Summary: Isabella lived a perfect life with her husband until the abuse started. With the death of her mother, she may have just been given life changing gift: a way out. But with it comes a whole new world that she may not be ready to face. Maybe with the help of her green-eyed savior. Mafia, Crime, Abuse, Hurt/Comfort.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyers owns characters but the plot is of my original work.

Enjoy!

Chapter 9: Details

"Excuse me?"

"Did I stutter? Who the hell are you?"

"What makes you think it's okay to talk to a woman like that?"

"What makes you think it's okay to just walk into someone's house like that?"

"This isn't your house. This is Esme and Carlisle's."

"Who the fuck cares?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"It matters 'cause I don't know who the fuck you are."

"I don't have to answer to you," I laughed.

"The hell you do," he hissed. "Now get out."

"No, you can't tell me what to do. Carlisle gave me permission to come."

"That doesn't prove anything to me. Anyone can say that."

He reached forward to grab a hold of my arm. Everything was in slow motion as I watched his hand get closer and closer to my body. I easily sidestepped out of his reach and immediately I felt my blood boiling. No one was ever allowed to touch me in that manner ever again, certainly not this piece of shit.

"Back off and don't fucking touch me," I spat out.

"And I care because?"

"I don't care what you think," I deadpanned.

This guy pissed me off.

Technically, Carlisle gave me permission to enter his home. Although this person also had a point, it was no excuse to talk to someone in this manner. He was disrespectful, and he needed to learn how to treat women.

We stood there glaring daggers at each other. This whole conversation could have gone better if he didn't start us off on the wrong foot. Even if I were a thief, I would have had to pass the security at the gate, the driveway, and the front door. Considering I was barely one hundred and twenty pounds and five feet two inches tall, I wouldn't be able to overpower or outrun any of the suits on the property. And what thief would take the time to stop and smell flowers?

"Lady, we can either do this the hard way or the easy way."

"Lady?" I screeched.

"Fucking hell," he sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "I don't have the patience for women like you."

"And I don't have the time of day to deal with idiots like you!"

"Then fucking leave!" He held a hand out in the direction of the front door.

"I didn't come here for you! How many times do I have to tell you that? You don't know who I am, and I don't give two shits who you are. I came here to see someone special—not to argue with some blithering idiot."

"You—"

"Bella!" I heard Esme yell from behind me.

I broke eye contact with the asshole to turn around. I found Esme bouncing in place with the most beautiful smile on her face. She dropped the items in her hands and quickly dashed over to envelop me in her hug.

"I can't believe my eyes," she cried. She held me at arm's length to look at me. "Oh my goodness, you look so beautiful and healthy. Come here!"

Esme was crying as she hugged me again.

"I missed you, Esme," I said as I hugged her back. All traces of anger in me left as soon as I was in her arms. In fact, I felt my eyes prickling with tears. Being surrounded by her warmth made me forget about what just happened.

"I missed you so much!" She cried back.

"I see you two finally saw each other," another voice came into the room.

"Carlisle Cullen, you knew she was coming?"

She let me go so I could give Carlisle a proper greeting, but she swatted his arm first. Carlisle pulled me into a hug, and I whispered a thank you for letting me surprise her.

"Yes, I did," he smiled at his wife. "You're going to thank me later."

"I could have at least prepared you something," she waved her hands in the air. Then she turned around and saw him. During all of this, he stood there quietly with a stupid look on his face. I hated him, and I smirked when he made eye contact with me.

Suck on that, asshole.

"Edward, meet Bella," Esme said. "Bella this is my son, Edward."

He's her son, dammit.

Edward's mouth was set in a firm line as he walked over and stuck his hand out to shake mine. I was gloating on the inside knowing I had won this battle, and it made shaking his hand so much easier. However, when our skin finally made contact, an electric buzz passed between our linked fingers, and I pulled mine away quickly.

