Story Title: Boston Born and Bred
Summary: An adopted girl. A Boston crime family.
Secrets connect them but will the truth set them free?
Pairing: Edward x Bella
Rating: M
Word count: 7882
Disclaimer: All things Twilight belong solely to
Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't push my gun between these pouty lips and pull the trigger." His voice was smooth and even as he discussed my death.
I trembled in place but locked my knees to keep from staggering to the floor. My eyes were filled with tears but I kept my focus on the blurry shape of my father in front of me.
The man running his gun along the exposed skin of my arm had appeared as if from nowhere. My father had come into the kitchen of my bakery minutes earlier to try to speak with me. We had only spoken a handful of times but I hated him with every fibre of my being. The stories I had been told were enough, but from speaking with him personally I grew to despise him. Charlie held a firm set of beliefs and would not be swayed. Women were for fucking and treating like slaves. Education and jobs were too much for them and keeping them in the home was paramount.
Men came in two categories. Real men carried a gun, disciplined the women in their family and took what they wanted without asking. The 'fucking pussies' were any other men that didn't adhere to the previous statements.
The fact that I owned my business, home and didn't have a man to control me really set him on edge. But he's between a rock and a hard place with me.
My mother was desperate to escape from Charlie when she first realized what a monster she married. Obscenely wealthy in her own right, she certainly had the means to leave. However, she realised she was pregnant with me and her desperation to get out before he found out made her careless. He killed her entire private security team on the tarmac of a private airfield.
She was brought back home and imprisoned in his basement. Details of my existence came to light and he kept her alive to give birth.
In a twist of fate, the young doctor who was brought to deliver the Swan heir, knew my mother. Although I later discovered that his appearance was no coincidence.
She still had the paperwork for her private accounts and documents as leverage against Charlie. His goons hadn't removed her bag the day they brought her there and she'd kept it hidden.
A plan was devised and after delivery the doctor injected me with a sedative to fake my death. It was a huge risk but I think my mother would have rather I died than be raised by that monster. I can't say I blame her.
After allowing my father to see my motionless body, the doctor was dismissed and told to dispose of 'it'. He smuggled me and the papers out in his bag and cradled a pile of bloody sheets in his arms as he left.
My mother's battered remains were found a week later dumped in an alley behind a bar.
The young doctor and his wife chose to raise me as their own. They never hid the fact that I was 'adopted' and shared the painful details of my mother's sacrifice when I was old enough to understand it.
When I turned 18 I was given the paperwork that had been taken with me. The knowledge they gave me shook me to my core.
Fearing that my past would catch up with me eventually I decided to be proactive. I learned to handle a gun, shoot and fight. Although I'm not sure how much benefit the training was when a man sneaks up behind you with a gun to your head. I've trained, but I'm not Jason Statham.
Mystery gunman's silky voice drew me back to the room.
"I've been having you followed for a while now Charlie. Word is that you were very...invested in this piece of ass. She seems a bit independent for your tastes but my God she looks like she'd be worth it." I felt him press his body closer to mine. The spicy scent of aftershave and a faint trace of cigarette smoke hit my nose. Too afraid to breathe deeply, let alone contradict him, I stared at Charlie's face.
His eyes widened as he looked over my shoulder and he took a step back. Two men entered the room, both in black suits but total opposites. The first was tall and lean with a mop of curly blonde hair. The other was broad with well muscled with a short brown crew cut. They each gripped one of his arms and dragged Charlie past us, and I presumed, outside. Alone with the armed man I closed my eyes and waited for the pain.
After a few moments I felt him move back and turn me to face him. He was so tall I had to tip my head back to see his face. I was stunned. The high cheekbones, cut-glass jaw, piercing green eyes and unruly bronze hair belonged to someone I instantly recognized.
"Edward? Edward Masen?" I'd surprised him. His eyebrows rose and his grip on my biceps tightened.
"How do you know me?" he demanded.
"I-I. Your picture. I've seen your picture at home." I stumbled through my words having difficulty understanding the situation.
