Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong to the wonderful Stephenie Meyer and not to me… sigh.I also don't own Sleeping with the Enemy. The book belongs to Nancy Price and the movie belongs to Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation.

Sleeping with a Monster


Previously…

(Red POV) James finally decided it was time to leave as he started the engine and drove off. I swallowed my cynical side telling me to walk away as I slowly pulled away from the curb and started to tail him at a safe distance. It would be another 30 minutes before I finally convinced myself to make the call.

Chapter 37 - Miracle


Edward's POV

Pain.

It was the first thing that cut through the darkness surrounding me.

"Un," I mumbled trying to move. I felt something soft underneath me and I wanted to sink back down into it. But, the throbbing in my head wouldn't let up.

"Sir?" The sound of an unfamiliar voice in my ear cut through the darkness. Who was that? I opened my eyes and saw that I was on the couch in the rental.

I tried to sit up, but an overwhelming wave of dizziness shut down my efforts. "Oh," I grunted and pressed my hand to my head. Feeling moisture there, I pulled my hand back and saw the blood.

"Edward!" Jasper's voice broke through the confusion and pain swirling around in my head.

"Jazz?" What was Jasper doing here and why was my head bleeding? He looked at me nervously.

"Hell, Edward. You had me worried. Are you okay? You look like shit." He walked over to me and helped me sit up on the couch.

"What?" I started to question, but as I looked around the room, I remembered. I jumped to my feet. "Bella! My God! Where is she?" I frantically looked around the room until it suddenly tilted to the side.

"Whoa! Edward, take it easy," Jasper said as he grabbed a hold of my shoulders to steady me.

"Is she here?" I struggled with Jasper briefly before he answered.

"No. She's gone and so is James. Do you know where he might take her?" I felt my shoulders slump as my eyes widened. I ran my hand through my hair and winced slightly.

"I don't have a clue." As I uttered those words, the devastating reality of the situation hit me. I have no clue, none, nada. What was I thinking? That James would knock me out and I would wake up and just know where he would go?

"Officer Whitlock? I need you to take a look at this." One of the uniformed police officers motioned to Jasper. He looked at me and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

"I'll be right back." Jasper gave me a sympathetic smile before he left to talk to the officer.

What am I going to do? How am I supposed to find her? She's counting on me and I have no idea what to do. I felt utterly helpless.

"We think they went out the back and over the fence…" The officer's voice faded away as he led Jasper out the back door, following the clues to James and Bella's escape. I surveyed the room, taking in the damage to the house and the general disarray. There were holes in the walls, end tables overturned, furniture moved, lamps broken…

I looked down and saw my cell phone on the floor near the kitchen. It must have fallen out during my struggle with James. I slowly walked over and picked it up. Scattered across the floor were pictures of Bella and our friends and family. I picked up the one closest to my phone and recognized it as a picture of Bella and me. I felt my mouth drop open in surprise. It was a picture of Bella and me lying in our bed, kissing. The word 'dead' scratched into the picture. I feel my anger renew itself as I snapped my mouth shut with an audible click.

All our precautions, the alarm system, moving into my place, the contingency plan – they were all for nothing. James knew what he was doing and could take her anytime, anytime he wanted. And he did. I looked at the huge bouquet of flowers in the dining room table and my anger boiled over. Those were his flowers. I stalked over to them, picked them up and threw them at the dining room wall, shattering the vase sending glass, water and flowers ricocheting everywhere.

I couldn't stay in this house for a minute longer. My last memories of Bella would be of James beating her up, degrading her, making her beg for my life. Moreover, I acted the part of the perfect coward and let him take her. I looked down at the crumpled picture in my fist and realized there was a hidden camera in our bedroom. James had a window into my life with Bella.

I rushed out of the rental to rip that vile voyeuristic camera out of the place Bella and I had shared our most intimate moments. I could hear Jasper and the officers calling my name but I ignored them as I unlocked my house and went inside, slamming the door behind me. I ran into the bedroom looking for the camera. I studied the picture to get the angle right and realized the picture was taken from above. I looked up and studied the ceiling. There it was, in the ceiling at the base of the fan.

