Mine

Mine
A riding crop and a blindfold doesn't make it BDSM. There is a big difference between being kinky and being in the scene. It's not a sexual thing to me, it's a very spiritual thing. ~ DominaBlue

11/11/11

Chapter 78

BPOV

“Baby, I’m going to take Seth for a run”

I knew Edward had gotten out of bed because he had to move my head off his chest to do so. I thought he was only going to the bathroom so I rolled over on my stomach put the pillow over my head and went back to sleep. It must have been a deep sleep too because I didn’t even hear Edward getting dressed. Which he must have done, as the man leaning over my body was not naked, and he had defiantly been that way all night.

Lifting my head to squint at the clock I murmured groggily “mmm-kay …time is it?”

“Almost seven” Edward told me moving the hair out of my face to kiss my cheek “Go back to sleep baby” he kissed my shoulder “You’re going to need your rest for later” His lips moved to my neck. “It’s Friday…” another kiss caused me to hum as his mouth moved against my ear, sending chills through me as he practically growled “that means you’re all mine”

His teeth pulled on my ear lope making me giggle

“laugh now nâhtötse, because you won't be later”

“You’re not that scary you know” I said with confidence turning over to face him.
It was true, I had no fear with Edward especially when he smiled the way he was

“That’s good to know, because we have something’s to work on”

“What kind of things?”

I hated working on things because that usually meant I was going to have to endure some sort of discipline. However usually when there was something to work on, Edward never came right out and told me so. It was always a lesson that caused me to dig deep within myself until I had that ah-ha moment where everything became clear. Since Edward was giving me a heads up I could only pray that it wouldn’t be as severe as the last one.

“Oh Bella I would love to tell you...but that would ruin the surprise”

Him and his cocky smile

“But I don’t like surprises” griping and pouting worse than any two year old.

“I know” he said touching the tip of my nose with his “… and that’s one of the things we are going to work on”

What the heck did that mean?


I didn’t get to ask; besides I was fairly sure Edward wouldn’t have told me anyway. It didn’t matter because Seth let out a combination howl and bark and Edward quickly kissed me “Seriously, it’s going to be a long day so try to get another hour of sleep”

Edward headed for the door and I had to know “Long as in a lot of hours or long as in …stressful”

I truly was worried, it was the first time we would be going back into the playroom in almost two weeks and I really had high hopes of serving my Master. Stopping in the doorway Edward turned to answer me “I’m assuming that we are going to have a busy day and will be up very late…so please…be a good girl and rest.”

I did try and succeeded for about twenty minutes until my bladder just wouldn’t wait any longer. Then once I was up my stomach reminded me how much effort we had exerted the night before as I was suddenly starving. Dressing in my white eyelet pajama top and shorts I made my way down into the kitchen, threw in the first load of wash and opened up our new coffee maker.

It needed to be seasoned with a full pot of clear water before actually making coffee. Not wanting to wait any longer than necessary I started that while brewing a pot in the old one.

Getting the iPod out of my purse I plugged it to the docking station and picked out one of the playlist Edward had downloaded for me. There wasn’t much in the house by ways of food however we did have stuff for breakfast and even some pasties to offer Mr. Weiss.

Thank you very much Esme

She had sent us home the night before with two full grocery bags of food that contained everything we could possibly need along with some stuff I would never think to buy; like Boysenberry syrup.

What the heck is a Boysenberry anyway?

Food shopping was on the list of must do’s and pulling the supplies for breakfast out of the refrigerator I took note of the other things we would need. After making the batter for pancakes and putting the bacon under the broiler I took a second to look at my calendar. There were a few activities I needed to make note of.First and foremost were the Thursday night childbirth classes with Leah that were starting next week.

Edward and I had a good time with her and Jake while we were there for dinner the night before. Seth was so excited to see not only me but Edward as he practically knocked him over while Edward squatted down to pet his head. I got to see the nursery that Leah had painted without me and I had to admit that looking at the mint green walls with Winnie the Pooh boarder, I felt bad that I hadn’t helped. When I told her that I was sorry Leah gave me hug telling me “It was kind of my fault, I should have called you”

“I would have been here “I assured her

“I know Bella. But you’ll be here for the rest right?” At my assurance she told me about the classes.

Before we left the room that would be the nursery Leah mentioned that Sue was working on the curtains. Leah was excited to get the room done but wasn’t sure when her mom was going to be finished with them. I didn’t say anything but assumed Sue would bring them the following weekend when she came to the city for the shower.

Dinner went well and Jake assured me that Seth had shown no signs of crouch sniffing, furniture humping or ball licking. So Jake felt safe about what he done and told me that Seth could stay ‘intact’

That wasn’t happening; first thing Monday morning I would be calling the Vet to make an appointment for neutering.

The rest of the dinner went by fast and shortly after eight o’clock, Leah started yawning and asking when we were expected at Edward’s parents. I didn’t think we would leave until at least nine but Leah practically pushed us out the door so she could go to bed. It’s not like it really matter, yet it was kind of rude but I just chalked it up to Leah being pregnant.

Flipping over the first batch of pancakes I started cracking the eggs into a bowl. While the pan warmed I hung the calendar back up and got myself a cup of coffee. Pouring the eggs into the pan I thought about meeting Edward’s Aunt and Uncle.

Marcus was exactly the way I thought him to be, he kind of reminded me of an older wiser Emmett. With impeccable manors that were befitting of his upbringing, his wife was a different story. Didyme was nothing like the way I had pictured her. Even though Edward had told me on the way home from Lincoln City that Marcus and - as he called her- Aunt Diddy, did not in any way have a D/s relationship. For some reason in my mind I pictured a blond haired, blue eyed, Jane.

That was not at all what I met and I almost died of embarrassment at the first thing she said to me. Eying me with a curiousness that made me wonder if my mascara was smudged before saying to Edward “I can see why”

That was confusing enough but then right in front of Edward’s parents she announces “Such an innocent face, I’ll bet this one gets in the most delicious trouble”

Holy crap

Did she really just say that?

Looking to Edward – because there was no freaking way I was looking at anyone else- I could feel the blush on my face and Didyme laughed saying “That’s what I thought”

I was so embarrassed and all I kept thinking was ‘How did she know?

I did get in trouble and sometimes it was delicious, other times not so appealing yet still it made me wonder why she would bring up my discipline in front of people. Edward laughed it off, telling his aunt that I don’t get in 'too much trouble' and then spoke against my ear “at least nothing I can’t handle”

Well that didn’t fucking help

All I could think about was Edward handling me, which is not good in a room filled with his family.

The rest of the evening was uneventful; Rose seemed to have come to terms with the new developments. While we were sitting on the couch watching Marcus and Jasper play Guitar hero I had mentioned to her that the center provides experienced judicial support.

Rose told me that Emmett had already contacted their lawyer and if anything needed to be done he would handle it. That was all well and good, but I explained that the woman from the center would only be there for her. She would provide Rose with the emotional support that is needed to get through such things. I also told her that if the thought of a stranger made her uncomfortable I would go along to act as moral support.

I didn’t like to go to court and even though I knew enough about the process to advice clients on their rights, it wasn’t my area of expertise. There were volunteers at the center who specialized in nothing but accompanying women to court appearance. They knew the lingo, and could provide not only invaluable support but also access to legal counsel. However for Rose, I would make an exception and be there for her in whatever capacity she needed.

The bacon was done so I turned the oven from broil to warm, putting the first batch of pancakes inside and started the second before whisking the eggs in the pan. The song changed to Poison’s ‘Sexual Thing’ and as the laughing started I turned up the volume, my body automatically began moving with the music as I started singing loudly.

