6

Bella left Alice standing there with her eyes full of tears and walked over to where Charlie sat next to Edward. Smiling at her daughter, she scooped the small girl into her arms and sat with her on her lap, leaning her head against Edward's shoulder. The fact that Charlie had been sitting next to him spoke volumes about how much she trusted him, yet Bella feared her trust in anyone. Bella had put her trust in Marcus only to be betrayed.

"Mommy?" Charlie murmured, tilting her head back so that she was looking at Bella.

"Yeah, sweetie?"

"When are we going home?" she asked.

Bella pressed her lips together, trying to figure out the best way to answer, but before she could, the house shook as a loud explosion rattled the house, and scrambling to their feet, Bella, Charlie, and Edward followed Alice out the front door where they found Edward's car enveloped in flames.

"Oh, my God," Bella cried, swooping her daughter in her arms as she turned toward Edward. "It was him."

"Probably," Edward admitted before he rushed down the front steps. Jasper ran from the backside of the house with his shotgun in his arms and his eyes darting everywhere. "How could he have found us?"

"I don't know," Jasper muttered. "You sure he didn't follow?"

"Yes," Edward insisted. "I was careful."

"Clearly not," Jasper snarled, kicking a rock toward the burning car.

"What do we do now?" Bella cried, tightening her arm around Charlie, trying to keep from fleeing as she scanned the area for any sign of Marcus Volturi, like he was going to step from behind a tree and wave at her.

"We don't have many choices left," Edward murmured before he turned and looked at her. "We have to go back."

"Back?" she whispered, her eyes widening. "But you said . . . you said they couldn't know."

"What other option do we have now?" He asked, walking over and pulling Charlie out of her arms. Holding the small, girl with one arm, Edward brought his other hand up to Bella's face, wiping away the tears as they fell. "We can't giving him power over you, not again, B. It's time to take this fight public."

Bella's eyes closed. Maybe Edward was right, but how could she go back now? Would they forgive her for putting herself in the hands of the beast?