AN: Twilight belongs to SMeyer, no profit is made or intended.

I am sorry for the double alert, but it needed to be done.

It has been suggested by one of my wonderful readers that the warning for this chapter needed to be stronger. So here it goes:

WARNING: This chapter contains graphic violence and strong sexual content. This is not for the fainthearted. There will be situations along the lines of physical and sexual abuse.

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Hello everyone! First of all I want to thank you all for the wonderful reviews. I am sorry I didn't get a chance to respond to any of them, but I wanted to let you know that I really appreciate them. You guys are awesome!

This chapter has not been perfected by my wonderful Beta, so one again, please accept my apologies if it's not up to quality.

WARNING: This chapter contains strong violence and strong sexual content.

Also Bold Italic letters are from the song 18th Floor Balcony by Blue October.

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BPOV

I felt as if I was already dead. I guess that was part of what Mike had planned for me. It seemed like he intended to rip off any trace of humanity that I had left in me before finishing the job. I knew I wasn't going to make it out of this situation alive, but I had no idea when it would happen.

I had been thrown on a dark warehouse for what seemed like weeks. Mike had yet to come in here, so I had been at the mercy of James. I had been made to strip out of my clothes and chained into a metal chair with no cushioning. The only time I was allowed to move was to go to the bathroom once a day, and James would untie my arms also once a day so that I could eat the nasty oatmeal they fed me.

James was not mean to me, but it was obvious that he was following Mike's orders. I tried a couple of times to beg him to let me go but it was useless. He seemed to enjoy having me in this situation a little too much to grant me my freedom. He also seemed to be terrified of Mike.

After my third attempt I got tired of begging and accepted my fate. I knew that I was not going to be able to survive in a world that didn't include Edward, and after all the people that had been murdered because of me I felt that the least I could do was die as well.

The other thing that was horrifying was the multiple personalities that James seemed to suffer with. At times he was Mr. Green, all confident and well spoken. Other times he was Tyler the sex addict. I hated the Tyler personality the most because he was always trying to fondle me and he was always threatening me with rape. I had been lucky because so far it had all been empty threats.

Then there was just James. His stuttering seemed to increase or decrease depending on his level of excitement. He liked to pretend that we were still friends and he would reminiscent on things that happened while we were in High School. Like the times I would spend consoling him after Mike would do something to him, or the times I would seat by him at the cafeteria so people did not think that he was a loner.

He also talked a lot about Leah. She had been his girlfriend in High School but he later found out that it was a prank that Mike had orchestrated in order to humiliate him. He told me in detail what he did to poor Leah. He talked about the stab wounds. The times he had her beg for mercy and lick his feet. It was all truly horrifying.

I was also beginning to understand that the Mike I thought I knew did not exist, he was a monster. I never realized how much he had bullied James, how cruel he had been to him. Everything he did had a purpose. I would have to wait to find out what his real motives were when he decided to date me.

I was also extremely confused about James loyalty to Mike. He had been extremely mean to James, and was responsible for most of the things that happened to him, the things that made James who he was today. I couldn't understand why James would teach him how to kill, and how he would willingly carry his orders as if he was his pet. It seemed like the power that Mike held over James was stronger than anything else I had encountered before.

I tried to keep myself busy. I wanted to keep my mind from going back to Edward. Every time I closed my eyes I could see his lifeless body on the sidewalk, that hideous knife piercing his chest. There were moments that all I could feel was pain, and I would cry for hours until exhaustion would knock me out into a horrifying dream.

I had let everyone down. I was responsible for so many deaths, even the death of the one person I truly loved. I deserved to be here naked, humiliated, and starved to death. I deserved to be beaten and have my heart punctured with a thousand knifes. I truly hated myself.

"Would you please stop that crying? It's hard to imagine fucking your tight little ass when you cry like that," Tyler screamed. I really hated this personality.

"Please be a good girl Isabella. Daddy needs you to be good for him, and maybe he would reward you with a little fucking. What do you think?" he asked as he suggestively moved his eyebrows up and down.

"Mike would kill you if you as much as touched me," I spat. I had learned that this would stop him on his tracks and sometimes even bring Mr. Green back, or if I was very lucky, James.

"Ah Isabella, I see that you like to play dirty," Mr. Green said as he slapped me across the face. Of all of James personalities, Mr. Green was the least scared of Mike, but he could also be the most compassionate. I guess the time for compassion was over.

"I have a little surprise for you Isabella. You would never guess who is coming to visit," he told me in a low voice as I started to shake in fear.