Either he didn't notice or didn't care because he calmly placed his hand back at his side. "If you would excuse me, I have to make a call," Edward said stiffly.

He left the room quickly, and Esme shook her head.

"You'll have to ignore him, he's in a bad mood today," Esme explained.

"He does seem to be in a rather foul frame of mind," Carlisle stared off in Edward's direction. "I'll go see what's wrong. I'm glad you got here safely, Bella. I'll leave you ladies and give you some time alone."

Before long, it was just Esme and I in the kitchen. She and I picked up the items she had dropped earlier. They were veggies and herbs that I assumed she had just picked.

"I noticed the flowers," I told her.

"I have a bush in my garden," she said. "For some reason, I felt like having freesias in the house today. They remind me of your mother."

I told her the story about Mom's bush back in Chicago. While catching up and giggling about random things, Esme and I moved easily around the kitchen to prepare lunch. I told her Charlie and I would go to dinner tonight, and she practically flew through the roof when I mentioned that I'd be spending Christmas with them.

"Is Alice in town?" I asked.

Esme nodded. "Yes, she has a condo in Central Park. She moved here with her fiancé, Jasper about a year ago. Her studio is in the city so it was practical to get a place there too. I think before they get married, though, they plan to purchase a home farther from the city. It'll be better for their kids…I mean once they have them."

I laughed at her exuberance.

Once we finished making lemon pepper chicken and a side salad for lunch, she asked the housekeeper to call for the men. I almost forgot about the disastrous first meeting. When Carlisle stepped back in the room, he said that Edward had to leave for business reasons. So, we ate lunch together on their back patio and just talked.

X

"Just because you're settling down for a bit doesn't mean you can't travel in the future," Charlie pointed out. We were having dinner at some fancy Italian restaurant. I opted for the mushroom ravioli and a tall glass of iced tea. We were talking about Christmas and what my plans were for after the New Year.

He was right, though.

"I guess I'm just nervous," I admitted. "I feel like an outsider."

"I'll be right here for you Bells," he reached out and touched my hand.

"So, that's my room? Permanently?"

Charlie barked out his signature laugh and nodded his head.

"It's your house, Bella," he said.

"I hope you don't mind… I'm okay with telling them I'm your daughter, but I'm not sure I want your family to know about my past. For now, at least."

"Our family, Bella," he gave me a pointed look. "But that's okay. When you're ready to tell them, you'll tell them. It's not mine or Esme's and Carlisle's place to talk about your story to other people."

"Did they know about Mom?"

"The Cullens?"

"Yeah, like Alice…"

"I suppose," he shrugged his shoulder. "The only one old enough to remember Renee would be Carlisle's eldest son. You and Alice were born the same year, did you know that?"

I shook my head.

"Edward was five, and Emmett was three when Renee left. Edward was born when I finally proposed to your mom. We already knew we wanted children. So, to practice, we babysat Edward while Carlisle and Esme had dinner dates or events. Renee adored Edward. But after she left, she never came up in a conversation between Edward and me. I know he has some recollection of her, but it's always been a taboo subject. Emmett and Alice were too young."

I felt myself frowning at the mention of Edward. Since our meeting this morning, I've been too busy to give much thought to our debacle. I knew that Esme had a son named Edward but I didn't know what he looked like. It only made sense now why he was at their house. He looked too well dressed to be a suit. I just didn't expect to see any of Esme's children there this morning. I was caught off guard, and I don't like him because he tried to manhandle me.

"Okay," I nodded my head. "I just wanted to ask. This is still all very new to me. I spent all these months running away from facing the truth. I'm just finally coming to terms that this is now my life. I mean I can't keep running away forever."

"Thank you," he said. "For being honest about your feelings. I want you to be comfortable talking to me about things that bother you."

"Well, I do have a question," I asked after a couple seconds. "What's the deal with one of your suits? Jacob? Does he have a problem with me?"

"What do you mean?" Instantly, I can see the difference in Charlie's posture. He had become rigid, and he spoke carefully.

