Thank you to Mel!

CHAPTER EIGHT

Edward

"We men and women are all in the same boat, upon a stormy sea. We owe to each other a terrible and tragic loyalty."

― G.K. Chesterton

The longer it took me to get to Bella's location, the more unbearable I became. It got so bad that Giselle, the flight attendant, began to avoid me, keeping herself safely sequestered at the front of the cabin. It was just as well—I didn't need anything, and I wouldn't, not until I'd gotten to the bottom of what was going on.

It wasn't that I suddenly cared about Bella, but I had actual legal obligations to keep her safe.

And it was my fault she was in the line of fire now.

Alice showing up was both surprising and suspicious. Why now? Where had she been? I had truly looked for her after graduation, but to absolutely no avail. It was like she'd vanished from the skin of the earth, no trace of her left. Her erasure was so complete I eventually started to wonder if Bella really had a roommate at the Academy after all.

It was a classic cover-up. No one could gaslight like the Sixteen.

I had people stationed in Oxford keeping an eye on Bella. I should have been informed if anyone from one of the other families had come within breathing distance of the city's outer limits. The fact that whoever had been holding Alice had been able to get close enough to send her in was setting off all sorts of alarms in my head.

Why hadn't I been notified?

I checked my watch, scowling when I noted that I still had another hour at least before we began our descent. Even with my jet being significantly faster than commercial airlines, it wasn't fucking fast enough.

Why the hell hadn't my team been faster? Why did I have to find out a week after Bella had already gone on the run? What the fuck was happening?

"Mr. Cullen?"

"What?" I snapped, looking up at Giselle. Her eyes were wide, but otherwise she looked calm and composed.

"Can I refresh your drink for you, sir? I'm going to begin preparing the cabin for arrival."

I blinked and glanced out the window. I'd gotten so lost in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed how close we were, finally.

"I don't need another," I said, handing her the glass.

She took it and nodded, scuttling off and leaving me in peace. I leaned back in my chair, scowling out the window. Soon enough, I'd be able to get this all sorted.

…

There was a car waiting for me on the tarmac when we landed. It was an old Jeep. Hideous, but certainly less conspicuous in these parts than the kind of car I was accustomed to.

Once I was on the road, I called my head of security.

"Sir, I was about to call you."

"You're getting too fucking slow, James," I snapped, my voice laced with my anger. "What the fuck is going on?"

James was quiet. "Nothing is out of the ordinary here."

I snorted. "Nothing is out of the ordinary?" I repeated, my voice pitching with my disbelief. "How fucking stupid are you all? Who the fuck am I paying you to watch?"

"Sir. Miss Swan has been going about her normal routine. Nothing has been out of the ordinary, and there have been no signs of anyone else coming near Oxford."

That had me hesitating. "What do you mean? Bella's there?"

"I can see her now, sir. She's in her flat, reading again."

I frowned. Had Bella left Cornwall and not told me? I glanced down at my phone, but the location tracker said Bella had not moved.

What was going on?

"James, keep an eagle eye on her. Tell me if she so much as goes out for a loaf of bread, do you hear me?"

"Yes, sir."

"I'll be in touch." I hung up before he could respond and swore to myself. Someone was messing with me—they had to be. How else could Bella be in two places at once?

Rubbing my forehead, I turned my attention to the road, trying to get to Bella's location as quickly as possible.

Another five minutes and I was pulling up in front of an old weathered barn. I scowled as I looked up at it, and as I climbed out of the car, the scent of hay and rotting wood hit my nose, making my scowl deepen.

Bella couldn't seriously be holed up here, could she?

I headed inside, keenly aware that about a hundred yards away, two of my security personnel were sitting in a car waiting for me. They'd met me on the tarmac with my vehicle and had been keeping a safe and watchful distance ever since.

"Bella?" I called as I hauled open the derelict barn door. It was dusty inside, and I fought the urge to sneeze. "Bella, where are you?"

I heard a small noise, and then, Bella was descending down a rickety ladder. The moment her feet hit the floor, she looked at me, and I felt some of the panic in my chest loosen.

"Edward," she said, her voice stiff. It was hardly a warm welcome, but that didn't matter to me.

I moved toward her, focused on assessing her visually for any injuries. "Are you hurt?" I asked.

"No, of course not." She huffed. "Jesus, do you have any idea how dramatic you are?"

She rolled her eyes, and I almost smiled.

"Where's Alice?"

Bella's face sobered and she glanced up at the loft. "She doesn't want to see you."

I shook my head and moved to the ladder. "Tough shit. I have some questions for her."

"Edward." Bella's hand landed on my arm, and I looked at her in surprise. It was the first time we'd had physical contact since we'd had sex on the plane back to England eleven months ago. It seemed Bella was remembering that too because she quickly let go of me and stepped closer so I could see her face. "Alice has been through something. I …" She trailed off, her eyes lifting up to the loft. "She's delicate right now and you"—at this, she turned her gaze back to me—"are a bag of snakes."

