A/N… This is all Edward. I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 12

EDWARD

"No!" Sid grumbled from his carrier in the back seat of my truck.

I snorted, shaking my head, but my eyes were every-damn-where. I needed to make sure we weren't being followed. My aunt and uncle lived outside the city. Uncle Carlisle didn't mind the commute, and Aunt Esme liked having space and nature and trees.

However, as I made sure Alice and Bella had everything they needed, I prepared for a winding drive. I pulled away from Common Ground, unable to not check on Bella in the passenger seat. Her gaze stayed glued to her building until she couldn't see it any longer.

Alice was in the back seat with Sid, and even she stayed quiet. Both girls were fucking exhausted. We were pushing two o'clock in the morning after bags were packed, the truck loaded with a complaining Sid, and grabbing a change of clothes for me. I needed to be able to hit the ground running by sunrise tomorrow, so I was going to grab what sleep I could at my family's home.

Charlie's statement was paramount, but if he was unable to give us the second name of his attackers, we were still going after Black. We also needed to scope out the area where Bree Tanner's cell phone gave up its last signal. Lastly, we had to figure out what to do with Whitlock, because he was a sitting duck in that jail, especially if James had someone inside working for him. I assumed that he did, since Pauly hadn't survived a guard-monitored shower.

This late at night, the streets were fairly quiet as I made my way out of the neighborhood toward the highway. It was time to get out of Seattle. No one was behind me as I approached the 520 until a black SUV appeared in my rearview mirror. Instead of taking the highway I needed, I decided to test whether or not we were being followed. I took the I-5 north, accelerating way beyond the normal speed.

"Shit," I hissed in a weary sigh when the Cadillac behind me did the same.

"What?" Bella asked, glancing over at me and then behind us when she saw my sights locked on the rearview mirror. "They're following us?"

"Yeah," I muttered, changing lanes and maneuvering as best I could around semi-trucks and late-night commuters. "Ladies, please make sure you're buckled in, and hold on."

Alice shifted Sid's carrier to the floorboard between the seats.

I changed lanes again, trying to put plenty of space between the Escalade and us before I exited I-5. I was in the far-left lane, and the only opportunity I could see coming up was the exit for UW. However, I was going to use the large car carrier and the FedEx semi behind it to lose my tail. Once the Cadillac was right behind me in the left lane, I tried to see faces inside, but the only thing I could make out were there were four bodies inside the vehicle. My exit was coming up, and I had to time this perfectly or they'd continue to tail me. I floored it, dodging a minivan and an old pickup, and I shot between the two semi-trucks and off the exit.

"Hold on, ladies," I said, screeching around the next corner and the next. I knew there was a smaller parking lot on campus with piss-poor lighting, and that was where I was heading, even though I didn't think the Escalade had made it off the interstate in time to see where I was going.

I pulled into the small parking lot, shutting off my lights and gliding into a space in the far back corner beneath some trees. Glancing from the back seat to Bella, I reached over to cover her balled-up fist.

When those tired, scared eyes met mine, I squeezed her hand. "We're okay. I'm just going to give it a minute before we move. I lost them at the exit."

She swallowed, nodding nervously, and finally gripped my hand. "Okay. We trust you, Edward. So…" She trailed off, waving her free hand a bit.

"I know this is a shit deal for the two of you," I said softly in the dark. "I really fucking hate it for you. Once we get to my family's home, I'd like for you two to stay as low-key as you can."

"Meaning?" Alice piped up from the back seat.

"Meaning… Don't leave Stillwater for any reason, don't call anyone but Garrett or me, and don't tell anyone where you are." I held up my hand when they both started to ask questions. "I will handle Charlie and Jasper. I promise you. Charlie's safe in the hospital, and I'll have my uncle keep him there. With Jasper, I may need to make a deal with the DA for his safety. We'll see, but I'm not leaving them unprotected. Okay?"

"'Kay," Bella said softly, and through her touch, I felt a shiver.

I linked our fingers together, rubbing a thumb over hers to calm her down. She was so tired, and she was scared. Bella was usually a fighter, giving me hell from one minute to the next, so I knew some of the fear was probably fed by her exhaustion.

I squeezed her hand gently to get her attention. "I'm going to stop them, Bella, but I can't protect you and solve this case at the same time. I will just keep protecting you, and that leaves me no chance to put an end to it. If I know you're somewhere safe, then I can open up hell and take them all fucking down."

"No, no… I get it."