"I mean I know he was at the Davenport house. Who is he?"

"Jacob Black," Charlie said. "He's just my head of security."

"But if he's head of security, why did you send him out of the country?"

"How…"

"Everyone kept saying how he or she missed Jacob," I explained. I don't know why I was so obsessed with finding out the deal with him, but something just felt off, and I wanted to know why.

"He's been working with me for six years now," Charlie shrugged his shoulder. "I felt as if it was time for him to get a vacation."

I nodded my head. I let it go, but something about Jacob just felt so weird. I couldn't place my finger on it, and I didn't want to ruin dinner with my questions and Charlie didn't seem to want to talk about it any further.

So I changed the subject.

"I'm going shopping with Alice," I said.

Charlie's posture had softened, but he still looked stiff.

"I would feel more comfortable if you took a driver to meet Alice," he said. "I hope you also don't mind if I had a security detail following you."

"What?" I gasped.

"Bella," he pleaded. "It has nothing to do with James, trust me. I am keeping a close eye on him at all times. You're safe, I can assure you that much. But…me… As far as being in my family, I need you to understand that I would feel content knowing you're safe at all times. Alice also has her own security detail."

"She does?"

He nodded his head. "They won't follow you like a shadow. They will keep their distance, but if anything happens, they will only be seconds away."

"Charlie," I started. I obviously didn't like the sound of that. It made me feel suffocated, and it was nerve-wracking to think I would even need a security team.

"Bella, we have a lot to discuss. I'm sure you know that. You're a smart girl, and you know that this money, the house, the business, the family…it didn't just appear one day. There are a lot of things you need to know. I can't explain it to you right now, in this busy restaurant. When you're ready, I'll be more than happy to explain it to you all. Right now, I just need you to understand one thing.

I don't want to lose you. I just got you back, and you're all that I have left. Therefore, I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, and I will continue to do so until the day I die. You're my daughter, and your well-being is my number one concern."

At first, I felt extremely overwhelmed by what he said. Often times, I did wonder what kind of business Charlie ran. He was in the same business as Carlisle along with Carlisle's two eldest sons, Emmett and Edward. They always had meetings and often traveled to the West Coast. Charlie owned a skyscraper in New York, and he had a full security team working around him. Even now, at the restaurant, if I looked outside, I'll be able to spot a suit.

I conceded in the end.

Charlie and I did have to talk about a lot of things, but it obviously wasn't going to be tonight. Some of it I was scared to know, but a bigger part of me finally wanted to solve the mystery. Why did Mom leave? Why did she want him to stay away from us but after she died, she wanted him to protect me. Where did Charlie's money come from? Why did Jacob Black seem familiar? I'm a hundred percent positive that it wasn't because of the Davenport safe house. Why did he want to protect me so badly if according to him, James had already forgotten about me?

X

I had a couple days before Christmas, and as far as presents go, I was very well stocked with gifts. I may have cheated a little by picking up these items while traveling. They were all hand-made by natives and although they were inexpensive, the sentimental meaning was worth more.

As soon as Alice found out I was in town, she immediately asked to have lunch. I surprised her by actually agreeing and suggesting shopping for some clothes. My wardrobe was getting very worn, and I lacked appropriate attire for events. I didn't even have proper apparel for my lunch date today with Alice. I'll probably wear the same thing I wore when I first met her but with a different printed tee.

Alice also suggested that I meet her fiancé, Jasper. It was by habit that I felt apprehensive at first but eventually, I agreed. I wasn't sure yet if I was ready to settle down. First meeting Edward in an awkward situation and now Jasper. And I still have yet to meet Emmett and his wife, Rosalie.

I was meeting Alice at her studio in the city.

Jacob wasn't there today when Charlie introduced me to the security team that was going to shadow me. I didn't start any argument because I just didn't want to give Charlie any more to worry about. I hated the idea of being followed but if it would make Charlie feel more comfortable, I'd just have to get used to it. The last thing I want was to seem ungrateful for what Charlie had given me.

