Summary: With the unexpected and mysterious death of her mother, Isabella was given a life-altering gift; a way out of the abuse she endured at the hands of her husband, James. However, the new life she enters is filled with truths she may not be ready to face. 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 17: Two Lives

As we hurried out the door, Edward placed his hand on the small of my back, and my entire body shuddered. I was beginning to think that I was the only one who could feel the electric buzz between us. I forced myself to ignore it as Edward opened the car door for me. When his hand left my body, I felt a pang in my chest.

I didn't notice last night, but Edward drove dangerously fast on the road. My hands gripped the seat tightly underneath my legs as I held my breath with every single turn. He wove through the streets effortlessly, as if it was second nature. Edward was taking me to the warehouse where they mass-produced the weapons. Charlie meant to show me one of these days, and it sucked that I would finally see it under these circumstances. I was terrified of what was happening.

"How did you know his name?" I asked.

"Who?" Edward took a quick glance at me.

"Royce King."

Edward's shoulders visibly tightened. "He works for Charlie," he answered. "All four of them deliver weapons overseas."

This was the first time he was openly discussing that subject with me. It was clear that he was uncomfortable talking about it. But it bothered me all night how they knew who my attacker was. That, and the fact that I was about to face him again … only this time, he would be sober and coherent.

"Don't worry about it, Bella," he said.

"I will worry about it," I snapped. "Three men died last night. I get that you're used to this stuff, but I'm not. And now, we're about to talk to Charlie about whether or not Royce King lives. Because of a decision he made last night."

"It was a stupid decision," he argued. "No matter what happens, he needs to be punished for what he did."

"He was drunk!"

"Are you defending him?"

"No," I said. "His life shouldn't end just because he made wrong choices last night. He was extremely drunk."

"In the end, it's Charlie's decision that matters," he said firmly.

Just like that, he ended the conversation. I sat back in my seat and looked out the window. I stand by what I said—it was the alcohol doing the talking. When we arrived at the location, Edward was opening my door before I could even unbuckle. As I stepped out, I gazed up at the tall building. It was bricked with metal shingles on the roof. The windows had metal bars on them, and the front entrance was adorned with cameras. When Edward and I approached, the thick iron door automatically opened.

A suit approached us, and he eyed me warily. Before he could open his mouth, Charlie appeared behind him, and he headed straight for me.

"Bella," he held me at arm's length to look at my bandages. I almost forgot I had them—the most visible was the one on my left temple from when I hit the brick wall. "What the hell happened?"

"Let's talk inside, Uncle Charlie," Edward ushered as he surveyed the street.

"Right," Charlie agreed as the iron door slammed shut. I cringed from the metal screech it made. "In my office."

As we entered the building, the first thing I noticed was how heavily guarded the place was. Men up on the catwalks patrolled the area with military-grade firearms strapped over their shoulders. There were rows after rows of wooden pallets stacked on cantilever racks. There were conveyer belts that stretched farther than I could see and forklifts loaded with boxes. Everything was loud, and everyone was moving.

"This is just top floor," Edward said as he bent down to my ear. His breath sent a shiver down my spine. "There are multiple levels below, and that's where they make the parts for the weapons and assemble them. They store the goods up here when ready for shipment. We can have it delivered, or they can pick up."

I stared up at him as he spoke. He gestured with his hands where everything was, but I just watched the way his mouth moved. His lips were plump, and I wanted to kiss them. As soon as that thought crossed my mind, I frowned and turned away.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"No."

"Oh," he said. I felt his warmth leave my side as he put some distance between us. This wouldn't be the first time I said something and regretted it instantly. At the moment, my feelings for Edward were very confusing. I didn't know how to act and talk around him. He intimidated me for the most part.

At the end of the hallway, two armed men guarded a set of double doors that I assumed was Charlie's office. This room was rubbish compared to the one at FSC, but it was equipped with state-of-the-art technology. The entire warehouse had cameras, and everything was broadcast from the comfort of Charlie's office. When he closed the door, it seems the room was also soundproof.

Charlie gestured for us to sit down and we followed. "Will someone please explain," Charlie started.

"It was my fault, Charlie," I said before anything else. "It wasn't Sam or Royce."

"Bella," Edward frowned at me. "It wasn't your fault."

"I went to the bookstore, and I left without telling Sam," I ignored Edward. "I should have told him; I thought I would be quick, but now I know that I should have said something. It's my fault, Charlie."

"Why is Royce here?" Charlie asked.

