A/N:

Beta is Lindz26. Pre-reader is MichelleMMarie—the Cinnabon to my belly.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN
*A Whistling Woman*

A dam had been broken.

After our first time together last week, we went on to make love two more times that day, getting to know each other in an entirely different aspect. The day after that, we commandeered the bed, breaking our previous record with four times.

It evened out to twice per day, since we both had our own things to do during the light hours, but once back in bed, we consumed each other, removing clothing slowly and worshipping the other, or practically ripping fabric and wasting no time.

Sex hadn't been restricted to the bed. We ventured into the shower on more than one occasion, the couch, up against the front door, on the edge of the kitchen table, and even one time in the truck. I'd gone down on him a couple times, but the one occasion he'd tried to return the favor, I had to stop him, due to his beard scratching me. He offered to shave it all off, but I was adamant against that. It was a part of who he was, after all.

Currently, we were parked outside the tavern before my noon shift. I was straddling his lap, sitting right on his formidable erection. His mouth had been on my collarbone for the last five minutes.

"We can be fast," he murmured, hiking up my dress past my thighs.

I giggled, because he was awfully pushy when he wanted me like this. "We won't be fast, and you know it."

"Well, I can be fast." He smirked against my skin.

I snorted. "I've got to be inside within the next four minutes."

"Great. Reach over to the glove compartment and pull out a condom."

Grabbing the sides of his face, I peppered light kisses on his swollen lips. "You've got condoms in there?"

"After the last time in here when we needed one, I decided to stock up so there wouldn't be a repeat."

I smiled, remembering the mess we had to deal with. "Smart," I complimented, and attempted to climb off his lap, but he grabbed onto my waist. "I need to go."

"No," he ordered.

"Yes," I shot back playfully, and successfully moved into the seat next to me.

He groaned, giving in.

My dress was twisted and practically bunched up around my waist, so I fixed it and got out of the truck. But after I closed the door, he rolled down the window.

"I'll pick you up at five," he informed. "Don't wait out here, though. I'll come get you inside."

On entering the tavern, I noticed Alice wasn't around, but the television was on, airing some sort of daytime soap opera. I switched it off, just like I always did when she had the TV on.

After calling out Alice's name a couple times, I went into the back. The office door was wide open, so I peeked my head in. Jasper was sitting at the solitary desk, with a calculator in hand. He glanced up at me.

"Lookin' for Alice?"

"Yeah, is she around?" I asked.

He set the calculator on the desk. "She's takin' some boxes to the dumpster 'round the side. She'll probably come through the front when she's done."

I nodded once and began to leave, when he spoke again.

"Oh, and Petal?"

I gave him a questioning look in response.

"Alice tells me everythin'," he said.

I let out a sigh, knowing what that meant. "Great," I spoke dryly. "Let me guess. You agree with her that I should go home."

He chuckled. "She'd like me to, but no. I don't."

"Really?" I asked, hopeful. Maybe he could convince Alice why I should stay.

"I don't agree with you, either."

My face quickly fell, any positive thoughts I had evaporating. "I don't get it."

He leaned back in his chair, a far off look in his eyes. "There's an old sayin'—a whistling woman and a crowing hen never come to a very good end. Know what it means?"

"No," I answered.

He shrugged, grabbing his calculator again. "Just remember it."

Needless to say, I walked away from his office very confused. As I was about to return to the bar, I heard Alice's voice, along with a man's, causing me to freeze.

"Yes, can I help ya?" Alice asked.

"I'm Detective Barslow. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?" the man questioned, his voice deep and gruff.

I furrowed my brow, my gut telling me this was about me.

"Badge, please," Alice requested. For a brief moment, there was dead silence. "Alright. Go ahead, Detective."

Not able to help myself, I slowly cracked open the door enough for me to see the back of a very tall man, dressed in a black suit, with dark, slicked back hair. Alice looked wary, standing stiffly. She caught my eye briefly.

"A young woman named Isabella Cullen-White went missing not too far from here a few weeks back," Detective Barslow started. "She's a brunette around her mid-twenties, average height, thin build. Sound familiar?"

Alice shook her head. "No."

