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 15: Danger

The blizzard moved away just in time for the New Year's Eve Grand Ball. Unfortunately, I will not be attending. Charlie was ready to make arrangements so I'd feel more comfortable—like making it a masquerade ball—but I just wasn't ready. The event was too public with hundreds of guests attending. There would also be cameras according to Esme, because some A-list celebrities were invited. It's too dangerous for me to be surrounded by that much exposure to tabloids.

Alice offered to accompany me that night at Charlie's house, but I denied it. He almost wanted to cancel the whole thing and spend it with family, but the invitations had already been sent out weeks ago. Money wasn't an issue, Charlie already paid for the whole thing. Plus, it was a tradition for them to host the event every year.

I was going to spend New Year's Eve by myself, and I was okay with it.

In the morning, Charlie left at seven to take care of some business before the party. Tammy wasn't home because Charlie had given her the rest of the year off. She's been home with her family since Christmas dinner. Esme and Alice were both incredibly busy getting last minute errands done. I didn't know where the rest of the family was except that Rosalie was bedridden. She was now long overdue in her pregnancy. She was still attending the party but would be sitting for the most part. Luckily, the venue wasn't too far from the hospital if anything should happen.

There was so much going on, what with the wedding, Rosalie's baby, and Alice and Jasper trying to have kids. It made me wonder…what about Edward?

"Edward is too busy to even think about getting married right now," Alice had told me once in passing. Edward was the eldest of the three siblings, but he had yet to find someone to start a family with. Above that, Edward had too many responsibilities, and a relationship would just distract him. Her words, not mine.

My entire security detail would be with me tonight, so I wasn't completely alone. I didn't want to stay at home all day, so I decided to go into the nearest town to get some books. I informed Charlie about my plans and he told me to stay safe. So I borrowed one of Charlie's cars and left town.

As I drove, the black Sedan following me never strayed too far.

"Welcome," a teenage girl greeted from behind the counter as I entered the bookstore. "Let me know if you need any help."

"Sure," I said. "I'm surprised you're open today."

She shrugged. "My family owns the store, and it was either this or babysitting. I chose to read books instead."

I instantly grew fond of the teenager because that was exactly how I was in high school. I breathed in the smell of new books and made my way down the aisles. After an hour of browsing, I gathered an armful of books to buy. As I was paying, I asked the girl what time they closed.

"Seven," she said. "You're welcome to sit here and read."

"If you don't mind, yeah, I'll take that offer."

I looked out the window to see what Sam and the rest of my suits were doing, but all I saw was Charlie's Aston Martin. The black Sedan wasn't anywhere in my view, but I knew those guys were lurking around somewhere. The girl showed me her favorite little nook in which to sit and read. I stayed there for hours until my stomach started to growl. When I looked out the window, it was dark.

This bookstore wasn't close to any busy streets and the area around it didn't have much. There were a couple of businesses and offices but the closest café, the girl said, was about half a mile away. I waved goodbye to her as I checked the time. It was a little past six, and as I looked around, I still didn't see the black Sedan.

I quickly got into Charlie's car and found the cute little café in no time. It somewhat worried me that my suits weren't around. As much as I hated the fact that I needed bodyguards, I had grown accustomed to them. I still fussed about it sometimes, but it wasn't so bad. I only ever needed them when I'm in public. I still get my privacy when I'm at home or at someone else's house.

Unfortunately, the café was closed when I got to the door. Most places usually closed around 8 PM on New Year's Eve. I couldn't find anywhere in the area that was still operating, so I figured I should just look for something closer to home.

I pulled out my phone to look for another restaurant that might still be open. It was then that I realized it was on silent. There were multiple missed calls from Sam and some other unknown numbers. I didn't bother telling Sam I left the bookstore because I was just going for food and would be returning as soon as I finished. As I put the phone to my ear to call Sam, I looked up and saw a group of men walking down the street in my direction.

The call rang once before Sam answered.

"Ms. Swan!" The tone of his voice was urgent and agitated.

"Sam?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm still in the area. I just left to get some food."

"You should have informed us," he said angrily.

I noticed the men were heading for the Aston Martin. I took a step back as I realized I couldn't get to the car. As I blindly retreated, my heel kicked a soda can, and it rattled down the sidewalk. One of the four men noticed and locked eyes with me.

I felt my palms sweating, and I barely registered Sam asking again where I was.

"Men," I told him. "There are men coming toward me."

"Fuck!" I heard him curse. "Street sweep, she's not too far. You three on foot. Find her." There was a scuffle and Sam was back on the phone with me. "Find a busy street. Tell me exactly what you see, Ms. Swan."

The man who noticed me nudged his friend. They were no longer interested in the car as they changed their course and started walking toward me. I turned on my heel and frantically searched for places to hide or people, but the streets were deserted. Due to the holiday and the fact that a storm just blew by, most businesses were closed, and everyone seemed to be at home.

"Ms. Swan," Sam called for my attention again. "Where are you?"

I searched for street signs, and walked quickly to the nearest one.

"Hill Street," I told him. "I'm on Hill and Mayland."

"Go find a place to hide until we find you," Sam said.

"Okay," I whispered. I glanced back and told Sam they were still following me.

"Hey, pretty lady!"

I heard their footsteps getting faster, and my stomach churned. When I turned the corner, I bolted. I dropped my purse and the keys, and ran as fast as I could. I just kept making different turns to get them off my trail and eventually, even I couldn't tell where I was. In my haste to find a place, I ran into the side of a building, and my phone fell out of my hands. I heard them laughing, and their voices were too close for comfort. I didn't bother picking up the phone because I needed to get some distance between us.