Mike!

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EPOV

"What do you mean there has been no new developments?"I asked exasperated.

"It's been two weeks Jacob, two freaking weeks and you guys have as much clue as we do about Bella's whereabouts. What kind of bullshit is that?" I yelled at him.

Deep inside I knew that Jacob along with the rest of the MDPD and the FBI had been doing their best to locate Bella but I was at my wit's end.

"Edward, you need to calm down. We are doing everything we can. Bella is very important to me and I know how you feel, but please calm down," Jacob told me in a soothing voice.

"You have no clue how I feel Jacob, so don't even go there. I'm sick and tired of all of your team's incompetence," I yelled, my face hot from anger.

"Edward, please calm down. You are not helping right now," Emmett said in an authoritative voice as he put an arm around my shoulders in an attempt to comfort me. I shrugged him off.

"I think I've got something," Mike said in an excited voice as he entered my apartment. Everyone's attention turned to him instantly.

Mike had been helping me and my family look for Bella all over the city. I still didn't trust him, but we needed everyone's help. Once Bella was found we would have to deal with him, but the priority now was finding Bella. My poor Bella.

"What is it?" I asked in a less than excited voice. Mike had proven useless with any of his "discoveries" and I was starting to get annoyed.

"I spent most of the morning going through news about murders in states surrounding Washington and Maryland. I found out that there was a similar murder in Oregon, although the police there convicted the victim's husband. There were also two murders in Philadelphia, two sisters, but once again the person convicted was a relative," he explained as he beamed with pride. I was truly disgusted with him at the moment.

"That doesn't mean it was the Post-it killer Mike. If other individuals have been convicted, then chances are that they are responsible for what happened. I'm sure that if the MO was the same as the Post-it killer, the FBI would have added those murders to the list of cases he is suspected of committing," Jacob told him in an annoyed tone. I was kind of glad I wasn't the only one who was sick of Mike.

"But if you read these," Mike pointed out to Jacob as he pulled print out copies of the articles, "there are many similarities as well. I think is worth investigating. What if it leads to Bella? We need to save her before is too late."

"What about his signature? There is no mention of Post-it notes anywhere in either of the articles," Jacob pointed out as he scanned both print outs.

"Maybe they left it out of the papers to see if it would help catch the killer. Maybe the killer didn't leave them on the body at the time and they didn't think they were significant," Mike insisted.

"Jacob, I think is worth investigating. Perhaps Mike is right," Jasper interjected but I could see he was not too happy with Mike either.

"How about I take those over to Langley and have Stacy look into it," Seth suggested as he took the print outs from Jacob.

"Thanks Seth, that's all I ask. We need to get my Bella home soon or she could die," Mike told him.

My blood started to boil. How dare he call her his Bella? We definitely needed to put Mike in his place. He was beyond ridiculous with his comments about Bella being his.

Jasper approached me and placed an arm over my shoulder, probably being able to sense the anger rolling off me.

"Edward, I think it would do you good to go for a small walk," he whispered so that only I could hear him.

"What if they find something about Bella?" I asked.

"No worries man, we can take our cell phones. I'm sure Emmett can call us if they find anything," he reassured me as he pulled me towards the door.

"Emmett, I'm taking Edward for some fresh air, please call his cell phone or mine if there are any new developments," Jasper instructed Emmett before we exited the apartment.

We made it out into the cool afternoon and headed towards the Boarders bookstore at the other end of the block. We walked in silence and I could sense that Jasper wanted to tell me something.

"What's on your mind, Jasper?"

"I'm concerned about Mike, Edward. He creeps me out, and I feel as if he is not being honest with us," Jasper exhaled.

"I know. I get the same feeling about him too. I know that he has an alibi and everything, but I can't shake off the feeling that he is the key to this entire thing. I don't trust him," I told Jasper as we sat next to the water fountain in front of the bookstore.

"Yeah, he's a creepy dude for sure. I think that we need to be careful of what we say around him, just in case we discover he has something to do with all of this."

"Why don't we just tell him to go to hell and leave us alone?" I asked in frustration.

"Because if he is with us, and he had something to do with what happened to Bella, then chances are that she is being kept alive somewhere, and that's my biggest hope. I'm keeping an eye on him, waiting for the moment he makes a mistake. I promise you this, Edward, no matter how small the mistake is, the moment he does anything to arise suspicion, I'm going after him," Jasper told me in a scary, low voice.

