Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom

Chapter Twenty-Two

As always, none of this is mine. This belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to dabble in the playground she created.

Up next will be a new POV, at least for the first part of the chapter. We'll also find out what will happen with Maas and discuss Bella's recovery. How will she fare? How will this impact Edward and Bella's marriage? What will happen with Jake? Maas?

Chapter Twenty-Two

Esme

Sitting in the living room, I sipped some iced tea and trying to maintain my composure. My husband and younger son told me all that happened while they were out searching for Bella. My daughter was in the private medical suite in the Consortium building, recovering from horrific injuries. Injuries caused by her mother and that animal.

"We need to be there for Edward and Bella," Carlisle said, taking my hand. He was just as tired as Edward, even more so. He was twenty-five years older than my oldest son and he'd been on the move for as long as Edward. His eyes were bleary, exhausted "It was bad, Es."

"Renee was completely unhinged, Mom," Emmett muttered. "It was her undoing, to be honest. Good riddance, in my honest opinion. She got what she deserved. I just wished she suffered more." I grimaced at the malice in my younger son's tone toward the woman who gave birth to Bella. However, he adored his sister-in-law and would have done anything to protect her or bring her back safely to Edward. With the team they assembled, they did.

Thank goodness.

"Jacob got her in the end," Carlisle sighed, leaning back on the couch. "She was holding Bella like a shield. The poor girl was nearly naked and littered with bruises covering most of her body. Renee held a gun to her own daughter's head."

"Traitorous cow," Emmett snapped. "All of this was because Renee wanted money; money that she had no right to have. Ricardo wanted vengeance for the death of his friend."

"And to destroy Bella and Edward," I sniffled. "My heart breaks for them."

"They got nothing in return," Carlisle sneered. "They both died because of their own arrogance and stupidity."

"Bella?" I asked. "Will she be okay?"

"Dr. Moretti and Alice said that she'd make a full physical recovery," Carlisle answered, walking to the kitchen to grab a bottle of beer for himself and for Emmett. "She'll need physical therapy, but she wasn't badly injured. Edward, however, was more concerned if she'd been sexually assaulted. One of her abductors was a convicted sex offender."

I blanched, looking at my husband and tried to hold back tears. "Was she?"

"No. They didn't have enough time. They were on the go from the moment they took her from the store," Emmett answered. "The longest time they spent in one spot was in Joliet. From what we heard from the men under Ricardo's leadership, he wanted his victim to fight back. The drug they used to lure Bella away from the store made her compliant. She would have gone along with whatever he'd said. She'd also have no memory of what happened. Ricardo wanted her to remember."

"Monster," I spat.

"He got his just desserts," Carlisle replied, giving me an evil grin. "He was shot in the head by Renee. She was having a temper tantrum, trying to shoot us at the abandoned gas station. Personally, I would have liked to sodomize him with a rusty pipe, but he's dead and gone." He yawned and sipped his beer.

"I'm going to crash in my old condo," Emmett said. "I'd go to Alice and Jasper's old place, but Claire is staying there with Leah."

"Where's Nessie?" Carlisle asked.