I waited another minute or two and then cranked the truck back up. No one followed us this time. We were all quiet during the thirty-mile and almost hour drive to Stillwater. By the time I pulled into the home I'd lived in the last few years of high school, both girls were asleep, but Alice snapped awake when I shut the engine off.

She reached for Bella's arm, but I shook my head. "Don't. I'll take her in."

Alice nodded and yawned at the same time as she opened her door, and we both glanced up when Uncle Carlisle was standing there.

"Sorry we're so late," I told him, walking around to the passenger side of the truck. "We were followed when we left Common Ground."

"No apologies necessary, son. Just glad you're all safe," he said softly. "Esme's getting Rose's old room, the spare room, and your old room ready."

"Thanks," I whispered, cracking the door. Bella started a little, but I shushed her softly. "I've got you."

Once I unbuckled her seat belt, I scooped her up. Immediately, her hand gripped my shirt in a tenacious hold and her face snuggled into my neck. Despite the long-ass fucking day, the sweet scent of her just about killed me. It was her hair or perfume or both, and it was the same smell that saturated the bedroom in her apartment.

Carlisle grabbed bags while Alice toted Sid in his carrier. Once we were inside, I took the stairs to the second floor, coming face-to-face with Aunt Esme.

"Poor thing," she cooed at Bella's sleeping form, leaning in to kiss my cheek. "Alice can take Rosalie's old room, and Bella can have yours. That gives each their own bathroom. If you're staying, you take the guest room between them. You'll just have to use the hall bathroom."

"Yes, ma'am," I agreed easily, because she set it up perfectly. I needed to hear both rooms in case something went awry.

I continued down the hall to my old bedroom as Aunt Esme showed Alice to Rose's old room. My door was already open, the bed made, and the light on. I set Bella gently down on the bed, and she continued to grip my shirt.

When I tried to pry her fingers open, she gasped, waking up wide-eyed.

"Easy, Bella," I soothed her. "You're safe. You're in my old room. I'll be in the room right next door. Okay?"

"Sid?" she murmured, toeing off her sneakers over the edge of the bed.

"I'll handle Sid. Get some sleep," I told her, smiling when her hand reached for my face. Leaning in, I kissed her lips softly. "Sleep, beautiful, and stop tempting me."

I grinned when a small smile curled her mouth. I pressed another kiss to her forehead before standing up, and I turned around to see my uncle standing there with Sid's carrier.

"Thanks," I said, taking it from him and setting it down. "Here, buddy. She's right there." I opened the crate door, and Sid slinked slowly out, but when he caught sight of Bella, he hopped up on the bed to join her.

I set up his litter box in the bathroom and gave him food and water, shutting the bedroom door behind me. I leaned back against it, meeting my uncle's gaze and suddenly feeling beyond tired.

"She's important to you," he surmised softly.

"Yes, sir."

He patted the side of my face. "Then she's no longer here simply for protection; she's family."

I huffed a laugh to hide the emotions that made me feel, but he meant that shit. He'd meant it when I came to live with them. The very second I was under their roof, I was theirs. They loved me and treated me like their own son. They wrapped me up in a feeling that, by that time, I hadn't felt in years, and they'd never looked back. Even when I fought against it, they simply held on tighter.

"I figured. I'm… I've been so fucking busy. I'm sorry I haven't been around…"

"Pfft. You owe me no apology, Edward. You have a hard job and a life to lead."

I wasn't sure those were good enough excuses, but he would never chastise me over something like that. Hell, he'd hardly ever chastised me. That wasn't his way of doing things.

"Get some sleep," he said, giving my shoulder a squeeze. "I'm sure you've got a long day tomorrow."

Nodding, I walked into the spare room next door, smiling at my aunt fussing over my suit and dress shirt. She hung it up in the closet.

"Don't bother," I told her. "Wrinkles won't matter if I'm wearing tactical body armor tomorrow to serve a warrant."

She turned to me, nodding a little, but she pointed toward each room. "Anything I should know?"

"No, they're just tired and scared. Bella's dad was attacked, so Uncle Carlisle is taking care of him. They're being targeted. I just need them safe so I can…" I trailed off.

"Okay, so they need some mothering. Got it."

Grinning, I nodded. "Probably."

"Love you, kiddo."

She ruffled my hair on her way by, and the door clicked behind her. I set an alarm on my phone for a few hours' sleep, kicking out of my shoes and stripping down to my underwear. Sleep crept up on me quicker than I expected.

~oOo~

The station was a noisy, busy nightmare the next morning, or maybe that was because I was going on maybe three hours' sleep.

"You look like hell, buddy," Garrett said, handing me a cup of coffee.