There you lay all by yourself
So please allow me to introduce myself
I welcome you to the house of sin
Open your mind and let the games begin


Emphasizing the grunt ‘OHH’ while flipping the pancake over as my attitude started taking on the meaning of the words.

I'm your lust and I'm your greed
I'm every sick thought that you ever done dreamed
Eaten your cake now you want some more
Mmm, where have I heard that before?


As the chorus started playing thoughts of what Edward did to me in the hotel room while this song was playing ran through my mind making me sing with even more feeling.

I am your
I am your
I'm just your sexual thing
I am your
I am your
I'm just your sexual
Ain't nothin' but a sexual
It's just a sexual thing


Lyin' there you look so horny
Talk is cheap and startin' to bore me
Hold me close and tell me it feels so good
But damn, girl you knew it would


The chorus continued to play on but everything else changed. Seth rubbed up against the back of my leg startling me and as I turned a scream came out of my throat at the sight of two people standing behind me. Grabbing my chest my heart was beating so fast I thought I was going to pass out as my eyes focused on a rather amused yet concerned Edward “Are you ok?”

Nodding my head the song continued to play

Glad to have met you so pleased that you've come
But I must be movin' on my work here is done
Best believe me you, child the pleasure's been all mine
If you're in need, please do indeed call me anytime


However all I could do was stare at the man standing next to Edward as the song went on to talk about being medicated and caught masturbating when you’d rather be fornicating but cum with me and I’ll set you free because it ‘Ain’t nothin’ but a sexual thing’.

Finally the last two lines were spoken in a distorted robotic voice.

What you've witnessed is a sexual fantasy
Please do not try these tricks at home


Edward turned down the music while I swallowed hard before I could finally speak “Hi dad. What are you doing here?”

“Well that’s a fine ‘how do you do’. I drove three hours to my only daughter you would think she’d be happy to see me”

Stepping forward I hugged him “I’m always happy to see you, it’s just…”

Looking to Edward I was really hoping for an explanation however the smell of burning food took all my attention. “Shit!”

The eggs had been turned off but the batch of pancakes was past edible as was clear from the black smoke rising from them. Turning on the overhead exhaust I flipped the burned pancakes onto a plate then added the last of the batter before turning back to my father.

“Seriously Charlie what are you doing here?” that sounded kind of harsh so I added “Not that I mind, I’m just surprised because I didn’t know you were coming to the city.”

“That was the plan Bells”

Plan? Charlie planned this?


I was still trying to digest that Charlie was standing in the kitchen while I was dressed in –looking down at myself I was pleased to see I was decent – pajama’s and dancing to vulgar songs.

Edward on the other hand went into host mode “Can I get you some coffee or juice Charlie?”

“Coffee be good”

The gesture along with Edward getting my dad a cup out of the cabinet seemed to bring me out of my shock “Yeah dad sit down, are you hungry? What time did you leave this morning?”

Charlie sat down at the table. “You know me Bells; I’m always up for food. But I don’t want any of those burnt ones…”he chuckled along with Edward before adding“…and we came last night”

Last night?

Flipping over the last of the pancakes I wondered “Did Leah know you were coming?”

“Sure” he said spooning sugar into his cup “We had talked about before they left Forks.”

“Why didn’t they tell me last night when we were there for dinner?”

“It was a surprise?”

Plating the food I glanced over at Edward who had started the toast and was getting the juice out of the refrigerator. Before leaving for his run he had mentioned something about surprises and I wondered if Charlie’s arrival was one of them.

Getting the glasses out of the cabinet I asked him “Did you know about this?”

“No”

Relief washed over me, I wasn’t angry that Charlie was in our kitchen. He was my father and I loved him, but had Edward been a part of keeping his impending arrival from me, it would have felt like some kind of betrayal. So I was happier setting the food out on the table knowing Edward was just as surprised as I was.

Sitting down across from Charlie I really wanted to know why he was here, handing him a plate I asked “So you drove three hundred miles to come eat breakfast with us?”

“Well that and I figured it might be a good idea to see where my only child was living”

That was another question I had “How did you know the address?”

My father raised his eyebrows as if the answer should be obvious and from the corner of my eye I saw Edward smirk but I wanted an answer “Did you do a background check on Edward?”

Charlie laughed taking a bite of eggs “No…Jake told me how to find the house, although it would have been nice had you told me. That way I wouldn’t have been wondering around the neighborhood looking for a brown house on the corner”

“You didn’t know the address?” that was hard to believe as I was pretty damn sure Charlie did do a background check.

“Alright I knew the address; Jake just pointed me in the right direction”

“What time did you get in last night?” I asked using the tip of the knife to swipe jelly over my fork full of scrambled egg and toast.

“Around nine or so”

That’s why Leah practically kicked us out.

The room got quiet while we ate as no one wanted to address the large elephant in the room. Charlie was there for a reason that no one seemed to want to know about, finally he sighed “Sue wanted to bring the curtains up for the baby’s room and take Leah to buy a crib. She wants it all done before the shower next week.”

Dad looked to Edward “That way all the woman can ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh over tiny little socks and re-closeable diapers”

Edward chuckled while Charlie added “I came along to keep Sue company on the drive and to see where you moved into.”

“I haven’t exactly moved in dad, I still have my house”

“Are you planning to ever go back there?” The question was directed at me but his eyes went to Edward who looked to me awaiting an answer.

“Not in the foreseeable future” that was as honest I could get and seemed to make Edward happy as a smile crept across his face.

The answer must not have surprised Charlie as he nodded “That’s what I thought and since I wasn’t given an invitation, I decided to just crash the party.”

Edward who had been fairly quiet finely spoke “You’re always welcomed Charlie, you don’t need an invitation”

“Well thank you Edward” that time he spoke to Edward while gazing at me. I suppose in an attempt to make me feel guilty - and it was working. Wanting to ease the uncomfortable feeling I asked the first thing that came to my mind. “When are you leaving?”

Charlie took the question the wrong way “Trying to get rid of me already?”

There was a hint of irritation in his voice making me clarify “No, I was just wondering if you were going home tonight or tomorrow, that way we could all have dinner.”

I knew it was Friday and I should have asked Edward but this was one of those occasions that called for a change of plans. Waiting for dad’s answer my eyes shifted over to Edward to see his reaction. His lips were pursed tightly but he shrugged casually, telling me I had said the right thing.

I was really looking forward to our usual and didn’t want to lose the time with my Master so I was beyond happy with Charlie’s response “No we have to leave this afternoon, I’m starting midnight shift tonight”

Even though he was the Chief, dad still worked swing shifts along with everyone else. He said it was only fair and besides it gave him a chance to interact with all the personnel. On a small force it was vital that they all work together and dad never wanted anyone to feel like he was unapproachable.

Charlie swallowed and seemed to square his shoulders as he told me the real reason he was there

“And I was hoping that you wouldn’t mind me sitting in while this Weiss fellow is here. I would really like to know what he has to say.”

“I was going to call you dad, after Mr. Weiss left”

Charlie grunted taking a bite of pancake “Uh…I would prefer to hear it first hand and in full rather than the edited version”

The words stung and again my eyes went to Edward who pursed his lips at me in understanding. I deserved what Charlie said, not that I liked it but I realized that my past dealings have been less that forthright. The other night while contemplating the lesson Edward wanted me to learn I had also come to realize how unfair I was to my father. It had weighed so heavily on my conscience that one of the goals I picked had to do with rectifying that situation.

