*deep breath* This is a monster of a chapter, the biggest so far, and to date it's been the most challenging one to write, but just stay with me, okay?

Let's hear from Edward, shall we?

She was going to be the death of me.

I collapsed back against the couch, breathing hard, my body still twitching from the mind-blowing orgasm that had left me dazed. My dick pulsed weakly, completely spent.

I frowned as the air conditioning chose that moment to click on, the cold breeze blowing across my now cum-splattered stomach. Fuck. I hadn't planned on coming like a Mac truck in my living room, didn't have anything close by to deal with the mess. That simple phone call to say good night had went in a direction I honestly hadn't anticipated. I shouldn't have been surprised, though. The woman could turn me on faster than flipping a light switch, and when she sent me that fucking gorgeous picture of her, all rosy cheeks and happy eyes, her creamy shoulders naked above the water, I'd been rock hard in moments. After we'd hung up, it had taken me approximately twenty-two seconds before I cursed my way through a blindingly hot orgasm.

Standing shakily, I made for the kitchen. I grabbed some paper towels and wiped off, then tucked myself back into the track pants I had thrown on after changing out of my work clothes to eat dinner. It would have to do for now; I planned on taking a shower, anyway, but had decided to call Bella first.

Bella.

Never could I have imagined how quickly my life would change when Jasper and I got the call to take the statement of Chaser's girlfriend, she who had narrowly escaped with her life. The Violent Crimes Bureau had been monitoring Deveraux for months, and since Chaser had been exposed as a known associate, we needed to find out if she knew anything about her now-deceased boyfriend's criminal actions and if they involved Deveraux. Of course, she'd had no fucking clue.

My first reaction to Bella took me completely off guard. The minute I'd stepped into that hospital room and saw her looking so small and weary in the bed, my heart had literally jumped in my chest. Even with the trauma she had been through, she was still beautiful to me, those rosy lips and shiny, coffee-colored hair the first things I noticed. One eye was swollen and bruised, and both were bloodshot, but her voice was mostly steady and calm when she spoke. Jasper performed introductions, and all I could do was just stand there silently, trying to calm my racing heart and suddenly sweaty palms.

Thankfully, Jasper did most of the immediate questioning and by the time I actually spoke to her I'd pulled myself together and managed to keep any emotion from affecting my voice.

Well, mostly.

I found her to be articulate and well-spoken; her voice was raspy from her ordeal, but I could tell it was pleasingly deep, yet feminine. It was easy to see the toll it took on her to recount the whole story, and I'd had the strongest urge to edge closer, to hold her hand, do anything I could to help her even the slightest bit. Her account was heartbreaking to listen to, and I felt such anger towards the person who had caused all of this. I was happy he was dead.

Bella impressed me with her strength. I'd seen a lot of shit in my career, had witnessed people fall into spirals of depression and/or fear after living through something like that. My heart went out to every one of them, it really did. We, as law enforcement officers, receive specialized training to help deal with the threats we face every day on the job, to make sure we're as safe as possible. But, for victims like Bella, when the violent acts truly do come out of nowhere, they can't be prepared for something like that and sometimes it just breaks them.

I was relieved when it became apparent that she was not going to let the terrifying situation get the best of her, and everything I learned about Bella in the days since the hospital made me admire her even more.

I wanted to make her mine.

The immediate attraction I felt for her had not faded in the slightest in the weeks since her attack. It grew stronger every time I spoke to her or saw her. Meeting her in the park, I'd shocked the hell out of myself by telling her of the nightmare my mother went through. At the time, I didn't understand why I did it, except maybe I wanted her to realize it didn't make her weak if she did end up needing professional help to aid in her healing. I'd watched my mother struggle so much, but therapy had been a miracle for our family. It had brought her back to us.

When I'd realized Garrett's wedding was being held at her hotel, I'd warred with myself over whether or not to approach her while I was there. She'd been through a horrible thing and I thought maybe it would be best to just let things be for a while, to give it some time. I could always get in touch with her later, take things at a slow pace. But then, when I'd glimpsed her looking so adorable in that hoodie with her face free of makeup as she slipped around the corner? There just hadn't been a choice. It felt like I was meant to see her; had I left the wedding one minute sooner or one minute later, we would not have crossed paths. So, I took it as a sign and followed her.