I slowly sat down on the side of the bed and looked at the picture of Bella with me in this very room, in this bed. The pang of regret spread through me like a poison. All those times I had denied her physical love due to my silly excuses because she was married. My selfishness was never more clear that at that moment. I withheld my love for her because of something that was out of her control. All she wanted was love. She never judged me, never saw me as inferior, and never expected anything out of me except what I was willing to give. I, on the other hand, withheld my love because she was married, holding to some higher code as if I was better than she was. I had essentially told her I couldn't love her because of her association with James. I spoke the words of love, but never backed them up with action, with the affection that would tell her, undeniably that I was hers… body and soul.

Instead, all I did was offer her meaningless words and platitudes while feeding her excuses because I couldn't 'lower' myself to love her enough. God, I was a monster. I was the monster who didn't deserve her. And yet, if by some gift of providence, I were able to find her again, alive, I would spend the rest of my existence trying to make it up to her. I would show her everyday how much I loved her, not just with words, but also with actions. I would never again withhold any part of my love for her. I had failed her in so many ways. Even if I received the miracle I so desperately hoped for, there was no guarantee she would even want me in light of what I had done. I leaned over and rested my elbows on my knees, still clutching the picture.

"Edward?" I looked up and saw Jasper standing in the doorway. "Are you okay?"

"Okay?" My bitter laugh filled the lifeless room. "Am I okay? What do you think?" I stood up and walked over to him.

"I come home to find my beautiful girlfriend getting the crap beat out of her by her sadistic husband. To be on the verge of defeating him when he pulls a gun and threatens to shoot her. I watched as she sacrificed herself to save my life, my life! Only to wake up to find her gone and the cops in my house, five minutes too late. And if that isn't enough, I find out that James has been watching us this whole time with a camera in this very room!" I punctuated the last bit by slapping the picture onto to Jasper's chest with enough force to cause him to stagger backwards into the hallway.

"How do you think I feel?" My angry shouts echoed off the walls of a room that no longer held any joy. My house would forever be just that, a house. As long as Bella was missing from my life, it would never be a home – our home. I turned on my heel, marched over to the bed and climb up. I clumsily walked across the mattress over to the ceiling fan and ripped the camera out. I threw it to the ground before falling to my knees.

"Edward…" The sadness in Jasper's voice was evident, but I didn't want his pity. I wanted him to help Bella.

"Damn it Jasper!" I yelled but my anger at him was waning. "Where were you? Where were the police?" I rubbed the back of my neck as I threw my head back, trying to ease the tension there. My heart was full of anguish.

Jasper let out a loud sigh as he rubbed his jaw with his hand. "Order of protection calls take a back seat to more serious crimes."

"Someone being assaulted and kidnapped by an animal isn't considered a serious enough crime to warrant the involvement of the police? What, they'll come over and check it out when their done with their donut break?" I retorted.

"Edward, I know you're hurting right now, but…" I shot him a baleful glare that shut him up.

"You don't know what I'm feeling. You have no idea," I spat at him in a venomous tone, still struggling to hold onto my anger. The anger kept the anguish at the edges of my mind.

"There was a robbery that escalated into a hostage situation. All available law enforcement in the area was on the scene," he said quietly, probably knowing it wouldn't matter to me what he said. He was right.

I sighed. I knew it wasn't Jasper's fault. He wasn't even a member of the Scottsdale Police Department. And, if I could think rationally about this, I would understand. I was a doctor. I understood the need to prioritize emergencies based on immediate need and the best way to utilize the available resources. However, I wasn't able to do that right now, because it was someone I loved who was prioritized lower.

"Look. The officers want to question you about what happened. Take a moment to clean yourself up and collect your thoughts. When you're ready, come back over and we'll try to get this taken care of as quickly as possible." I nodded as I rubbed my hands over my face. My head was still hurting, though not as bad as before.

Jasper left me alone and I slowly made my way to the bathroom. I stripped down and climbed into the shower. I turned the water up to as hot as I could stand and cleaned the blood and sweat from my body. I popped open Bella's shampoo. When I caught a whiff of the strawberry scent, I almost lost the control over my emotions. Everywhere I looked, I saw reminders of her, scattered all over our home.

