Chapter 25

A/N: Friday! Woot, we made it through another week. Here is the next chapter of this little fic y'all have been awesome about. Thanks for the follows, reviews, recs and fuck awesome Facebook comments! Keep them coming lovelies. Thanks to the usual suspects, Maplestyle, SassyNoles, and 2 Brown Eyes for prereading. Also, thanks to Alice's white rabbit for her beta skills. Enjoy a glimpse in Bella's mind after the craziness of the last chapter. Oh, and NSFW lime at the end. Some of those questions you had at the end of last chapter will be answered here.

Songs- Unsteady by X-Ambassadors, Can't hold us by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis

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I opened the balcony door and stood on the porch, not really seeing what was in front of me. Usually, the scene of the setting sun shifting from blue to orange and pink, throwing rainbows off the bay, and the Space Needle off in the distance would bring me a feeling of peace. This was easily one of the main things I loved about Edward's condo, but tonight, all I saw was blood and bruises. The anger and rage I had given into earlier had felt comfortable. Easy. Like slipping into your favorite sweater. It had curled around me, and I had liked it.

This wasn't who I was. I wasn't an angry person, nor had I ever thought of hurting another person before, but what I had suffered at the hands of Liam and Alec had altered me in a way that, to me, seemed like something I couldn't return from. When I had opened my eyes and I was in Edward's arms, I was sure I was dreaming, but the bruises on my body and the abuse I had suffered let me know this was reality. It was that moment right there that solidified that I was Edward's in every way, and he was mine. Nothing and no one would change that. Killer or not, I was done running from him.

I pushed off the rails of the balcony I had been leaning against and went to sit at the table and chair set Edward had outside. Edward appeared outside after a few minutes like he was looking for me and came to sit next to me. He grabbed my hand that was on the table and laced his fingers with mine.

"They're almost done," he told me.

Apparently, while I was being held captive, Edward lost his shit a little bit, and his bedroom had suffered the most at his hands. He had hired a cleaning crew to come clean the condo. When we had arrived home, they were still here, and that was why I came outside. I didn't want to be around anyone that I didn't know right now. Edward had told me that Rose may be over later this evening to bring me clothes. Right now, I was dressed in a button-down Edward had given me when we got home and a pair of Edward's basketball shorts. I nodded.

He grabbed the leg of my chair and scraped it across the floor of the deck to bring me closer to him. "So, it seems we have some things to talk about."

Being this close to him and feeling his warmth and inhaling his scent made me crave him. I burned for the safety he always brought me. I got out of my seat and sat on his lap, wrapping my arms around him, resting on his shoulders, and I tucked my head in the crook of his neck. He started rubbing my back lightly and kissed me on the crown of my head. He laid his head to rest atop mine. "I knew you'd come for me, Edward. Thank you for always keeping me safe. I'm so sorry," I choked out over a sob. The tears came, and I honestly couldn't keep it from happening.

"Hey, what's this, baby? Why are you crying and apologizing?" he asked, looking concerned and surprised.

"Because I just left! You told me something about you, after me begging you to give me something, and I just bailed. What kind of selfish person does that?"

He grabbed my face gently, cradling it in both of his hands, and looked at me with those intense green eyes. "I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't hurt, Bella, because I was, but what I told you would have surprised probably anyone. You're not selfish, and you know that. You and I are fine, so don't go second-guessing what's going on here. There is nothing to apologize for."

I nodded, and he let go of my face to hug me to him. I tried to quiet my cries, knowing that I was stronger than this. I wasn't a weak little girl who cried about shit that wasn't even an issue. One of the cleaning guys stepped out and said quietly, "Mr. Cullen, sorry to interrupt."

Edward dropped another kiss to the crown of my head, and I got up so he could take care of the cleaning guys. He followed the young man inside, and I heard low talking and the sound of doors closing, and then Edward was back outside with me. "Come on, baby. We can talk inside now."

He laced his fingers with mine again and having this constant contact with him was helping keep my head mostly quiet. "So, you going to tell me what the hell is going on?"

He sighed and grabbed my legs, draping them over his lap, scooting closer to me. "Where to start."

I grabbed his face, making him look at me. "Try the beginning, Mr. Cullen," I said, stressing his name in a mocking tone.