Edward shrugged “You’re more than welcome to stay Charlie”

As we finished eating I hoped that we didn’t regret that decision. I had no idea what Mr. Weiss was going to tell us or how personal his investigation had gotten. The last thing I wanted to have happen was for Charlie to be informed of our…alternative natures. Not that I was in anyway ashamed of my submission to Edward, it was just that as my father I wasn’t sure Charlie would understand.

Once the kitchen was cleaned up and a fresh pot of coffee was started – in our new coffee maker – Edward took a shower while I gave Charlie a tour of the house. He was more than pleased, albeit a bit shocked, to be shown my own room. And it was obviously mine as pictures, books and other personal items littered the space. The kicker was when he opened the top drawer to find it half full of my pajamas. “This really is your room”

“Yeah, it is”

Pride came over his features “Then there’s no…funny business, going on”

Funny business?

Assuming that was dad's way of saying that Edward and I were not sleeping together or having sex my eyes narrowed. I could have left him think that but it wouldn’t have been right besides, I was a grown woman “Dad, Edward and I love each other and this is my room, but I also have things in Edward’s room because that’s...where I sleep”

His eyes narrowed and for a brief second I felt bad for him. It must be hard for a father to realize that his daughter has a sex life.

It was his laughter that took me by surprise “Poor Edward, I’ll bet he didn’t know that having you here would mean you took over his house”

“I didn’t take over his house” I asserted while walking down the hallway with a still amused Charlie.

Edward came out of the bedroom and I left him with my dad so I could shower and dress. I was inspecting my outfit of brown Capri's and an ivory fitted sleeveless top when the doorbell rang. Looking at the clock I became slightly alarmed that it was only nine-thirty and I wondered why Mr. Weiss was so early.

Running the brush quickly through my hair I rushed down the steps surprised to see Esme and Didyme being introduced to Charlie. My father shook the hand of both women with a huge smile on his face. As I came closer they both turned to say hello. Esme gave me a hug before handing me a small manila envelope with our names written on the front in an elegant script.

“I forget to give hand these pictures out last night” Esme said

Oh

“Thank you”
“You’re welcome dear; well I know you’re expecting company and we’re off to do some shopping…” Esme stopped talking to gaze at my father “It was nice to meet you Mr. Swan…”

“Charlie…” dad interjected with a smile and Esme corrected herself “Charlie…next time you are in town we’ll have to have lunch or dinner so we can all get to know each other better and I would love to meet your wife?”

I didn’t want to say anything right at that moment but I had already planned on having everyone over for a cookout the next weekend. It was Edward’s birthday so I knew his family would be agreeable and my family would all still be in the city from Leah’s shower.

Both women hugged me goodbye, kissed Edward’s cheek and shook Charlie’s hand before leaving. Giving Edward the envelope from his mother I left the two of them in the dining room to prepare the stuff in the kitchen. While I was slicing the Cheery Cheese Danish Edward came up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and pulling me close to his chest.

Until that moment I hadn’t realized how on edge I had been.

Feeling his strength and love my body literally melted into his arms which tightened around me while he placed a kiss on my head “Relax nâhtötse. Weiss is just going to tell us what he found out”

“I’m not sure I want to know”

There I said it

“It’s always better to have the information of who, what and why…”

“I’m concerned what Charlie will hear…” Edward already knew what I was going to say. Turning me around to face him, his hand cupped my chin, lifting it to gaze into my eyes.

“When I let Weiss in I’ll speak to him about being…discreet. Now smile for me, because it makes me happy when you do”

He inclined his head to kiss me and I couldn’t help but smile, making Edward follow with a grin of his own. “That’s my girl”

Edward carried the tray of service utensils and condiments to the dining room for me while I finished plating food on the other one. Esme had given us an assortment of snacks to serve and looking down at the tray I was satisfied with the variety.

Taking the platter of food into the dining room I sat down next to Edward and looked through the two dozen photo’s Esme had given us. Pointing out who was who to Charlie and explaining what was happening in the picture. Just as we finished the doorbell rang again and while Edward answered it I went to get the coffee pot.

Mr. Weiss was a short middle aged man that was slightly overweight in his casual attire of Khaki slacks and a dark blue polo shirt. His full head of hair held more grey than brown as did his beard giving him the appearance of being unassuming. I had the feeling that Mr. Weiss was the kind of person who could mingle in amongst people without anyone truly noticing his presence. Which I suppose would come in very handy with his line of business.

Edward introduced us and as he shook my hand saying Ms. Swan I corrected him “Please call me Bella”

“Bella it is…” Edward than introduced Charlie “If you don’t mind Bella’s father is going to sit in while we talk”

“You pay me Mr. Cullen, you can have anyone here you like.”

Mr. Weiss sat at the head of the table, Charlie took the seat on his right side and I on the left. Edward pulled his chair slightly closer to me before sitting down with his arm over my shoulder. After taking a cup of coffee along with a few cookies Mr. Weiss spoke “Before we get started can I answer any questions?”

“Is my daughter in danger?” Leave it to Charlie to get right to the point

“I can’t say that for sure, nor can I deny it.” Mr. Weiss’s eyes went to me momentarily before returning back to dad “You are a police officer Chief Swan, you know as well as I do that anyone is capable of anything. My job is to inform you of what I found and then let you make the decision on what to do with that information.”

Charlie sighed “Fair enough”

Mr. Weiss opened his brief case, removed a laptop and a manila folder before placing the case on the floor next to him while he spoke “Mr. Cullen you gave me a list of names to run a background on. You were also concerned that someone was accessing Ms…” he corrected himself “…Bella’s personal information more specifically her finances.”

“This is about money?” Dad couldn’t help it, he was a cop, and it was his job to ask questions.

“Most offenses center around two things, lust and greed. Usually it’s a combination of both” Turning his head back to Edward Mr. Weiss continued “Now as I told you Mr. Cullen checking unauthorized access to credit records is a simple process and I’m happy to tell you that no one has done that”

No one? Than how did everyone at the club know my personal business?

Edward asked the question I was thinking and Mr. Weiss held his hand up “This will go a whole lot easier if you let me tell you everything first and then ask questions”

At Edward’s consent Mr. Weiss looked at his computer screen and pulled a picture of Caius out of the folder. “You had mentioned Caius Salvador as a possible suspect, but as I said no one has been accessing Bella’s personal information. Mr. Salvador is as far as I can tell an honest business man. He owns and operates four high end antique stores across the city. His past two quarterly earnings have showed a decreased over the same time period as last year. ”

His eyes were glued to his computer screen as he spoke “To be honest, with the nature of his business along with the bad economy the loss he reports is not as substantial as you would think. And certainly not anything that would cause me to question his motives.”

After hitting a few buttons on the keyboard he flipped the screen over to show us a spread sheet that I could only guess was Caius’s earnings. Facts and figures made no difference to me as I had absolutely no interest in knowing his personal business. Edward gave the screen a passing glance the same as I did, while Charlie seemed to study it a little fuller.

Once our interest in the graph had waned Mr. Weiss flipped the screen back over, once again hitting a few buttons before speaking. “Caius Salvador has two sons from his first marriage of eight years. Trevor - twenty-eight who lives in Sacramento and Kevin –twenty-five who is in Portland Oregon. He also has one illegitimate daughter Abigail – age twenty six.”

Mr. Weiss got a little twinkle in his eye as he smirked “I guess we know what caused the divorce.”

“I guess we do” Edward commented while I nodded and Charlie added “Men and their wondering appendages”

“Where does she live?” I questioned as Edward smiled “I was just going to ask that?”