So, when we finally got on the freeway, I was in the backseat of a black Escalade with two suits. One sat in the driver's seat and the other in the passenger. Behind us, another black SUV followed with the other four suits that have been assigned to me. According to Charlie, these guys were my permanent security detail. My headman was named Sam Uley. He sat in the front with Collin, my driver.

I didn't ask about Jacob Black this morning either.

The others in the other car were Quill, Embry, Jared, and Brady. They all had distinct, similar features—same russet-colored skin, cropped hair, and bulky physique. No one spoke the entire car ride, and I felt so uncomfortable that by the time we arrived at Alice's studio, that I practically fell out of the car. Sam had to catch me so I didn't come face to face with the sidewalk.

I muttered a thank you to him and dashed off inside Alice's building.

"Bella!"

I heard her squeal, and the familiarity of Alice's never-ending enthusiasm brought a smile to my face. I had missed my friend. She gave me a fierce hug, much like Esme, and we spun around like fools.

"I'm so glad you'll be home for Christmas," she said breathlessly. "Where are you staying? Are you hungry? You'll love the restaurant! Oh! Come meet Jasper. He's in my office dropping off some stuff. You'll love him."

I laughed as she pulled me down to her office. She hadn't given me a chance to speak. Normal people would probably find it annoying but in the short time I've known Alice, that's just how she was all the time. She was eccentric and energetic. Her personality made her impressionable, and she was infectious. Those were the two characteristics that I noticed all the Cullen had—well, the ones I've met so far … but of course, minus Edward.

"What do you want to shop for? I already know what dress to get you. You need to get something other than printed t-shirts, Bella. You need to flaunt your curves. You don't have to buy the Christmas party dress; I'm going to make one for you. What color do you like? I have designs but what's your favorite color?"

"Alice," I laughed. "Slow down."

"She's right darlin," a man laughed along with me. "One question at a time or you'll give her a heart attack. You must be Bella."

A southern accent never fails to make a woman swoon and Jasper Whitlock sure did that for me. He was tall, lean, and smooth with wavy blond locks, dimples, and bright blue eyes. Not midnight blue like James but light blue like the turquoise ocean water in Fiji. Jasper and Alice are both extremely beautiful. People like them were genetically made for each other.

"And you must be Jasper," I shook his hand. "Nice to finally meet you."

"Likewise," he smiled. "I heard you were spending Christmas with us."

I nodded my head. "I hope I'm not crashing the party," I said sheepishly.

"Don't be silly, Bella," Alice guffawed. "The more, the merrier. I can't wait for you to meet the rest of the family."

"Alice hasn't stopped talking about you since Korea," Jasper said.

I felt my face growing hot as Alice slapped him gently on the chest.

"Good things I hope," I chuckled.

"I need to get going soon, though, darlin," he gave Alice a kiss on the forehead. "I have to go to Kingston with Edward this afternoon." He turned and gave me a hug. "I hope you ladies have fun tonight. I'm sure I'll see you around more often, Bella."

When Jasper left, she introduced me to some of her staff and shooed me away when I came close to the dress she was designing for me. It was a surprise she said. She grabbed her purse and offered to drive to the restaurant for lunch, but I told her we already had a car waiting outside.

Alice eyed the two SUVs when we finally left the studio. She gave me a questioning look to which I tried not to meet. Sam held the back door open for us, and I slid in quietly. Alice didn't know I was Charlie's daughter…yet.

"Hi Sam," she greeted him.

Damn, she's familiar with him.

"Ms. Alice," he replied cordially and bowed his head.

She got in the backseat beside me and turned to me slowly. When Sam got seated, Collin started driving. They were already informed of the restaurant Alice and I had chosen for lunch. I could feel Alice's eyes boring a hole on the side of my face.

"Bella," she said slowly. "What's going on?"

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/11/18