A/N… Sorry this is late to post today. It's been a RL shit-show of a day. I'll let you get to it.

~oOo~

Chapter 17

BELLA

Tucking my cell into the back pocket of my jeans after hanging up with Edward, I opened the nightstand drawer and took out my gun. A quick check of the magazine, a chambered round, a flick of the lamp switch, and I glanced out the window one more time as I pocketed the extra magazine.

There was a dark SUV parked across the street that I'd never seen before, but the reason I'd chanced a call to Edward was that I saw two people inside it. And they'd stayed inside; they hadn't moved.

Until the passenger door opened.

"Shit," I hissed, forgoing shoes and leaving the bedroom. I closed the door behind me and rushed down the stairs to the living room, where Alice and Esme were watching TV. "We've got a problem. They found us."

"Call Edward," Alice said, shutting the TV off.

"I already did. He's on his way, but Emmett will probably beat him here. He said for all of us to get into the same room and stay low and quiet," I told them, turning off the lights.

Esme got up, saying, "Come with me."

We both followed her through the kitchen toward her bedroom, but before she left the kitchen, she paused just long enough to hit a button on the alarm keypad.

"Silent alarm," she stated, continuing down a short hall, and we passed by her door. She was aiming for another door at the end. When she opened it, I saw steps down into darkness. "Basement."

"We'll be trapped?" I asked in a whisper.

"No, there's a window to the backyard, if push comes to shove," she said firmly. "C'mon, girls. Stay quiet. Use your phone for light for a second."

We all jumped when the sound of breaking glass met our ears. I pulled out my phone as she quietly shut the basement door. We descended the steps into an open space. It looked like it had been used as storage, but there were weights and a bench, a treadmill, and a stationary bike. It was a home gym. In the far corner, there was a metal shelf with what looked like sporting equipment. Immediately, I reached for a metal baseball bat and handed it to Alice.

"Just in case," I whispered.

On the other side of those shelves was a filing cabinet and, on the floor next to it, a pile of yoga mats. All three of us sat down in the corner, and I turned the screen off on my phone, plunging us into darkness.

We could hear footfalls above us, and Alice gripped my free hand. I kept my gun ready in the other. Edward had said Emmett was on his way, but it seemed like time was standing still as I listened to the footsteps above us. My heart was beating so hard, it was practically shaking my whole torso.

We all flinched when the basement door slammed open, but what scared us more was that the light flickered on. Letting go of Alice's hand, I shifted to move. Both women tried to stop me, but I shook my head and ran across the room to the stairs, plastering myself as flat as I could against the wall. Wrapping both hands around my gun, I waited to see if anyone would come down.

"I'll fucking check down there," a male voice whispered, and he sounded familiar, but I didn't have the mental capacity to focus on it. "You check upstairs. It's just three women; it shouldn't be this fucking difficult."

Footsteps walked away from the basement door at the same time someone started down the stairs. Clearly he wasn't Emmett, so I flicked the safety off my weapon. Just as a sneaker came into view on the steps, I made myself flatter against the staircase. He'd have to not only turn around to see me, but also look down.

I didn't hear anything from whoever had gone upstairs, but I held my breath when the asshole on the basement steps took another step down…and another. With my back flat against the staircase, I chanced a glance up. My lip curled in hatred at the sight of Mike Newton, but he looked nervous as shit.

I also knew Mike wasn't exactly a fighter. He had a revolver in his hand – maybe a .38 – but he wasn't exactly used as James's security.

Shifting my gun from one hand to the other, I carefully reached up to grip his sneaker. He'd had about six more steps down to reach the basement floor, but he fell face-first to the concrete, his weapon skidding across the floor. It came to rest at the treadmill, but before he could get up, I had my gun pressed to his forehead. Mike's nose was broken and bleeding, his lip was split, and I was pretty sure he was seeing stars at this point, not me.

"Say a word, Mike, and I pull the trigger," I whispered to him. "And if you think I won't do it, try me."

"Bella, just—"

I placed both hands on my weapon and raised my eyebrow, and he shut the fuck up. Upstairs, all sorts of hell broke loose. I heard glass breaking and running footsteps. Curses rang out, and something really heavy fell right over our heads.