I molded myself against a brick wall in a random alley, and I listened closely for voices. My breath came out in a thick white fog, and although it was freezing out, I felt beads of sweat falling down my neck.

"I like the ones that play hard to get," a male voice laughed.

I scrambled to get up from my sitting position as two of them rounded the corner. One pointed, and they started walking faster to reach me. When I tried to run again, the other two were coming from the opposite end of the alley. I should have stayed where I told Sam I would be. I should have picked up my phone instead of neglecting it.

"C'mon sweetheart," one of them cooed. "It's New Year's Eve. We have to end the year with a bang!"

"Royce, since you're the winner you get first dibs," one laughed.

They all roared with laughter. There wasn't any way out. I was cornered in an alley, and I knew the inevitable was going to happen. I felt myself shutting down—the way I did when James would come into our bedroom late at night. The rough hands on my skin felt just like the way James would grab my arm to flip me over. The alcohol they reeked of reminded me of the way his breath smelled.

The man named Royce jerked my head to look at him, but it wasn't his face anymore. I saw dirty blond hair and blue eyes. I saw lips curled up into malicious grin—because he liked to see me in pain.

"You're mine tonight," Royce said.

"You're so beautiful," James would say.

I was no longer in the alley; vivid visions of white silk sheets and a wooden poster bed flashed in my eyes. I'd force myself not to cry and just stare at the vanity in the corner of our room. I would think about so many other things than what was happening—like remembering to polish the wood before James punished me for it.

I could hear them laughing, and I can feel them touching my arms and my neck. My vision was blurred from the tears in my eyes, but I can see their silhouettes hovering around me. One of them grabbed my wrist and pulled me away from the wall. I stumbled and fell to my knees onto the wet concrete.

Just as another one was about to touch me, headlights flashed in my eyes. Their attention went to the car that sped dangerously toward us. The tires screeched as the car came to a stop and water splashed everywhere. The four men standing around me scrambled to get out of the way, recklessly taking me along.

"Who the fuck does this guy think he is?"

The car door swung open, but I couldn't see who it was. The headlights blinded me as I stood there trembling. One of the men tried to grab my arm to pull me back, but at that same instant, the person from the car collided with us. I fell back and hit my head against the wall, crying out in pain when I landed on my wrist.

"You made the wrong decision tonight buddy," the voice growled, and I recognized that deep baritone. I gazed up at the tall figure standing protectively in front of me … Edward.

"Get your own candy," the tall man slurred. "She's ours for tonight."

Edward stood there with his hands clenched in tight fists. I could see his muscles trembling with anger. Suddenly, he pulled his arm back, and it collided with the tall man's face. There was a sickening crunch, and he fell to his knees. I saw blood pouring out of his nose, and the sight of it made me nauseous.

The other three were momentarily stunned before they all sprang into action. Edward was a more skilled fighter, but he was outnumbered. The four men were clearly drunk, but that didn't stop them from getting a couple good hits. I felt so paralyzed as I lay on the ground, not knowing what to do. Out of nowhere, Sam's large figure lunged at one of them. He held him in a secure chokehold and faster than I could blink, Sam snapped his neck.

Blood drained from my face, and I scrambled to the wall in fear.

"Oh my God," I whispered. "You just killed him."

I couldn't breathe, and tears continuously poured from my wide-opened eyes as I watched Sam release his grip. The limp body fell to the ground, and as much as I tried, I couldn't look away. A pair of cold hands grabbed my chin, and I found myself gazing into Edward's face. His piercing green eyes captivated me, and it took me a couple seconds to realize he was talking.

"Bella," he kept saying. "I'm going to pick you up, okay?"

I found myself nodding.

He snaked his arms underneath my legs, and carried me to his car. He placed me gently in the front seat of his silver Volvo.

"Bella, you'll have to let me go," he whispered. I looked up at him in fear. "I'm not leaving you. I'll just talk to Sam, and then I'll take you home. Okay?"

He was holding my hand, and the presence of that electric buzz between us was stronger than ever. I was gripping his shirt tightly in my fists, and when I released it, he reached over and buckled my seatbelt. I was too scared to look outside and see what was happening; I'd already seen too much. Instead, I brought my knees to my chest, and ducked my head between my arms.

The car door opened, and I knew it was Edward. I could feel his presence so strongly. As the car started moving, his phone went off. I looked up, and I saw Charlie's name on the touch screen display. Edward hesitated for a moment before declining the call. He pressed a couple more buttons, and then Sam answered.

"Charlie remains uninformed of the incident tonight. Say nothing until tomorrow morning," Edward said sternly. "Is that understood?"

"Yes sir," Sam replied.

Edward ended the call, and silence filled the space.

"Why did you leave Sam's watch, Bella?" Edward said stiffly.

"I don't know," I said. "I just wanted food. I didn't think it would matter."

"It matters a lot, Bella," he practically growled at me. "Your safety is our number one concern. Sam's job could be on the line once Charlie finds out what happened."

"I didn't leave to get Sam fired!" I yelled at him.

"You sure didn't act as if you cared," Edward hissed. "I get that you're not used to having bodyguards, but Sam dedicated his life to protect you. The best you can do is to make his job easier. In the end, it'll benefit you."

"I'll take full responsibilities for whatever happens to Sam."

"You don't understand how serious the situation is, Bella!" He was gripping the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles were white. "You just stood there! Do you understand what could have happened if I didn't find you?"

"Don't patronize me, Edward. You don't know anything about me to judge my reactions. What happened tonight … I've been through it more times than you can imagine."

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/11/2018