DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc., are the intellectual property of the respective author. The original characters and plot are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended.

-Chapter Twenty-Three-

The news was still running our story the next day as we left. They painted Phil as an innocent man in the wrong place at the wrong time. He was ambushed by his stepdaughter, one he had raised since she was nine, and was assaulted and robbed by her criminal boyfriend. The footage was pretty convincing. It showed Phil throwing money at Edward with a gun against his head. We didn't take that money, but through crafty edits and manipulation, it illustrated a very different story.

The fact that the media blew it out of proportion, making it an absurd spectacle, wasn't all that surprising to me, but how could the law warp the truth like that? I knew Phil was good with the Sheriff, they were golfing buddies, but I never imagined that the Sheriff would help Phil create this outrageous lie.

It infuriated me.

"We should just go up there and tell them what happened, Edward," I ranted as he put our bags in the trunk.

The sun was barely coming over the mountains in the east, and it was still dark outside. We were making an early morning getaway, but not in the way I thought we would. Before we left, Edward knocked on Emmett and Rose's door and told them goodbye. I'm not sure if his words registered with them, but it was said, and that was all that mattered to him.

"They won't believe us, kid," Edward said, closing the trunk. "You were convicted of an assault and battery charge on Phil, and me, I am just a worthless piece of shit with a criminal record that is a mile long. We're fucked."

"And what about a lie detector test?" I asked, following him around toward the front of the car. "If we took it, they'll see that we're telling the truth."

He laughed. "Baby, those motherfuckers just doctored a video—actual fucking footage of what went down. What makes you think that they'll play fair with a fucking lie detector test?"

My shoulders slumped as I realized he was right. We were screwed. No one was ever going to believe us. They'll continue to hunt us down until we are safely behind bars.

Taking a step into him, I slipped my arms around his waist and rested my head on his chest. I sighed. "This sucks."

He hugged me tightly. "Welcome to my side of the law, kid."

I groaned. "It just makes me so mad that they're lying about what happened. They're making him look like the good guy, Edward…and it makes me feel…it's like he's won again. All those years I lived in that house afraid of what he was going to do, I just…I just wanted him suffer and pay for his actions for once. That's all."

It wasn't fair that a person like Phil continued to get away with such evilness. How long would he live before karma swung back around and bopped him on the head? And when it finally caught up with him, how many people would he have hurt by then? The countless lives he'll destroy with his sick and twisted selfishness.

I got away before he could ruin me. I was lucky, but would the next girl he set his sights on be as fortunate?

That was what worried me the most.

It'd been silent for a long time. My eyes were closed, and I listened to each breath as Edward's chest rose and fell. It was lovely and serene, but his hold around me soon grew tighter until I was wincing in pain.

"Oww," I croaked, tapping my hand on his back.

"Fuck," Edward said, releasing me from his death grip and pulling away. "I'm sorry, baby. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I said, tilting my head to the side. "Are you okay?"

There was this far-off look in his eyes, intense and brooding. Edward strained the muscles in his arms as he closed his fists. He was clearly on edge now, and I'm not sure what made him change from his relaxed demeanor.

"Come on," he said, gesturing for me to get in the car.

"Okay," I said, slightly confused by his sudden urgency, but I didn't question it.

Getting into the car, I fastened my seat belt and looked over at Edward. He searched through one of the duffel bags he placed in the backseat. He pulled out a gun, turned back to face the front, and took out the clip. It was fully loaded—not surprising—and he put it back into the gun. He set that gun on my lap and then reached over and opened the glove box without saying a word to me. He was getting out his Custom Colt. Edward unveiled it from the white cloth and checked the clip, ensuring he loaded it with bullets.

He sat up and tucked it into his back waistband. How it was comfortable to have jammed into his back while driving was beyond me, but he didn't seem to mind. He did it all the time.

"The suspense is killing me, Edward," I said, jutting out my lip in a mocked pout. "What's going on? Are we going to rob a bank or something?" Of course, I was only joking, but I got worried when he didn't answer me. "Are we?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "No, we're not going to rob a bank."

"Then what are we doing? Why are we packing heat?" I asked, lifting my gun and waving it at him.

He scowled and covered his hand over mine, shoving the gun back into my lap. "Jesus, kid, you can't just go flashing that shit."