I nodded. "We didn't get them…settled until like three in the fucking morning," I stated cryptically on purpose. No one was to know where those girls were, except the two of us. "I had a tail I had to get rid of when I left Common Ground."

"Those motherfuckers," he said through a sigh. "Okay, so the agenda for the day, Masen…"

We walked to our desks. "Charlie's still out, and I'll be contacted when that changes, which means the warrant can wait. I have a call into the DA's office concerning Whitlock. We either need to transfer him to another facility or get him an early release, because I think James has a guard in there on the payroll."

"Or James's uncle. Powell is mighty powerful sitting up there in that mayor's office," Garrett sang sarcastically, tapping my shoulder and pointing toward his desk. "Check this out."

On his laptop, there was a map of Seattle up on the screen. In the middle of that map was a triangle.

"Cell towers," I stated, taking his chair so I could zoom in and around on the map.

"Yeah, look at what's right in the middle of that triangle," he instructed, pointing to the screen.

I zoomed in, my mouth falling open. "The park on First Street. Our crime scene. What the fuck…"

"Yep. And keep scrolling." He tapped the screen again. "See that building within our triangle of cell towers?" he asked, and when I nodded, he snatched up a piece of paper to hand me. "That building is owned by Heidi Kent…hyphen Powell."

"Powell. As in…"

"As in James's Aunt Heidi. Which means, Uncle Randall put it in her name." He tapped the screen again. "It's an old motel from like the late seventies, early eighties. It stayed empty and powerless until about eight years ago. Now, it has plenty of power and a fucking shit-ton of Wi-Fi."

My gaze snapped up to his. "Tell me Randall Powell gave that building to his nephew to use for his porn site."

Garrett grinned, shrugging. "Maybe. Funny thing… The utilities inside that building are billed to Inferno."

"Ah, fuck." I got up to pace, raking a hand through my hair. "How do we get in? We have no cause. Nothing we have points to that building. The only thing we have is that Maria was murdered in the park down the street."

"You have that cold case – Bree Tanner," we heard behind us.

I leaned back against my desk to study Banner's face as he took in every bit of our case.

"No one will remember a pretty little brunette from four years ago," Garrett argued. "So if you're saying we need to scope the neighborhood, we'll be wasting hours we could be using to pick up Jacob Black."

"You're gonna wait on Black until your witness wakes up," Banner commanded. "You want James Hunt. You think he's the center of this fucked-up web, then wait until you have a beautiful eyewitness. Think he'll testify?"

I huffed a laugh. "Without shame or fear, Banner. He's a former cop. Former chief of police in a small town not far from here. He's retired, but his instincts are all still there."

Banner smirked. "So we treat him like one of our own. He stays guarded, and when he wakes up, go get his statement. From what you two have told me, we've got ten years of missing or dead girls. And they're all linked to Inferno or Hunt. I want this clean, boys. I'm not even fucking kidding."

"And Powell?" I asked him. "He's definitely got his fingers in this big-ass pie."

"That'll take some hard evidence. Leave him for now. Focus on Swan's attacker, Maria Navarro's murderer, and that heroin you found. Are we sure the daughter isn't involved?"

"Yes," Garrett and I answered him firmly together.

"She's a target. And it needs to fucking stop," I added.

"Where is she?"

"Hidden," I told him.

"Safe?"

"Yes."

"Good," he praised, patting my shoulder. "Call your buddy over at the DA's office about Whitlock. If you leave him in there, he's a sitting duck – rehab program or not. Get him released, and you'll really have a target on your hands. That motherfucker has seen it all. Would he testify?"

"I don't know. Maybe. If he knew it would save his family, maybe," I answered softly, rubbing my face and then downing the rest of my tepid coffee. "He doesn't know how shit has escalated toward them."

"Tell him," Banner suggested. "Let him decide."

"You'd let the dealer go free?" Garrett asked him.

"To catch a murderer? Abso-fucking-lutely. Lesser evil, I suppose," he admitted, nodding a little. "Go see Whitlock. If he wants to help, make a fucking deal with the DA."

"Sir," Garrett and I answered, grabbing up our things.

As I drove, Garrett called KCC and asked to have Whitlock pulled into a room.

When he was off the phone, he turned to me, asking, "How's your girl?"

"Tired and scared." I didn't bother to correct him. "But safe. Alice too."

"Good. You tell Whitlock about Charlie and that you've hidden his sister and his girl, he might snap," Garrett worried.

"Nah, he won't."

We drove the rest of the way to the county jail in silence. We walked in to see Charlotte on the phone, and she waved us back toward the interrogation rooms.

