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.

A/N: I usually don't put my author's notes at the beginning of my chapters, however, I needed to add an **ADULT CONTENT WARNING** to this chapter. It's not a lemon – I promise, but it is still a little too adult for some of my younger readers. I have indicated where this section starts and stops with in the chapter below. You will not miss anything important to the plot by skipping adult content section. Now, on with the story! Thanks! - SavageWoman

Sleeping with a Monster

Previously…

"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? That 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.

Chapter 38 - Deceptions


Bella's POV

Crap! What is that? The eighth time I've had to restart counting?

What I couldn't figure out was why I was still trying to keep track. I had absolutely no idea how much time had passed since James had ordered me to put on the blindfold. I would say this much… the counting kept me distracted from any other thoughts – well mostly. It was when those other thoughts entered my mind that I lost track of my number.

It also helped to distract me while James stroked my thigh. I tried to squirm out of his reach when he tried for contact that was more intimate. I wanted none of it and I knew my evasiveness angered him. I would pay for it later unless I could escape. Otherwise, I really wasn't expecting to survive my time with James, so anything I could do to delay the inevitable was music to my ears, even if it pissed him off later. He stopped his attempts ages ago and concentrated on his driving. No need to get in an accident while trying to cop a feel from an unwilling captive. However, I could tell by his tense breathing, he was frustrated.

I found it odd that I didn't feel the same sense of fear I usually felt when faced with his punishment. Perhaps I was better at my detached numbness than I thought. Maybe I was in denial. Maybe I didn't care anymore. Maybe going to my death in the place of someone I loved freed my mind from all fear and doubt as I willing stepped up to the plate, ready for my final showdown with the monster that was my husband. He was, after all, the one thing that stood between Edward and me. If I had to die to be free…

The slowing of the car broke me from my thoughts as I realized I had lost count, again. Apparently, I wasn't very good at the survival skills Jasper taught me. The car continued to slow, telling me we were either stopping or leaving the freeway.

As the car slowed, the atmosphere around me changed. The constant hum of the engine and highway quieted, making my ears heighten their attempts to hear any other sound that might give me a clue. I could hear every breath James took, every move he made, when his foot moved to press on the brake, the blinker as it clicked and the gentle brush of his shirt as he turned the steering wheel. I could hear the loose gravel under the tires as the wheels ground into the asphalt, the movement of his foot to press on the gas pedal, the purr of the engine as the car picked up speed again, and every bump and crack in the road as we passed over it. It all echoed inside my ears causing the quiet numbness to quiver a bit.

We were no longer on the freeway, traveling at a much slower speed than before. I wondered if we were passing through a town somewhere on our way to our destination. On the other hand, maybe we had taken a ranch exit and James was taking me out into the middle of nowhere to kill me quickly and bury me in a shallow grave. I was almost rooting for that second option. At least that choice would involve the least amount of pain…

The roughness of the road alerted me that we were no longer on the well-maintained roads of civilization. The subtle way gravity pushed my body back into the seat indicated that we were climbing. The constant crunch of gravel and the feel of the washboard road told me this was a dirt road.

After what seemed like an eternity, the car finally came to a stop. It could have been five minutes since we left the freeway, but with my sense of sight cut off, I found it difficult to regulate the passage of time. We sat in the car for a moment before James cut the engine to the car. I heard him open his door. A moment later, it closed and I was suddenly filled with a sense that I was alone, his overbearing presence was absent from the car. I nearly jumped out of my skin when my door opened.

Crap! Remain detached, Bella. Now is not the time to let the control slip.

I willed myself to remain calm as James dug his fingers into my forearm, hauling me out of the car with little concern for my sightless state. As I stumbled out, he released my arm and I fell to the ground, hard.