Mr. Weiss didn’t bother with the screen “Tacoma, with her husband of five years and two children.”

Once again the computer held his attention for a moment “At age thirty-four Caius remarried twenty-two year old Jennifer Harding. That marriage lasted three years and produced no children. He has no vices other than an occasional illegal bet and his propensity to be in the company of pretty young woman. His latest…” Mr. Weiss hesitated searching for the right word that could be said in Charlie’s presence “…companions are Rachel Stephens and Kimberly Abrams both are in their early twenties and have been with him for only a few months.”

“Two?” Charlie questioned in astonishment “What the heck is he doing with TWO girls?”

I knew the answer to that question however I looked to Edward who seemed to be contemplating what to say when Mr. Weiss spoke up “I can only imagine, but I would assume anything he wants”

There was no way in hell I was going to comment on that remark, Charlie however looked like his eyes were bulging out of his head as he stammered “Well…that’s
…just…how old is this Caius fellow?”

“Mr. Salvador is fifty-two”

“Fifty-two…” dad nearly screeched “…and he’s fooling around with two, twenty year olds…he’s going have a heart attack” We all laughed at Charlie’s prophesy while he chuckle “I guess if you add them up he has one forty-something year old, with double the problems. One woman is bad enough, but two? Oh that stupid man…”
Charlie chuckled once again and then stared me straight in the eye. “What does this Caius person want with you?”

I shrugged as Mr. Weiss gave his opinion “I believe his interest in your daughter comes simply from an older man coveting the attraction of a young pretty woman. Mr. Salvador’s track record with women speaks for itself. He desires to be with young women who he can…” Once again he struggled for a suitable word.

“…shape and mold into his idea of a perfect creature”

Charlie narrowed his eyebrows in thought while I took a sip of coffee and nearly choked to death when my father put everything together “Is he into S&M?”

Edward patted my back while I took a drink of water waiting to hear what Mr. Weiss would say while I tried to get the coughing under control. “Actually Chief Swan, once I ascertained that Caius Salvador was not a threat to my clients his sexual appetite was no longer my concern.”

That was a good answer that must have appeased Edward too as he let out a deep breath. Charlie on the other hand continued to eye Mr. Weiss until he finally sat back, crossing his arms over his chest “Yeah, that’s what I thought”

Please god…please let someone change the subject

“As I said I don’t think Mr. Salvador is any threat to you, and in all actually Bella you are a little older than he prefers. So I believe that his interest in you is simply due to your friendship with Mr. Volturi. There were several intercepted emails to Laurent Moreau that might be of interest to your uncle Mr. Cullen. I won’t go into detail about them because they hold no bearing on what we are discussing here, however there are copies in the final report. What you do with that information is completely your business. You paid me for counsel and it is my opinion that the only jeopardy you are in from Caius Salvador is annoyance and that I’m sure you can deal with”

His remarks were directed towards Edward who nodded in agreement “What about the others?”

“Well” while Mr. Weiss turned back to his computer I glanced over at Charlie, he was staring at me. No not at me, at my neck.

Involuntarily my hand reached up to touch the round charm that hung from Master’s collar. My dad’s eyes shifted to mine for the briefest of moments before moving in Edward’s direction and then back to me. The whole exchange lasted only a few seconds yet it felt like an eternity as I watched my father piece together the fragments of information.

I wasn’t sure if he knew or rather remembered who Aro Volturi was. When I had first started on my thesis Charlie was not happy with the subject matter. Not that I blamed him, he was a father after all and his daughter was going to be delving into the world of sexual masochist. Throughout the years that I worked on my degree dad would occasionally ask how my dissertation was coming along. Usually followed by the standard answer of ‘fine’ but sometimes I would elaborate. It was during one of those times that I mentioned Aro and New Moon.

Charlie was a cop who served a community three hundred miles away from Seattle yet he knew exactly what New Moon was. To say he wasn’t happy about my association with Aro was an understatement. He called me daily, ranting and raving for almost a week until I finally convinced him that Aro was a gentleman who made no obscene gestures towards me.

Sitting across the table from my father his eyes continued to drift between me and Edward always falling back to my neck. Charlie might not remember the name of the man who was my connoisseur but the club New Moon was always recognizable. To top it all off Mr. Weiss made reference to Aro being Edward’s uncle, which was something my dad definitely wasn’t aware of.

Well he is now

Mr. Weiss broke through the intensity of dad’s glare “For the most part all the other names you gave to me Mr. Cullen came up clean.”

“So there’s no one…”

“I didn’t say that”

The exchange between them got Charlie’s attention off my neck and back to the problem at hand. Mr. Weiss pulled a photo out of the folder and laid it down in front of him in the middle of the table. I stared at the familiar face while he asked me “Do you know this woman Bella?”

“That’s Heather…”

Charlie scoffed “She looks like…Karen, with dark hair?”

Karen?

I shook my head “No that’s Heather Kohner, one of the women from the center”

“Actually you are both right…” Mr. Weiss commented “...however I’m surprised that you don’t recognize her Bella since she grew up – for the most part – in Forks.”

“See that is Karen” Staring at the picture I had absolutely no idea who Karen was and it didn’t help when Charlie added “She left a while back to attend Washington Academy of Performing Arts.” Thinking for a moment he shook his head “She was home for a visit this past fall…I saw her at a football game with a tall blond haired fellow that I didn’t know”

When dad was done reminiscing Edward’s’ hand that was still draped across my back squeezed my shoulder “Bella you said her name was Heather?”

“Yes. That’s what she called herself”

Mr. Weiss spoke up “Her full name is Karen Heather Kohn”

“Kohn” I could feel the blood drain from my face as I said the name

“Yes, she has three sisters Debra, Patricia and Victoria…” I was finding it hard to breathe while the words echoed in my head “…her parents are…” I spoke the names along with him “…Katherine and Alfred”

“You know them” Edward wasn’t asking as it was obvious I knew them very well and

Charlie didn’t help “Of course she knows them, we all do. Hell she graduated with Karen’s oldest sister Victoria”

Edward removed his arm and shifted in his chair to face me. “Victoria? ...as in the woman with James…that Victoria?”

My head was nodding yet I was still in disbelief when he asked “And this Heather
came into The Center and you don’t recognize her as Karen?

Now my head was shaking both literally and figuratively as I felt like my world was crashing in. However Edward was looking at me expectantly, waiting for an answer and it was only the intensity of his stare that kept me from falling apart.

"No S…” almost saying sir before catching myself “…she’s a lot younger than me. When I left for Dartmouth Karen was just a kid and …I avoided that family as much as possible. So when Heather…Karen…came to The Center, she kept asking to talk to me, like she knew me but I never…I didn’t know who she was…”

Dad interrupted “What could Karen Kohn possibly want with Bella?”

“Well she wants something” Edward spit out rather abruptly at Charlie before taking my hand and asking in a softer tone but still insistent “Baby what did she say to you?”

Swallowing down the bile in my throat I racked my brain trying to remember the small amount of conversations I had with the girl. The only time I had any personal contact with her was the one in the van. It was at the walk-a-thon, she had come along yet refused to get out.

“Isabella think”

The tears were filling my eyes and I blinked them away as I stared at Edward and gave the best answer I could “I…I don’t know…she said…something about wanting to talk to me, she thought I would understand better because…her husband…” I shook my head “…no her boyfriend was a cop…”

Edward nodded reassuringly “What else baby?”

“She said…” her words came back to me “…she said ‘I want what’s rightfully mine’.