From then on, she consumed me, my connection to her unlike anything I'd ever experienced before. I found myself speaking of things in my life that I usually only shared with people I'd known and trusted for years, yet it felt right to be so open, to show myself truly to her. I wasn't someone who trusted easily, yet with Bella I felt like I had to be nothing but totally honest with her. There was none of the getting-to-know-you bullshit, no holding back parts of myself until I was more comfortable. Her mere presence invited me to share the good and the bad of my world, and I loved that she was willing to do the same.

Flashes of our time together flipped through my mind like a slideshow. Her office, telling her about Tanya in the coffee shop, dinner at Ben's place, her needless yet flattering jealousy, talking and laughing for hours, kissing her on her rooftop. Oh God, those kisses. I wanted to explore every single inch of her fucking amazing little body. Her curves drove me crazy; that rounded ass like a flawless peach, her smoothly muscled legs, tiny waist, those tits that were heavy and warm and a perfect fit for my hand. She smelled incredible, so fresh and sweet, and when she laughed her brown eyes shined like liquid chocolate.

Bella was the whole package. She was strong and confident, but I'd seen the softer, more vulnerable side of her as well. She was smart and funny, her beauty just the topping on the cake. I wanted her so badly, and when she confessed that she fucking dreamed about me,it had taken every bit of willpower I possessed not to carry her into her bedroom and lay her down on that giant, decadent bed. I wanted to just lose myself in her for hours, to become very intimately acquainted with her scent and her taste, to find all the spots that made her shiver and scream. It would have been so easy; I knew she wanted me just as badly, she'd even told me as much. But, I would have beenunable to take my time with her, not the way I wanted for our first time together, and the thought of leaving her afterwards was just unacceptable. So, I'd very reluctantly put a stop to things before I lost my strength.

We'd spoken on the phone several times since then, but the week really had been dragging by at a snail's pace for me. It didn't help that I'd spent the last two days in court, definitely not my favorite part of the job. At least tomorrow I would get a change of scenery as Jasper and I drove to Miami. A shipment of weapons had been confiscated and it looked like there was a connection to one of our cases in Tampa. As a bonus, I knew I was going to be getting some kickass picadillo and Cuban bread with olive butter from my favorite little Spanish cafe down there.

Then it would be Friday and there was dinner with my parents and my Aunt Jane and Uncle Felix, who was my mom's brother. They never had children and lived abroad in England these days, but were coming to check on some rental property they owned. They only came to town a few times a year and so my mom wanted to do a family dinner. Jasper's sister Rosalie was also coming to dinner; my mother just adored her and had ever since they'd met so many years ago. With Jasper and I being partners as well as best friends, our families saw a lot of each other. I'm pretty sure that at one point my mom had some hope that Rose and I would fall for each other, but there hadn't ever been that kind of spark between us. She was like my kid sister, as much as Jasper was a brother to me. They were my family, if not by blood, then by choice. My mom invited her to dinner on Friday because she knew that the Spanish paella she was planning on making was Rose's favorite dish and she'd promised to teach her how to prepare it. I was looking forward to just relaxing and catching up with some of my favorite people. Jasper had been invited as well, but he'd already had plans to meet up with some of the guys from the station to hit the driving range, since Alice would be busy with Bella at the gala.

After Friday would come what I'd been looking forward to more than anything. Practically a whole weekend with Bella. I knew what was going to be happening and I planned on spending a large portion of that weekend with her in my bed. I'd feed us, of course. We'd need the strength for all of the scenarios that were on a constant loop in my mind since the moment I'd invited her over. Long before that, actually. I was determined to learn her body, find out what pleased her and excited her the most, which places to touch and kiss and lick to ensure she lost her mind. It was a task I was really looking forward to.

The weekend couldn't come quickly enough for me.

After locking up my house for the night, I took a shower and crawled naked into my bed. I was tired after a long day, plus some good food, and a fantastic orgasm. In the morning I'd be one day closer to seeing her again. I grabbed my phone off the nightstand and sent her a quick text, hoping it wouldn't wake her, but unable to stop myself.