All of my siblings and their significant others were very protective of Bella, almost as protective as I was. They had all stayed at the Penthouse from the moment I got released from the hospital and had been doing whatever was needed to help find her.

"I really hope you are right Jasper. With every passing day that Bella is missing I feel my hope dwindle. We have to find her alive. I need my Bella," I whispered as I started to sob.

Any other time of my life I would have been beyond embarrassed about my public display but I didn't care anymore what people thought of me. The only thing that mattered to me was finding Bella. Without her here my heart felt empty, as if the most crucial part of my existence was missing. My heartbeat was a fathom beat, the beat of a dead heart. I was a dead man walking.

----

Another couple of days went by and I was quickly losing all hope. There had been no ransom notes, no calls, and no clues. It was as if she never existed, as if she had been swallowed whole by the earth.

I took a look at myself in the mirror and I cringed at the reflection. I looked pale, dark bags under my eyes. My skin was cold and rigid, my lips pale. I couldn't sleep, eat, and sometimes I couldn't even face reality.

I found myself day dreaming a lot. I could see Bella in every single inch of this place. I could hear her laugh. I could smell her delicious scent. Sometimes I would spend hours lost in some memory. The time that we spent together had been magical, and it was sad that the other shoe had fallen to the ground with such a hard bang that it was still vibrating all over us.

The Penthouse was unusually quiet today. It turned out that Mike was right about the three murders that he had brought to our attention and both the PD and the FBI were working on finding more about the killer. It was obvious that it would be the only way we would have any clue as to where Bella was.

Mike had also left early in the morning saying something about needing to go to California to solve an important matter. He seemed to be very agitated about having to leave, and we were just as bad, but not for the same reasons. Jasper hated the thought of not keeping an eye on him and he decided to follow him to California.

Emmett and my parents had left the night before to look into other hospitals and shelters in the area. I knew that it was a waste of time, but my mother was adamant that she needed to be doing something or she would go crazy.

Rosalie and Alice were at Rose's apartment with Bella's mother. The woman was a wreck. I could see now that she did love Bella, even though she was so wrong about everything. She had been having panic attacks and was convinced that Bella was dead. I couldn't handle being close to her hysteria, so the girls thought it would be best to keep her busy making more flyers and away from me. She loathed me and told me repeatedly that it was all my fault and I, for one, agreed with her.

I failed to protect the most important person in my life. I was so caught up in my own pain at the thought of her leaving me that I had failed to see who took her, and who tried to murder me. I had failed my Bella. I would never forgive myself for that no matter what the outcome of this situation was.

I sat on the couch and I pinched the bridge of my nose as another wave of pain and guilt hit me. I needed to conjure another happy memory fast or I would lose it completely. I closed my eyes and I started to think about Christmas.

Bella had surprised me on Christmas morning with one of those cute Victoria's Secret Santa outfits in Pink satin. The push up bra made her breasts look delicious, and her legs looked to go on for miles below the tiny skirt with the lighter pink fur at the bottom. Her brown hair cascaded down her shoulders underneath a matching Santa hat. She was breathtaking.

I smiled at myself as I remembered how I tackled her into the bed and removed her outfit. All I wanted that day was to feel her satin smooth skin against mine. A sob escaped my throat as I realized that I may never get to feel her perfect body against mine, my missing puzzle piece.

I close my eyes and I smile
Knowing that everything is alright
To the core
So close that door
Is this happening?

I was suddenly in my bed and I could sense someone else lying there with me. I took a deep breath and I smiled as I realized who it was.

My breath is on your hair
I'm unaware
That you opened the blinds and let the city in
God, you held my hand
And we stand
Just taking in everything

I could feel her soft hair fanned across my chest and I lowered my head and placed a kiss on top of hers. I didn't know how she got here, or where she had been, but I didn't care. Bella was back and I was never going to let her go again.

And I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony
We're both flying away

I didn't dare say a word or make a single sound. I was terrified of this being a dream, a cruel dream. I just felt content holding onto my Angel, letting the warmth of her body fill me. I cupped her face with my hands and I moved it so that she was now facing me. Slowly I placed my lips over her, no longer being able to hold my desire for her.

So we talked about mom's and dad's
About family pasts
Just getting to know where we came from
Our hearts were on display
For all to see
I can't believe this is happening to me

Bella moved her face to the side and stared at me, the pain in her eyes breaking my fragile heart. I wanted to ask her so many questions, I wanted to tell her so many things, but somehow I couldn't speak. I realized that I was trying to say something, to scream something at her, but every time I opened my mouth to talk, no sound came forward. I suddenly understood that I was dreaming.

