Married to the Mob: Fighting for Freedom

Chapter Twenty-Six

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

Next chapter will be a continuation of the citrus and then, wrapping up some loose ends before they make their way across the country to open up the West Coast Division of the Cullen Consortium.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Bella

"For now, I want to focus on moving past the drama and rebuilding our intimacy, our relationship," I murmured, looking at my husband.

"We're fine," Edward said, giving me a sad half-grin.

"Are we? Edward, I know you're afraid to touch me," I sighed.

"I'm touching you now," he argued, tightening his hold on me, nuzzling my neck.

"You know what I mean," I muttered. "Edward, I know that I went through a few weeks where I felt dirty, unworthy, lost, ruined ... I know that what happened to me was not my fault. It was my mother's, Ricardo's. I was a victim. No ... not a victim ... a survivor. I want to have those touches erased. By you. I want to try, baby."

"You've been calling me 'baby' a lot lately," Edward said, his lips pressed to my temple.

"You're not the other thing anymore," I shrugged. I couldn't say the other word. Not anymore.

"I'm not what?" he pressed. "Bella, you have to be able to say it, cara. I'll erase those touches, but you have to say ... that I'm no longer Mobward. Not anymore." He tightened his hold on me. I could feel his body tremble. "You should hate me, Bella. It was because of me that you were put in that position in the first place. I will forever apologize for what happened to you. I hate me."

I turned and looked at him. "It wasn't your fault. It was my psychotic mother's fault," I breathed. I put my hands on his face, forcing him to look at me. "I love you. I will always love you. I couldn't hate you, even if I tried. Believe me, I tried. Especially after you threw me that indecent proposal four years ago. Despite of what you told me; I was drawn to you. Maybe, you need to talk to my therapist? She's worked wonders with me."

"Bella," Edward sighed. "She has worked wonders, but there are still things that you're struggling with."

I stared into his evergreen eyes, seeing the trepidation, fear, uncertainty, but most importantly, love. "You're no longer my Mobward. You're my Edward and you'll always be my Edward. The one thing that is constant is that I adore you. Even when I hated you, I adored you. You're the only one who I feel safe with, Edward." I moved so I was straddling his hips and pressed against his body. "Remind me who I belong to, baby. I need to feel you and only you."

"Cara," he moaned, staring into my eyes.

"Please?" I whispered, my lips barely touching his. "Make love to me?"

He cupped my face, caressing my cheeks and sliding his hands down my body. My fingers tangled into his hair as he pulled me even closer against his muscular body. "I've missed you, cara. And I belong to you, forever and always, Bella. Show me?"

I nodded, kissing him deeply as he picked me up from the chaise lounge and carrying me to our bedroom.

Edward

I put Bella down onto the bed and stared at her. "I didn't think this through," I chuckled.

"You're not ... Edward?" she frowned.

"Give me five minutes to put out the fire pit, start the dishwasher and check on our offspring," I said, shrugging sheepishly. "This was so much easier when we were not encumbered with the necessities of adulthood."