I wanted to, angel. More than anything. But I think it would have made the waiting that much harder. 3 more days, Bella. Then everything that we've both thought about becomes reality. 3 more days and you're mine xo

Her reply came swiftly.

I'm already yours, baby. In 3 days I'll prove it. XO

Like I said, she was going to be the death of me.

*EotN*

"Can you believe that cowardly piece of shit hasn't even introduced us yet?"

I burst out laughing at Rosalie's greeting. After seeing my mom and dad and Jane and Felix, I'd made my way into the kitchen to grab a beer and found Rosalie taking the tails off some shrimp for the paella that was baking away in the oven and filling the kitchen with a mouthwatering aroma.

"Well, hello to you, too," I replied, walking aver and poking her in the ribs before getting a beer from the fridge. "How lovely to be in your company again, Rosalie."

She rolled her eyes at me.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. But, really, Edward? He's ga-ga over this Alice woman, yet he refuses to let me meet her."

"Rose, they've only been on a few dates."

"Trust me, my brother is a goner. Have you seen that stupid smile he gets when he talks about her?"

"Yes, I'm quite familiar with it," I said with a laugh and a nod.

"Goner. I mean, we live together, it's not like it would be out of the realm of possibility for her to come over, would it? They're on the freaking phone all night long, he wanders around the house like he's in a trance and they just jabber away at each other. Do me a solid, Edward, and just smack me across the face if I ever act like that, okay? But, still, as annoying as he is, I know she makes him happy and I want to meet her, damn it!"

And with that, she angrily threw the last shrimp tail into a bowl and let out a frustrated huff before washing her hands at the sink. I leaned against the counter and shook my head at her, taking a long swallow from my beer.

I loved Rose to death, but she could be a lot to handle sometimes. She was impatient, had a hell of a temper, and was honest to a fault. She was also one of the most loyal and loving people I'd ever met, once you cracked through the bitchy exterior. Younger than Jasper by three years, she had bounced back and forth between her divorced parents until she was seventeen and then she came to live with him and never looked back. The Whitlocks had been shitty parents and neither Jasper nor Rose saw them very often these days. He'd had his hands full with her when she was younger; Rose had been a bit of a wild child. He'd almost blown a gasket when she told him she wanted to be a tattoo artist and open her own shop. But, she'd proven to him how serious she was by working hard in art school while holding down a part time job, and then getting an apprenticeship at a very well known shop. She steadily built her reputation there and eventually, with the help of an inheritance from her grandmother, opened her own place at the age of twenty-five. Her work was stellar and word traveled fast. These days, people drove from all over the state to have their ink done by her, and her shop in Ybor held a shelf of the various awards she'd won so far.

It occurred to me, just then, that Rose and Bella had quite a bit in common. They were both strong and determined, both quite successful women in otherwise mostly male dominated industries, and both had been dealt a crappy hand when it came to parents. There was also the fact that they were both stunning. Whereas Bella was petite and dark and curvy, almost exotic looking, Rose was tall and statuesque. Her hair was long and blond, her eyes a startling violet color. She stood five foot ten in her bare feet, and could bring a man to his knees when she was wearing a bikini. I'd witnessed it myself, on more than one occasion. Her skin was pale and unmarked, an odd thing considering how she made her living. But, Rose always said she had no interest in marking her own body, it was everyone else's she loved to get her hands on. It was the aspect of creating unique art for each individual person that drew her to become a tattoo artist. She found it very personal, and often said she learned a lot about people when they bared their skin to her. I'd have to agree that it was very personal, or at least it should be.

"Edward, where the heck are you? Because you sure as shit aren't in your mother's kitchen with me."

I jumped at her words, and she laughed deeply.

"Holy fuck, I know that face! You're as much of a goner as Jazz is!"

"I'm not even going to try and deny it, Rose. Bella is amazing, and I've fallen as hard and as fast as a person can possibly fall," I told her truthfully. Her eyebrows rose as she came towards me, her hands on her hips.

"Edward," she whispered. "This is really that serious? I've never heard you talk about someone like this."

"There hasn't ever been someone like this," was my simple reply. I shrugged and drank the rest of my beer, tossing the bottle in the recycling can under the sink.