He smiled and gave me a quick kiss. "The true beginning of all this shit was the night my parents were executed. I was seven years old and neither of my parents had siblings or living relatives, so Connor Murphy, the man who had killed them, took me under his wing. He raised me as his own kid, alongside my surrogate brother, Seamus Murphy."

I gasped. There was that name again. I remembered that from my research with Rose and Alice.

"'Seamus Murphy was reported missing by his housekeeper when she came to his house for the weekly cleaning and noticed that it seemed he hadn't been home in days. Seamus had recently come under suspicion of mafia ties and his disappearance came before local law enforcement had time to build a case against him. Liam Brennan was questioned about his cousin's whereabouts, but no answers were found. He is not a suspect at this time …' Then it just gives info of where to call if you have any info."

"Seamus Murphy and Liam Brennan are cousins."

Edward looked at me with surprise on his face. "Babe?"

"The day I found out about your parents, we also found out some guy named Seamus Murphy was missing when his housekeeper found an empty house, and Liam Brennan was questioned about his whereabouts. They ruled him out as a suspect, and they assumed he'd fled the country because investigators were trying to build a case against him for suspected mob ties."

"You found out all that by yourself?" he asked me.

I couldn't throw Rose and Alice under the bus, but I didn't want to lie to him. "I had help, but I can't tell you who helped me."

"It was Rose and Alice. You were hanging out with them all day, and then you came home and dropped the bomb. Subtly isn't a strong suit with you." He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, but surprisingly, he wasn't angry.

"You're not mad?" I asked, a little shocked. I wasn't used to this side of Edward. I quickly thought back, and since he appeared where I was being held, he was 100 percent honest with me. He was treating me like … an equal. He wasn't trying to hide anything from me, and it made my heart leap. I swear he was the only man who could take me from soul-crushing agony to where I was now—completely at peace.

"It would have been nice to have this information when you found it out, but we had gotten a little distracted after we talked about my parents." We both smiled at the memory. "But, yeah, Seamus was my brother, so Liam is my surrogate cousin. They were my family, and I was basically raised to be what I am. A hitman, a killer who does the dirty shit other guys don't want to do, and I did it with no conscience and no problem. The night you came to DarkStrip, I was out doing a hit, and the guy gave me some song and dance about how a cop called Swan came collecting the money he owed to Seamus."

"Swan? My dad?" I asked, wondering what he was talking about.

"The exact one."

I shook my head. My dad wasn't involved with the mob. There was something else going on. "No, my dad's a cop. He's the chief of police in Forks, Edward. There had to be some other reason he was there."

"Baby, I'm sorry. Before my story is over, you're probably going to hear a lot of stuff you don't want to hear, but your dad was there for that reason. Please, I know this is hard, but I don't want to keep this shit from you anymore. You need to know what world you're going to be joining."

I shook my head. "I need a minute. So, you mean to tell me the man who raised me my entire life to respect the law and used it as a tool to keep me in line was not actually the law-abiding man I thought he was?" The anger was starting to seep in again, and I was ready to let it.

"I don't know. All I know is he was helping the Italians because he needed the money. I don't know how long or the exact operation."

"Motherfucking … son of a bitch! That asshole." I grabbed Edward's gun from the counter and walked toward the front door. I was grabbed from behind by strong arms, and I was lifted off my feet. Edward tried to grab the gun from me, but I was too angry. I elbowed him in the stomach. I heard him grunt, and he grabbed me again. He pushed me into the wall with his body, my chest up against the wall. He took the gun away from me.

"Bella, stop. You're not going to go shoot your dad."

"I'm tired of this shit!" I said, punching the wall. "Always being lied to, always being used as a pawn in someone else's fucking game."

"I know, baby, I know," he said, calmly. I turned around, and he pulled me into his arms. "Can we agree that you aren't going to shoot your dad, or anyone else? He's an ass, and I considered it, but you'll regret it."

"I can't promise anything. Let me see it," I said, putting my hand out. He looked at me with his eyebrow raised. I tsked. "Trust me. I'm not gonna shoot you."

He sighed and handed the gun to me. I pulled the magazine out and pulled the slide to make sure there wasn't a bullet in the chamber. I pushed the tab in to take the slide off the gun, and then handed the disassembled gun to Edward.

"Remove the temptation."