"Oomph!" I said as my body hit the powdery dirt and sharp pebbles covering the ground. I could smell the dust as it wafted up to my face. I licked my lips, tasting the fine grit, my skin feeling dry and dirty. I heard the car door slam and before I knew it, James was pulling me up again by my arms. I limped and stumbled awkwardly in my blind state as pain shot through my damaged knee. Any thoughts of a quick death and a shallow grave went out the window when the fronts of my shins hit some steps. James, of course, failed to warn me about them. I knew this exercise was his way of making me dependent on him, trying to break my spirit, humiliate me, making me responsible for my injuries. Of course, I refused to let on how much it was working. That, in and of itself, told me he wasn't breaking me as easily as I thought.

James continued his steady pace up the steps with me stumbling all the way as I tried to keep from putting too much stress on my knee by leading with the same leg on each step. When I reached the landing at the top of the stairs, I did one of those stilted steps when you think you have one more step but lurch forward a bit with your foot comes down further than expected from the absence of the non-existent riser. I felt James stop a moment too late and smacked right into the wall, not even able to brace myself with my hands. I winced at the contact of the hard surface against my already bruised and swollen face. I scowled inside at James for doing this to me.

Damn him! I hated him more than mere words could express. I failed to see the need for all this crap when he was planning to kill me in the end. He pulled me inside a building and I tripped on the threshold of the doorway falling to the floor, once again. This time, James made no move to pick me up. As I lay there on the ground, panting from the strange ordeal, I heard the door close and the deadbolt slide into place. James stepped round me and walked away for a moment. I waited patiently, knowing better than to provoke James with my defiance.

What I needed right now was the opportunity to escape. The longer I put off any punishments or reunions, the better my chances were. James eventually came back and ripped the blindfold from my head, pulling some of my hair caught in the knot. I blinked at the soft light flooding my sensitive eyes.

"Time to get cleaned up for me, Marie," James laughed, throwing my previous words back in my face, reminding me of his intentions for the night. He yanked me up and threw me over his shoulder, probably not wanting to wait for me to limp along slowly. His quick action caused my off-white flats to fall from my feet, having partially slipped off my feet from all the stumbling and falling outside. As much as I wanted to pay attention to my surroundings, I found it next to impossible to lift my head and my hair effectively blocked out most of the view of the cabin James had acquired for the festivities. Exhaustion was beginning to replace the numbness. This would make me vulnerable, as my mind would be unable to protect itself quickly.

James put me down and pointed me towards the bathroom. "Take a shower and get cleaned up. Put on the clothes there on the bathroom counter," James said before he gave me a twisted smile. I limped into the bathroom and started to close the door.

*** ADULT CONTENT (START) ***

"Leave it open, Marie." James dragged a chair over and sat down in it, giving himself an excellent view of the shower. He sat down and readied himself for the show. I swallowed down the bile that threatened to come up as I thought about what I had to do.

I shuffled to the shower and turned on the water. Then I walked over to the toilet closet, went inside and shut the door for a bit of privacy to do my business. I quickly undressed relieved to find my phone still tucked into my bra and in working order. I quickly checked the battery life and signal strength, before I hid it behind the toilet brush holder in the corner.

I knew my little maneuver thwarted his hopes of watching me undress. As quickly as I could manage, I made my way to the shower. I kept my eyes averted, not wanting to see the look on his face as I opened the door and stepped inside. The steam and hot water engulfed me in a cloud of relief and I noticed that the shower door had with enough fog on it to obscure my body from his probing eyes. I took the opportunity to take stock of my injuries. I nearly sobbed at the sight of fresh bruises on my skin. It was something I had hoped I would never see again and I felt defeated at the sight.

I relished the feel of the water, washing away the filth of my repeated encounters of the day with James. All his blood, sweat, dirt, touches, lust and hatred fell away, leaving me clean and free of him for a short time.

When I felt I could no longer avoid him without making my situation worse, I shut off the shower and squeezed the excess water from my hair. I opened the shower door slightly to grab the towel on the counter next to the door, only to find it gone. I chanced a look at James.

Ugh! You have to be kidding me.

He looked like the cat that swallowed the canary, sitting there in his chair holding my towel out for me.