"Fine, I'll be more discreet with my gun from now on, but you gotta let me in on your plans. Because despite what you may think, I can't read your mind," I said.

"We're making a short pit stop before we leave, and I think its best if we go in prepared," he said, starting up the car.

"This short pit stop of ours," I stated skeptically, "where exactly is this place?"

He glanced over at me and smiled sheepishly. "I was kind of hoping that you would give me the directions."

It didn't take me long to surmise what his sudden plans were. It shouldn't have shocked me as much as it did, considering how rash he was when protecting me, but it knocked the air right out of me.

"We're going to see Phil and Renee? Are you crazy?"

"What?" he asked with a simple shrug of his shoulders. "You said it yourself, Bella. They think they've won. Fuck that. I'm not going to sit here and watch you be distraught over that fucker. We're just going to go there, shake him up a bit, and leave. It's going to take five minutes and we'll have pancakes afterwards."

"Edward, this is not what I wanted," I said, throwing myself back into my seat. "I just wanted him to…."

"Pay?" he asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Yes, but through the law. I wanted him to rot in jail and be held accountable for his actions."

"Well, baby," Edward said, rubbing my leg, "I'm sorry to say, but the law ain't on our side. If you want that asshole to pay, we're going to have to do it ourselves."

I shook my head, knowing that he was right. The police weren't going to investigate Phil or pay attention to what I had to say. They made up their mind about me long ago. I was a runway and a criminal who had assaulted her stepfather a year ago and then robbed him blind outside a police station. They had it all on tape to prove it. So, I guess it was time to assume the role they had given me finally.

"You're going to need to get on the 202 and head east," I said, tucking the gun into the front of my pants.

Edward grabbed the back of my neck and pulled me to him, giving me a brief kiss on my lips. "That's my girl."

We pulled up on my old street around six in the morning. It looked the same, and I shuddered as the horrible memories flooded me. How many times had I walked this street to school, grateful that I'd dodged another advance from my stepfather? The only thing different was me. The last few months of being homeless and meeting Edward had left a deep imprint on me. It forced me to evolve and become a stronger person.

"I think we should park here and walk the rest of the way," Edward said.

We were two blocks away from Phil and Renee's house. It was a short distance, but Edward didn't want his car parked outside Renee and Phil's house. If the neighbors saw it, they'll be able to identify it to the police. So he was being safe, and I completely understood his logic.

This visit was going to be a little more than just a shake-up.

"Okay," I said, gulping back my nerves.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "Baby, if you don't feel right about doing this, you can always stay in the car."

"No, I want to come. I want to do this," I said.

"Alright," he said, caressing the side of my cheek. "Just follow my lead."

I nodded.

He leaned over and kissed me. It was powerful and profound, giving me the courage to face my parents for the last time. When he pulled away, I was breathless and dizzy.

"Let's go," he said, opening the car door and getting out.

Gripping his hand tightly, I followed close behind him as we walked down the street. The neighborhood was quiet, and only a few birds chirped, signaling the new day. The house was within my sight now, and both cars were in the driveway. It was a Monday morning, and Renee would be up already, making Phil some coffee. Their routine was predictable, and that worked in our favor.

We walked up to the door, and my heart started to race. I squeezed Edward's hand, feeling my anxiety heighten with every step we took. My eyes blurred and focused continuously as the blood pumped through my veins, leaving me with a mixture of uneasiness and excitement. Whatever happened next was going to determine how the rest of my life was going to be. Unfortunately, only a few people recognized that point in their life where they came across that fork in the road and still chose the path least traveled.

Edward's finger hesitated over the doorbell as we stood at the door, and he glanced down at me. "Do you trust me?"

"More than anything," I said.

He smiled, pushing his finger down and ringing the doorbell. "Good."

The high-pitched chime echoed throughout the house, and I could hear Renee's feet shuffling on the tile floor. She was wearing those God-awful slippers, those pink and fluffy kind that only five year old should be wearing.

The door swung open, and Edward reached for his gun. Renee was standing there before us with shock and disgust displayed across her face. It wasn't until Edward stepped up and pointed the gun at her head did she realize what was going on.

"Bella?" She whimpered with wide and scared eyes.

She was silently imploring me to help her, and that angered me. It was an insult to expect me to come to her rescue now. Where the fuck was she when I needed her help?

I smiled back at her coldly. "Hello, Mother."