"Hmm," he hummed for a moment, and reached into his suit jacket, pulling out what looked like a photograph. "Does this help?"

From here, I couldn't see what was on there, but I imagined it was of me.

Alice took the picture and eyed it closely for a total of two seconds before handing it back to him. "Haven't seen her," she replied evenly. "Might wanna try Bernie's Bar 'bout ten minutes down the road. Can't miss it."

"Miss—" he began to say, before she cut him off promptly.

"That's Mrs. Jasper Whitlock."

He cleared his throat. "Pardon me, Mrs. Whitlock. There have been various tips that a young woman resembling Isabella Cullen-White has been seen at this bar. I'm just trying to do my job and reunite her with her family."

"And I'm tellin' ya, she ain't here," Alice spoke calmly, but with a tinge of venom. "If I see her, I know where to call."

The detective suddenly looked to the side, allowing me to finally get a glimpse of his face. My eyes zeroed in on a tattoo located at the side of his neck—a black spade with an A above it. I gasped to myself, realizing I recognized him.

Staring up at the full moon, the rush of water below, a sort of peace washed over me. Out here, I could see a million stars. The breeze fanned across my moist cheeks, causing a chill to run through my body.

A twig snapped behind me. I didn't turn around. It was as if I was waiting for something. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around my middle, and a hand covered my mouth roughly. My scream was muffled as I tried to escape to no avail. I managed to step on a foot, and in a moment of weakness, the arm slackened around me.

I elbowed whoever was behind me in the gut, a loud grunt ensuing, and successfully slipped out. Quickly spinning around, I was faced with a tall man who had dark hair that looked jet black in the dead of night. On the side of his neck was a distinct Ace of Spades tattoo.

"Don't like that, huh?" I taunted in a pant, watching as he stood straight in recovery. "I've taken a self-defense class or two. Worked out pretty well in the end."

He took a small step to me, causing me to take a step back. "You don't wanna mess with me, Isabella," he threatened viciously. He was practically towering over me, and there was nowhere to run.

Looking behind me, the river was a good distance down. I was trapped.

"Any last words?" he asked.

I quickly shut the door, swallowing a lump in my throat, and waited for the man to leave. A few moments later, Alice came into the back.

"Christ almighty," she muttered, and caught sight of me practically cowering behind the door. "What's got you lookin' like a wild turkey on Thanksgivin'?"

I let out a shaky breath. For the first time in a while, I was scared. "That guy isn't a detective," I said.

"He's not? But he showed me a badge."

"He's not a detective," I repeated, feeling sick to my stomach.

"Then who is he?"

"The man who's trying to kill me."

X-X-X-X

Edward kept looking at me, taking his eyes off the road almost every five seconds. I remained staring straight, sitting rigid.

"What are you thinking about so hard?" he asked curiously.

"Just something Alice said," I answered automatically, almost robotically. But it was the truth.

After I'd told Alice about the man who was after my life, she'd said, "This is gettin' risky, Petal. What if your family's in danger?"

That question alone had my insides turning violently. Everything was different now. Everything.

"What'd she say?" he queried.

I couldn't tell him. Not just yet. Not until I processed this a little more. "Nothing interesting," I replied.

He sighed. "I know you're not telling the truth."

My anger spiked. "Oh, so you just automatically assume I'm lying? I'm not you." Almost immediately, I realized my damaging words, but it was too late to undo them. "I'm sorry. I don't know why—"

"Forget it," he cut off swiftly, his hands gripping the steering wheel.

The drive back to the cabin was unnaturally quiet. I knew it'd been my own doing, so I had no right to complain.

At home, he didn't ask me what was the matter. On some level, he must've sensed I needed space. Or he was angry with me. Either way, I knew there was a certain amount of time before he would start questioning me again.

After dinner, I washed my hands. As the warm water ran over my skin, my mind put two and two together about how I wound up here. Someone had been trying to kill me before I washed up. In my most recent memory, I'd been standing at the river when that fake detective tried to attack me. Maybe he'd pushed me into the river? That wouldn't have been a very effective kill, if so. The chances of me surviving the fall were pretty high. Then again…I'd barely made it out of the river alive.

