9

My knees buckled and I found myself on the ground, hutched over as my stomach retched. He'd been watching us make love, watching as my husband touched me, tasted me, loved me. What kind of sick son-of-a-bitch was Gabriel Varner?

"Oh, my God," Carlisle growled, and when I looked up, I saw him holding another handful of Polaroids. "The boys. He took pictures of the boys while we were swimming. He's been watching us all day."

I scrambled to my feet and took off down the path toward the diner, ignoring Carlisle as he yelled at me to wait. All I could think about were the boys, and getting them somewhere safe, somewhere Gabriel Varner couldn't find them. Not that there was such a place. We'd moved hundreds of miles and the creepy bastard still found us.

Edward was the first to see me as I raced down the beach toward him and the others. "Bella? What's wrong?"

"Everything," I screamed.

Once I was within arm length, I grabbed the front of the boys' jackets and pulled them against my body, and began dragging them up the steps to the bungalow.

"Isabella, wait!" Carlisle yelled, and just before I opened the front door, I looked back to see him running up to everyone. "We have to call the police."

"The police?" Sasha screeched, scrambling to her feet. "Why?"

"They won't do anything," I snarled, ignoring Carlisle's aunt. "He's never going to stop. Don't you see that? We can't even enjoy a day on the beach without him watching us!"

"I know, baby, but—"

But Carlisle's words were cut off by a loud explosion, and when we looked back down the beach toward the diner, we could see a large ball of fire shoot into the sky followed by billowing smoke.

Carlisle's eyes found mine for a split second before he turned and took off back up the beach with everyone following. Everyone, but me, Michael, and Tyler. Instead the three of us sat on the porch of the bungalow and watched from a distance as flames licked the diner's structure. It would be lost, that I had no doubt about. Just like my house in Forks, the diner would take the memories associated with the building and die a painful death.

The sirens from the fire trucks, ambulances, and police shrilled through the air. Just minutes ago everything had been peaceful. We'd had a fun day at the beach with our friends and family, yet now, everything felt tainted. When was Gabriel Varner going to strike again?

The thought of him coming at us had me shivering and tightening my hold on the boys, who were oddly quiet as we sat on the steps of the bungalow. I found myself searching the area around us, almost anticipating my crazed stalker to leap from shadows and steal my boys away, or take me away from them. There was no doubt that the man would hurt anyone to get to me, including two innocent children.

I'm not sure how long we'd been sitting there when I saw Carlisle heading back our direction with Detectives Hitchens and McCoy, along with Edward and Jasper. The three of us stood up and met them halfway.

"We'll take them back to your house," Edward murmured, lifting Tyler while Jasper placed his hand in with Michael's.

I began to protest, but Jasper shook his head. "They don't need to be here for this, Bella. Let us take them home, okay?"

Though, I didn't want the boys anywhere away from me, I nodded. "Be safe. Please?"

"Of course," Jasper said, trying to smile but I knew he was just as scared as I was. He alone had saved me from Gabriel Varner, and it had cost him his job in Forks.

Hitchens waited until Edward and Jasper had left with the boys before he turned his attention to me. "I'm going to cut to the chase here: Gabriel Varner is a dangerous man."

"Really?" I snarled. "So glad you're telling me that he's dangerous, because I had no idea."

"Isabella," Carlisle murmured, sliding his arm around my waist.

"No," I whimpered. "I've been telling everyone for months that he was dangerous, and nobody believed me. But now you do? Now that he's taken nude pictures of me and burned down a building! It wasn't enough when he tried to rape me, or when he attempted to break into our house in Forks. Or even when he destroyed my truck and everything else we owned. This is the second time he's come close to my children. Fucking find him and put him in jail!"

"We're trying," McCoy lamented, putting his hands up. "But unless we can find forensic proof or an eyewitness or something that points to him being responsible for any of this, all we can do is circulate his picture to all officers as a person of interest."

"A person of interest," I echoed. "The man bent me over a desk and had his hand in my pants. How much more proof do you need?"