"Well, in that case, I can't wait to meet your Bella, either. We should do like a dinner or something. I'd really love to see for myself these woman who have come to mean so much to my brothers."

"That sounds like a great idea. Hey, who's covering the shop tonight, anyway? Aren't Fridays usually really busy?"

"Yeah, but Jared can handle it. I didn't schedule any clients tonight; I planned on cutting out early, anyway, even before Esme invited me for dinner. I haven't taken a night off in a long time, ya know? I'm starting to feel a bit burned out."

"It's fucking phenomenal that your shop has become so successful, but I'm sure you're under a fair amount of stress. Are you doing okay?"

"Oh, I'm good, honest. Ya know what it is, I think I'm just feeling a bit fucking lonely these days." She sighed and leaned her elbows on the counter top. "It's been six months since Royce and I broke up and while I don't miss him per say, I do miss the companionship. Ya know, someone to talk to at the end of the day, a snuggle buddy to watch a movie. Plus I'm coming up on the longest fucking dry spell ever, and I'm not gonna lie, I miss the sex." I had to hold back a laugh at her scowl as she said that. "Problem is, there hasn't been anyone lately who has even sparked an interest, and I've been so busy at the shop I haven't had time to even make an attempt to hook up."

I grabbed two more beers and handed her one, throwing my arm around her shoulders and giving her a squeeze.

"Well, all I can tell you is that, talking from my own experience, meeting that person can happen when you really do least expect it. So just keep your eyes open, Rosebud."

She rolled her eyes at my use of the silly nickname I'd given her years before, but she did lean her head on my shoulder and clank her beer bottle against mine.

"Here's to least expecting it," she toasted, and we drank.

Dinner that night was a fun and light-hearted affair. My mother's fucking superb paella was accompanied by a giant Ceasar salad, fresh bread from Le Segunda, and Rose had brought my dad's favorite homemade coconut cream pie bars. We ate and laughed and I couldn't remember a family dinner I'd enjoyed more in recent years. I really did need to make a point of coming to see my parents more often, but it was difficult sometimes because of my crazy work schedule, plus my fathers' hours at the hospital and my mom meeting with all her various clients. I was quizzed about Bella, of course. My mom and dad knew I was seeing someone, but then all four of them ganged up on me while Rose looked on in glee. I didn't offer too much, just an adequate amount to appease the worst of their curiosity.

After dessert was demolished by all of us, my mother insisted on packing me up some leftover paella into containers I could freeze at home for future dinners, and I was helping her in the kitchen when my phone rang. The screen showed me it was Bella, our smiling faces looking back at me, and I answered it with a grin.

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be mingling at your gala with your guests right about now?" I said teasingly.

"Edward, it's Jake."

My entire body tensed.

"Jake, what's wrong? Why do you have Bella's phone, where is she?"

"She's fine, I promise. She didn't want me to call you, but something's happened and she's extremely upset, and I think maybe you should come."

"I'm on my way, I'll be there in ten minutes," I told him and hung up.

"Sweetie, what is it?" My mom asked, drying her hands on a dish towel. She and Rose and my Aunt Jane were looking at me with concern.

"I have to go, something's happened, I don't know what, but I have to get to Bella. That was her friend Jake and he said she's really upset. I'm sorry, Mom, tell Dad and Uncle Felix I'm sorry-"

She held her hand up, shushing my words.

"Don't you worry about it, darling boy. You go to your Bella, I hope everything is okay."

I pressed a kiss to her cheek as well as that of my Aunt Jane, before turning to Rosalie.

"Rose, can you take me? I hadn't planned on driving this early, and I had a good amount of wine with dinner, plus those beers before."

"Absolutely, come on."

We jumped into Rose's 4Runner and she navigated the streets of downtown expertly, getting us to Luxe in record time. Due to the gala being held tonight. it was busier than normal, but Rose spotted an empty space and quickly pulled into it, tires practically squealing. Billy opened the lobby doors for us as we entered, and I saw Seth waiting at the front desk.

"Edward!" He waved us over. "Come on, I'll send you up. Well, hello darlin', I'm Seth," he spoke to Rosalie as we walked towards the bank of elevators.