Mike tried to use it to his advantage, but as soon as he reached up to push my weapon, I pulled the trigger.

"Shit! Fuck!" he hissed, holding his shoulder.

"I said don't move, Mike. Didn't you fucking believe me?"

"Bella, it's not fucking personal…"

"How'd you find us?" I asked him, barely glancing up when I heard footsteps rushing to the top of the basement stairs, but I caught Emmett's unmistakable form coming down the stairs.

"They'll kill me!" Mike squeaked, remaining on his ass on the floor.

I pointed my weapon at his broken nose, swiftly kicking his bullet-grazed shoulder.

"James! James called Felix."

My mouth fell open, and I met Emmett's hard gaze. The big man moved faster than I'd expected. He picked Mike up, slammed him into the wall, and the happy-go-lucky friend of Edward's was gone.

"How, motherfucker? How'd James know?" he practically growled in Mike's face.

"I dunno! He knows all sorts of shit! Look, I didn't have a choice! James will kill me, kill my family. He threatened my grandmother!"

"Em?" I heard Edward call from upstairs.

"Basement, bro. Get your ass down here!" Emmett called back without taking his eyes off Mike.

Edward rumbled down the stairs, taking in my weapon, Mike's completely fucked-up state, and Emmett's temper.

"Easy, beautiful," Edward whispered, gently pushing my weapon down until it was pointing to the floor.

"Tell him, asshole," Emmett ordered Mike, slamming him against the wall again. "Tell him how you found those girls."

Mike shook his head vehemently like a petulant child, and I sneered at my old manager at Inferno.

"Mike!" I snapped, starting to raise my weapon again.

"James called Felix, told us where to go. He told us how to find them!" He grunted when Emmett put pressure on his wound – not just pressure, but a digging thumb. "I didn't have a choice!"

Emmett and I looked to Edward, whose face turned terrifyingly angry. "The fuck is he talking about?" Edward asked us.

"I asked Mike how they found us," I told Edward.

"How did James find out?" Edward asked no one in particular.

"Dude, we're gonna have to—"

Just a glare from Edward shut Emmett up. "Enough! Get his ass upstairs. I want him in King County before midnight."

Garrett met Emmett at the top of the stairs, grabbing Mike by the shirt to spin him around. "You have the right to remain silent…" he started, but I turned to the man in front of me.

Edward slowly reached out to my hand. "Baby, you can put the gun down," he said softly.

Shakily, I flipped the safety back on and handed it over. Edward swiftly tucked it into the waistband of his pants at the small of his back, finally reaching out to touch me.

"You okay?" he asked, grunting a little when I suddenly wrapped myself around his middle. A strong arm wrapped around me as he whispered words into the top of my head. "You were fucking awesome, Bella. I'm just glad you guys are okay."

"Edward," Alice called, and we both turned to look in her direction. "Mike's gun." She pointed toward the floor next to the treadmill, using the metal baseball bat to do it.

"Thank you, Alice. Aunt Esme, you okay?"

She tsked at him. "Of course. A little shaken, but Bella kept us safe."

Edward grinned, facing me. "Good girl," he praised, kissing my forehead.

"Masen, you're clear to bring them up, and you might wanna get your ass up here," Garrett stated with his usual sarcasm.

"Copy that," Edward replied, pulling me back a little. "C'mon, ladies. Let's get you upstairs." He chuckled a little. "Alice, you can leave the bat."

Emmett cracked up as he came down. "All right! Whassup, Joe Pesci? You ladies were badass."

I grinned, but the weight of reality completely fell over me. James had found us, and he clearly wasn't stopping.

"If they found us, did they find Jasper?" I whispered to Edward.

"No. So far, he's a model resident," Edward answered softly. "C'mon, beautiful."

"My dad?"

"Nope. Still at the hospital, but…" He trailed off, his nostrils flaring. "But now we have a problem."

"We have to hide again." My hands were still shaky when I rubbed my face.

He gritted his teeth, reluctantly nodding once. "We're going to do whatever it takes to keep you safe. All of you."