Ten minutes later, I was clean and dressed, but not feeling any better. If anything, I felt worse. Every minute that passed pulled her further away from me. I was grateful to see that I didn't need stitches in my head. The wound I received from the butt of the gun was superficial. I stepped outside, but didn't go next door. I walked out to the curb and sat down with my head in my hands, contemplating what to do. As fruitless as it sounded, I wanted to drive around in my car looking for her. Rationally I knew that would be like looking for a needle in a huge haystack and that was assuming James remained in Phoenix. I was certain he was smarter than that. But at least I would feel like I was trying. It would give me something, anything to do.

I heard the familiar sound of Emmett's jeep round the corner as he sped down the street. I looked up just in time to see him come screeching to a stop in front of me. Emmett jumped out of the jeep and jogged over to me. He held out his hand to me and I took it. He quickly pulled me up and into his embrace. I stood there frozen for a moment. I could count on one hand the number of times my brother had hugged me, really hugged me. This was one of those hugs.

I felt my emotions tug free of my dwindling control. I wrapped my arms around my big brother and held on for dear life as my grief engulfed me in wave after wave of devastating pain.

"She's gone! God, he took her!" I cried out. All my hopes of playing the part of the tough guy went out the window as my eyes welled. Bella was my life, my love – she was everything to me. I never realized how vulnerable I felt until this moment. I was just grateful that I had a brother who understood what I needed.

"Are you okay?" I appreciated that Emmett wanted to make sure I was in control of my emotions before he released me.

"Yeah," I croaked my voice raw from the turmoil of the day. Weariness suddenly overcame my system as I felt the inevitable crash from the aftermath of sudden rushes of adrenaline. Emmett let go of me and grabbed the back of my head looking me in the eye.

"We'll find her. I promise, we'll get her back," he said with so much conviction I felt hope flare painfully in my chest. I took a calming breath and nodded my head, unable to speak. My emotions were everywhere and I knew this was a natural reaction, but still. I felt like a crying fool.

As soon as Emmett stepped away, I found myself wrapped up in the arms of Rose and Alice. As much as I appreciated their efforts to comfort me, being in the arms of any other woman besides my Bella served as a painful reminder that she was gone.

"I'm so sorry!" Alice sobbed into my shirt. I glanced over at Rose, who understood more than anyone else did what Bella was probably experiencing. She gave me a grim smile and took a shaky breath.

"I'm sure we'll find her. Don't lose hope." She reached up and touched my cheek just under my eye. "Did he do that?" I grimaced as she touched the tender spot on my face.

"Yes, but I'm sure he's done worse to her." I felt my chest tighten at the thought and I pushed them away running my hand through my damp hair. I paced back and forth, suddenly overcome with nervous energy. I needed to do something. Rose and Alice watched me, just as helpless as I was.

My ringing cell phone interrupted my pacing. I groaned at the thought of the hospital calling me at a time like this. I was about to ignore it when I remembered that Bella might still have her cell phone. Didn't she have it in her hand before I blacked out? I pulled my phone out eager at the prospect. I was disappointed when I saw it was a number I didn't recognize. Still… What if she managed to escape and call from a different number?

Still holding on to a shred of hope, I answered the call.

"Hello?" My voice sounded foreign in my ears.

"Edward?" I didn't recognize the voice of the man on the other end, but he knew who I was.

"Speaking. Who is this?" I felt uneasy as I walked away from Alice and Rose who were now talking to Emmett in low whispers.

"The man who holds the key to Marie's survival." I sucked in a hard breath and tightened my grip on the phone. My back stiffened at the caller's admission.

"James?" I hissed. It certainly didn't sound like James. "Where are you? If you hurt a single hair on her head, so help me…," I growled into the phone before he stopped my rant.

"I am not James, and I'd appreciate if you wouldn't insult me like that," he chuckled a bit. He obviously knew James enough not to want to be confused with him. "Let's just say I'm… a friend."

"Where is she? Where is he taking her?" I could see Emmett watching me out of the corner of my eye and I glanced at him. He lifted an eyebrow in question and I nodded, confirming his suspicions. I shifted my eyes over to Rose and Alice and back up at Emmett and he nodded. I turned my attention back to the caller.