Had the man wanted to kill me because of who I was? An heiress? Maybe I'd done something to him and he was getting revenge. It was impossible to know.

Two arms suddenly wrapped around my middle, causing me to gasp loudly. Upon quickly realizing it was just Edward and not some crazy imposter detective, I shut off the faucet and stared down at my pruney fingers.

"Are your hands clean enough?" he questioned with an added chuckle, and rested his chin on my shoulder. His demeanor was a one-eighty from when I'd snapped at him earlier. It made me wonder if he was just putting on an act.

"Yeah," I spoke under my breath.

He grabbed a towel and began drying my hands thoroughly. "Ready to talk?"

I shook my head, unable to look at him.

He tossed the towel onto the counter and brought my fingers to his lips, leaving gentle kisses on them. "Just tell me if it has to do with who you really are."

I nodded. I could at least give him that.

He let go of my hands, folding his arms over his chest. We stood there for what seemed like ages, neither speaking.

"I'm going to take a shower," he said finally, but didn't move. "You coming?"

Taking a shower would most likely entail touching, and I wasn't in that sort of mood.

"We don't have to do anything. It's just a shower," he assured, taking hold of my hand. "Come on. It'll relax us both."

I let him lead me into the bathroom.

In bed later that night, I was wide awake, while he slept soundly next to me. Unable to drift off, I got up and went into the kitchen to pour myself a glass of milk. As the cold liquid slipped down my throat, my racing thoughts ebbed. I felt a lot more relaxed now, and in the morning, the first thing that needed to be done would be to tell Edward what I'd found out. I always made a big deal about honesty, so it would be hypocritical of me not to share.

As I set my glass in the sink, I thought I heard indistinct murmuring voices coming from the other side of the back door. I pressed my ear to the wood, listening closely and hoping I'd just gone mad.

"If you came here and couldn't find her before, then what makes you think she'll be here now?" a male voice whispered, causing my eyes to widen. Someone was here.

"I told you. I didn't get a good look because that asshole told me to leave," a familiar, gruff voice spoke quietly.

Oh no. I recognized that voice. I'd heard it earlier in the day from the phony detective. The man who was trying to kill me.

Internally, I was near having a panic attack. He'd come to my home. He must've really wanted me dead. Edward was here, and he could be in danger, too. But there was no way in hell I'd let that jerk get anywhere near Edward.

Resolved, I tiptoed to the front door, grabbed the shotgun, and quietly exited the house. It was pitch black outside and the air was cold. I was only dressed in one of Edward's sleep shirts, so my legs became practically numb, but I didn't let it deter me.

As I stood on the front porch, I listened for those whispering voices, but couldn't hear anything. Figuring they were still at the back, I cautiously edged around the side. Peeking around the corner, there was no one there. Where had they gone?

I moved to the back of the cabin and could finally hear them. They were around the corner, where the latch door to the basement was. I went to the very edge, listening as indistinct noises were made. It seemed they were opening the latch door and one of them had gone down or was coming back up; I couldn't be sure.

"Nothing down there but a bunch of fancy furniture, paintings, and junk. Couldn't see anything that might belong to her," the unfamiliar man said. "Maybe she's back in LA, Felix."

"I know she's here," Felix spoke confidently. "That broad at that tavern dump was in too much of a rush to get me out of there. She's covering for that little bitch." The sound of the latch door closing could be heard. "Did you destroy the Target security footage like I asked?"

"Yeah."

"Good," Felix said. "I can't risk anyone getting to her before I do."

Target footage? Oh God…I'd been caught on camera that one time I went shopping. Who on earth were these guys? It made me wonder what else they'd done to keep people from finding me.

My anger was growing, and I'd had just about enough of listening to them talk, so I carefully clicked the safety off and was about to pump the gun, when I realized it would be too loud. It made me think…was I really going to shoot them? Take their lives, even? I'd only ever shot at targets Edward put in front of me, but I'd never killed anything. I wasn't a murderer.

A hand suddenly covered my mouth. My head whipped in surprise to see Edward directly behind me with a finger to his lips in request I remain quiet. The beating of my heart took off, because somehow, I could feel that he'd take care of this. If anyone could, it was him. I instantly felt safe.