"Come and get it," he laughed as I shifted uncomfortably behind the shower door that was rapidly losing its sight obscuring condensation. I let out an angry huff before I steeled myself for the task at hand. I straightened up, threw my shoulders back and held my head up high. I opened the door wide and stepped out. With as much dignity as I could muster, I looked him straight in the eye and limped towards him. There was nothing new about my body. He had seen it all before. I refused to let him embarrass me and make me feel humiliated.

When I reached him, I snatched the towel out of his hands before I limped back into the bathroom. I didn't even bother wrapping the towel around my body. Once I reached the counter where my clothing was, I stopped and toweled off the water still clinging to my skin. As I slipped on the matching black lace panty and strapless bra set, I completely ignored James leering and ogling my body. I slipped the red silk dress over my head. It slid down my body and hung from thin spaghetti straps coming to rest a few inches above my knees.

*** ADULT CONTENT (END) ***

The entire time, I avoided looking at my face in the mirror. I felt uneasy at what I would see there. Would I recognize myself? Who would I see? Bella or Marie? As crazy as that sounded, it was a real concern for me.

I slowly raised my eyes to meet those of the woman staring back at me in the mirror. I saw a battered woman with a purple bruise across her cheek and a fat lip. The bruising on her neck and arms exposed from the lack of coverage her clothing provided. The image in the mirror angered me.

Once I had done everything I could think of to delay the inevitable, I hobbled back to the toilet closet and retrieved my dirty clothes. I grabbed my phone and put it back in the black bra James had picked out for me. I came back out and I threw my clothing and the towel on the floor. I picked up the four-inch spiked heels by the straps and hobbled out of the bathroom.

"Enjoy the show?" I sneered back at his angry face, obviously mad that I didn't bother to pick-up after myself.

I figured since I was going to hell I might as well do it thoroughly. [A/N: Twilight the movie]

I knew it was coming before he even rose from his chair to hit me. Instead of allowing the beating to continue, I decided to preserve my strength and faked unconsciousness. It was not the first time I had resorted to such a tactic. I just hoped I would be able to pull this off after so much time away.

Once I fell to the floor in a limp heap, James kicked me a few times. I completely relaxed and took all the pain in, mentally willing it to pass through my body in order to control my reaction or, rather, my lack thereof. He stopped and picked up my lifeless body and dropped me on the bed, my body bouncing around on the springy mattress. I heard him leave the room for a moment before returning.

The bed sagged next to me from his weight as he sat down next to me. My body shifted slightly in his direction. James rolled me over. He then pulled my arms behind my back and tied something around my wrists, binding them together. He rolled me back over. He stayed there for a minute, watching me, I suppose. I didn't dare do anything but breathe in a steady rhythm.

"Such a waste," he muttered as he stroked my face. Once again, I resisted the urge to wince as he touched my bruised face, willing the pain to pass through me. I felt him shift before his breath fanned across the side of my face, ghosting to my ear.

"I had such high hopes for you… for us. I thought you were different from all the others." He paused for a moment before he added, almost too quietly for me to hear, "I really thought you were the one, Marie. I thought this would last…" He placed a small kiss behind my ear before he got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom. I heard the bathroom door close.

My mind was reeling from the small revelation of his confession. In no way did I want to stay with James and any love I had for him had died out a long time ago, but still… There used to be a part of my heart that longed to hear him tell me he cared for me as he did on our honeymoon. Instead of making me feel nostalgic for the sweeter days of our relationship, I felt nothing but anger towards him. He finally gave me that tenderness, only when he thought I couldn't hear him, and when he's planning to kill me. Not only was it too little, too late and meaningless in light of all the pain he had inflicted upon me, it cheapened everything I had done to survive. I had worked so hard to endure my time with him, knowing that he despised me. I found it ironic that here at the end, he finally decides to show me his tender side. It was a final taunt, reminding me that the idea of what our marriage should have been was nothing like what it was in reality. I felt my anger spread out through my body, blocking all my pain receptors.

As soon as I heard the shower turn on, I opened my eyes and got to work. I rolled into my back and tucked my knees into my chest so I could bring my arms under my rear and over my legs. Once my hands were in front of me, I used to my teeth to work on the knot in the silk scarf that had served as my blindfold earlier.