"Wow, he's cleaned up," Garrett muttered once we got to the window.

Jasper looked healthier. His eyes weren't surrounded by dark circles, nor were his cheeks sunken in. He was thin, but that was to be expected due to jail food. That shit wasn't exactly gourmet.

Garrett didn't ask who was going in. He knew it would be me. He just patted my back when I cracked the door.

Jasper glanced up, taking in my appearance. "Detective," he greeted, sitting forward. "Wanna tell me why I can't get through to my family?"

"Well, that's why I'm here," I replied softly, taking the seat across from him. "Your sister and Alice want you protected. They know you're not safe in here, but I'm hoping you'll make a decision today that will change whether or not I go to the DA's office with a deal."

Jasper's eyes narrowed. "Protected from who?"

"Hunt." I smiled wryly at his disbelieving expression. "Since we last spoke, Bella and Alice have been stalked, Bella's apartment was ransacked, Common Ground was broken into, Charlie was assaulted, and we found the two kilos of heroin that you and Maria stole from James – Maria had hidden it at Common Ground, essentially putting a giant target on your family. I've been a little fucking busy, Whitlock."

He paled, but instead of shaking his head and denying, he sat forward. "Tell me! Is my family okay?"

"Yes, though Charlie is currently in the ICU under police watch. Your girlfriend and sister are…unreachable at this time," I stated without much emotion.

He glared my way. "You hid them?"

"I did. I won't tell you where, and I won't fucking apologize for it. It was Charlie's request as well as my own need to keep them safe, because Hunt just keeps fucking coming."

For the very first time since I'd met Whitlock, he didn't react with anger. He only asked, "But they're safe?"

"Yes."

He swallowed thickly, nodding vehemently. "Good. That's good. What do you want from me? I can handle my shit in here, so don't think I'm scared about anyone that asshole sends my way."

"Okay, fair enough," I replied, glad to know he wasn't afraid to stay. "I have a few questions for you, maybe an offer… We'll see how it goes."

"Fine. Go on."

My eyebrows shot up in a bit of surprise, because Jasper could sometimes be a pain in the ass to deal with, but either rehab was helping or he was simply tired of being a puppet for Maria and James. Either way, I was hoping he'd be helpful.

"I talked to your sister about Bree Tanner," I started, folding my hands together on top of the table. "Tell me what you know. You obviously knew enough to send me asking the right questions, because they've reopened her case."

He grimaced a little, but he didn't shy away from the question. "She and Bella were friends. She came to Seattle with nothing, and this was just before our mom died. Bella gave her a place to stay." His brow furrowed as he stared at the table for a second. "James became obsessed with them. Both of them. But Jake was dating my sister, so he kinda let that go. Bree though, she could spot trouble a mile away, so she turned him down over and over."

"I get the distinct impression that James Hunt doesn't like to be told no," I pointed out wryly, smirking when Jasper huffed a humorless laugh.

"Why do you think I wanted away from his ass, Masen?"

I held up my hand, nodding. "I understand that. When was the last time you saw Bree?"

"The day she disappeared. She'd finished her shift and wanted some weed," he started, glancing my way. "She was supposed to do a few online chats and then go home."

"And those are done where?" I asked, knowing the answer, but I needed him to confirm it.

"There's an old hotel off First Street," he replied, shaking his head. "I tried to stay out of there. Maria was always there, and the place was just always filming or streaming. The first couple of times is great, but it gets old watching it. It's not as hot as you'd think."

I snorted, nodding a little. "If he hurt her, would that be where he'd have done it?"

"Maybe. There's a park across the street with a pond. He could've dumped her in the water. I don't know, Masen. I wasn't there. It's just a fucking guess. And he's a fucking coward, because he won't clean up his own messes."

"What do you mean?"

"Overdoses, handsy fuckers at the club, sick girls, or even if he loses his temper on someone, he won't clean it up. He lets his boys do it."

"Black and Brunelle?"

"Among a few. There's a big bastard that works the door. Felix. He sometimes handles some shit," Jasper stated, nodding a bit. "Even Newton has been known to cover up things occasionally. Like getting the girls to the doctor and stuff if they're sick or hurt, and it's off the books."

Raking a hand through my hair, I asked, "Okay, what about Sasha Mendelson? Know her?"

"Yeah, she owed James money for coke… Well, technically, she owed me, but I couldn't give a shit, so he got a little pissed about that," he replied, shrugging a shoulder. "Why?"

"She was found in her car with a bullet in the head about three years ago," I explained. "It's still a cold case."