He removed the shotgun from my hold and carefully pumped the gun. There were two distinct clicks from it, causing my breath to catch.

"You hear that?" Felix whispered in question. "Go check it out."

I was abruptly being yanked backward by Edward to the other side of the cabin where the truck was parked. We ducked behind the large piece of metal.

"You're going to make a run into the woods behind us as fast as you can," Edward urged me in a breath. "Make sure to stay low."

"Are you coming, too?" I asked. This was too dangerous. We both should just get as far away from here as possible.

"No," he replied. There was an intensity in his eyes that made me realize he was going to risk his life for mine.

"I'm not going without you," I said, water clouding my vision.

One of his hands came up to cradle my cheek. "Petal, if there's ever a time to be stubborn, now's not it. I need you to go, damnit."

I nodded reluctantly. "Please don't kill them. I don't want you going to jail."

"I'm not going to kill them. I'll trick them into leaving. Just go. Quickly!"

With that, I took off toward the woods, making sure to stay low. I hid myself behind a tree, where I could see everything that was going on. There was a dark silhouette of a man with a gun in hand at the back of the cabin, just standing there.

Edward, still squatted by the car, suddenly opened the passenger door and jumped inside. With a roar, the truck's engine came to life. He shut the door with a loud bang and sped off, all in a matter of seconds.

"Felix!" the silhouetted man shouted, and ran back around to the other side of the house.

Felix and his accomplice appeared where the truck had been moments ago.

"Was that her?" Felix asked in a growl.

"I think so," the other man replied nervously. "I…I couldn't get a good look in the truck."

"You idiot," Felix barked, shoving the man. "Well, don't just fucking stand there! Get the van and follow her!"

I prayed internally that Edward was as far away as possible by now.

Terrified, the man disappeared through some trees. Felix walked to the front of the cabin and boldly went inside. Loud barking ensued. My heart jolted. I hoped Sadie and Tucker wouldn't get hurt. If anything happened to them, I would just die.

After several minutes, a black van pulled up. The man from earlier got out just as Felix emerged from the house, holding what appeared to be fabric of some kind.

"Lost her. The truck was moving too fast," the man said nervously.

"No matter," Felix assured. "We've got her. Remember this?" He held up an outfit that I couldn't see clearly from where I was.

"She was wearing this before she jumped into the river, right?"

I'd jumped? Thinking back over some of my memories, I distinctly remembered being a good distance above a river. I must've been insane to do that!

"Exactly," Felix confirmed with a sinister chuckle. "Let's go. We'll come back in a couple days when she least expects it."

Within a matter of seconds, the van was speeding off. I hadn't realized how heavily I was breathing as I sunk down the trunk of the tree, my forehead dropping to my drawn up knees.

They were going to come back. And they'd taken something of mine. It was without a doubt now that they knew my exact location. What was I going to do? Felix was trying to kill me for whatever reason, and I feared my family would be at risk, too.

Several minutes passed before I heard the familiar groan of Edward's truck. Wasting no time, I got up and ran to him just as he got out. In an instant, we were in each other's arms, holding on tightly.

"They're gone, but they're coming back in a couple days," I choked into his chest, not able to hold back the tears of stress and hopelessness.

He pulled back and swiped his thumbs under my eyes. "Hey, don't cry," he spoke in a soothing tone, then brought me to him again, encasing me in his strong arms. "I'm here, Petal. Nothing's going to happen to you."

"I know one of those guys," I admitted. "The tall guy. I recognize him from a memory. He tried to kill me before, and now he's trying again."

"Shit," he cursed, and unwrapped his arms from around me. He took a few steps back and kicked the front tire, taking out his aggression. "I knew he was after you."

"What?" I asked, confused.

He grabbed me by the wrist and led me into the house where it was warm. The living room light remained off, the glow of the moon casting shadows on his face.

"This is the third time I've seen him." He sat us both down on the couch. "That day I found you, I ran into him at the river. He was looking for something. I told him he needed to leave, and he did without a fight. Ten minutes later, I found you, just about dead.