“What the fuck does that mean?”

“I don’t know” I said honestly while shaking my head as more dread filled me.

Edward pulled me into his arms and I willing let him wrap in a hug that made me feel so safe that my body let out all the tension I was holding in one long stuttering breath. His hand stroked through my hair bringing the peace and comfort that I desperately needed. I so badly wanted to get on my knees with my face buried in his lap so my Master could sooth away the fear. But at the moment I could settle for what I had.

“Its ok nâhtötse, we’ll figure it out” Edward spoke to me softly in a hushed whisper against my ear before his voice grew louder “Is there more?”

“A lot more Mr. Cullen. If you’ll allow me to fill in the gaps, you’ll have a better understanding of what you’re dealing with”

There was more?

I needed to get myself together it’s not that I was hysterical or even crying it was just a terrible sense of disaster hanging over me that seemed to dissolve in Edward’s arms. I didn’t want to pull away; I wanted to stay right where I was locked in the security of his embrace. But Mr. Weiss was waiting and we had to know – everything. Besides the sooner he’s done, the quicker he and Charlie would leave - and I so wanted to be alone with my Master.

Pushing against Edward’s chest his arms tighten around me briefly before I felt his lips against my hair and he allowed me sit up. Our gaze locked for a moment as he grasped both my hands “Are you ready to go on?”

Not sure if I truly was or not I tentatively nodded my head. Edward’s eyes seemed to soften as he smiled while leaning forward to kiss my forehead. Turning in my chair I came face to face with Charlie, he was intently watching me and after my prior revelation I could only imagine what he was thinking. Mr. Weiss on the other hand was studying his computer screen, patiently waiting for the emotional woman to control herself.

For some reason I felt the need to apologize “I’m sorry…I was just…freaking out for a minute”

Edward handed me a glass of cranberry juice silently telling me to drink it while Mr. Weiss dismissed my behavior “No worries Ms. Swan, but if you’re ready I would like to continue.”

Taking a sip of juice I watched as Mr. Weiss pulled yet another manila folder from his briefcase and laid it under his computer “Bella you mentioned a few things to Mr. Cullen but is there anything else that you can recall Karen saying to you?”

“Ummm…” I tried to remember “Just that she thought I would understand her because my dad was a cop…which was really weird she knew that. But now I guess it makes more sense.” Mr. Weiss seemed unphased by my revelation so I told him the only other thing I knew “…and she said she had a four year old son”

“Karen has a kid?” the news shocking Charlie.

“That’s what she said; of course I didn’t see him…so maybe that was a lie too” looking to Mr. Weiss for conformation because I was starting to wonder if anything Heather…Karen said was true.

After all dad didn’t know about a child and I couldn’t see how anyone could hide that news from the good people of Forks. It’s not that my hometown didn’t have its fair share of teenage pregnancies; there was usually one in every class. And believe me that news spread faster that a California brush fire so it didn’t seem possible to keep a child secret, especially for four years.

“She does have a son who is currently in the custody of the state in the Foster Care program”

“She said her son lived with her mom” I added but Mr. Weiss quickly corrected me

“No he is currently living here in Seattle with Glenn and Andrea Moyer. Andrea Moyer is the sister of Alfred Kohn – Karen’s father.”

“I’m sorry. I’m very confused…” Edward stated what I was thinking.

“Alright let me start from the beginning” Mr. Weiss looked to Charlie
“You were right Chief Swan, Karen Kohn did leave Forks the summer before her sophomore year; however she didn’t transfer to the Performing Arts High School. She moved in with her father’s sister Andrea Moyer and her husband Glenn, where she was enrolled in on-line Cyber Classes. The following spring on April twelfth, two thousand and six she gave birth to a son, Evan James Kohn.”

While letting what I just heard digest Edward asked “Who’s the father?”

“The Birth Certificate list him as unknown”

“Unknown?” I mocked “What is this, The Maury Show? Who’s my baby’s daddy? I mean come on, short of a drunken orgy with two dozen guys; I think I would know who made me pregnant”

Mr. Weiss grinned “I’m sure your father is very glad to hear that Bella” his chuckle making me blush from my outburst “…however just because a father is listed as unknown, doesn’t make it so. Ninety-nine point nine percent of the times, when you want to know something, you follow the money trail”

The words money trail rang in my ears and that feeling of deep dread settled back over me. It was as if the words Mr. Weiss was about to say were completely unnecessary, yet I listen anyway.

“The child was born April twelfth, the following month a series of money transfers
in the amount of six hundred dollars began to be wired from the bank account of James Arthur Cummings. The reoccurring exchange has continued to be sent on the third of every month to a Western Union Office here in Seattle.”

“That Son of a Bitch!” I seethed as Charlie was less convinced “Are you saying that
James is the father of Karen’s son?”

How could he not see it
?

“Dad, the boys middle name is James…”

“So is Karen’s father’s…”

“Dad…” I tried again but Mr. Weiss interrupted “Chief Swan the only thing that would guarantee the child’s parentage would be a paternity test. However from the evidence, I would stake my reputation on the fact that James Cummings is the father, of course I can’t prove that without DNA…”

“James would never give DNA”

Mr. Weiss glared at me “I’m sure he wouldn’t”

My fingers rubbed along my forehead trying to ease the headache that was starting while I thought about the new revelation. If Heather-Karen was twenty that means she was sixteen when Even was born, so she must have been fifteen when…and James was…

Edward must have been thinking along the same lines “So this Karen was a sophomore in high school. That would make her about…fifteen?”

“She’s twenty now” I added only to be corrected by Mr. Weiss “She is not quiet twenty, her birthday is in two weeks”

Oh my god!

I was going to be sick

“I have another question” Edward seemed to be thinking how to word what he wanted to know “You said the boy is in Foster Care…” Mr. Weiss nodded and Edward finished his thought “…so why would James continue to pay for a child she no longer has custody of?”

“I can only assume that the funds are in part…hush money”

Hush money?

Mr. Weiss addressed Charlie “Chief you might know the laws better than I do, but I would assume that it is illegal to have sexual relations with a minor”

My father immediately going into the role of policeman “The age of consent in the State of Washington is sixteen; the degree of the charges depends on the difference in their ages. James is more than forty-eight months older than Karen so with her being fifteen…”

“Actually Chief Karen was fifteen when Even was born at the time of conception she would have fourteen”

“That’s a class one rape felony”

Dad’s words rang in my ears as I felt the sickness in my stomach grow and the desire to empty itself rise while I thought of that poor girl. I knew better than anyone the depravity of James’s sexual appetite. The cruelness by which he chooses to gain his sadistic pleasure was sickening. He got off on inflicting as much pain and degradation as he possibly could for no other reason than to ease his sick twisted desires. I knew some of the things that young girl would have gone through.

It was bad enough with me, but at least James and I were on the same maturity level. Karen was a different story, he was a grown man of – five years ago – twenty-two, she was only a child.

The words felony and rape rang in my ears to the point where my head started to throb and I rubbed it forcefully. Edward excused himself, getting up and leaving me there with the two men who continued to talk about the legal ramifications. That was all well and good because to them everything was black and white. My focus was on the grey area and the psychological damage that would have a occurred to a fourteen year old rape victim.

There was that fucking word again – Rape.

Not wanting to allow my thoughts to go there I pressed the word to the back of my mind to think about when all this would have occurred. If Evan was born in April of two-thousand-six that means Karen would have conceived him the summer before. I was at Dartmouth that summer because I had gotten a job working at the local woman’s center and received special permission to stay on campus.