~oOo~

EDWARD

"She shot me! Aren't you gonna—" Mike Newton shut the fuck up when I stepped up into his face.

"She had every fucking right to kill you. You think any of us give a shit about a bullet graze, you pussy?" I snarled, keeping my eyes locked with his until he shook his head in answer and looked down. "It's already stopped bleeding, so heed your rights and shut the fuck up."

Garrett shoved Mike down into Yorkie's cruiser and slammed the door. "You gotta chill out, Masen."

I shook my head. "We have to move them. And now it'll include my aunt and uncle and Charlie. And something tells me that this time we can't know where they're going."

Garrett sneered, but he nodded. "Yeah, I figured, but before we send those assholes to county, we need to talk to the other one. Felix."

"Why?"

Garrett held out his hand where he was holding a wallet. When I took it, my mouth hung open.

"Shut the fuck up," I whispered, opening the wallet to see a badge and an ID for the Federal Bureau of Investigation for a Felix Demarco. "He's a goddamn fed?"

"Yeah, but James knows him as Felix Costine. This fucker is deep undercover. Like Mariana Trench deep."

"Which means…he's totally fucking up protocol giving us that," I stated, walking back inside my aunt and uncle's home.

The girls looked shaken, and Aunt Esme still seemed a bit rattled yet proud of everyone involved. Uncle Carlisle had been called, but he hadn't arrived yet. Bella was holding on to Sid, who had escaped my old bedroom, and he was keeping her calm.

I stepped into the kitchen, asking, "Can we please have the room?" I met Aunt Esme's gaze.

"Of course," she stated, guiding the girls to the living room.

Bella's eyes met mine, her brow furrowed, but she left the kitchen as I sat down at the table with Felix, dropping his FBI badge onto the table in front of him.

"You got a handler I need to call?" I asked him softly as Emmett cursed in a whisper behind me as he leaned against the counter. "Carrying that around will get you fucking killed."

"No, but you have the last of James Hunt's minions in your cruiser. That's why I brought it tonight," Felix answered, his eyes sharp and assessing. "Look, this is bigger than you think. And I know you're working the homicide investigation, but you have no idea—"

Garrett sat forward. "We know about Powell."

"And Volturi?" Felix countered.

"Yeah, we're aware of him, too," Garrett muttered wryly. "So you're undercover for the organized crime shit. But sweet Jesus, James Hunt is a serial killer. I want his ass behind bars…or six feet under. And at this point, I'm not sure I care which one wins out. He's a fucking monster."

"And slowly unraveling," Felix said, seemingly unfazed with cuffs still on his wrists as he tapped his temple.

"What I need to know is how you found this place," I stated firmly.

"First things first. You want James Hunt, you'll need to monitor the warehouse over at the port. He's got nowhere else to go now. You've done a fuck-awesome job taking down all his men, so he's now desperate."

"We were heading there tonight but got called that you were stalking this place. How?" I asked again. "How did James know about this place?"

Felix shook his head. "James didn't call me. His uncle did, but I didn't tell that to Mike's stupid ass. And I wouldn't have come here, except that little fucking weasel outside was standing next to me when I got the call. James had ordered us to find Jasper Whitlock, his father, sister, girlfriend, and Laurent Brunelle."

"Brunelle is already in a state penitentiary," Garrett told him. "He's been sentenced already."

Felix nodded, continuing on with his story. "I was dragging my feet because you two were so fucking close to finishing this shit. Honestly, with James out of the way, I would essentially shift over to work for Powell, which is what I'd been aiming for since the beginning of my case."

He sat back in the chair. "I know you cut a deal with Whitlock and Brunelle. I know that Jasper's father is a former cop, so he's completely willing to testify. I'd done my best to steer shit a certain way to give you time to catch James."

"So you just let Newton come here armed? He could've—" I started, getting really pissed off, but he stopped me.

"Check that idiot's weapon. No bullets. I cleared it when he asked me to hold it while he adjusted his pants before we came inside. The dumbass didn't even check it." He rolled his eyes at Mike's obvious incompetence. "I was about to knock him out myself, but…" He trailed off, waving a hand toward the door.

Emmett picked up the revolver that Alice had shown me, and he turned to me with a nod. I sighed, shaking my head. Now, I could fucking think straight.