"I'm sorry, but we can't prosecute him here for crimes that he committed in another state. And we can't force the Forks Police Department, or the District Attorney's office to press charges against him, either. In the eyes of the law, he hadn't done anything illegal."

"This is ridiculous!" I cried. "He took pictures of us tonight, for fuck sake."

"We're going to process the photos and see if we can find a print or something that will connect him, but until we find that something, we can't arrest him," Hitchens added.

"Look, what do we do in the meantime?" Carlisle asked. "We can't get a judge to issue a restraining order, so what can I do to keep my family safe?"

"Honestly, I don't know," Hitchens said. "We're going to petition the court again on your behalf for an RO. The best thing you can do is just be careful. Don't go anywhere alone, be aware of your surroundings."

"Be a prisoner in our own home because we can't leave without worrying about him following us around," I grumbled under my breath.

"Look, I'm sorry that we can't do more. We're processing the evidence as quickly as we can, but if we want to nail this asshole to the wall, then we have to make sure we're following the law to the letter," McCoy snarled.

"You're right; I'm sorry. I'm just . . ." I blew out a thick breath. "I'm scared that he's going to kill my boys, kill Carlisle, or kill me. My family is everything to me; they're all I have. So, please, don't think I'm just being a bitch, because I'm not trying to, but I need my family safe, and they aren't right now."

"We're doing everything we legally can to ensure your family's safety. Just try to stay strong. We'll be in touch this week, okay?" Hitchens said.

"Fine," I muttered.

Carlisle and I walked back to the diner with them, and watched as fire crews attempted to put out the blaze. Eleazar had Sasha tucked into his arms as they stood by and watched tearfully as her family's legacy burnt into nothing by ash. It was my fault, of course. He'd been following me, watching me. I'd caused Peter to get hurt in Forks, the boys put at risk at every turn, and now one of the last few places that Carlisle had to his mother was gone, and all because a dangerous man had become obsessed with me.

"Bella," Alice murmured quietly, and when I looked over at her, I saw her standing with Esme, Rose, and Emmett. How soon would it be before Gabriel Varner turned his vengeance onto them? After all, Alice had ran to Jasper for help when he locked me in his classroom and tried to rape me. Would he take his anger out on them? "Bella, honey, did you hear me?"

"I'm sorry, what?" I asked.

Alice frowned. "I said we're going to pick up a couple of pizzas and take them to the beach house. The boys didn't get to eat. Do we need to grab anything else?"

"No, I don't think so," I murmured.

"Okay, well, give us a call when you're on your way home, all right?" Esme asked.

"Thanks, we will," Carlisle told them.

Once the four of them had left, I pulled away from Carlisle and walked over to Eleazar and Sasha, though I was unsure of what to say. Guilt filled my heart; they were good people, who'd welcomed me into their lives from the moment I met then, and now, they were victims of violence because of me.

"This place has been in my family for four generations. Siobhan and I were raised on this beach, you know? Momma and Daddy didn't have much in the way of money, but we always had food on our tables, and a roof over our heads. When Momma passed on, Daddy couldn't run this place. His grief took over and he left us not long after. Siobhan and I took over the diner, kept it from dying out. It wasn't easy; not with the big chains inside the city, but people still wanted our seafood. Said it was the best in the city."

"I'm so sorry that he did this because of me," I cried, wrapping my arms around myself.

"Oh, sweetheart, none of this is your fault," Sasha soothed, turning and embracing me. When I tried to pull away, she tightened her arms and said, "No, you listen to me. I don't know who this man thinks he is coming after you, coming after our family, but we will not let anyone take you away from us. Do you hear me?"

"But the diner," I wept.

"It's just a building, and that's what insurance is for. We can rebuild, make it better than ever."

I closed my eyes. "I'm scared, Sasha."