And I raised my hand as if to show you that I was yours
That I was so yours for the taking
I'm so yours for the taking
That's when I felt the wind pick up
I grabbed the rail while choking up
These words to say and then you kissed me...

I watched in a frozen state as Bella stood up and pointed to one of our picture frames.

"Remember when we used to be this happy, Edward? Please try to be happy with someone else. You need to let me go baby," Bella whispered to me. I still couldn't speak. I wanted to tell her so bad that I couldn't move on, that my life was not worth living if she wasn't there with me, but I couldn't utter a single sound.

I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony...
We're both flying away

"You have to move on Edward. You have to be happy. Please do it for me," she whispered again as she stroked my hair, her small hands pulling the strands with desperation. I didn't want to let go. I didn't want to move on. This was wrong, so very wrong. Why couldn't she see that she was taking away all of my hope?

And I'll try to sleep
To keep you in my dreams
'til I can bring you home with me
I'll try to sleep
And when I do I'll keep you in my... dreams

I sobbed hard and loud as she placed a small kiss on my cheek and told me she loved me. She then pulled back and looked into my eyes.

"I will always be here," she said as she pointed to my head," and here," she continued as she touched my chest, the place where my heart was.

I knew it from the start
So my arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
And we're trying so hard not to fall asleep
So here we are
On this 18th floor balcony, yeah

"Bella, baby, I love you. Please don't leave me. I need you baby," I begged her as soon as I found my voice.

"It's too late for me, Edward. Please save yourself," she told me in a soft voice as she turned her back to me.

I knew it from the start
My arms are open wide
Your head is on my stomach
No, we're not going to sleep

Here we are
On this 18th floor balcony... we're both..
Flying away

I stood there, right next to our bed motionless as my angel left. She disappeared into thin air. I started to scream. My life was over now that my hopes had been crushed.

"NO BELLA, PLEASE DO NOT DARE TO LEAVE ME!!! BELLAAA, NOOO, PLEASE BELLA," I cried out as I woke up from my nightmare and fell on my knees right next to the couch.

"EDWARD!" I heard someone scream from the door. The voice very familiar, but I couldn't place it and my eyes where too clouded with tears for me to be able to see clearly.

"Are you ok? I'm so sorry about Bella," the person said as he stood next to me, offering me his arm so that I could stand up.

"Gage? You are supposed to be dead! Oh God, am I still dreaming?" I asked confused.

"I'm alive Edward, just like Bella is. She is not gone, not yet,"

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MPOV

I was frustrated beyond words. That monkey Jasper decided to follow me to the airport and I had no choice but to board a flight to California. Once I was there I would have to lose him in order to get back to DC and meet my Bella.

This was a big problem. If Jasper realized that I was not in California he would suspect even more of me, and I would be exposed. So far my plans of having James take all the blame were working and I didn't want anything to jeopardize that. I needed to think hard about getting rid of Jasper. I smiled as an idea came to me.

I took my cell phone from my pocket and I dialed the familiar number with speed and urgency. I needed to prevent Jasper from leaving DC, and then I would be free to do as I pleased.

"He…he… hello boss," James answered.

"James, I need you to take care of something for me. Do you think you can leave Bella alone for a few hours?" I asked.

"Yes boss," he replied.

"Good. Now, I need you to head to Jasper and Alice's townhouse and set it on fire. I don't care if it looks like arson or not, in fact, I think it would be best if it does. Then I want you to call the police and let them know about the fire. Make sure that there is no evidence linking the fire back to us. Do you understand?"

"Go… Go… Got it boss," he said before he hung up.

Now all I had to do was stall in the airport until Jasper got the call. It was funny how he had no idea that I knew he was following me. They were all so predictable that I was expecting him or the other monkey to do so. They were extremely pathetic.

An hour later Jasper left the airport in a hurry. I had to laugh at his stupid face when he received the news. Now I was free to meet Bella, to savor her skin, to make her mine before I killed her sorry ass.

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I arrived at the warehouse an hour later. We had selected a location near Richmond, VA, in one of the many remote areas of the city. I had convinced James to purchase the warehouse last year. This was another way to tie everything to him, and him only.

I had plans for James as well. He had been extremely useful to me, and he had thought me a lot, but I couldn't risk him opening his mouth. My secret needed to die with him.