Not that my being in Forks would have helped to alleviate what was done to that young girl. James and I had already been separated for years and even if we weren’t I would have been in no position to stop him.

Yes you could have

From somewhere in the recesses of my mind the accusation rang out loud and clear. I could have stopped him.

The hand that was rubbing my head went to the back of my neck to feel the jagged scar that was my constant reminder of how weak I truly was. James had broken into Sue’s home on the reservation in April of two-thousand-four. Throwing me into the pantry door, knocking me unconscious and causing permanent damage to my body, which I refused to charge him with.

Because it happened on the reservation Sam reluctantly abided by my wishes saying that it was an accident and sent James a certified letter banding him from being on Quileute land. That made me safe at least in theory as patrols were increased when I was around and the whole area went on ‘high alert’.

Everyone was proactive while I hid away, pretending everything was normal yet still afraid to leave. My fear would have been lessened had I stepped up, not been so damn ashamed and pressed charges. There were so many other times I could have arrested James, however that was the first time there was an actual witness. And yet I still somehow managed to convince myself that it was better to keep my mouth shut.

Would thing have been different had I told or would the same patterned have occurred?

Over the years I have dealt with a lot of ‘what if’s’, however up until that moment they were only my regrets. All of a sudden there was somebody else - a fourteen year old girl - who’s childhood was torn from her by an animal that I should have had caged.

Yes, I could have stopped James


In an attempt to ease my own conscious I wondered if the sex was consensual, even though Karen was young she still could have willingly been with James. After all he was handsome with his fit muscular body, blond hair and icy blue eyes. He also could be a charmer when he wanted to be, or more importantly, when it suited his purposes. I wasn’t trying to justify what James had done; he was defiantly old enough to know better, besides he had Victoria.

Jesus mighty, he fucked Victoria’s little sister


Whether Karen was a willing participant or not, how in the hell could James justify that? What in the world is Vickie going to think? Then again Victoria never seemed to mind that James was fucking me. I was his wife after all so she had to know that we weren’t celibate yet she was always in the background waiting for him with legs wide open. Still I wondered what Victoria would have to say about his fathering a child with her sister – her fourteen year old sister.

Holy hell…he is such a pig


Edward came back in, setting a glass of water in front of me and two white capsules – Tylenol.

Picking up the medication I smiled at him “Thank you”

“You looked like you needed them” nodding I swallowed the pills with a large gulp of water as Edward broke into the conversation Charlie and Mr. Weiss were having.

“Do we know why the child was taken from his mother’s custody?”

“It’s a combination of circumstance” Mr. Weiss said while momentarily glancing at his computer before giving Edward his total attention “Once Evan was born, Karen continued to live in the home of her aunt and uncle until she was eighteen. At that time she applied and received public assistance in the form of housing, medical, food and employment training. September of two thousand-eight she and Evan through the help of section eight housing subsidies moved into a two bedroom apartment in Graham Place and Karen enrolled in Seattle Central Community College on a part-time basis”

“So she was getting her life together” Edward stated what I was thinking. Karen might have had a rough start but she seemed to be doing fine.

“She was until February of two thousand-nine when she suffered a mental breakdown that required her to be hospitalized for two weeks. During that time Evan was sent to live with the aunt and uncle and when Karen was released she continued with the facility as an out-patient. As of now she is on a drug regimen of Lithium, Thorazine , and Paxil…”

I knew those drugs, Lithium is a mood stabilizer, Thorazine is an antipsychotic and Paxil is an antidepressant. The three of them together meant one thing “Bipolar?”

“That would be my guess”

I didn’t even get a chance to answer Mr. Weiss before Charlie screeched “She’s crazy?”

My anger rose at the ignorance of his statement “She’s not crazy dad! She has a medical condition that as long as she stays on her medication it should be under control”

“And what if she doesn’t?” Dad questioned with just as much anger as I had shown.

Edward gave the answer I didn’t want to think about “She’d be unstable”

“So she is crazy!”

“Stop saying that dad!”

Charlie’s eyes narrowed at my tone but I didn’t care. He had no right to say something like that. It wasn’t Karen’s fault “You have no idea what trauma that girl has been through or what she had to cope with and what her mind had to adjust to keep herself lucid.”

“Well excuse me Bella, but when I hear Bipolar all I can think of is someone walking around talking to themselves and pushing people in front of moving cars because the voices in their heads told them to!”

“That’s not what it is!”

“Well then please...by all means…enlighten me”

My father’s attitude was beginning to irritate me and it was only the feel of Edward squeezing my hand that kept me calm while I tried to make my father understand.

“Bipolar Disorder is a medical condition that usually onsets in early adulthood. Its causes have been linked to both genic reasons as well as Psychological trauma. And I don’t know about you but a fourteen year old being raped by a twenty-two year old man is a lot of trauma.”

At my statement Charlie looked almost wounded as his face softened and his eyes grew sad “I didn’t know it was happening Bells”

My eyes filled with tears for my father’s pain because I knew he wasn’t just talking about Karen anymore. “I’m not blaming you dad…” reaching across the table I clasped his clinched hand “…but you can’t blame her either”

My voice was shaker than I wanted it to be but my eyes stayed fixed on my father’s as he rotated his hand giving mine a small squeeze. That was his way of saying he understood and by drawing his hands away he was telling me our exchange was over and I should continue.

“I’ll agree with you dad, Karen has Psychological problems but she’s not …crazy…she suffers from a chemical imbalance, which the drugs she’s taking, are used to stabilize. The person with Bipolar Disorder is susceptible to extreme mood swings. Going from a deep depression that is so sever it interferes with their normal functions of life. They see no good reason to live, they sleep all the time, have no appetite, find no joy in anything. They don’t want to socialize, they don’t even want to shower and their sexual desire is completely gone. It’s a deep, gripping depression that can last for weeks or months.”

“The other side is the manic behavior, which is the exact opposite. The person experiences a euphoria state of mind. They are very talkative, but their attention span is so low that they make no sense because they are easily distracted. They don’t sleep and will go for days or a week with only a few hours of rest. That lack of sleep causes impaired judgment and reasoning, they will do things that a rational person wouldn’t consider. Their sex drive …goes into overdrive and they participate in activities they wouldn’t normally do. Sometimes they feel like they have been ‘chosen’ to be the vessel to perform some kind of “special job” that only they are qualified to do.”

“So what you are telling me is that my idea of someone walking around talking to themselves doing irrational things is fairly accurate” Charlie’s arrogance was back.

How the hell could he have taken everything I just said and condensed it back down to that?

Dad must have seen something in my eyes as he held up his hands in surrender “I’m not blaming her, and I don’t want to hear all that mumble-jumble because you are talking to a lay-person here. All I want to know is if my description is accurate.”

Damn I hated dimensioning a medical condition down to something that sounded so…crazy. Even though Charlie was right I couldn’t wholeheartedly agree “If they are not on their medications, then yes”

“Thank you” Charlie sat back in his chair motioning to me with his hand while addressing Mr. Weiss “Nine and a half years of college, to tell me something I already knew”

I sighed while along side of me Edward chuckled casing me to glared at him with a ‘don’t even fucking mess with me’ look.

“Sorry babe” Edward laughed “It’s just that for a minute Charlie reminded me of my dad”

Maybe it was the tension that had been so heavy in the room or maybe it was that my headache was starting to go away but I found the statement funny and I giggled. After taking a drink Edward sighed “So we don’t know if Karen is taking her meds or not”

“I can tell you she has refilled them, if she is actually taking them, that’s a different matter altogether.”