"How …"

"I grew up with a cop, Edward. We would have races to see who could take it apart, clean it, and put it back together the fastest. I always won."

"That is pretty fucking sexy. So, that explains why my gun was disassembled that night after I got shot. I always just thought maybe it was Emmett."

"That was me. So, continue. My dad is a scumbag."

Edward pulled me back to the couch after putting his gun back together. He put it next to him, and I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, so you sashayed your ass into my club, and it took me a couple days to get back to Seamus on what had happened and the intel I had for him. He told me to hold off, and I didn't hear much from him after that about the whole Swan matter. Then the day that I got shot, I got a call from Liam, not Seamus, telling me to go after Charlie's nephew."

"My dad doesn't have a nephew."

"Yeah, apparently Liam was trying to get rid of me and using his son. Dylan. He ambushed us with his Bruce Lee moves and got my gun away from me and shot me. Apparently, he missed on purpose," he said, acidic. Seems like he was still angry that a teenager handed his ass to him. "Apparently, Seamus was planning on returning to Ireland and handing the whole operation to me. Liam wasn't happy with that, so he killed Seamus," he said. He looked like this upset him. I cupped his cheek and pulled his face to mine for a kiss.

"Hey, I'm sorry you lost your brother, Edward," I said, trying to get him to look at me.

He wouldn't and shrugged. "I'm used to losing people, Bella. It's not a big deal."

I crawled into his lap and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at me. "Don't do that, handsome. This is me. It's just you and me; there's no one to hide from or put on a front for. I don't see your emotions as a weakness. I understand hiding it from them, but not from me."

"Yeah, I'm upset, babe. I'm fucking pissed. I want to tear the skin from Liam's body and make him fucking eat it. He killed my brother, and he took my girl. He hurt you and set that psychopath Alec on you, and I will make him pay for everything he did."

"See, I knew you had emotions," I said, raising my eyebrow at him.

"Infuriating woman," he said, smirking.

"Oh, handsome. Get used to it because that will never change."

Edward opened his mouth, about to say something, but he was interrupted by the chirping of his phone. He unlocked the phone and swiped the screen. He sighed. "Alice and Rose are going to be here tomorrow morning with some clothes and stuff for you. Emmett said that's as long as he can hold them off."

I scoffed. "Amateur," I said, smiling. "That's fine. I want to sleep, but I'm worried about what I'll see when I do."

Edward got up from the couch and totally surprised me by picking me up bridal style. "I will be there all night, babe. I'll keep the monsters away," he said as he carried me upstairs to the bedroom we always shared. He deposited me on the bed, kissed my forehead, and then went downstairs to lock up and get our phones. Emmett had retrieved my phone from my apartment while Edward and I waited in the car before we went to Edward's home for the night.

As much as I loved Edward being attentive, and what could easily be described as my surrogate brother helping out and watching out for me, I just wanted shit to go back to the way it used to be … before. Before what? Before being kidnapped and beaten, or maybe even before that. When I found out who Edward was? As much as I hated what transpired after that, I wanted to keep that experience. It showed me that I couldn't—I wouldn't—live without Edward in my life. How agonizing it was to think that we may have been through.

My musings were broken when Edward walked back into the bedroom. He was unbuttoning the wrists of his button-down shirt, and I smiled at him as he got ready for bed. Even though there would undoubtedly have been a fight and blood, my Edward still wore suits or nice clothes every day, even to rescue me. It was only at home that I got to see him in T-shirts and plaid pajama pants, which is what he was currently changing into.

"Do you want something else to sleep in?"

I shook my head and just slid the shorts I was wearing off, opting to keep the oversize shirt on, it smelled like Edward's detergent. Edward nodded and turned the light off. We both got into the bed and under the covers. Edward pulled me over to him and positioned me over his chest. I closed my eyes, listening to his heartbeat and inhaling the scent of him.

For the moment, I felt safe and loved but also so very damaged. I could already feel part of my heart hardening. I wasn't looking forward to seeing Alice and Rose in the morning. They were my girls, and they had been there for me since the beginning, but I saw firsthand how having attachments and friends just gave bad people more ammo to torture you with. Alec and Liam kidnapped me specifically for the goal to make Edward suffer before they planned to kill him.

I exhaled deeply.

"What's wrong," Edward asked, his voice vibrating his chest under my ear.

