CHAPTER 29

My fist caught his face and he flew backwards, hitting the wall hard. I followed him and climbed on top of him, pinning him down with my legs as I brought my venom filled teeth down to his neck. James screamed in agony and I laughed out loud. He knocked me away from him, but I managed to get up quickly and before he could land another blow, shoved him back again.

"Fuck! She's a vampire!" came Victoria's voice. James was already back on his feet, but he kept his distance for now, a hand coming warily to his throat, which was already healing, though I saw a scar forming where my venom had permanently burnt his skin.

"Well, well, well, my pet. This only makes things more interesting," he said, rubbing the back of his head. I backed away and crashed against Victoria, who grabbed my arms and pinned them behind me. She leaned down and sniffed round my neck.

"Oh she still smells so good, James. I bet she still has some of that blood running through her veins."

"That's as maybe, but remember her blood is mine. I have waited a long time for it." Victoria growled at his words, but held me fast, seemingly happy to obey him for now. I fell still in her arms and felt her immediately relax her grip a little.

James approached me and I watched him, biding my time until he was close enough and then I twisted out of Victoria's hands and lifted my foot, kicking him hard between his legs. James sank to the floor and Victoria gave a howl of rage.

"Bitch," he groaned. I smirked, remembering how he had forced himself on me while I slept.

"Revenge is a bitch, isn't it, James?" I replied, darkly.

While I was watching James writhe on the floor, Victoria suddenly grabbed me and threw me across the room. I hit the bar area and bottles smashed all around me, showering me with a rainbow of broken glass, as I staggered to my feet. Victoria was helping James up from the floor when I jumped down from the bar. A feeling of rage surged through me; they were going to gang up on me? I stepped through the glass and jumped down from the bar.

"Oh, James," I said, softly. "There's something you should know."

"Really?" he asked, as he and Victoria stalked towards me.

"I'm not alone."

As the words left my lips, the doors swung open behind them and Emmett appeared, a huge grin on his face.

"Who the hell is that?" asked Victoria.

"Never mind him," said a voice behind her. As Victoria turned to face the new assailant, Rosalie's stiletto caught her right between her eyes, knocking her to the floor.

"Told you it would come in handy," she said, pausing to wipe Victoria's blood from the heel, as she balanced perfectly on one leg.

Alice appeared moments later and jumped up onto Victoria's shoulders, twisting her neck and dumping her on the floor.

"Nicely done, my sweet," said Jasper, flinging a lit match on Victoria's corpse. James stared open mouthed and then with a roar of rage he launched himself at me. Before I could react, Edward was crouching in front of me, his lips curled back in a vicious snarl. James halted in front of us, looking from my love to me and then he straightened.

"I see how this is," he said, quietly. "You left one vampire for another. You must have some kind of sickness to keep finding our kind. Your best friend is a werewolf isn't he? What kind of freak are you, Isabella?"

Before I could respond, Edward leapt at him and knocked him to the floor. They moved so fast I couldn't see them, just a blur of movement. And then they were standing apart, breathing heavily. James laughed.

"Perhaps the sickness is catching," he said. "I have never known a vampire love a human so much he would change her just to keep her. You're more of a freak than she is!"

Edward snarled, but then he saw me as I leapt at James from behind and twisted his head, as I had seen Alice do to Victoria. He fell limp to the floor. Emmett threw a lighter down and the flame flared around James briefly before catching into a white hot blaze.

I sank to my knees, watching the fire burn. He was gone. James was gone.

"I'm so sorry about your dad, Bella." Lottie grabbed my hand and squeezed it as I stood at the graveside, tears streaming down my face.

"It was my fault," I stammered.

"No, no, Bella. He was in a really risky job; I know it's not much of a comfort, but he was a hero. He took hits to keep others safe all the time. I'm sorry, Bella."

"He took this hit for me," I whispered, but she was already releasing my hand, stepping back, allowing Jacob to take her place at my side. His strong arm surrounded me, cradling me softly against his side as I turned my head to his shoulder and wept bitterly.

"My fault, all my fault. I'm so sorry, so sorry," I babbled. Jacob tightened his embrace a little and looked over my head. I followed his gaze to see his father, Billy watching us through narrowed eyes.

"Bella, we know who did this. We will catch him," he murmured against my hair. "Come on, sweetheart, let's get you home."

He pulled me away from the graveside, gently and led me back to his truck. When we reached my house, he followed me inside.

"Do you need anything?"

"It should have been me that died, Jake," I said.

"Do you think that's what your dad would have wanted? Bella..."

"One day, Jake, one day I hope I'll be strong enough to... to kill that fucking bastard!" I screamed, before my panicked sobs overcame me and I sank to the floor, breathing heavily. Jacob followed me down and pulled me to him, tightly.

"Bella? My love? Bella, speak to me, please?"

My vision was blurred by tears and I couldn't bring myself to move or to speak. Even as strong arms circled me and tried to bring me to my feet, to pull me away, my gaze remained fixed on the smouldering flames that encased the corpse of the vampire that had destroyed my life. A hand tried to turn my face, but I shrank away from it, keeping my eyes fixed on that blaze. There were more voices now, saying my name, imploring me to come away. More hands reaching out to touch me, to try to divert my attention.

"Bella, don't look. Look away. He is gone, you know that. Bella? Bella?"

"Isabella, look at me." This voice was more forceful than the others and my gaze flickered away from the fire to a pair of golden eyes framed by blonde, untamed hair. "We need to get out of here and Edward will not leave without you. If Edward does not leave then neither will Alice and I have a certain fondness for her. Look at your maker, Isabella. Look at your love."

Jasper's voice forced some sense into me and I blinked, as if seeing them for the first time, gathered around me. Edward was standing before me, his hands on my arms, trying to force me away.

"Edward," I choked out, breathlessly. With a sigh of relief, he shifted his grip to my hand and pulled me gently away from the fire, heading towards the doors of the club, where already we could hear the sound of sirens. Edward suddenly gathered me into his arms and moved us out of the building with lightening speed, so that when the fire crew arrived, we were out of sight. Jasper I saw striding towards the fire chief determinedly.

"He will make them see that this was an arson attempt on the club by a disgruntled customer," he murmured against my hair, when we were out of sight. Rosalie huffed next to him.

"He could pin the blame on Mike Newton," she said, with a dark chuckle. I felt laughter bubble up my throat and when it started I couldn't stop. Edward put me down and I laughed so hard until suddenly his arms came round me again and I realised I was screaming and sobbing hysterically.

"It's over, my love, it's over," he soothed. "You are safe."

Just one more chapter to go folks. I hope you've enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it :-)