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Carlisle lifted Bella like she was a rag doll and carried her back to their parents' house, back inside where everyone was waiting. Edward immediately pulled her away from her brother. She didn't care. She had nothing to live for, not anymore. Charlie had been her salvation, her second chance at life, and Marcus had stolen her away. Like he had every good thing in Bella's life.
"B," Alice whispered, causing her to look at her. "Oh, B."
"They should have killed us a long time ago, Al," Bella whimpered, yanking herself out of Edward's arms, putting her hand up when he reached for her, when Carlisle reached for her, when Alice reached for her. "She was pure, she was innocent, Al. She was better than us!"
"She was," Alice cried, wrapping her arms around herself.
"She's gone, Al." Bella crumbled to the ground, feeling Alice's arms, Jasper's arms, Edward's arms wrap around her. "Why her? Why Charlie?"
Of course, nobody had an answer for her. The whys didn't matter. Marcus was a psychopath, and he wasn't going to stop, not until he killed everyone who got between him and her.
—MfM—
Bella and Alice stayed curled up together on the floor of the living room while everyone made plans for their next move. The house had been compromised. They'd have to leave again. They should never have come back. She had told them it wasn't safe. Nothing was safe, nowhere was safe. One by one Marcus would pick them off, take them away from her. Out of spite, out of vengeance for leaving him, for fighting back. He had broken her once, and he would break her again.
"B," Edward murmured, and when she looked over at him, he walked over and settled next to her. "B, they've confirmed that there were three bodies in the car. Two adults, one . . . one child. The bodies. . ."
"Burned beyond recognition, right?"
Edward frowned and nodded.
"He killed them, E. Because of me."
"I know, sweetheart," he whispered, bringing his hand up to her face. "But we have get out of here. Find someplace safe."
"Safe," Bella scoffed, pushing him away and standing up. "Safe? There's no place safe from him. He's never going to stop. Never!"
"B."
"Fuck you," Bella screamed, hitting him in the chest with her fists. "You promised to keep her safe! You fucking promised!"
Edward stood there and let Bella hit him, let him take her anger out on him, and she did. Until her legs gave out from under her, until she screamed and cried herself hoarse, she took her anger out on him, and Edward let her, because even he knew there was no stopping Marcus Volturi.