"How'd Powell know?" I asked him, narrowing my eyes.

"Aro Volturi."

I shook my head. "I don't get what he has—"

"Edward Masen Junior," Felix stated, pointing to me. "I received intel on you two when the murder investigation started on Maria Navarro. Buddy, your record is so fucking clean it squeaks. But your father's…wasn't."

"The fuck did you just say?" I snapped, and a heavy hand landed on my shoulder when I started to stand. Emmett had stepped away from the counter to stop me from annihilating a federal agent.

"Aro's been around a long time, Masen. And his brother, Marcus, runs Chicago," Felix stated calmly, as if he was discussing the weather. When no one said anything, he went on. "The day you visited Powell at City Hall, Aro was there. He recognized you, but even more, he saw the name on your business card on Powell's desk. I'm going to bet a big shiny penny that Aro sold your name, identity, and family history to Powell for whatever favors he could get.

"Powell wants his nephew out of the picture because he's clearly fucked up. He got sloppy. And the fact that you were able to trace James back to Powell pissed him off something fierce," Felix explained, sitting forward at the table and rubbing his face. "He asked me to shut you all up before this gets any more…public."

Emmett, who hadn't left my side, finally piped up. "So Aro knew Ed Sr?" he asked, squeezing my shoulder. "I'm just gonna throw this out there, but was he the one who carried out the hit on him?"

"Probably. I'm sure you've read the case file."

"No. No the fuck I haven't, because… My father's death was warranted, and a bit of karma thrown in for good fucking measure, so I don't care how it all came about," I sneered, ignoring Garrett's gaze my way.

"Yeah, I get that," Felix said softly. "You have to process me. You have to take me in with Newton out there. I'll post bail, but he won't. Understand? Powell will call in a favor so that Newton is no longer a problem, because like I said, he's done with his nephew's bullshit, and that'll leave only James for you to worry about." He pointed to his badge. "You hold on to that so you know I'm doing the best I can to help you wrap this up. The quicker James is under lock and key, the quicker I can work on Powell…and, hopefully, Volturi."

I rubbed my face, feeling weary and questioning all sorts of shit. "Do I need to move those girls? Do I need to put Whitlock's family and now my family in hiding from Aro and Powell?"

Felix grimaced. "You could. Or I could have federal protection placed here. I fucking promise you Newton won't live to see his first appearance in front of a judge, so I can just tell Powell you'd already moved them or it was bogus info."

"Tell him we moved them," Garrett stated, rubbing his face in frustration. "That may be the truth, but just in case it's not, then we can buy a little time."

"Now, you can call my handler. There's a card in there for Miguel Santiago. He's well aware of your investigation as well as mine," Felix advised, tapping the table. "He'll be the one to get you protection here if you decide to stay."

Garrett nodded, and we all stood up. "Let me cuff you behind your back so Newton doesn't get stupid."

We guided him to the front door where Yorkie was waiting. "Take them both in. Book them under B and E," I told them, pocketing Felix's identity.

"What about the warehouse, Masen?" Clearwater asked from the front porch.

"I'll get with Banner," Garrett stated, giving me a glance. "But we need to have a chat."

"Yeah, I know." I glanced up when Uncle Carlisle pulled into the driveway with Rose, who I'd completely forgotten had been with Emmett when we'd called him. When my uncle got to me, I said, "Everyone's okay, but we need to talk. Things are…complicated."

He gripped my shoulder. "What happened?"

I shook my head once. "This is…way bigger than just a homicide case. And now I've… You're…"

Uncle Carlisle frowned, squeezing my shoulder. "Okay, we'll meet you inside."

Once Felix's SUV was towed and Yorkie had driven off with him and Newton, I followed Garrett back into the house. The living room was deathly quiet, Emmett watching me with a worried expression from the loveseat next to Rose. Bella was still holding Sid, but when I sat down next to her, he wriggled away to stand on my lap. I ran a hand over his head.

Garrett sat down next to Emmett. "Masen, I need you to…"

"I know!" I snapped, gritting my teeth. "I know. You need to know what he meant. I get that. Gimme a second."