"He tried to rape her," Edward said bluntly.

"Edward!" I exclaimed.

Charlie froze in his seat.

"Charlie, please," I begged. "Don't hurt him."

"Bella, he has to be punished for what he did to you," Edward answered for him.

"He didn't even know who I was," I argued. I tried to catch Charlie's gaze, but he sat there stoically. "He was drunk, and he wasn't thinking right. He was celebrating the New Year. Nothing happened to me."

"That doesn't look like nothing to me," Charlie pointed at the bandage.

"I wasn't raped!" I said. "I'm not trying to defend Royce, but he didn't mean it. The other three, the ones who died, didn't either. They didn't deserve it."

"It's not up for a discussion, Bella," Edward protested.

"Yes, it is!"

"You don't know anything," he growled back at me.

"Screw you, Edward!" I yelled. "This isn't your choice!"

"Enough!" Charlie bellowed. Edward and I both immediately sat back in our seats. Charlie had slammed his fists down on his desk, and he now stood, towering over us. "This isn't how I want to start the New Year. I'm angry I wasn't informed about this when it happened. We'll discuss this later…but Edward is right. Royce needs to be punished for what he did."

My jaw dropped open as I stared at both of them. Edward was nodding his head, and Charlie sat back in the seat, satisfied with his decision. I shook my head and clenched my fists. I was angry, so I gathered whatever courage I could before speaking.

"I've had enough pain and suffering in the past to last a lifetime and I sure as hell don't want anymore," I said softly. "This isn't the way to start the New Year. There are ways to handle the situation in a less abrasive and illegal manner. Violence isn't always the answer for everything! Three men died last night! I'm the only one freaking out about it. Why? Oh, because you're both high and mighty and used to this type of life where you don't even blink an eye when you've murdered someone?"

Edward opened his mouth to protest, but I held a hand up to stop him.

"Send him to prison! Let him rot in there for the rest of his life. But Charlie, if killing a man is the way to solve your problems, I don't want to be a part of that!"

I stood there breathing raggedly. The adrenaline from my speech was quickly fading away, and I sat, embarrassed as I stared at the wall of monitors. My eyes happened to land on the one that showed where they held Royce. He was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room with his hands tied behind him. His head was bowed, and I felt a rush of relief when I saw him breathing.

"Edward," I heard Charlie say.

A few moments later, Edward stood and left the room.

"You said this was a dangerous world, Charlie," I said, breaking the silence. "I understand that. This is who you are—who you all are. But it's not me. I don't want people to get hurt, especially if there are other solutions. You sell weapons, you smuggle diamonds, and you own the largest illegal gambling business. I get it, I really do. But murder?"

I felt a tear slip down my cheek, and I angrily wiped it away. I focused all my attention on Royce. I sat up when something caught his attention—a noise coming from somewhere in his room. He looked around frantically before settling in on a figure in the corner. I couldn't see who it was until the figure walked into the light.

Edward.

I could see his lips moving as he circled around and I couldn't help but compare him to a lion stalking a gazelle. For the first time, I noticed a gun holster strapped to Edward's chest. It was hidden under the coat he was wearing earlier, but now, he had his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He looked ready for a fight. I realized then that he could draw his gun at any time and kill Royce.

There was a lump in my throat and heavy feeling in the pit of my stomach. I could possibly be witnessing my fourth murder in a span of twenty-four hours. Edward then drew his fist back, and just before it collided with Royce's face, the screen went black. I gasped, and looked at Charlie.

"Those were the exact words your mother said to me before she left. That was the last time I ever heard from her or at least the last time I saw her face or heard her voice in person."

I bit my lip and tried to find words to say.

"I wanted to kill the people that hurt my family. I wanted to eliminate every single threat or danger that might take you both away from me, but in the end, I was the real danger," he said. "No matter how many people I killed, I was the threat."

"Charlie," I started to say, but he shook his head to stop me.

"This will be a learning process for the both of us," he continued. "I don't want to lose you, so I'll do whatever it takes to make you happy. However, you need to understand that I sit in a very powerful position. I have thousands of people working underneath me, and I have more enemies that I can count on both of our hands combined.

I'll spare Royce today. I won't kill him; you have my word. But I will make sure that he wished I did. No matter how you look at it, Isabella, I almost lost you again last night. He almost destroyed the only thing that connected me to your mother. I don't want any more incidents like that in the future. So, for my sake, let me keep you safe."

I nodded my head in agreement.