"I can't shut it off, handsome."

"Shut what off, baby?"

"My brain. Bitch won't shut the hell up."

His chest rumbled with his chuckle, and it brought a smile to my face. My entire life lay under my head. If there was anything I knew I could always trust in this world, it was this man. My faith was shaken in all people, but Edward was my rock, and I had more faith in him now more than ever. I tipped my head up and kissed him on the neck, right below his jaw. He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. Then in a move that brought back all our nights together from the beginning, he ran one hand through my long hair and ran his other hand up and down my back. It was soothing, and I instantly relaxed.

"That better, baby?"

I hummed, suddenly too tired to even speak. I was completely blissed out. Edward's touch brought with it complete peace and love. I floated on the edge of sleep for a few minutes until, finally, I felt myself dropping off into slumber.

*DS*

I woke screaming, the sound ripping out of my throat. I felt like I couldn't breathe, and I shot up out of the bed, falling on the ground gasping for breath. Once I caught my breath, I started sobbing, laying my head on the carpeted floor. Edward was immediately by my side, lifting me from the floor and putting me back on the bed, sitting across his lap. He went back to stroking my back and smoothing my hair down. "I'm here, baby; you're safe."

"It felt so real."

"What did?"

"My dream. I was back in that room again, and I couldn't stop him." I sobbed. "God, I can still feel him."

"He's gone. He'll never touch you again. You carved his ass up."

I knew that logically, and I started getting angry. "I know he's gone! It doesn't change what he did to me. I hate feeling like a victim. I wish I could tear my heart out and not feel this fear, agony, and shame. Fuck!" I swore, slamming my fist down on the bed.

Edward gently grabbed my face and made me look at him, palms on both my cheeks. "Use that. You have no reason to be afraid or ashamed. Take that anger and know that no one will ever touch you again. How did it feel to make Alec pay for what he did to you?"

"I liked it," I said without hesitation. Regardless of what type of person I was before I was kidnapped, now I was someone different. I still cared about my girls, Emmett was still like a brother to me, and I trusted Edward implicitly, but my trust didn't go beyond that and never would. There were too many variables, and I would never let myself go through that again. Once upon a time, I had trusted Alec and thought he was a good guy. Edward had trusted Liam because he was family. We were both so utterly wrong, and I was soon finding that I could only, would only, trust Edward. "You're the only person I can trust," I said, burying my face in his chest.

"I feel the same way, Bella. You are the only person I trust enough to be like this with."

My heart clenched at his words, and I leaned in to kiss him, right on the lips. Since this whole thing went down and I was rescued, Edward touched me and kissed me, but only on the cheek, forehead, the top of my head, and chaste quick kisses on the lips. His touches were soothing and gentle, but not sexual. I know he was holding off because of what Alec had done to me, but I wanted him to erase those touches from Alec. I wanted him to reclaim me because I was his 100 percent. I opened my mouth and licked the seam of his lips, begging for entrance. His tongue tangled with mine, and I ground my center into his lap. He pulled back slightly.

"Babe," he warned, seeming confused. I took it as rejection and felt my heart sink.

"You don't want me?" I asked, mildly confused and really hurt.

"No!" He was quick to correct. "Don't ever fucking think that. I just don't know if you're ready after what Alec did. He violated you in the worst way a man can."

I shook my head. Wait … did he think … "Edward, do you–do you think Alec raped me?"

The little furrow between his brows deepened, and I smoothed it out with my finger. "Didn't he?"

I shook my head. "No. He was planning on it, and it was so incredibly close, but you got there just in time," I told him. He reached up and ran his thumb along my bottom lip. I kissed it, and then sucked it in my mouth and released it. Edward's eyes turned dark green with desire, and those were the eyes I had been looking for all night. I smiled back at him with the same lust-filled look. I pulled his face closer to me so our chests were pressed together. "Take me back, Edward. Erase all those touches and show my body who it belongs to."

It was like a switch was flipped, and suddenly, I was on my back with Edward hovering over me. He kissed me with a hunger that bordered on desperation, and I moaned into his mouth. I grabbed the hem of his T-shirt and pulled it over his head. He pulled away for a moment to rid his body of the cloth but then was back on me again.