Emmett sat forward, locking gazes with me. "I got you, bro," he said softly, but he turned to Garrett. "Edward's dad was a raging asshole. Originally, he was from Chicago – a lawyer whose main income came from organized crime. He met Edward's mom at NIU. When Edward came along, she wanted to move closer to family." He pointed to Aunt Esme. "So they did. But he was still working for Marcus Volturi…and he was seeing Marcus's sister on the side – Jane."

Bella's hand slipped into mine, linking our fingers together. She said nothing, and by now, Sid had curled up on my lap.

"Edward's mom disappeared, and Ed Sr. made it out to be like she left, but she didn't. He'd killed her, hidden her in the basement, and then went back to Chicago like nothing ever happened," Emmett went on, and I wasn't even shocked that he knew so much. He looked to me. "You may have never wanted to look into the case, but I sure as fuck did. You're essentially my brother, Edward, so I wasn't having anything come back at you. Understand?"

I nodded, my nostrils flaring. This shit was making me uncomfortable. I looked to Garrett. "It took me a year to prove my dad did it, to…to…find her."

"In your own house?" Garrett asked. "Wouldn't you have… I mean…a year, so there would've been…" When I glared his way, he trailed off after muttering one more word. "Smell."

"I never went in the basement, not until I'd figured it out, but by that time, it had been a year. But it had been his wine storage, so it was cooler down there, dry. He'd taken a suitcase, sealed it up in like black garbage bags…" I trailed off because bile rose in my throat.

"Hey," Bella whispered, squeezing my hand and cupping my face. "No one here needs you to relive those details, Edward. Okay?"

"She's right. You're not obligated to any-damn-body," Rose tacked on, and the feelings of being wrapped up in family and protection came rushing back to me like I was fucking fifteen again. They'd all acted this same way back then.

"Okay."

Emmett took the story back over. "Jane realized Ed Sr. was…having his cake and eating it too. Not only that, but he had a son he was keeping secret. Marcus reacted vengefully. Ed Sr. was dead before he ever saw a judge."

Garrett sighed. "Okay, so Aro knows you. This really throws a wrench in things."

I looked to Uncle Carlisle. "Apparently Aro Volturi recognized me – or maybe my name – when we went to question Randall Powell at City Hall. He revealed who I was, my history, and my family."

"The flip side of that is that Felix is FBI," Garrett added. "He's deep undercover for organized crime. He'd been trying to give us time to solve Maria's murder. Or really, catch James Hunt."

"So what now?" Bella asked. "Now, you're…exposed or…or compromised?"

I smiled sadly her way. "I'm okay, Bella. It's you guys we have to protect. We have to decide whether to find you a new safe house or use Felix's people to guard this one. And we'll need to bring Charlie into it."

"And Jasper?" Alice asked, rubbing that baby belly.

"Jasper is still off the radar for James. He's still safe and hidden," I vowed to them. "But since they know who's connected to me, then my whole family needs to be guarded. I'm having a difficult time deciding whether to send you away where no one knows where you are – not even me – or take Felix's offer of having feds stand guard."

"Here," Uncle Carlisle stated firmly.

"Seriously?" I asked, gesturing around at the clusterfuck that just occurred.

"Yes," he replied. "Use the guards, son. I have some time saved up. I'll stay home. We'll have Charlie brought here. He's actually okay to be released, but I was holding him for you."

Garrett piped up, "I'm kinda thinking Charlie's just as good as a guard." Bella huffed a laugh, and he grinned her way. "And he seriously taught you a thing or two, Miss Bella."

Her cheeks flushed, but she nodded. "He did. He taught me self-defense when I was in my teens, took me to the shooting range when I was ready to have my own weapon. In fact, he wouldn't let me leave Forks to take care of my mother until I had my own gun and knew what the hell I was doing with it."

I shifted, pulling her weapon out from the small of my back and handing it over to her. "You did really well, Bella."

"Thanks, but it was Mike. He's a… He's kind of useless," she stated, making Emmett laugh and Garrett grin and shake his head. "If I have a vote, then I vote to stay here with whatever guards you want. I'll feel a little better if we bring Charlie here. I just… I don't…"

I frowned her way when she sputtered. Bella didn't really hold back, but she was right then. I wouldn't push. If that was her vote, then so be it.

