them each a shot.
Bella leaned toward him, her arms tucked against the top of the bar, throwing her drink back. "You can't stay here, Edward," she said, frowning at her empty shot glass. "I'm pretty sure the owners have video cameras here. They'd know you were here and they were dead set against visitors."
"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, pouring her another drink. She looked up at him and shook her head. "Then I'll stay." He walked over to one of the bags he had at the house next door, pulling out a laptop. "Let's see what they have going on here." He asked for the network password, which the homeowners had given Bella to use their Wi-Fi. "The security cameras are on the same network and oh, my!" She laughed at his convincing shocked face. "It appears that all video cameras stopped working. The network is very spotty, something must be wrong with it." He closed his laptop after a few more minutes of typing. "Just be sure to mention shitty service the next time they call to check in."
She gave him a coy smile, but it fell when Edward yawned. "Come on, let's get some sleep."
Edward rolled his eyes, taking her hand and following her into guest bedroom. Exhaustion was claiming him, though he was very much aware of them each stripping down to their underwear. They crawled under the covers and faced each other.
She touched his cheek and whispered, "Get some sleep." He did with no protesting, content that he'd wake up with her beside him.
Bella's fingers skimmed over his forehead, the tips glowing due to his nearness. His hair was slightly damp after a long, anxious night. She wanted to stay, wrap his arms around her for the next few hours. Instead, she jumped out of bed and went out to her car to get the things she needed. Her insides were already burning as a clock struck three in the morning. She quickly threw up a spell around Edward, something that would keep the dead away from them. Her feet carried her to the small room she found earlier, placing the chair she brought with her in the center. She closed and locked the door behind her. The markings on her skin glowed a deep red as she approached the special chair, and she sat, quickly chaining herself to it before it was too late.
AN: I wanted to thank everyone for their reviews and recs on various media sites. I appreciate each and every one, and I'll try my best to answer non-spoiler questions from now on. You have your answers about Jane and Irina, but I'm sure a few more popped up with this chapter cliffhanger. Oops.