"Seth, this is Rosalie, a good friend of mine who drove me here."

"Hi, Seth," she gave him a little wave and he winked.

"Is she okay?" I asked him as we waited. "Jake didn't tell me much."

"Shaken up and scared, but otherwise unharmed. It seems like some sort of a sick joke, but I'll let them explain it to you. Jake and Emmett are up there with her, Alice is handling things at the gala, and I have to get back to the bar."

The elevator arrived and Seth scanned his thumb and entered the code before punching the button for the penthouse.

"Thanks, Seth," I said, nodding at him.

"No problem, Edward. Take care of her tonight, she's feeling a bit fragile, I think. It was lovely to meet you, Rosalie."

"You too, Seth."

The elevator doors closed, and as the car began to rise Rosalie turned to me.

"Shit, Edward, should I be here? I just kinda followed you, but she doesn't even know me. I don't know what's going on, but she might not want a stranger in her home right now."

"Just come in for a minute, at least until I can find out what's happening, okay?"

She nodded.

The elevator stopped at the penthouse and I walked quickly to Bella's door. It swung wide before I could ring the doorbell and Jake stood there. He looked solemn.

"Thanks for coming so quickly," he said, waving us inside.

"Rose, this is Jake. Jake, Rose," I said by way of introduction. "She drove me here." They nodded at each other and then Jake turned his attention to me.

"Bella didn't want me to bother you because she knew you were having dinner with your family, but I really feel like she needs you right now, man. Plus, we definitely need to report this to the police."

"Report what? What is it?"

Jake sighed.

"She was about to head up to her place to start getting ready for the gala. We were at the front desk, just going over a few final details. She remembered that there was a folder in her car that she needed, something about one of the pieces of art in the silent auction. So she ran out to the car to grab it. About a minute later she came tearing back inside, her face as white as a sheet, crying. She ran right past me, trying to get to the elevator. I went after her but she was pretty incoherent, all I could understand was that it had something to do with her cats. We get to her place and she calls for them, and of course those two spoiled things come running, and she literally collapses onto the floor and starts sobbing. It took me a while, but I finally got it out of her."

He took a deep breath and ran a hand through his dark hair in an agitated movement.

"Edward, when she opened her car door there were two dead cats inside, on the passenger seat."

"What the hell?" I barked, confusion and then anger shooting through me. Jake nodded.

"Yeah. Someone put two fucking dead animals in her car. One was orange and one was white and they were. . . well, pretty mutilated, obviously killed for that purpose. She thought they were Ginger and Mary Ann, and to be honest I would have thought the same thing, with the color of the fur. Whoever did it wanted her to think it was them."

I was stunned.

"Jake, are there security cameras in the garage? Where her car was?"

He nodded.

"Has anyone else touched the car?"

"No. Nothing has been touched at all."

"Ok, hold on a second."

I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed the station, explaining the situation. Luck was on my side, and a patrol officer I knew well happened to be available and promised to be there soon, along with a couple of others to process the car. Satisfied, I turned back to Jake.

"Someone will be here soon. Now, where is she?"

"In her room. Emmett's in there with her."

I turned to Rosalie, who looked just as shocked as I felt.

"I'm gonna go talk to her. You can take off if you want, or hang for a minute."

"I'd personally love a drink right now," Jake chimed in. "Rose, can I get you something?"

She nodded.

"Absolutely. I'll stay for a bit, Edward."

"Okay."

I made my way to her bedroom, saw that the door was slightly open, and pushed it wider. It revealed Emmett sitting on the edge of Bella's massive bed, her small form curled up with her head on his lap, and his large hand was rubbing her back. Both Ginger and Mary Ann were on the bed next to her. It was so hard for me to see her like that, and my heart ached in my chest. Even with the nightmare she went through with Chaser, I'd never seen her like this, so visibly vulnerable and obviously hurting. She just looked so . . . wounded. Every protective instinct I possessed rose up inside of me.

I knocked lightly on the door frame and Bella's eyes fell on me. She sat up quickly and I met her halfway as she stumbled towards me. I wrapped my arms around her trembling form and her fingers clutched the front of my shirt.

"I told them not to call you, but I'm really fucking glad you're here," she said into my neck, her voice brimming with tears.