"Of course your vote counts," I stated, my brow furrowing as I turned to my aunt. "What's your opinion, Aunt Esme?"

"Here."

I sighed, raking a hand through my hair and then over Sid's head.

"It's probably better here. There's the alarm, but Charlie will have his weapon, and Bella has hers," Emmett stated. "You'll still continue to stay here at night, no matter what the feds send you."

"We'll put Charlie in my office. There's a murphy bed," my uncle added. "We'll be plenty protected, and from the sound of it, you've got one more guy to go. It's temporary, Edward, but we'll make it work until you can close your case."

There were murmurs of agreement from everyone, including Alice and Rose. I rubbed my face with both hands, shoving them up into my hair to grip it.

"Fine." I looked to Garrett. "You call Banner. I'll deal with this Santiago at the FBI. We've got to get you back to your car."

"I got him," Emmett said, gesturing to Garrett. "Since you're here, I'll take Rosie home and Garrett back to his car."

"And Charlie?" Bella asked.

"I'll have Clearwater and Yorkie pick him up in the morning," I stated, sending a text to the two officers whom I'd come to trust completely.

Alice sniffled but didn't say anything as she reached for a tissue.

"Okay, Ali," Bella soothed, reaching for Sid. "I'll get him out of the room. I need to feed him anyway."

"I've got him," I stated, wanting her alone for at least a fucking minute. I followed her up the stairs, setting Sid on the bed when Bella dropped some food into his bowl.

I closed the door behind me, walking to her quickly. My fingers were in her hair and my lips were on hers before I could even second-guess myself. The whole night could've gone way wrong, just really fucking sideways, and it had scared me, honestly. The fact that she was not only still safe, but she'd also held her own made me just about ravenous for her.

There were hums and heavy exhales, tongues swirling and tasting, and teeth nipping. Instantly, I had her in my arms and pressed into the bed.

"Edward…" Bella mumbled around my insistent kisses. "Edward, wait…"

I panted, my forehead falling to hers. "I'm sorry."

"I'm not," she said with a sweet laugh, and I opened my eyes. "But what's this about?"

"Tonight could've just… I'm just grateful."

She smiled, nodding a little. "I am too. And I'm glad we're staying here. I didn't want to… I'd rather stay in contact with you. I can't… I can't bear the thought of it."

Nodding, I now understood why she'd paused downstairs. Her vote had come from a personal perspective. And I was trying really hard not to be happy about that but failing massively.

"Yeah, me, too."

She cupped my face. "I'm sorry you're dealing with your parents all over again. I know it's not easy. You handled it as well as anyone would. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Okay," she repeated, smiling and leaning up to kiss me again. "Go… Go be a cop. Call whoever. And I'll reheat your dinner that your aunt seems determined to save for you every damn meal she makes."

Grinning, I let out a laugh. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you."

"Thank you, Edward," she said, nudging me to get up, and I slowly slipped off her and stood up.

"For what, beautiful?"

"For protecting us all." She paused for a moment. "And for kissing me until my brain went all fuzzy." She rubbed her face, but her voice was amused and teasing.

"Anytime, Bella. For both," I told her, reaching for the doorknob. "At least you stopped breaking up with me." I left the room, closing the door behind me as her laugh followed me down the hall.

I pulled out my phone and Felix's wallet, dialing the number on the card inside. As soon as someone picked up, I stated, "This is Detective Edward Masen, Seattle Police Department. We need to talk about Felix."

~oOo~

A/N… Some of you had guessed the Aro part. And some were convinced that James was there. I love all the theories. Keep 'em coming. :)

Again, I apologize for the late posting. It's been a day. Flat tire, not just flat, but shredded. No lug wrench (no idea what happened to it). And no funds to replace said tire. So I've been a royal hot mess all day. Stress and I are one with each other.

Anyway… This will update again next Tuesday, unless you'd rather it takes the place of When Angels Fall on Sundays. Let me know what your vote is. Sunday or Tuesday? Until then… Mooches, Deb ;)