I snorted. "A bag of snakes?" I asked, bemused.

"Yes, a writhing terrifying bag of snakes, and Alice has no idea if any of them are venomous or not. Do you get what I'm saying?"

"Honestly, I'm not even sure you understand what you're saying."

Bella reached out, smacking my shoulder with the back of her hand. It reminded me of when we were at the Academy, and I couldn't help but grin.

"Alice doesn't trust you," she said blankly. "And frankly, now that she knows about us, she doesn't trust me either."

"You told her?" I asked, arching an eyebrow.

Bella sighed. "I had to. I couldn't find another way to explain how you were coming to help us and that you could be trusted."

Trusted? Bella trusted me?

I tossed the thought to the back of my mind to process another time.

"Okay," I said, giving her a small nod. "I'll proceed with caution."

When Bella didn't object, I started moving up the ladder into the loft.

I winced when their accommodations came into my view. Two old ratty cots, a crate with a camping lamp between them serving as some sort of table.

It was unfathomable that any spouse of the Sixteen could even consider such conditions. I'd been absolutely fucking up. Bella should be sleeping in palaces, not this shit hole.

Alice was curled up tight on one cot, her arms wrapped around her knees, her back against the wall as she glared at me. She looked like shit, but I could recognize that crazy ass expression in her eyes. It was the same look she had back in school, right before she started screaming.

"Alice," I said, straightening up once I was firmly in the loft. "I'm here to help, okay? I'm not here to hurt you."

She opened her mouth, but Bella was closer behind me than I thought because her voice cut the silence.

"Screaming now will only draw unnecessary attention to us," she said, climbing up beside me. "And as you've pointed out, that could be lethal."

Alice's mouth snapped shut and I let out a breath, glancing at Bella. She gave me the tiniest nod and I focused back on Alice.

"Alice, can you tell me where you were?"

Alice's mutinous face just glowered at me.

"Fine. Do you know who you were with?"

When she didn't answer, I shook my head. This was a waste of fucking time. If there really was someone after them, we couldn't be pussyfooting around like this.

I turned to Bella, shaking my head. For all I knew, Alice had been flipped and was working for another family. What if her presence was putting Bella in danger?

"I need to get you somewhere safe," I said to her quietly.

Bella's eyes narrowed. "We are not leaving Alice," she hissed, immediately hearing what I wasn't saying.

"She could be luring you into danger," I pointed out.

Bella's lips pursed, and I was surprised to see by her facial expression that I wasn't the only one who had thought so.

"We owe Alice my life," she said, her voice low.

I tried not to wince as I remembered. I'd been mostly oblivious to the suffering of others growing up. No one had taught me to have empathy, and I'd never seen it in action.

But seeing Alice in a coma, Bella terrified and furious, I'd finally started to understand.

They were human too, and my needs had cost them both so much more than I'd anticipated.

It had been frustratingly humbling, and had been a constant thought in the back of my mind since. I didn't want Bella to think of me as a monster, never again.

"Be that as it may, I don't have a legal obligation to keep Alice safe," I pointed out.

Bella arched an eyebrow. "Is that all I am? A legal obligation?"

I raised an eyebrow right back at her. "Do you want to be more?" It was a surprise to hear.

Bella scowled and shook her head. "No."

I turned from her, trying to figure out what it was about this woman that was giving me such serious whiplash.

"Fine," I said, glancing at Alice. "Fine. We'll move you both." I looked at Bella. "Gather your things. We leave in three minutes."

Bella nodded and immediately strode toward the cots while I climbed down the ladder and stalked back out to the car. I pulled out my phone, calling James.

"Sir."

"What's happening?" I asked.

"Nothing, sir. She's still in there."

I shook my head. "Get a photo," I told him. "It's not Bella."

I was nearly certain that the woman in the loft was the real Bella. Only she dared to be so defiant and flippant with me.

"Yes, sir."

A second later my phone was buzzing, and I pulled it from my face to look. The photo was of a brunette, her back to the windows as she did the dishes. From this angle, she did look like Bella.

I brought the phone back to my face, shaking my head. "Keep tabs on her," I told him. "I'm going to move the real Bella to a safehouse."

"Yes, sir."

I hung up just as Bella and Alice made their way out of the barn. I motioned toward the Jeep.

"Get in. We've got a long way to go."

…

There were several safehouses stationed around the world that my family had lined up, but I was hesitant to bring them to one of those. Undoubtedly, my parents would be notified immediately that one was in use, and then the privacy and coverage we needed would be gone.

I'd started purchasing my own properties a few months back, but most of them weren't ready to house anyone.

I had only one property I felt that would be sufficient.

The flight between England and Norway was short enough and spent in silence. Alice was stubbornly not speaking to anyone, and Bella—looking exhausted from spending so much time with Alice—spent the flight sleeping. I tried to occupy my time with work, but it was difficult with Alice glaring me down.

"I'm not your enemy," I told her at one point, glancing up from my phone. "I have nothing against you."

