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 16: Patched

The house was empty when Edward helped me inside. Something with the way he moved was very rhythmic and soothing. He helped me sit on one of the stools along the breakfast bar then left to find the first aid kit. Up until now, I didn't notice the cuts and scrapes on my knees and forearms. My right leg was bleeding and the palms of my hands burned from scratches.

Edward didn't say anything else the rest of the car ride home. It wasn't a long trip, but it was enough to make me feel suffocated by the silence. I shouldn't have said that and now I'm sitting here wondering what kind of woman he thinks I am. If before, Edward had any type of attraction to me, it was long gone now. Someone like Edward wouldn't have as much respect for a dirty woman like me. I'm just broken goods.

When he came back in the room with the first aid kit in his arms, I furiously wiped away my tears. It was my realization that I will disgust any decent man from here on out because of my past.

"Bella, why are you crying? Does it hurt?" He asked as he used his thumb to lift my chin. His concern only made it worse—I am not good enough for Edward.

I shook my head. Where is this coming from?

"Then tell me what's wrong," he coaxed.

"Everything is wrong, Edward," I sighed. "You just don't understand."

"Then help me understand."

"Why do you care?"

He hesitated for a moment, and I thought I might have scared him away. "I don't know," he finally said. "Something makes me feel very protective of you. From the moment I met you, you haven't left my mind."

"You don't know what you're saying."

"Maybe," he agreed. "But maybe not."

"How did you find me?"

He breathed out nervous laughter and said, "I heard you weren't going to the New Year's Ball, and to be honest, it disappointed me a little. I was looking forward to your wittiness and sarcasm. Alice told me you'd be home, so I wanted to keep you company.

I can't even begin to tell you how furious I was when I called Sam, and he said you were missing. Isabella, you can't ever do that again. I shouldn't have yelled at you that way earlier, but you need to understand that you're family. Family is extremely important, not only to Charlie, but also to the rest of us. If something happened to you tonight, you wouldn't believe how hard it would be for Charlie to lose you."

"I wasn't even thinking of it that way," I said. "I just wanted to get food. I didn't see Sam or the other suits and thought it'd be okay. You're right, I shouldn't have left. This is my fault. I was stupid and careless."

"Don't blame yourself," he sighed. "It's not your fault."

"Yes it is, everything is," I whispered.

He stared at me for a couple seconds before he knelt down and started to attend to my wounds. I tried my best not to flinch when he disinfected my cuts and then applied an antibiotic cream. He was very gentle, and the entire time, I stared at his face. His thick eyebrows were scrunched together in concentration and his mouth was set in a firm line. It was such an adorable face. So much that I wanted touch his cheek and feel the stubble along his well-defined jaw. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair and stare into his eyes. How could someone be so beautiful?

Look but don't touch, Bella.

"There," he said. He stood and threw away some of the cotton pads. He held his hand out and I grabbed it hesitantly. He helped me off the stool then led me into the sitting room. I plopped myself down on the couch, and he followed suit.

"Bella," he started. "I want to understand you. I don't want to brush off what happened earlier or what you said. None of us here really know you."

"What do you mean?"

"Minus my parents, Alice, and Charlie, of course, nobody knows anything about you or why Charlie has been on high alert for the last couple of months. He's done extensive security changes and background checks on all of his staff. But above that, don't think that no one notices the small flinches that you do when there's a loud sound. Or that you're very careful with that you say and how you act around us.

You really did come out of nowhere. Then, when you suddenly popped up in our lives, things changed. Uncle Charlie is happier, that's for sure, but there's something he's hiding from us. He's made very drastic business choices, and I know it has something to do with you. When I say I want to understand you, I want you to be open with me. What happened out there? What happened to you?"

I bit my lip as I weighed his words.

"When I told you I was someone running away from her past, I really am just that. But that's sugar-coating it, though," I said.

"Well, I have all night," he insisted.

"Are you sure you really want to know?" He nodded his head. "Well first, tell me what's going to happen to Sam."

"Sam will be okay, I'll make sure of it."

"But what about those men?"

"Don't worry about them," he shook his head.

"If you want me to be an open book, you'll have to do the same, Edward."

"Do you really want to know?" When I nodded my head, he sighed in defeat. "Royce King will be held captive until tomorrow, and when Charlie is kept up-to-date, he'll decide what he wants to do. It's too late for the others."

"Meaning the suits killed them, right?"

"Yes." I breathed in slowly as I gripped the seat. "I'm sorry, but this is something you'll have to get used to. I'm not saying it's okay, but this is the world that you belong to now. I'm sorry if it's not what you expected and if it's worse—"

"Nothing could ever be worse than what my life was before."

"Why are you running away, Isabella? Who are you running away from?"

"My husband," I finally admitted.

"You're married?"

I nodded. "I died nine months ago—or the real me died. I'm technically still married to my husband, but since I've acquired a new identity, I'm not. I was Marie Isabella Hayes, and now, I'm Emily Humphries."

"So you're not really Charlie daughter?"

I laughed darkly. "I am Charlie's daughter. My mother was Renee Higginbotham, but she changed her last name when she divorced Charlie. I didn't even know who my father was until I finally met up with Jason Jenks."

His mouth opened as if was able to put a puzzle piece together and I quirked my eyebrow in question. "I was wondering why Uncle Charlie and Mr. Jenks have been working closely for the last couple of months. A lot of business contracts have been revised, and we closed deals with a couple of companies within the last five or so months."