"What do you mean? Does he have pictures of me in his home? Are you working for him? Trying to set me up?" His voice didn't increase in volume but his tone grew colder. I frantically shook my head.
"NO! I-my adoptive parents. They are your family.
Charlie is my father." I stammered hoping to clear up the earlier misunderstanding and praying my blood ties to Charlie didn't sign my death warrant.
"Who are your parents?" He whispered.
"Charlie Swan and Renee O'Dwyer were my biological parents but Carlisle and Esme Cullen adopted me from birth. I only met Charlie a month ago." My eyes flicked between his, desperate for him to see the truth. His own eyes widened.
"You're Isabella?!" He gasped, dropping my arms.
"Just Bella, only Dad calls me Isabella...Carlisle I mean." He stepped back and drew his hands through his hair. The suit jacket he was wearing pulled to the side exposing the gun he'd holstered. I staggered backwards to the counter unable to support my own body weight any longer.
His head snapped up and he moved towards me quickly.
"Are you alright? Let me get your stool." He rushed to the side of the kitchen where my decorating station was set up. I kept a stool there for the long hours making flowers out of fondant. He set it down and softly guided me into it.
"Do you need to put your head between your knees?" If I wasn't so shaken I would have laughed at his complete change in demeanor.
"Um, I ah. I mean, am I in trouble? I don't really understand…" I trailed off gesturing towards the place we'd previously stood. He was being nice now but I didn't know what he was going to do.
"Oh. I was here for your father. Charlie. We have some business to discuss," he said vaguely. As if the gun hadn't tipped me off that he was up to something shady.
"Mhmm. I know all about the type of business he does." I waved dismissively. Edward cocked his head to the side and stared at me for a moment.
"Ok, I'm going to ask you something Bella and I need you to tell me the truth." He paused waiting for my assent. "What do you know about your birth mother, Renee O'Dwyer?" He seemed hesitant, trying to feel me out. I knew what he was wanted.
"My mother was the only child of the Dublin O'Dwyers.
The family came to America and were founders of the Gustin Gang here in Boston in the 20s. Renee's father merged with another family to create the Winter Hill Gang and they became the most successful organised crime group in US history.
My grandparents were assassinated in the mid 80s leaving their empire to my mother. She met Charlie just after. He was in the family but nowhere near as powerful as her. But she fell in love with him, married him and then had me. Her body was found a week after I was born," I trailed off. The facts and figures were easier to deal with than the emotions.
"You seem very well versed in your family history seeing as you were raised by strangers," he prodded.
"My mother may have been a bit naive but she wasn't stupid. She left me many things to help me find my way in the world." I stated simply. I knew Edward was Carlisle's family but I didn't trust him yet.
"I wonder, Bella. How did you come to be adopted by my aunt and uncle? It seems impossible that Charlie would give up his heir." He looked at me differently as though he had suddenly seen beyond my surface.
"Like I said, my mother wasn't stupid. Would you want your child in the care of that man?" I had no idea if Edward was the same type of man as Charlie.
Appearances could be deceiving. After, all even Charlie had been charming enough to trap my mother at some point.
Sensing that I wouldn't say anymore on the subject he stood.
"I apologize for the intrusion, Miss Cullen. I assure you that you will not see a repeat of today's...unpleasantness." He nodded at me and strode out of my door.
I thought it was time to pay Mom and Dad a visit.
"So, why didn't you ever introduce me to Edward or his side of the family, seeing as we have a lot in common?" I asked, tucking my feet underneath me on my parents' sofa. We'd settled in the living room to continue our conversation after I'd made a surprise visit to their end of town.
"We were of two minds about the whole thing, to be honest. On one hand it would have given you someone to discuss your mother's documents with. On the other, we were worried that you would get dragged into a life that you didn't choose. In the end we thought it best to let you make your own way and if you ever showed an interest in your mother's legacy, we'd put you in contact with my brother," Dad answered. He was in his usual off duty clothes of khaki trousers and a sweater.
"We've always kept a distance from Ed senior's family in public. In his line of business it can be hard on close relatives. So by letting people think we're estranged, he has outside assistance if he ever requires it," Mom added, sipping delicately from her floral china teacup. I nodded taking in everything they'd said when a thought occurred to me.