“And you have no idea what she could possibly want with Bella?”

“No Mr. Cullen” while they had their exchange I thought of something that was bothering me “Mr. Weiss do you know who Karen’s boyfriend is…because she said he was a policeman...”

“I was just getting to that. Karen is involved with a man; he is not a police officer. However he does work in …security” He took three more pictures out of the folder and had I not been sitting down I would have fell over looking at two of them.

“For the past eight months Karen has been living with one Mr. Michael Newton”

“What?” Edward practically growled while Charlie wondered “Who’s Michael Newton?”

Ignoring Charlie all I could do was focus on the pictures while Mr. Weiss explained “Mr. Newton and his friend here…” he pointed to the picture of a clean cut sandy blonde headed male “…Mr. Benjamin Cheney have a small little enterprise going on down in the Pike Market district. They are running a modern day speakeasy or what you might refer to Chief Swan as a hideaway. It’s a small enterprising afterhours….gentleman’s club…that caters to…shall we say a…discriminating taste.”

I didn’t know what a hideaway was, a speakeasy was a place where Al Capone sold
illegal alcohol. A gentleman’s club was a nice name for a Strip bar; discriminating taste could be anything from bondage to white slavery.

“So what is Karen doing with Mike Newton? “

“She’s his girlfriend”

Turning my head towards Edward I waited, watching while he seemed to be studying the three pictures on the table. After a long moment his head turned to look at me, he had the most bewildered expression I had ever seen. His eyes were blank, not with the dark burn of emotionless eyes my Master held, these were just …empty. “I…I…Bella…I …I..don’t even know what to say”

The man I loved needed reassurance
.

It didn’t happen very often, and Jane had warned me that there would be times that I would have to step up and take the lead, so that’s what I did.
With an encouraging smile I told him “You don’t have to say anything Edward, it all makes perfect sense.”

He stared at me skeptically so I became a little more adamant.

“Think about it. The missing alcohol from the club, everyone knowing all my personal business, that’s all Mike’s doing. He was probably taking the alcohol to supply his own illegal bar, because you told me that only high end expensive liquor was missing and a lot of it. Beer and cheap stuff he could buy himself, but the expensive kind? That’s what he took. And all the rumors about me originated from him. He’s in the middle of everything that occurs and everyone talks to him. Even you, as we’re walking in will ask the person at the door ‘how’s everything going’ or ‘what’s happening’. So I’m sure others would do the same thing and wouldn’t hesitate to ask specific questions. And who better to ask than the person who is there from open to close…the security guy”

“Besides Mike would have had all the answers, because Karen would have filled him in. She knows all about me, where I came from, what I do, how much money I had, that would all be common knowledge to her. So I’m sure it started with a simple ‘hey Mike who was that girl?’ From there the gossip just spread, some of it was true – and that’s what had me worried – but now I know where it came from…the rest was all concocted bullshit.”

“It was all Mike and it makes sense now how everything was connected. It wasn’t odd random things happening it was one person. The sign in book, the gossip, the alcohol, and you know what I think about the break-in…it was all one person behind it.”

Edward continued to stare at me as if he was contemplating the reality of what I said. “What about the other stuff?” at my blank face Edward reminded me “Seth’s missing collar, your flat tire, what about those things?”

“That could have been Mike too, maybe he thought the collar would open the door and the flat tire? I don’t know…” I shrugged “…maybe it would be a way to get me stranded so Karen could talk to me”

Edward’s eyes widen as he took in what I was saying “How can you sit there so calmly talking about someone trying to take you?”

“I didn’t say they wanted to take me, I said she wanted to talk to me…it’s two different things Edward”

“Bella...” he said my name as if he was astonished “…if she wanted to just talk to you, she could call you”

I sighed in frustration and watched as Edward’s eyes narrowed like he was irritated “She tried to call me, remember? Heather asked at The Center for my phone number”

Edward continued to sit there gaping at me with an open mouth for a long moment before he shook his head in disbelief “What are the chances Bella?”

“Chances of what?”

“That the woman living with …of all people…Newton…would not only be from your hometown…three hundred miles away…but that she is the mother of your ex-husband’s illegitimate child…and for some reason, that we cannot phantom…that woman wants something from you and instead of her having to go hunt you down…you practically fall in her lap…In a city of over six hundred thousand people…what are the chances of that happening?”

I wanted to tell him one in six hundred thousand to one but I didn’t think that was such a good idea, instead I tried to appease him “It must be fate”

Edward’s eyes widened “Fate? Fucking Newton was probably creaming in his pants when he found out who you were. You walked into the god damn loins den and you’re calling it fate? Like it’s a good thing”

“It is a good thing, because now Aro knows…or at least can investigate what happened with the alcohol. We don’t have to be worried about who is invading our privacy and Heather-Karen…she would have eventually found me anyway, but now…this way…I know and can be proactive”

“Proactive?”

“Yeah, I assume that Mr. Weiss knows where she lives I can go there and….”

“The fuck you will!” Edward roared while Charlie – who I had forgotten was in the room - yelled “No way in hell!”

“Isabella you are not to go anywhere near them. In fact you are not to be out on the streets alone until we know what this Karen wants from you. Do I make myself clear?”

I understood what Edward was saying and his reason but I didn’t like him talking to me like that in front of people. Charlie on the other hand did not come to my defense as I had thought he would.

“Isabella Marie are you clear on that?” My mouth dropped open as I turned to see my father glaring at me almost begging me to say something.

Well I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.

Looking towards Mr. Weiss he was watching me with narrowed eyes “Are you going to yell at me too?”

“No Bella I’m not, but I am going to tell you that regardless of what you may think, Miss Kohn is a woman who has an illness that makes her very unpredictable. It would be in your best interest to heed Mr. Cullen and your father’s warning, and not be out and about by yourself. As you said sometimes a person who suffers from Bipolar thinks they are on a special mission that only they can accomplish. I would hate for your demise to be that objective”

Edward and dad were still glaring at me and even though I wasn’t completely convinced that Karen was dangerous, I couldn’t deny the possibility. Looking at dad first I nodded once “Clear” then repeated the motion to Edward adding a word “Very clear”

The two most important men in my life seemed to relax and I wanted to change the subject before I was given more orders. Pointing to the third picture I wondered “What does Jessica have to do with all this?”

“Ahhh…Miss. Jessica Stanley”

“Hold on” Charlie interjected “I still don’t know who this Michael Newton person is”

I guess Charlie really didn’t want to be left out of anything and needed the full story. Edward gave him a brief idea of how we were all acquainted saying that Mike worked security at his uncle’s club. Dad didn’t inquire as to which club, so I guess he knew. Once the majority of the story was told and dad was satisfied that he wasn’t being left out of anything important our attention turned to Mr. Weiss.

Charlie was the one who asked the first question “Who is this Jessica girl?”

“Miss. Stanley age twenty-six is…involved…or perhaps I should say was…involved with Mr. Newton”

Mr. Weiss had just confirmed what I had already told Edward. Jessica was Mike and Karen’s third fiddle.

“He has two girls too?” Dad questioned in total bewilderment.

“It’s more like a three way tag-team” Mr. Weiss explained and I watched as understanding came to my father.

“Oh...well…” he swallowed “…to each their own…I guess”

To each their own?


I didn't have time to fully analyze dad's comment as the next question completely unnerved me.

“How long has Jess been in a relationship with Mike?” my eyes went to Edward’s, wondering why he would ask that question. Part of me worried that he was upset that Jessica was with another man and I couldn’t help but to feel hurt.