He sighed. "So Bree, Maria, Sasha… They all pissed James off, and now they're all dead. And I'm the only motherfucker left who isn't working for him anymore, and I fucked him over."

"That about sums it up, Jasper." I sighed, shaking my head. "Somehow, they knew Maria had stashed those drugs at Common Ground. She wasn't high when she died, and there was semen, so…"

"Shocker. She was like the village bicycle – everyone rode that," he snarked wryly. "But I'd bet the rest of my fucking stay in this place that it was James. She'd hook up for favors or shit she wanted."

"She took one helluva beating, so it was possible that she told them about Common Ground under duress. And therefore, your family became the target. They're still a target."

Jasper shook his head, rubbing his face with both hands. "And you're here to see if I'm willing to say all this shit in court."

"Would you?" I asked him, and when he didn't answer me, I went on. "Would you shine a light on a guy trying to kill your family? He's killed before, and he'll do it again. It's your sister and stepfather, Whitlock. They've been there for you, cleaned you up, fought for you, loved you – no matter what the fuck you did. It's your girlfriend, the mother to your unborn child." I leaned forward. "James is unstable and dangerous, and his security is even worse.

"I put orders of protection on them, and he still came at them anyway. I fucking live upstairs, and they still came at your family. Charlie is recovering from having the shit beat outta him, Jasper." I sat back. "I finally hid the girls so I could finish this, but I need you to help me. You don't owe me shit; I'm aware. But you owe Bella every-fucking-thing."

He studied my face, finally rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands. He'd teared up, but he'd never admit it to me. And that was fine. He needed to feel something other than the selfishness he'd always carried.

"Fine, I'll do it. I'll sign statements or testify. Whatever. Just…don't let him near my family, Masen," he pleaded softly.

I tossed a glance toward the two-way window but focused back on Jasper. "If I get you released early, they'll come for you, but I kinda fucking figure you can handle yourself. My concern is… If I get you released, will all the rehab fly out he fucking window?" When he didn't answer me, I went on. "Not gonna lie, Jasper. Your family has become important to me, so if you're just going to go out and get trashed, I'd rather you stay in here. They don't deserve that shit."

He didn't even get mad at the question, but he stayed quiet for a moment.

"Look, I understand you've been through some tough times, but at some point, you have to own your actions. You're about to be a father. You're either going to perpetuate the problems inflicted by Phil Whitlock, or you'll use Charlie as an example. Believe me, Jasper, I understand piss-poor fathers better than you could fucking imagine."

Jasper didn't say anything for a second or two, but he finally met my gaze, saying, "I want to stay clean. I never want to go back to the way I was. But…I need… Is there… The rehab is working."

"So you want outside help? I'm sure I can find an outpatient or private program."

"I dunno," he mumbled as he rubbed his face. "Maybe. Or maybe I'm a fucking chicken-shit, because in here I have no choice but to stay clean."

"No temptation, so no chance of slipping?"

"Yeah, exactly."

I sighed deeply. "You want to know how your sister first described you to me?" I asked him, and he nodded. "We were talking about Common Ground and how she obtained it. And she described you as her best friend. She used words like funny, smart, strong. I don't think Bella lies. At least, I haven't seen her lie. I don't think she needs to. Truth just pops out all the fucking time."

Jasper chuckled, nodding a little. "Facts, bro."

"So for her to describe you that way means that you had to have been those things before drugs, before Maria, and before whatever else fucked you up." I stood up from the table. "That guy is still in there."

He blinked up at me wearing an awed expression, but he didn't reply.

"I'll talk to the DA, see what we can do. If you agree to testify, then it'll go a long way with them, which means an outside program or NA meetings or something," I told him. "But it will put one helluva fucking target on you."

He sneered up at me. "Better me than my family, don't you think?"

I nodded once, not really having an answer for him. "We'll be in touch."

Garrett opened the door for me, and once it was closed back, he said, "Nice fucking job, Masen. We've now got the go-ahead to check out that website building."

"Maybe that's—" I started, but my phone rang, and I pulled it out to answer. "Masen."

"Son, Charlie Swan is awake," Uncle Carlisle stated softly. "He's asking for Bella."

"Okay, we're on our way. I'll tell him about Bella. Don't say anything," I told him, ending the call and looking to Garrett. "Let's go get Charlie's statement. Maybe we can end all of this by lunch."

Garrett grinned. "One can hope, Masen."

~oOo~

A/N… The next chapter is all Edward as well. But look who's clean! :)

Even though When Angels Fall is skipping a post, this story won't. So I'll see you guys next Tues. Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)