Thirty seconds later, I found myself free of my restraints. I gingerly flexed my knee. I put my weight on it and found it to be tolerable. All the limping and favoring had been, in part for show and in part for preservation of the joint. I made my way out of the bedroom and retrieved my discarded flats from the floor, smiling at my deception. I slipped them on as I made my way to the door and slid the deadbolt back. I slowly creaked the door open feeling the chill from the night air rush in before I slipped outside. It was a dark, moonless night. It would be difficult to find my way, but it would also make it difficult for James to find me as well.

I carefully made my way down the stairs before I started down the road. A gentle breeze reminded me that my clothing offered little in the way of protection against the cold of the night air. I went as fast as I could humanly go with my injury. After about five minutes, I started to relax a bit. Stupid move.

"Marie!" The sound of that voice yelling my name in the distance caused fear to get a toehold as gooseflesh broke out across my skin. I had relaxed my defenses, again. I cursed myself when I realized I wasn't nearly as far away as I had hoped. I picked up my pace again, knowing he was out there looking for me. I kept looking behind me trying to see if he using his car to search for me. In the distance, I could barely make out the glimmer of a flashlight.

Shit! My footprints were probably clear as day in the powdery dirt of the road. I quickly veered off the road, trying to lead him a stray, looking for rocks to hide my path. Unfortunately, my knee made this option nearly impossible to keep up for too long.

I remembered my phone and decided it was time to call. I still didn't have a way of determining where I was, but maybe they could figure something out based on cell phone towers. It works in the movies, right. And if I could hide out long enough for Edward, my own personal hero, to find me, before James, my own personal homicidal maniac, did… And then the police could come and… Well, what do you know, my life was a horror flick. I bet some Hollywood exec would pay for this story... I shook my head at the absurd path my mind was gleefully skipping down.

I flipped open my phone and dialed Edward. He answered on the first ring.

"Bella! Is that you?" His voice sounded tight.

"Oh, Edward," I choked, suddenly overcome with emotion, hearing his voice again. I sobbed in relief.

"Sh, love. Are you okay?" Edward's voice calmed me immediately and I took a deep breath.

"Yeah, I'm okay. But I don't really know where I am. I'm north of Phoenix, but I think I might still be south of Flagstaff, but I can't be sure," I admitted, wishing I could give him more clues.

"It's okay, sweetheart. I know where you are. I'll be there soon." A sense of immense relief pulsated through my body as a sigh of relief escaped my lips.

"How do you know where…?" I started, but really didn't care. I was just so glad he would be here soon. "I can't tell you how good it is to hear your voice," I said in a laughing sob.

"Bella? Where's James?" Edward asked softly, hesitantly.

"I got away, but he's looking for me. Right now I'm trying to get as far down the road as possible, but I can hear him in the distance, calling my name." I glanced behind me trying to get a fix on his location.

"Edward, I'm scared. I know if he finds me, he'll do awful…," I said in a small voice, finally admitting my fears before Edward stopped me.

"Bella, you do whatever you have to do to survive. Do you hear me? Whatever you have to do. I can't lose you. Promise me you will survive this?" Edward's voice was thick and strangled causing an involuntary sob to escape my throat at his admission.

"I promise," I said between my sobs. "I love you."

"Oh, Bella. I love you. Don't ever question that." I smiled, knowing that if I did died, we had at least been granted this last gift. It was then that I saw the distinct shape of two headlights approaching in the distance.

Hallelujah, I am saved!

"Oh my God! Edward, I can see your headlights!" I gushed with a relieved laugh.

"Bella, those aren't my headlights. We're still about 20 minutes away." I felt as if someone had socked me in the stomach. Wait… we? I stopped in my tracks.

"Who else is with you?" I watched as the lights came closer.

"Emmett and Jasper." I heard another low voice on the line mumble something. "Listen to me carefully. I want you to flag down the car, tell them you've just escaped from your kidnapper and ask them to take you to the police station in Sedona. Can you do that for me, love?"

"Yes," I said just as I found myself bathed in light from the approaching vehicle. I flagged down my new rescuer. "And you'll meet me there?" I felt so vulnerable, exposed.