"If your brother is head of the Masen family, why were you sent to deliver a Swan baby?"
"Well, I was fresh out of my training and known to the family. My brother had come to an agreement with Charlie over the use of the docks. Ed is no fool. He knew Charlie's character and he knew that Renee was the one who brought the power and money to the relationship. We'd heard whispers that she'd tried to escape but at the next sit down Charlie announced the pregnancy. In an effort to find out what was happening Ed insisted that I attend the delivery." He drifted off for a moment, sighed and continued. "If he'd have seen any evidence of what was happening to Renee he would have stepped in sooner. By the time I'd brought you home and reported what happened, Charlie had moved her. He was questioned by Ed but he said she'd run away again. Then when her body turned up behind that dive bar he used it as proof that she'd run." He bowed his head and his shoulders slumped with the weight of his words.
"Dad. It's ok. You did everything you could. The only thing my mother wanted was for me to be free of him. You got me out and gave me a wonderful life. You and Esme are as much my parents as Renee was," I cried quietly through my words but they were direct from my heart. Dad reached forward and squeezed my hand.
"You were a shining light in our lives at a dark time. We love you more than you can imagine. Well, until you have kids of your own!" he joked. Mom lost control of her tears and tackled me into a strong hug. Their struggle to come to terms with their loss through miscarriage marked the years before I arrived.
"Well, it seems about time you meet your Uncle Ed. He's been very eager to make your acquaintance." Dad winked and jumped to his feet like an eager child causing mom and I to giggle through the remnants of our tears.
I trusted my Mom and Dad implicitly but that didn't mean I wasn't terrified sitting in a room full of powerful men. Dad had arranged a 'sit down' with Ed senior for me so we could discuss their issues with Charlie and what impact they would have on me. I'd bought myself a navy trouser suit because I wanted to look professional and capable. I'm not sure I pulled it off.
Dad squeezed my hand under the table and I took a deep breath to gather my courage. With that, the large oak doors opened and a tall, muscular man in his late 40s entered the meeting room with Edward following close behind. Looking at his features, the Roman nose and blue eyes, he could only be Ed senior. He and Carlisle were very alike in their features but his build and height were much more similar to his son.
"Well now, sweetheart! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?" he boomed. I startled slightly but soon began smiling as he rounded the large ornate table, pulled me from my seat and hugged me tightly. "You're even more beautiful than your mother. And bright too! Carl tells me all about your bakery. You've done well there, Bella." My heart warmed to him instantly. He was exactly what I always hoped an uncle would be.
"Thank you, Mr Masen." I blushed at the compliments. "Its Uncle Ed or just plain Ed to you. But look at that blush! Carl I don't know how you haven't gone gray raising this young lady. You must be beating the boys off her with a stick." My cheeks tingled with the force of my blush as Ed and dad laughed.
"You have no idea," Dad replied, exaggerating. I'd never been one for getting caught up with boys when I was living at home and that hadn't changed with living alone. In some ways, I think I always knew that someone would come and bring me back into this world. I'd just never have guessed it would be Dad's nephew.
The men were still snickering like school boys. Edward's face however was furious and he cleared his throat. Ed saw his son's expression and laughed harder before raising his hands in a defensive motion.
"Alright, I'll behave. For now." He threw a wink my way and took a seat among the men gathered opposite me.
"Bella, dear, let me introduce you to everyone. To my left are Jasper and Emmett, I believe you met them at your bakery," he says this as if they stopped by for a cake rather than dragging a man from the building with guns. They both nodded at me. "You know Edward, of course. I've spoken to him about his behavior when you met and he knows what'll happen if he steps out of line again, don't ya son?" Ed was grinning, obviously enjoying watching his son's discomfort. Jasper and Emmett were barely holding in laughter so I assume it's a private joke. Edward quietly said my name and his eyes remained focused on mine.
He was an extremely handsome man. Now he didn't have a gun to my head I could ppreciate it a bit more.