"What do you mean by that?"

"We cut ties with a central family in Chicago. They weren't a part of the black market business, but the company was a huge asset to First Swan Corporation. Charlie suddenly cut them off and didn't disclose his reasons."

"I'm the reason," I said.

"What do you mean?"

"The family in Chicago…it's my husband, James Witherdale."

Realization dawned on his face. "You're married to James Witherdale?"

I nodded my head. "He's the one I'm running away from."

"I never trusted him," Edward said.

"You know James?"

He nodded his head. "I know of him. I've never met him, but I have seen the result of his work. When he was appointed as the next CEO, their bond with FSC started to get rocky. He's a very unstable businessman."

"Wait, Charlie stopped doing business with Witherdale Industries?" I gasped.

Edward nodded his head. "Our companies have been allies for decades. But when James took over for his father, Charlie didn't feel comfortable investing millions of dollars. Like I said, a very unstable businessman."

I stared off as my mind raced. I couldn't figure out what to do with the information I was just given. I didn't know much about Witherdale Industries, so I can't imagine how the company would be now.

"What happened when Charlie stopped funding them?"

"James tried to set up a meeting with FSC, but Charlie avoided him. Even his father, Caius, tried to talk sense into Charlie but he wouldn't budge."

"But, what happened to the company?"

"Last I heard it was like a domino effect. For a large investor like Charlie to pull out of a company without reason, others wouldn't want to give them money either."

"Wouldn't they be suspicious?"

"Suspicious how?"

I felt my chest constricting, and I struggled to breathe. "Why didn't Charlie tell me about this? What if they investigate? They'll find me!"

"Bella," Edward grabbed me by my arms, and knelt down in front of me. "Please breathe. They're not going to find you."

"He'll hurt me again, Edward," I cried.

Edward's jaw snapped shut, and he gripped me tighter. "James hurt you?"

Tears fell down as I gasped for air. I nodded my head and said, "James thinks I'm dead. I want to keep it that way for as long as I live. If he finds me, he'll kill me."

Edward ducked his head down to catch my gaze. "Listen to me," he said sternly. "As long as Charlie is here and as long as I am living and breathing, no one will hurt you. Understand? James will never again hurt you."

Something about the way he looked in my eyes and the way he spoke made me believe him. I felt his promise ring true inside my heart and I felt safe with him there. Unthinkingly, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around his neck. He was stunned for a second, but slowly, he snaked his arms around my waist to hug me back. My skin was electrified where my cheek and his neck touched. He smelled so good, and his warmth eased the pain in my chest.

"I know we only met," he said. "And maybe my words won't mean much…" He pulled away from our hug to look at me in the eye. "You're safe here. I want to get to know you, Bella. I want to know the good and the bad. I want to be your friend."

There it was…the word friend. Nothing more and nothing less.

"I'll be your friend, Edward," I said. At this point in my life, I'm not looking for any relationship. I know I'm not ready and deep in my heart, I know I'm still broken. Edward is a very attractive man, and even though he's way out of my league, it still hurts knowing that I didn't even have a chance to win him. I don't imagine myself with Edward, and this applies to a lot of men out there.

Nobody wants sloppy seconds.

"So, you're really not going to the party?"

He shook his head as he sat back down next to me. "I really wanted to be here with you," he said. "Now I understand why you couldn't go."

"Yeah, too many people," I said sadly. "I don't want to live the rest of my life like this. I got away from James, but at the same time, I still live in fear of him."

"If you don't mind, I would like to discuss this matter with Charlie."

I contemplated it for a second and agreed. "I also want to be there when we tell Charlie about what happened tonight. It was my fault. I shouldn't have left," I bargained.

He looked troubled before he sighed. "I suppose so," he agreed.

When I turned my head to look at the clock on the wall, I noticed that a couple of hours had passed since I left the bookstore. The New Year starts in just a couple of minutes and the thought spending the rest of my life without James sent me into another round of tears. I was both happy and terrified.

"This life…Charlie, FSC, the Cullens…it all seems too good to be true. And at the same time, it's too close for comfort. This 'world' we belong in isn't too different from James.' This new life just comes with more money, fame, and whole new category of dangerous."

"But it also comes with family, protection, and love," he said.

I laughed. "Love," I spat. "I once believe in that."

"I guess we believe in different things," he said.

When I finally glanced at his face, the intensity of his gaze threw me back. I swallowed thickly as I realized I might have said the wrong thing. I never should have opened my mouth. Just as I was about to say something, the clock in the hallway dinged.

"Happy New Year, Bella," he said.

Edward did stay with me all night. We ended up watching a movie and then falling asleep on separate ends of the couch. He told me that it was a rare occasion when he got to do that. A majority of his time was spent in the office or traveling across the world to handle shipments. The black market business was not up for discussion last night, for which I was thankful. There was already too much going on in my head.

When I awoke, I quietly ran upstairs to clean up and change my clothes. When I came back down, Edward had surprisingly done the same thing.

"I have clothes here," he explained. "Ready to go?"

"Charlie isn't home," I observed. "Why?"

"Charlie went straight to where they're holding Royce King," he explained.

"He knows already?" I gasped.

He shook his head. "I've instructed them to wait for our arrival. Charlie just got off the phone with me. He's eagerly waiting for us," he explained.

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/11/2018