Alice's lips pursed. "You're going to get us all killed," she said, her voice croaking.

I scowled at her, but then she turned away from me, her body angling toward the windows, and I tried to focus back on my phone.

It was useless though.

As soon as we landed, I shuttled the girls off the plane and onto a black helicopter. Automatically, Bella followed me, but Alice was more hesitant. I looked back at her and motioned to the chopper. "It's this or you're on your own," I told her.

She huffed but climbed in, landing next to Bella. I boarded last, sitting across from them.

"Where are we?" Bella asked, glancing around the landscape outside the window.

"Norway," I told her, helping them both get strapped into their seats.

I felt her look at me, and I glanced at her. "What?"

"I've always wanted to see Norway," she said, shrugging one shoulder. I focused back on the task of preparing us for take off, wondering why her words pleased me.

My property was tucked up high in the mountains, near the small town of Dombås. It was beyond remote, which was the point. The only way to access it was either hiking several miles through mountain terrain or to arrive by helicopter.

I watched Bella gaze out the window as we flew, amused by her astonishment. Alice wasn't taking anything in, her gaze seemingly fixed on the floor beneath her feet.

One day, I would have to show Bella the world properly. It would be captivating to watch her see it all for the first time.

Out the window, I spotted a small lake come into view and knew we were getting close. I pulled out my phone, shooting off a text to my security team, letting them know of our impending arrival. I saw a missed call from my dad and scowled.

I'd have to call him back eventually, but for now, I was content to still ignore him. For all he knew, I was working.

The helicopter started our landing, and I turned to watch Bella and Alice. Both of them were looking out the window, frowning.

I couldn't help but smirk.

The helicopter landed, and I unfastened my harness before offering help to Bella and Alice, who were both struggling with the layers of straps. When we were all free, I slid open the door and hopped out. The girls were right behind me.

"Come on!" I shouted over the noise of the blades above us.

The two followed me off the rocky crag that was used as a helicopter pad. There was a set of hidden steps that blended in with the rocks, and I led them down until we were under the slab of rock that acted as the roof.

I'd built the house with the intent that it couldn't be seen from above. Only if you really knew what you were looking for, could you recognize anything out of the ordinary. The house was carved into the mountain, more underground than above, and that allowed for it to be not only secure, but naturally warmer as well.

"Here we are," I said, leading them through the dark front door and into the main foyer. Despite being mostly underground, the house itself was bright and airy, with light wood and stone tones to combat the darkness outside. "Let me show you to your rooms," I said, motioning them down a hallway. The first room was a light cream color, with a large bed and birch furniture. There was a long narrow window on the north wall that cut through the rock to give a wide view.

"Alice, you can stay here. There is an ensuite through there," I said, pointing to a door on the left. "I'll have some clothes stocked in the closet by tonight."

Alice stepped into the room, her eyes sweeping the place.

"Why don't you shower," Bella said gently. "I've got one more pair of sweats you can borrow when you are done."

Alice turned to her and let out a breath.

"This is a bad idea," she murmured, so low I was almost not sure I heard anything.

Bella didn't respond, but then Alice stepped farther into the room and shut the door.

"Come on," I said, motioning Bella down the hall.

"I'm not sleeping with you," she said, making me pause and turn to look at her.

"What?"

She crossed her arms across her chest. "Just because we're married, I'm not going to sleep with you."

I snorted. "What on earth gave you the impression that's what I was expecting?" I turned back around and kept walking. Of course, sex certainly had crossed my mind. She had been a surprisingly good lay, and I hadn't gotten laid since. It wasn't like I was trying to honor my marriage or what-the-fuck-ever, because we had an agreement that we could sleep with whomever else we wanted, but work had kept me so busy I'd barely had time to eat, let alone fuck around.

I missed the easy days of being in the Academy, when pussy had lined up for me for the taking.

I stopped in front of another bedroom, pushing the door open. This one was painted a soft slate blue, with the same birch furniture and stretch of window.

"You can sleep in here," I told her.

Bella eyed the room. "Where do you sleep?"

I smirked as she glanced at me, and I saw her face pinch into a scowl. "In case you get horny in the middle of the night?" I teased.

Bella huffed and gripped the strap of her backpack over her shoulder.

"I'm across the hall," I said, motioning down just a few feet. "And my door is open, in case you need … anything."

The way I leaned on the word, there was no mistaking it for what it was—a carte blanche open invitation.

Bella sniffed. "I won't," she said, striding into the room.

"Hey, never say never. The locals say there are all sorts of beasties in these mountains. You never know when you'll need a little company." She shot me a glare and I smirked, stepping back from the doorway. "Take some time to relax and freshen up. You look like shit."

She flipped me off, but the smile on her face told me she wasn't actually offended. I grinned as I walked away. Bella was safe, at least for this moment. Now, I needed to figure out what the hell was going on with my security team and why Bella's life was in danger at all. If I had put her in danger, I sure as hell would do whatever I could to get her out of it once more.