"I know you don't like it," he said. "But I can't let you out in public without protection—especially with eminent danger everywhere. I can't keep you imprisoned in the house because of my paranoia, and I wouldn't be any different to James if I did."

I winced at the mention of him.

"You have your own demons but the ones that I have? They threaten to take away the things that I care about. That's why I send you out with six bodyguards. That's why Esme, Alice, and Rosalie have bodyguards. Even Tammy has her own bodyguard because I care about her. She's not just a housekeeper—she's family."

"And family is important," I finished.

He nodded in agreement.

"I'm sorry, Charlie," I finally blurted out. I felt tears forming in my eyes as the gravity of the situation finally settled in. "I don't want to lose you either."

X

Later that day, Charlie and I headed home. I also begged Charlie to spare Sam from punishment, and he surprisingly agreed. Sam was an important member of his security team. I couldn't bear to look at him when he opened the door for me. I hurried in the back seat and pretended to sleep the entire car ride home.

I was a coward.

Around ten that night, we received a call from a very anxious Emmett. Rosalie was being rushed to the hospital because she was finally in labor. She was a little over nine months, and the whole family was eager to meet the new baby. I got dressed very quickly, and we got to the hospital an hour later.

Carlisle looked like he was practically holding Esme down in her seat and I couldn't help but laugh at the image. She reached out to hold my hand when I sat next to her. The rest of the Cullen family was here—even Edward, who gave me a nod when I caught his eye. I averted my gaze and frowned.

So much for progress, I thought.

Another hour passed, and then finally, Emmett burst into the room with the biggest smile on his face. "Annabelle Louise Cullen," he said.

"A girl!" Esme and Alice squealed at the same time.

They all followed Emmett to Rosalie's room, but I trailed behind. I just felt so out of place. It was clear on Charlie's face that he treated Emmett and Rosalie's child as if she was his granddaughter. My jealousy flamed when I realized that Rosalie was the first to give Charlie a grandchild. Emmett was like a son to him because he grew up with my father. It wasn't as though I was looking to get pregnant anytime soon. The mere thought of that sent shivers down my spine, as the last man I had intercourse with was my ex-husband. I was so lost in my thought that I didn't notice Edward right beside me. When he spoke, I nearly jumped in the air.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"It seems like every time we speak, you're always apologizing," I muttered.

"I'm sorry," he said again, and he let out a nervous laugh.

"Not excited to meet your niece?" I asked. "Or do you hate kids?"

He shrugged. "I don't hate kids, I just never had the chance to interact with one. Plus, it's not like I'll get to hold her anytime soon. That room is filled with eager family members and they're going to fight over that baby until the next one pops up."

I laughed and agreed with him.

"Do you like kids?" he asked.

I also shrugged my shoulder. "I want to teach children, so I guess the answer is yes. The thought of me having children right now frightens me, though. I can barely take care of myself."

His laughter that followed my statement made my heart skip a beat. It was the same beautiful laugh I heard over the phone with Esme a couple of months back. I suddenly remembered that he was the mashed potato thief and I smiled fondly at the memory.

"I'll probably fuck up my kid too," he agreed.

We both stood side by side against the frame of the door. I looked at the scene before me and what I saw was a happy family. Esme was the lucky one to hold the baby first, and the pure joy on her face was infectious. I couldn't help but mirror her smile. Carlisle and Charlie stood on one side of the bed and Jasper had Alice on his lap as he sat on the recliner by the window. Emmett was fussing around, making sure Rosalie was okay, and for someone who just gave birth, she didn't have a hair out of place. She looked tired, that's for sure, but she had a glow about her that only motherhood can bring.

I couldn't help but feel envious once again.

What I would give to be Rosalie. Above being a beautiful woman, she had what I wanted. She grew up in a big family with both parents. She married into a bigger family, and her husband wouldn't dare lift a finger on her. He loves her irrevocably and unconditionally, and they created their very own little family.

I married James because I wanted that. I didn't marry him to climb up the social ladder or to be rich. I married him because I saw a future and I wanted a family. The rest was just an added bonus. Before all hell broke loose, I imagined having children with James and the both of us being loving parents to our children. Unlike me, who didn't have a father growing up, my children would have had James.

In my head, as I watched the Cullens and Charlie interact with each other, I fantasized a world where James wasn't a monster.

A world where I wasn't running away, and instead, we lived happily ever after.

A world where he was still the blue-eyed, charming, handsome man I married.

In my head, it was all a fairytale …

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/12/2018