"I'm sorry, angel," I murmured against the top of her head. "I'm so sorry someone did that to you."

Emmett gave me a nod as he moved past us and closed the door behind him. I guided Bella over to the chaise in front of her fireplace and sat down, pulling her onto my lap and just holding her against me. She cried softly for a little bit, barely making any noise at all.

"Those poor kitties, Edward," she finally said, her voice tremulous. "How could anyone be so cruel?"

"I don't know, but we'll find out who did this. There's an officer on the way right now." I gently lifted her chin to study her beautiful, tear-stained face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded.

"I'm fine. Just shocked and . . . sad. They looked like them, Edward. One orange and one white and I thought-" Her words ended with a sob and I pressed my lips against her forehead.

"But, it wasn't. And it's really sad what happened to those poor cats, but your spoiled girls are just fine. Someone just wanted to scare you."

"Well, it worked," came her disgruntled reply. "Now poor Alice is stuck handling the gala practically by herself because I can't pull myself together, and your family dinner got interrupted because of me."

"Don't be ridiculous, Bella. And what is all this about not wanting to call me, huh?" I pulled back to look down into her face. She gave a little shrug.

"It's just that I knew you were looking forward to spending time with your aunt and uncle, and your parents, and it wasn't like a matter of life and death or anything. I was planning on calling you later, after I had calmed down a bit. Except, I can't seem to." She shivered and I hugged her close.

"You can call me any time at all, angel. No matter what. Now, give me two minutes and I'll be right back, okay?"

She nodded and I stood, setting her gently on her feet. I dipped my head and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. Her body immediately relaxed against me.

"Don't move," I whispered, dropping one more kiss to her mouth before I turned to leave the room.

When I re-entered the main living area, Jake was gone and I found Emmett and Rosalie in a muted yet seemingly intense conversation as they sat close at the kitchen bar. Their heads were tilted towards one another and their voices were low, glasses of wine on the counter top between them. Both turned to me and straightened up when I walked into their view.

"How is she?" Rose asked softly, sipping her wine.

"Sad," I replied. "Confused. I think anger is somewhere under there too, but she's mostly just heartbroken at the death of two innocent animals."

"Someone's trying to fuck with her," Emmett stated, his fists curling tightly on the smooth granite. "Two cats that looked just like hers. Whoever it is has to know how much she loves her cats."

"I agree. There's an officer on the way to talk to her, and there will be a team coming to process her car. I wish she didn't have to go through this tonight, but it's better to do these things as quickly as possible."

Emmett nodded.

"There's security cameras in the parking lot. Maybe the fucker got caught on one of them," he said.

"Let's hope so. And maybe there will be some prints or something else useful found in her car, as well. Emmett, can you think of anyone who would want to do this? Have there been any altercations at the hotel lately, with any of the guests? Someone she's had words with? Disgruntled ex employee? Anyone at all?"

He shook his head.

"None that I'm aware of, man. Everything has been really quiet since the whole ordeal with Chaser."

"Well, she's still pretty upset so I'm gonna stay with her tonight. Has she eaten yet, do you know?"

"I don't think so; she was planning on eating at the gala. Tell her that I just spoke with Alice and she said everything is totally under control and going well and for her not to worry."

I nodded.

"After her statement has been taken, I'll try and get her to eat something, at least."

I turned to Rose.

"Thanks for bringing me. I'll get my car from mom and dad's tomorrow."

"Of course." She slid off the bar stool and squeezed me in a hug. "Let me know if ya need anything."

"Tell Jazz I'll call him tomorrow, okay? I don't know if Alice has been in touch with him or not tonight."

"Sure."

"Rose, I'll walk you down," Emmett volunteered, standing from the bar. "Edward, you'll call me if she needs anything? I'll be downstairs with Alice." He handed me a piece of paper with a number scribbled on it, and I slipped it into my pocket.

"Absolutely."

"Thank you, sincerely. I'm glad you came tonight. She needs you, and I know you'll take care of her." His face was serious, and though I didn't know Emmett well at all, I knew that what we had in common was our need to keep Bella safe. He'd been doing it her whole life, and he had my utmost respect.