Mr. Weiss hit the buttons on his computer before answering “According to phone records the three of them have been getting together at least once a week for the past several months. Around the beginning of May their tryst began to escalate to three or four times a week. Two weeks ago there was a decline in their contact and last week it completely cease to exist.”

Edward sighed heavily letting his eyes shift to mine, not wanting him to see the hurt I was feeling my gaze dropped to the table. That wasn’t a good idea as I ended up coming face to face with a glossy five-by-seven picture of the person I was trying hard not to think of.

Edward reached down taking my hand and the hurt girl in me wanted to shake him away while the woman wanted to hold on tightly. Blinking back my tears I choose the later, deciding to ask about his inquiry when we were alone.

“Is there anything else?” Edward asked.

Mr. Weiss lifted his computer taking out the folder that he had placed underneath it. “This folder contains my full report along with a copy of all intercepted correspondences, medical and financial records and a breakdown of my fees. As I said there are emails and text messages that might be of interest to your uncle along with Mr. Newton’s activities. Of course this belongs to you and what you do with the information it contains is your business”

Edward took the folder placing it in front of him before addressing me “Bella do you have any more questions?”

Shaking my head I answered “No, I can’t think of any”

“Charlie?”

“I was just wondering how much of this information was obtained through illegal means.”

Mr. Weiss smirked “Are you planning on arresting me Chief Swan?”

“No, not exactly. I was more curious about how much of this stuff I need to be forgetting about”

“Remember all of it Chief, it just might be important one day. But don’t go around repeating it to people you don’t trust”

“Wasn’t planning on doing that anyway”

Mr. Weiss nodded at my dad before turning to Edward “Mr. Cullen if there is nothing else, I’ll be going”

After gathering the pictures off the table and returning them to the folder he had taken them from, Mr. Weiss packed up his laptop and stood to leave. As I got up he reached out to shake my hand “Bella it’s been a pleasure to meet you. I might add that until we know for sure what Karen Kohn’s motives are, you should heed Mr. Cullen’s advice and please be careful.”

“I will” He nodded once before Edward asked me to stay with Charlie while he showed him to the door.

Dad went to use the bathroom while I began clearing off the table however my eyes kept drifting over to the file folder sitting in front of the chair Edward had vacated. I was so fixated on the light beige folder that I hadn’t heard Charlie approach and the sound of his voice startled me.

“That girl Jessica was a…friend of Edward’s?”

“Yeah” I guess my father was more astute than I gave him credit for.

“Hmmm…” he hummed “I don’t know everything about your …private life and I don’t think I want to know. But one thing I’m sure of is that boy loves you.” My eyes went to my father’s “I just want to know that you are happy, safe and with someone who cares for you and I can see that.”

My father knew or at least suspected the lifestyle Edward and I shared and in his own way was giving his acceptance of it. Closing the distance I hugged my father “I have never been more happier daddy.”

“That’s all that matter’s Bells” he said patting my back and as I stepped away Edward returned.

Charlie cleared his throat “If you don’t mind sitting down, I have something to talk to you both about before I leave”

Oh Shit

Tentatively we took the same chairs only this time Edward sat slightly closer to me with our hands entwined on top of the table. Charlie eyed our clasped hands before reaching into the back pocket of his jeans to pull out a small notebook. It was no bigger than a man’s wallet bound in wore black leather. Dad flipped it open to a spot where a business card laid sandwiched between the pages. “I wanted to tell you about Officer Jason Hawk.”

Oh

“I’m not as thorough as Weiss was, I didn’t hack into his computer or tap his phone line, I did it the old fashion way. I asked his Sargent and then talked with him directly.”

Charlie looked down at the open page as he spoke “Hawk has been with the Seattle police department for twelve years. Right after the academy he joined the Southwest Precinct where he stayed for eight years before transferring to the East Precinct…” looking up at us he added “… which encompasses the Montlake neighbor you reside in.”

Dad looked down at his notes before once again making eye contact with us “Hawk has received several accommodations for his work with the DARE program and he volunteers as a basketball coach for the police athletic league. In the twelve years he has been on the force there have been no internal complaints lodged against him and eight civilian complaints.”

“Eight?” that sounded like a lot

“In a town this big with all the citations and arrest he has been involved in, that number might as well be zero, I myself have a dozen or so.”

My mouth dropped open in shock while dad raised one eyebrow “That’s not hard to understand Bella, parents don’t like when their little Johnny gets pulled over for speeding or sweet Suzie gets caught shoplifting. They will try anything to get to keep their little darlings from suffering the consequences of their actions. That includes trying to discredit the officer who is doing his job by upholding the law.”

That made sense but still I had to know “What were the complaints about?”

He sighed and spoke without looking at his notes “Most of them were for excessive force, they were all unfounded and he was cleared. Some of those were probably the perpetrator trying to discredit the arrest and then… well you’ve met Hawk, he’s a bit abrasive.”

“Abrasive?” I questioned “He’s downright rude”

To my surprise Charlie laughed “Yes well, I suppose he is a no non-sense type of fellow. He wants to get right to the point and doesn’t see any reason for coddling people. But he’s a good man and an excellent officer who was only doing the job he's paid to do when he was investigating what happened that night. His main concern was that you were safe here with Edward. So he was baiting you to see if your story would change. At the time he could only go by what he saw and what Edward had told him. He needed to make sure that was the truth and you were here of your own free will.”

I felt all the breath leave me and I had to literally force air back into my lungs as I felt Edward stiffen at my side. I swallowed hard while Charlie’s gaze dropped down to the collar around my neck. When his eyes came back to mine there was not a doubt in my mind that he knew. Whether it was from Officer Hawk telling him about the playroom in the basement or his own deductive reasoning it didn’t matter – because he knew I was Edward's submissive.

“Dad” I didn’t know how to respond yet I felt like I had to say something.

Charlie held up his hand “You are a grown woman Bella and what goes on behind closed doors is nobody’s business. The only reason I’m saying anything at all is because I want you to know that Officer Hawk was only doing what he felt was best at the time.”

Dad looked to Edward “It was nothing personal. He knew Bella’s history and unfortunately that is a history that often repeats itself. He is a good man and was just making sure that you were a good man too.”

His shoulders relaxed as he leaned into the back of the chair “So that’s all I have to say”

“Well thank you Charlie” Edward’s voice still sounded rather far away as my mind wrapped around what had just happened. My father seemed to be waiting for me to say something but I couldn’t think of anything so I repeated Edward’s words “Thank you dad”

His shrug of indifference waking me up “Really dad…”

I wanted to say thank you for understanding, for accepting, for not freaking out. I wanted to ask him who the hell he was and where my real father was because I was sure the man sitting across from me was some kind of alien pod. Yet I didn’t want to push my luck by letting him know how grateful I was.

Wording myself very carefully I tried to show the hidden message “I know that talking to Officer Hawk was not something you really wanted to do and I know what that means to you. But we…” purposely including Edward “really appreciate it”

“You don’t ask for much Bells, you never have and I like to see you happy. Hell I just want to see you”

My father’s words brought tears to my eyes as I saw how much he loved me. I didn’t get a chance to say anything before dad spoke “Would you do your old man a favor?”

“Anything”

Leaning forward he placed his index finger on the business card laying on the table, propelling it in my direction across the smooth surface. Once it was within my immediate reach he straightened up, stared into my eyes and spoke with a unwavering voice.

“You call Officer Hawk, tell him what happened in your kitchen and you put that son-of-a-bitch behind bars where he belongs”