I unlocked the door as I took in the rancid smell coming from inside. The warehouse was a single level dump. It was very large with concrete floors and concrete walls. At the very top there were green windows, many of them had wholes from wear and tear, and probably from the abuse that people around the area had inflicted on it.

We had installed security cameras both on the inside and the outside of the facility in order to avoid getting caught, and prevent Bella from escaping. There was no easy way for anyone to enter this place without being noticed.

At one side of the warehouse was a private office. We had outfitted it with a mattress for my purposes. There were other rooms that had once served for storage, but were not dusty and empty. The rest was an open wide space.

In the middle of the room sat what was once the most precious object in my collection, Bella. She was strapped to the frame of what was once an office chair. We had removed the cushions in the back and the bottom, leaving her to lean against metal, and her gorgeous ass to hang off the middle of the frame. Her hands were tied to the chair's arms and her legs to the chair's legs. You could say she was one with the chair. I chuckled at my dark humor.

"Here's Johnny," I called, repeating the best line ever delivered in a movie.

Bella just stared at me, the look in her face dead. I would have to do something about that. I wanted her to beg me to spare her. I wanted to see her cry. I wanted to see her suffer, and I wanted every single emotion reflected in her pretty face.

It was time for my revenge. I had so many things against her. The list was long. The last item added was the fact that her stupid boy-toy survived. I was not expecting that one, but I was pleased he was clueless. Edward had absolutely no clue that he had been within a few feet distance this entire time from the man that almost killed him, the man that was going to kill Bella. Me!

"Now, what way to greet me is that? Shame on you Bella. Where are your manners? I guess you must have lost them the day you whored yourself to that asshole. Boy am I glad he's dead," I taunted her as I approached her, not getting any reaction from her.

"Well look it here James, it seems like she is dead already. I guess we are going to have to perform some CPR," I called out as I placed my mouth over her nipple and bit hard.

I smiled as Bella screamed in pain, the blood starting to leak from where I bit.

"Now, that's more like it. I need you to be alert for this, Bella. I want to show you how much I love you," I told her as I kissed her cheek, Bella recoiling instantly from me.

"I'm going to have to work on your manners though. You are acting like a spoiled brat!" I yelled as I kicked the chair from behind and watched as Bella hit her head hard against the concrete floor and her ass went upwards, getting exposed in the air as it protruded form the chair's frame.

I moved around so that I could see if she was still alive. The blow to her head had been hard and I would regret it if she got off so easy. After getting satisfied that she was well and alive, I decided to bring out my treasure chest.

"Sweet dreams my little whore," I whispered against her ear before liking it.

I looked into the suitcase that I had filled with all sorts of torturing devices before deciding what I was going to use first. I decided that I should start easy if I wanted it to last.

"James, why don't you come over here and watch the master at work," I called out to him.

He silently made his way towards me and Bella and stood a few feet away, a smile on his face as I took a paddle out of the case.

"I think this would be a nice way to wake her up, don't you think?" I asked James knowing that he would not give me a response.

This was my show and I would be the only want speaking, the only one performing, and the only one allowed to touch Bella.

I took a deep breath and I slammed the paddle against her smooth ass with as much force as I could muster. It turned instantly red and I felt my member stiffen in my pants as Bella screamed in agony.

"Wakey wakey little monkey. Did you have sweet dreams about poor little me?" I mocked her.

"Just get it over with Mike. Just kill me already," she yelled.

Now we were talking. Nothing like a good paddle in the ass to bring out some passion.

"Now, do you really think I would let you off so easily? Really? You disappoint me Bella, I thought you were smarter than that," I told her as I hit her again with the paddle.

This time she did not scream, she just moaned in pain as my cock twitched. I hit her over and over again until she was once again unconscious. Her ass was full of welts and was already bruising. I would have to make sure to fuck her doggie style so that I could enjoy my handy work.

"James, please untie her and move her to the office. It's time to have some fun," I ordered.

James quickly complied, managing to move Bella and lay her in the mattress without waking her up.

"Why don't you take a walk or something? I might be a while," I ordered as James left the office, closing the door behind him.

I knelt down next to Bella and I pushed her legs open before sticking two fingers inside her pussy. I had dreamed of doing that all of my life, too bad I was not going to enjoy her for too long. She had done too much and I wanted her dead soon. She needed to pay for all the pain she caused me.

I removed my fingers from her core and I moved my hands over her breasts, pinching her nipples hard. Bella screamed in pain as her eyes opened wide in realization. I could tell she knew what was about to happen.

"MIKE NOOOO!" she screamed as I started to remove my pants.