Instead of unbuttoning the buttons of the shirt, he gripped both sides and ripped, making me gasp in surprise. He slid the sleeves off my arms, and I tossed it somewhere in the room. He slipped open the front clasp of my bra and peeled both sides off to reveal my skin that hadn't been exposed to my tormentors. He licked and sucked my neck and collarbones while pulling at my nipples with his fingertips. I arced off the bed, pressing my chest closer to his mouth. He circled one nipple with that wicked tongue and gently scraped it with his teeth. The sensation sending jolts straight to my clit.

"Fuck, Edward," I said, panting with desire and lust. My body felt like a livewire.

Edward shifted to the other side, his tongue flicking over the pebbled tip. He slid his hand down my side to my sex. He slipped his fingers through the slick folds and rubbed circles over my clit. He kissed down my stomach and took the time to kiss every bruise left on my hips.

I could feel every trace of my time in captivity start to melt from my body. I knew in the back of my mind that the emotional toll wasn't that easy to erase, but I still felt some of the fear ebb. The anger is something that I think became a part of me, and that would probably never fade.

Edward's tongue had joined his fingers, and he was slowly bringing me higher, rushing me to crest that wave that would bring on my orgasm. I fisted my hands in his hair, grinding into his face. Edward sped up the stroke of his fingers and circled my clit quicker with his tongue. I moaned and panted like I had been running a marathon.

"Oh, fuck, Edward. That's so good–shit …" I whispered. The coil in my stomach twisted tighter and tighter.

Edward lifted his head from my body. In that husky sexy voice, he told me to let go for him, and then locked eyes with mine as he continued to feast on my pussy. This made me completely shatter, and soon, I screamed out my climax. The rush of my release covering Edward's hand.

He looked at me again as he licked his hand clean. I moaned because, fuck, that was so hot. He rid himself of the sleep pants and boxers and crawled up my body, kissing me as he thrust into me. I could taste myself on his tongue, and it made me crave more.

In a move that surprised even me, I flipped us over so I was on top. I wanted to be in control of his orgasm. I rode him slowly, loving the feel of his hands digging into my thighs and hips. Every time he tried to quicken the pace, I slowed down even more. I swiveled my hips and sunk my hands in my hair while Edward played with my nipples.

"You look so fucking sexy like that, babe. You are so beautiful," Edward murmured.

I smiled and leaned down to kiss him. It changed the angle, and both of us moaned. Edward pushed the small of my back to bring me closer to him and started thrusting with no mercy. It awoke something animalistic in me. I gripped his hair, pulling at the strands, and bit his lip and sucked it in my mouth.

Edward flipped us back over, so he was on top now. He gave me a feral smile and continued to thrust into me hard. His pelvic bone kept pressing into my clit, and soon, I was about to come again. My hands drifted down to rub my clit, but Edward grabbed my hand to stop me. I whimpered, and he threaded his fingers with both my hands and pinned them to the bed by my head.

I thrashed on the bed, the pleasure driving me crazy. I wanted to come, but at the same time, I didn't want this to end.

"I'm gonna make you come all over my dick just like this baby," Edward growled in my ear.

He bit the soft spot just behind my ear, and I groaned. He licked down the column of my neck and back up, catching my lips and kissing me with renewed vigor. With him hovering over me, holding me into the mattress, and thrusting into me, I felt completely dominated and possessed by him, the thought causing me to shatter again in his arms.

I chanted "Edward" and "fuck" over and over as I rode through my orgasm. It seemed to last forever, and when Edward thrust one last time and pulsed inside me, it only intensified what I was already feeling. Edward pulled my boneless body next to him, and I laid my head on his chest.

We laid there, just trying to recover from our orgasms, and I started to giggle. Maybe it was the oxytocin flooding my system.

"What's so funny, babe?"

"I don't know. I'm just completely blissed out right now. Maybe you'll just have to give me regular orgasms until I'm all healed."

He chuckled with me and kissed me, the passion still plain as day in his touch and lips. "I'll see what I can do."

"How can you make me feel so much with just one touch or kiss?"

"It's simple, Bella. I love you."

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A/N: And…. yeah. Swoon now, it's ok, we know you want to! How are we all feeling? So, we still have one bad guy to deal with and we know you are waiting for that shit to go down, so join us on Monday and see where we land. Thanks again lovelies and let us know what you are thinking.