"Before I help you, I need certain assurances from you." What did he want? Money? What kind of a sick bastard would blackmail someone…? Of course. This was a ransom call.

"How much do you want for her? I'm assuming this is a ransom call?" I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"Look, Edward. I don't have to put myself on the line here. I don't want your money. All I wanted to do was help... Maybe undo some of the damage I've already done," he muttered at the end.

"Who is this?" His comments made me wonder if he played a role in helping James. Maybe he was suffering from a guilty conscious. Whatever the reason, I was at his mercy.

"Like I said. I'm a friend." Glancing back at Emmett, I saw that he had sent Alice and Rose off somewhere. He walked over to me and waited patiently.

"Okay, I'm listening, friend." I was willing to play along if it got me closer to Bella. Emmett's eyes widened with unanswered questions. I shook my head, warning him to keep quiet while I negotiated with the caller.

"First things first. No cops. I do not want to get involved. I am an anonymous tip, nothing more. Got it?" He stopped, waiting for my answer.

"Got it," I answered without hesitation.

"Gather what you need and head north on I-17. I will call you in a half an hour with another update. Any questions?"

"Only a few hundred I'm sure you won't answer. Can I bring help? Or do I need to come alone?" It all sounded clandestine to me, but the whole situation was straight out of a movie.

"Sure. Why don't you bring your brother? He's a big guy. I'm sure he can take care of James with just one hit," he chuckled in the phone and I bit back the rude comment I wanted to make in response to his jab at my inability to protect Bella. He was willing to help me and I wasn't going to piss him off. He could very well be my miracle.

"Okay, friend. I'll talk to you in 30 minutes." His answering chuckle before the line went dead made me wonder if it was a good idea to put my trust in him. What other choice did I have? I could sit here and do nothing while the cops chased their tails, or I could be following the lead of someone who may or may not be leading me on a wild goose chase. However, if there were a chance, even a small one that he could lead me to Bella, I'd take it.

I closed the phone and looked at Emmett. I subtly jerked my head back toward the house as started to walk back inside. Alice was back outside, talking to Jasper and I didn't need either of them overhearing this conversation. I didn't see Rose anywhere, but I had a feeling she would go along with whatever I needed. What I needed was a distraction to keep Jasper at bay long enough to slip away. I loved him like a brother, but the 'no cops' stipulation was enough for me to keep him out of the loop. My new friendship with my caller was tenuous at best.

Once we were in the house, Emmett was all over me.

"Who was that? What does he know about Bella? Was it James?" He was vibrating with curiosity.

"Slow down. First off, it was not James. However, I do think he knows him. He seems to know where James is taking her. All I know is that we need to head north on I-17. He's going to call me in 30 minutes with more information. He said I could bring you, but no cops. And he suggested packing whatever supplies we would need." I watched a variety of emotions flit across Emmett's face as he took in the information.

"What the hell does that mean?" He threw his arms up in the air in frustration.

"I don't know, but it will be getting dark soon, so maybe flashlights and blankets. I don't know what kind of condition she'll be in when we find her. Will you get the first aid bag out of the hall closet there?" I said as I started to gather the things we might need if we had to search for her.

"I'll get a few things for Bella." Rose's voice caused both Emmett and I to freeze in our tracks. I looked at her standing in the doorway of the bedroom. I was apprehensive until I saw the sad expression on her face. I nodded and continued.

In five minutes, we had everything packed up in a duffle bag. Emmett slung it over his shoulder and started to head out the door. I stopped him before he left.

"Em, don't let Jasper see you. You know what he'll do and I can't risk it." He nodded and looked over at his wife.

"I love you, baby." He pulled her into a passionate kiss and I looked away from the exchange. It was private and a painful reminder.

"As much as I want you to pummel his face to a pulp, I want you to be careful," Rose said fiercely before she stepped out of Emmett's embrace and turned to me.

"What do you need me to do?" Rose's face was an open book. Her love and concern for both Bella and me were written all over her features, and I felt closer to her in that moment than I had in all the time I had known her. I gave her a reassuring nod.

"I need you to distract Alice and Jasper," I gave her a sad grimace, knowing I was asking her to deceive her brother.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do, but I want you to rethink Jasper," I started to protest, but she put her hand up to mouth to silence me. "James has a gun."