"Me, too," she admitted. "But our family, all of our family including those you've brought with you from Forks, is stronger than one pitiful little man, who can't separate fantasy from reality. Now, I want you and Carlisle to go home." Once again, when I started to protest, she held her hand up and stopped me. "No, they need you there with them. We'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay, if you're sure," I sighed.

Carlisle's car had been taken so the police could dust it for fingerprints, so we grabbed a cab and headed to the beach house. I leaned my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes, wishing the pain behind my eyes would go away. Of course, I knew it wouldn't, not as long as the boys were in danger, and until Gabriel Varner was stopped, they would never be safe.

When the cab pulled up in front of the beach house, Carlisle tossed him a couple of twenties before leading me down the pathway and into the house. Like me, I knew he was on edge at the thought of my stalker watching us. Who knew where he was now? For all we knew, he was still watching in wait. A shiver rocketed through me at the thought.

Edward, Jasper, Alice, Esme, Rose, and Emmett were sitting in the living room when we walked in, but neither of the boys were in sight. But before I could ask, Jasper said, "They're in bed. They were tired."

"Thanks," I murmured before walking past all of them, down the hallway, and stopping outside of their room. Their door was cracked open so I quietly pushed it open. They were snuggled under their blankets, looking peaceful and content. I tiptoed over to the windows and made sure they were locked, which they were, before leaving them to sleep. When I walked into our bedroom, I found Carlisle sitting on the edge of our bed with his shirt in his hands. He was staring at the floor, lost in a million thoughts.

I cleared my throat, causing him to look up at me. "They're passed out."

"Good," he said, tossing his shirt on top of the hamper. He reached for me. "Come here."

I walked over and stood in front of him. Carlisle unzipped my jacket and pulled it down my arms before wrapping his arms around my waist and laying his head on my stomach. I dragged my fingers through his hair, but it wasn't until I felt his tears on my skin that I realized he was weeping. "Lover?"

"He got too close, baby," Carlisle cried. "Too close to you, to the boys. I can't . . . if something happened . . . I'll die without you."

"Me, too," I whispered, causing him to look up at him. "I don't know what to do. Feels like he's everywhere, all the time. Just waiting for his next chance."

"Yeah," he agreed and stood up. "I love you. Never forget that, okay? I love you so much."

"I could never forget that, lover. And I love you, too."

Carlisle and I changed into some sweats and T-shirts before joining the others in the living room. As soon as we sat down, Alice had glasses of wine in our hands with a look that said don't argue with her. I wasn't about to; I needed something to calm my nerves.

"So, we've been doing some talking," Edward said, gesturing to the other five people sitting around us. "It's time to take charge of our own lives and stop letting this assholes have so much control."

"And how do we do that?" I asked.

"Well, for starters," he told me, "We think it would be a good idea for all of us take a self-defense course. While we can try and make sure that none of us are alone, there are no guarantees that he won't be able to find a moment of weakness. Not with our schedules being so busy all the time."

"Makes sense," Carlisle agreed, looking at me. "What do you think?"

I nodded. "Probably a good idea."

"Also, I don't think the cops are going to find this assholes. I think you should consider hiring a private detective," Jasper added.

"I don't know," Carlisle fretted. "A PI will take one look at who I am, and see dollar signs."

"Maybe, but Gabriel has evaded the police at every turn. I just . . ." Jasper paused. "I think the only way to stop him is with force."

"You mean kill him," I said, and the silence that filled the room became tense and awkward.

"I do," he admitted. "Before he kills you, or the boys, or all of you." Tears flooded my eyes, though I managed to keep them from falling. Jasper sighed and slid off the couch and crawled over to me, placing his hands on top of mine. "It's time to stop being a victim, and start being a survivor, Bella."

"What if I'm not a survivor?" I whispered, thickly.

"You may not feel like one right now, but you are," he murmured. "Fight back, and let's stop him once and for all."

While I found myself nodding in agreement, I knew it wasn't going to be that easy. Gabriel Varner wouldn't be taken down without a fight, and I wasn't convinced I had enough strength to battle him.

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