"The second time I saw him was about three weeks ago when I had that nail in the tire. After you went inside the tavern, a black van stopped along the curb and the window rolled down. As soon as he saw me, he drove off."

"Wait," I spoke when he was done. "You knew someone was after me and didn't tell me?"

"I didn't know," he replied. "It wasn't until the second time that I started to suspect, but I still wasn't sure. The only reason I even thought someone could be after you was because of this." He rested his hand on my hip.

I quirked an eyebrow. "Because of my hip?"

"No." He pulled my shirt up, revealing the skin of my hip. His fingers rubbed my scar gently. "This, right here, is from a bullet grazing you. That's why it hasn't healed fully. I remembered you showing it to me."

I gasped, pulling my shirt back down. "Someone tried to shoot me and missed?"

His head fell into his hands for a few moments, appearing to be thinking, until he looked at me with determination. "I told you, I won't let anything happen to you. As long as you're with me, you're fine. You believe me, right?"

I frowned, looking down at my lap. "Of course I believe you. But what if they're after my family, too? I can't let anyone die."

"You're not going to die. I'll protect you," he said in assurance.

He wasn't getting it. To him, it was all about me, but to me, it was about everyone other than me. "What about my family?" I asked quietly.

"I…" he started, then paused. "I don't know, Petal. What do you want me to say? That I can protect them, too? I can't."

My heart dropped. "Then their deaths are on me."

"You don't know they're in any danger."

"That's the thing. I'm not sure I can handle not knowing. I can't risk it. I need to be certain they're okay." I didn't know how I wanted them to be protected, just that I wanted to know firsthand they were out of harm's way. The death of my father, sister, or even my alleged husband was something I wouldn't be able to forgive myself for if there was a chance I could prevent it.

"So, what does that mean?" he questioned, slightly angry. "You're going to call them up and ask if they're fine? You're supposed to be keeping a low profile."

Simply calling wouldn't put my fears at bay. Being selfish was no longer an option. My gut told me what needed to be done. It was something that terrified me to the core, but I had to do it. I had to. These people cared about me, and on some level, I cared for them, too. It was because I cared about them that I would do this.

"Things have changed, Edward," I spoke softly. I'd made up my mind.

He simply stared at me, devoid of emotion. "You're leaving, aren't you?" he asked evenly.

I brought my hand up to his face, caressing his cheek. His eyes closed. "It's the only way," I whispered.

His eyes snapped open, a wild look in them. "You said you'd stay, but now you want to go? Did you lie to me all this time?"

"No!" I exclaimed, grabbing onto his fisted hands in his lap. "I didn't lie to you. I meant it when I said I wasn't going anywhere…but now…" I let out a sigh. "You have to understand—"

He yanked his hands away and stood, glaring down at me. "If you walk out that door, I know you won't come back."

"Edward, the only place I want to be is here!"

"Then why the hell are you leaving me?" he yelled, crazed. He was desperate, but so was I.

I wanted so very much to be with him forever, but finally, I was thinking rationally. The hiding out had to end. I'd go home. My family needed me.

"Because it's something I have to do," I said calmly.

Without another word, he stormed into the bedroom, slamming the door like thunder. Loud crashes ensued, echoing throughout the house. Sadie and Tucker howled, as if they were in pain. I simply remained on the couch, breathing in and out slowly…just waiting...

After several minutes, there was silence. No crashes, no dogs barking, just dead air. Another few minutes went by…and another…until the bedroom door creaked open at a snail's pace. Edward slumped against the doorway, a defeated look on his face, his bloodshot eyes refusing to look at me. It had me wondering if he'd been crying, but that wasn't like him at all.

"I'll take you to the station tomorrow," he offered, his voice hoarse.

I stood and approached him. Not sure how he'd react, I carefully wrapped my arms around his waist, hugging him, because this was the man that'd become the biggest part of my life, and I needed him to know how special he was to me.

He didn't hug back.

"Edward, I know you think that because I'm married there's no way I can return, but I'll find a way to get out of that. I promise I'll come back to you."

He unraveled my arms from around his waist, an emptiness emanating from him. "No, you won't."