"So do I," Emmett offered. She turned to him and dropped her hand away from my mouth.

"Yeah, but neither of you are trained to handle a situation like this. Jasper is," Rose countered without missing a beat, before she turned back to me.

"Rose, I can't risk losing this man's trust. He's the only hope I have," I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose. As much as I wanted Jasper there, I didn't want to risk pissing off my caller.

"I know," she sighed before she gave me a sad smile. "He's not going to like this." She gave Emmett a quick kiss and walked out the door to distract her brother. I felt bad asking her to do this, but there was no other way.

I looked outside and didn't see Jasper anywhere. Emmett slapped me on the back as he past me on the way to his jeep.

"Let's do this! I want to pound this guy into the ground and I want my little sister back!" I couldn't hold back the small smile that tugged at the corners of my mouth at Emmett's over-protective nature and eagerness for a good fight. I couldn't have asked for a better brother if I had custom ordered him myself.

********

"So who do you think 'Deep Throat' is?" Emmett glanced in the rearview mirror before he changed lanes to avoid the minivan going ten miles under the speed limit.

"What?" I really wasn't paying much attention to Emmett. Most of the conversation had been on other things, probably his attempt to keep my mind occupied. But after an hour and a half of driving and getting nowhere, I think his curiosity got the better of him. Plus, my mind was playing sick games, coming up with all the possible things James could be doing to my Bella. I was so worried that we would be too late, that she'd be dead.

"Your 'informant'," Emmett said, using air quotes.

"Deep Throat?" I raised one eyebrow at him and he laughed. I tried to smile at his attempt to lighten my mood, but I didn't feel much like it. I sighed before continuing, "I don't know. It could be anyone. There are only three people that come to mind because I don't know that much about James." I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration.

"I think it's that detective, Larry Redding" Jasper added. I glanced at him, barely acknowledging him. I was still angry that Jasper was even with us.

When Emmett and I reached the jeep, Jasper was already in the back seat waiting for us. I wanted Emmett to throw his sorry ass out, but Emmett turned on me and took Jazz's side. And since time was of the essence, I really didn't have a choice. I threatened to leave them both and take the Volvo, but Emmett and Jasper said they'd follow me, so I might as well ride with them. Luckily, Emmett told Jasper if at any time I felt his presence was going to cause a problem with my informant, he wouldn't hesitate to leave him standing on the side of the freeway in the middle of nowhere.

"Why would he bother? He's the one who helped James find her," Emmett almost whispered, as if I couldn't hear him talk about James and Bella.

Jasper nudged my shoulder. "Didn't your caller say something about undoing the damage?"

Deciding it was time to let go of my ire towards Jasper, I turned to him and said, "Yeah, but why would he risk his reputation? And didn't you say that he specializes in this kind of thing? Using underhanded tactics to get whatever his clients wanted as long as they were willing to pay?"

He nodded in agreement. "Maybe, but I still think it's him. He doesn't really want to get involved. He just wants to be an anonymous tip. He knows the real James, which most people don't, otherwise he wouldn't have taken offense at you calling him James. And, he doesn't want the cops involved, my guess is, it's because he doesn't want them finding out he had any part in what James has done. He's still trying to protect his reputation." Jasper did have a point, but still…

"I don't know. I mean the guy still snuck around gathering information on Bella and then gave it to James so he could find her. Plus, someone has been watching us. There were pictures, flowers, and a hidden camera in our bedroom. On top of that, someone broke in while Bella was home alone and wrote a message on the bathroom mirror last week."

"What?" Jasper and Emmett said at the same time, both surprised at my revelation.

"Why didn't you tell me?" The look on Jasper's face bordered on furious.

"Dude, why was she alone?" Emmett scowled earning a grimace from me.

"I got called in to work a little earlier than expected. It was just for an hour and she convinced me that she would be fine. Bella thought the message was from me and the flowers and pictures didn't arrive until today. We didn't figure it out until just before James showed up, while I was on the phone with her, in fact." I shook my head and frowned in frustration remembering our earlier phone conversation.