"No one can stop me, love. I'll be there in a few minutes." Edward's soothing voice helped me relax as the car stopped next to me. The driver rolled down the window.

"Isn't it a little chilly out here to be out here dressed like that?" A feminine voice greeted me reminding me that my outfit looked more like lingerie than a dress. I could barely make out her face in the soft glow of the dashboard lights.

"Yes," I laughed nervously before I broke down and cried. I still had the phone to my ear and could hear Edward on the other end.

"It's okay, Bella. Everything's going to be okay now," he reassured me.

The driver quickly got out of the car and put her arm around my shoulders.

"Sh. Honey, it's okay. Having a rough night?" Her voice soothed me in a familiar way, putting me at ease. I laughed through my tears at the understatement of the year and nodded.

"You could say that." I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "Would you mind giving me a ride to the police station in Sedona? Is it close by?"

"Sure, dear. It's just a few miles back." She patted my shoulder and led me to the car. "I'm sorry, but I've got all a bunch of supplies in the passenger seat. Would you mind terribly if I put you in the back seat?"

"No, that's fine," I said with a relieved sigh. She opened the door to the back of her sedan and waited for me to get in. I smiled at her. The light coming from the interior of the car finally revealed her face to me. She was a beautiful woman with long red hair that cascaded wildly over her shoulders. I got a sense that I knew her from somewhere, but couldn't place it. I shook it off and got in, closing the door behind me.

"Bella? Are you okay?" Edward's voice in my ear reminded me that he was still on the phone.

"Yes," I sighed as I relaxed and leaned my head back against the seat. "Um, oh, I forgot to ask her name," I started to say when my new best friend got into the driver's seat.

I turned to her and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't ask your name. I'm Bella." I smiled at her eyes reflecting back at me in the rearview mirror. She stared at me for a moment before her eyes narrowed and I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"So nice to finally meet you, Bella." There was no denying her disgust towards me when she spat my name. A cold shiver ran down my spine. She slammed the car into drive, I found myself momentarily pressed into the seat from the force of her acceleration, gravel and dirt ricocheting off the wheel wells and undercarriage as she spun out. She pulled out a cell phone, pushed a button and put it to her ear, never taking her eyes off mine in the mirror. "I'm Victoria, but my friends call me Tori."

"Tori?" Edward's confused voice on the phone mirrored my own thoughts.

Tori? Where do I know that name from? Tori… My sharp intake of breath signaled my epiphany.

"Tori… Rand?" I looked at her incredulously as a string of curses spilled in to my ear from Edward. "What are you… Why are you… Where are we…" I started to ramble, unable to make any sense of the situation. Why was Edward's realtor here and why did she seem to hate me so much?

"Hi baby. Yeah, I've got her. We'll be there in a sec," she cooed into the phone.

"Emmett! It's the girlfriend! She's got Bella," Edward growled in my ear and then it clicked. The redhead in the pictures of my funeral – James brought her to my funeral as his date.

"You!" I yelled. "Oh. My. God!" I suddenly felt sick. This could not be happening to me. What did I do in a former life to deserve this! Get out! My mind was screaming at me.

"Get out of there!" Edward's voice mirrored my thoughts.

"No!" I cried in frustration frantically trying to open the car door.

"I love child safety locks, don't you?" Victoria sang from the front seat.

"No!" I screamed in panic realizing the windows were locked too. A sob escaped my throat. I can't go back. I sneered at the back of Victoria's head, grabbed a handful of her hair, and yanked it with all my might. Her shrieks filled the car and the car swerved, causing me to lose my balance. I fell on the floor of the car, dropped my phone and let go of her hair all at once, but the car continued on its race to return me to James. I struggled to get off the floor and onto the seat while looking for my phone.

"Edward," I sobbed softly, unable to find the phone.

"You bitch!" She screeched before slamming on the brakes propelling me into the back of the front seat.

I watched in horror as the door to my right opened and James crouched down to look at me. I scrambled to the opposite side of the car trying to get as far away from him as I could.