"I will, Emmett." I hoped he knew that I wasn't just talking about tonight.

The two of them left and I locked the door behind them. I found Bella right where I'd left her; she was sitting on the chaise and appeared to be in deep thought, a faraway look in her eyes. I stepped in front of her and she met my gaze with a slight smile, standing up. My arms encircled her waist and she rested her cheek against my chest.

"Emmett said to tell you that he spoke to Alice and everything is totally fine, you don't have to worry about anything at the gala. Also, there's an interesting development," I said to her, hoping to take her mind of off things, if only for a minute.

"What is it?" she said softly.

"Rosalie drove me here tonight because she was also having dinner at my parents and I didn't really want to drive since I'd had some wine and beer. Anyway, she came upstairs with me and just now I found her and Emmett looking very cozy in your kitchen."

Bella lifted her face to me and I was thrilled when I saw a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"Really? That is interesting. He does have a thing for blondes."

"We'll see," I said, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively, loving the small giggle the action earned.

My phone beeped with a text and I opened it to find a message from Eric Yorkie, the officer coming tonight. He had just arrived.

"You feeling up to talking to Officer Yorkie?"

She nodded.

"Let's get this over with. Can he come up here, or do I have to go downstairs?"

"Up here is fine."

I called Eric and told him that after he took a look at the car someone would send him up to the penthouse. He arrived about twenty minutes later and Bella spent that time wrapped around me on the sofa, not really talking, but she seemed to be soothed by just my presence. When the doorbell rang, I verified who it was through the peephole and then let him in.

"Cullen." He nodded at me and I shook his hand.

"Hey, Eric. Come on in."

He followed me to the living room, and Bella stood from the couch. I felt a frisson of pride run through me when I saw her square her shoulders and take a deep breath, putting on her game face.

"Bella, this is Officer Yorkie. Eric, this is Isabella Swan."

They shook hands and Bella gestured to the couch across from the one we'd been sitting on. Eric took out a digital recorder and set it on the coffee table.

"Friday, October twenty-second, two thousand eighteen. This is officer Eric Yorkie taking a statement from Isabella Swan. Ms. Swan, can you please take me back to earlier this evening when you went to your car?"

I sat beside Bella on the couch as she told Eric what had transpired, explaining how she had opened the door and saw the dead cats inside. She had seen no one in the parking lot nearby, and didn't know where the cats had came from. There hadn't been anyone in recent times that she'd had any sort of altercation with, and she honestly had no idea who would have done it.

When he was finished with all of his various questions, Eric clicked off the recorder and put it back in his pocket.

"Ms. Swan, there are two officers doing a preliminary processing of your car right now. However, because of the time of night, they feel it would be better to have it taken to the station where a more in-depth search can be done."

Bella nodded.

"If any evidence is found, we will absolutely let you know, but these things do take time, unfortunately. It's not like in the movies where results come back super quick. I've also asked the head of your hotel security to send the parking lot surveillance footage to us so it can be analyzed for possible suspects. And officers will be questioning any potential witnesses. We will definitely be in touch when we find out anything."

Bella thanked Eric and I walked him to the door.

"Holy shit, Cullen," he said in a low voice as I reached for the doorknob.

"I know," I said with a sigh. "Sick bastard."

"Did you see the cats?"

"No, I haven't been out to the car."

"The white one's throat was damn near sliced through; it's head almost came off. Poor thing." He shook his head. "I hope we can find something that points us at the asshole who did this."

"Me too, Eric. She's been through enough lately, and now this. Thanks for coming out so quickly."

"Not a problem, man. She seems like a really nice girl, crazy that someone did this to her. You guys together?" he asked and I nodded.

"Yeah. It's new, but yeah."

"Geez, what does she see in your ugly ass?"

I barked out a laugh.

"I have no idea."

So. Yeah. Um, I did warn y'all that this story contained angst. I know a lot of you were figuring that this update would be their awesome reunion with lots of sexy times, and I'm sorry if there's disappointment, but this was planned for a very long time. The next chapter will pick up right where this one left off, and I promise not to make you wait too long for it. I'd love to hear your thoughts, whether you're intrigued or actually want to come after me with a pitchfork. For those of you still sticking with me, thank you 3