"How do you suppose he pulled it off? Hasn't Carlisle been keeping close tabs on James?" Jasper's question reminded me that I needed to call Carlisle and Esme and fill them in on what was happening.

"Yeah, he and Aunt Esme. I need to call them and find out how he got by them." I leaned my head back and looked at my reflection in the black window to my right. It was a moonless night, giving the atmosphere an ominous feeling I didn't like.

"He didn't – not really, anyway." Emmett's comment brought my eyes back to him and I gaped at him. Emmett grimaced at me before plunging ahead with his story, "Carlisle called me when he found out that James wasn't in Florida. He tried to call, but couldn't get you or Bella on the phone."

I nodded my head realizing now why Carlisle had called earlier. "Yeah, he called when the shit was hitting the fan"

"I think James suspected they were keeping tabs on him. There were pictures of Carlisle and Esme in that letter he sent Bella." Emmett's eyes snapped up to the rearview mirror to stare at Jasper.

"What pictures?" Emmett asked.

"Just before James showed up, Bella found a letter from James telling her he would be there soon and nothing would come between them again. There were pictures of all of us, even pictures of Bella and me in our bedroom with a threat to kill us all," I ground out through my clenched teeth as I recalled that damned camera intruding in on our privacy.

"No way! Even my Rose?" Emmett looked furious and I nodded at him. He gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white. "Wait! Did you say he had pictures of you and Bella in bed?" Emmett's eyes were wide. He opened his mouth again to add something, but then snapped it shut.

"I'm telling you… it's Redding. I bet he started digging and found out what kind of a creep James really was. I think he started to feel guilty." I was glad Jasper kept the conversation going forward. I didn't think I wanted to know what Emmett was going to say about the bedroom pictures, not to mention his anger over the threat to Rose. But I was a little annoyed that Jasper was campaigning so hard for the private investigator. Larry Redding was not one of the good guys.

"His type doesn't have a conscious. He's in it for the money and doesn't give a rat's ass what his clients do with the information he gives them," Emmett's statement mirrored my own sentiments and I nodded agreement.

"You have a point and I know this last minute regret shtick this doesn't sound much like his M. O. But still, my gut is telling me it's Larry Redding." I shook my head at Jasper and his persistence.

"My money is on the girlfriend. She probably wants Bella out of the way, but maybe not so much that she wants her dead," Emmett added his own theory to the mix.

"That doesn't make sense Em. It's a guy," I said, shooting down his theory before it could take flight.

"She could have disguised it with one of those, um… voice change-y thingies." Emmett's use of intelligent speech was astounding.

"Whatever," I muttered under my breath. "Maybe it's the guy that was on the boat when Bella left," I said furrowing my brow.

"Nah. He was clean, as far as I could tell. A little rowdy in his college days, but who hasn't done that." Jasper shook his head. Emmett grinned eliciting a groan from me. Here it comes.

"I remember those days," Emmett said and as he opened his mouth again to brag about his exploits, my cell phone rang. All eyes trained on me.

"It's him," I said looking at the caller ID. I hit the answer button and put the phone to my ear.

"Hello…" I hesitated, debating… I wonder if Jasper's hunch is right. Without thinking about the consequences, I plunged ahead. "…Larry."

My query was answered by a deafening silence in the other end of the phone. Shit! What have I done? This man wanted to remain anonymous. I was just about to open my mouth to back pedal when I heard a low chuckle.

"Edward," he returned politely.

A/N: Thank-you so much. We've reached 1,240 total reviews! I love you guys... **tears up** ...I feel so loved! And just so you know… I will send you a sneak peak of the next chapter if you send me a signed review!

I'd like to thank Blackgem88 and Pochacco906 for taking a look at this chapter, fixing my typos and telling me when I make absolutely no sense whatsoever! Thanks ladies! Be sure to check out their stories.

Okay, now I want to say right now… I do NOT mean any disrespect to the Scottsdale Police Department. It's just the way the story goes. They are a causality of war, so to speak. I'm sure the SPD is a wonderful law enforcement agency and does a super job keeping Scottsdale safe. So don't flame me for my portrayal of them in THIS story. Edward was just being emo.

Thanks for reading and reviewing! – SavageWoman