"No, please," I begged quietly cowering away from him as I tried the door again in vain.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." I looked up to see him shake his head at me in disapproval, chastising my like an unruly child. "What am I going to do with you, Marie?" His eyes trapped mine and held me in his icy gaze and I felt my lower lip quiver. His eyes darted to my lips and back up giving me a nefarious grin.

"I'm just going to have to teach you a lesson about deception." He lunged at me across the back seat.

"No!" I wailed as I tried to fight him off, frantically hitting and kicking him. The car filled with the sounds of his grunting, my slapping and the car rocking as we struggled in the car.

"Get off me!" I screamed trying to kick him away. But James methodically continued to gain control of my body struggling to get away. His lips were pulled into a tight line and his face was a stone mask of determination as he overcame over my struggles. There was nowhere to go, his massive form filling the back seat and blocking any escape possible.

Finally having enough of my struggles, James punched me in the stomach effectively knocking the wind out of me. I groaned in pain while my body ceased to respond to fight or flight instincts in an attempt to suck in much needed air. He took advantage of my plight and grabbed me to pull me from the car. I continued to grab onto the seats of the car, slowing his progress, not willing to give in so easily even in my current breathless state.

"Damn-it, Marie. You will come with me," he growled as he yanked my hands from their stronghold and pulled me free from the car, causing us to stumble back and hit the ground. I landed on top of his legs and scrambled away from him in an attempt to get up and run. I fell down before I could even get up when James tripped me.

I landed in front of a pair of long, skinny-jean clad legs and looked up into Victoria's hateful glare. She grabbed my arm and a handful of my hair in the process and hauled me up. I ripped my arm from her grasp and glared at her defiantly. I turned to get away from her and ran smack into James's chest. He chuckled at my clumsiness and turned me around to face Victoria.

"Have you met Victoria? She was very instrumental in my little cat and mouse game. Did you like the song… the pictures… the message in the mirror… the flowers…? My favorite was the camera she installed in your boyfriend's bedroom... watching you sleep… watching you dream about me while you were lying with him…," He ground out in my ear, his hands gripping my shoulders so painfully I whimpered.

"Aw. Such a pathetic, worthless piece of trash!" Victoria screeched just before she slapped my cheek. Before I knew what was happening, I found myself on the ground, cast aside as James slapped Victoria in retaliation for hitting me. I lay there in shock at the scene before me.

"Don't. You. Touch. Her." His voice was menacing and low as he towered over her huddled form while she cradled her cheek and glowered at me. Apparently, he was the only one who was allowed to abuse me.

James quickly turned and hauled me up and tossed me over his shoulder. His quick movement startled me into action, and I let out a blood-curdling scream hoping that if anyone were in the area, they'd hear me.

"Scream all you want, Marie. No one's coming to your rescue this time." He gave me a baleful laugh as I continued my struggles of flailing my body and kicking and hitting him. His firm grip easily held me at an angle that prevented me from landing any blows to his head.

As he walked us up the steps to the cabin, I looked up and saw Victoria pick-up my cell phone from the back seat of the car. I halted my struggle as she sneered at me and put it to her ear. James was still carrying me away from my last line of hope.

"Edward?" She paused before her sneer grew more pronounced, indicating he was still on the line. "We'll take good care of her." She let out a horrid cackle before she tossed the phone into the bushes next to the cabin.

"Edward!" I shrieked just before the door to the cabin closed, locking me in my prison once again.

A/N: I'm so sorry for leaving you with another cliffy. haha – not really. It's just where the chapter ended, honest! But don't worry. The next chapter won't be a cliffy, but it is the last chapter before the epilogue.

I appreaciate all those who have read and/or reviewed my story! I have the best fans in the world - giving me so much praise and encouragement. I truly do look forward to each and every review.

Don't forget to add me to your author alert if you're interested in reading my next story.

Thank you Pochacco906 and Blackgem88 for once again beating back my tsunami of typos and phrases that don't quite make sense! You ladies are Super Duper! (Sorry - channeling 'The Incredibles' for a moment.) - SavageWoman