"Gentlemen, you may remember my brother Carlisle, and I understand you've met Bella." Ed's voice carried through the room. "Now, first I want to assure you that none of our issues with Charlie will spill over onto you. I understand you have nothing to do with this life and we won't do anything to put you in danger," Ed assured me looking directly into my eyes. I felt relieved to hear that Charlie's issues wouldn't impact my life.
However, I knew that I may be in a position to make all of our problems go away. Ed was Dad's family and I trusted my Dad implicitly. I also felt I could put my trust in Ed, my first impression was that he was tough, but fair. Not so different from Dad really.
"Thank you. That does put my mind at rest. I know it may not be my place to ask this, but what is your plan for Charlie?" I asked keeping my voice level so as not to show my hand.
Ed stared at me for a moment but I kept still in my chair. Edward leaned in and patted his father's forearm and shaking his head very slightly. Ed didn't move his eyes from mine and I stared right back. After a few more seconds Ed grinned and patted his son's hand.
"Well, Charlie has been a thorn in my side for years. I made a deal with him before you were born to share dock access for shipments. I'd heard that he could be a tyrant but you don't get to be in a position like ours without having a ruthless streak when needed. But, mistreatment of women and children is unforgivable. We have a code and rules that we live by. Anyone who is the head of the family can't be 'removed' without some serious evidence of wrongdoing. Things like mistreatment of wives, children or trying to take out the head of another family. These are all punishable by death. Being a lying, cheating little thief are all serious but punished with the removal of territories or financial penalties. Since we were unable to prove his role in your mother's death we've had him heavily monitored. He's been skimming money from us for years and each time we catch him at it we remove some of his power which in turn makes him more desperate. It's been a long, time consuming, and frankly, repetitive process. Even if we remove everything from him, he's still the head of his family." Ed sighed in obvious frustration but his words lit a fire inside of me.
Dad squeezed my hand under the table. He knew exactly what I was thinking and was showing his support.
"I think I might be able to help," I stated. Jasper and Emmett snickered, Ed smiled and shook his head but Edward looked terrified.
"I knew there must have been something more going on for Carl to bring you here. We could have discussed the rest by email. Ok, Bella, what have you got?" Ed sat back in his chair amused. I smiled at his willingness to give me the floor. Dad started pulling out papers for me. The documents were soft with the amount of times they had been read and re-folded. I didn't really need to look at them to know what they contained but felt that Ed would like to see the proof.
"When Dad left with me, my mother gave him a number of papers she had kept hidden. Some of them were financial, giving me access to accounts she had hidden once I turned 18. There was a Will leaving me her entire estate which I have obviously not claimed. But, I think more importantly to you, there was a sealed envelope for me to open if Charlie ever appeared in my life again." I lifted the flap of the envelope that I'd first opened a month ago. I'd kept it close for years both curious and terrified of its contents. "I did as she asked and saw this information for the first time but didn't really know what to do with it. But I'm guessing you will." I slid the thick stack of papers towards Ed across the table. He moved them closer and started reading.
Carl and I whispered quietly as Ed pored over my mother's work. His eyebrows rose at some pages, his brow furrowed in places and at one point about halfway through he laughed in disbelief and looked up at me.
The documents he was reading were a very detailed record. A record of Charlie's businesses, associates, the dates, times and amounts of all of his dealings for a good two years before I was born. More importantly to Ed, there were details of his wrongdoings against other families. From what I could work out, at the time there were five families working under Ed. Charlie had done some unspeakable things and my mother had recorded them all. Killing the young child who was the heir to the Black family over a land dispute was particularly sickening. But there was one section near the end that Ed needed to see.
"Bella. My God! I can't believe you have all this. That she managed to gather all of this." He shook his head. "Ed, there's a page, right at the end you need to read. It was one of my mother's last entries," I said quietly.
He skipped to the end of the stack and read. His hand fisted on the table. I felt a ridiculous wave of guilt for something that I wasn't a part of. He controlled his breathing and after a moment he spoke.
"What do you want in exchange for this?"
My answer was easy.
"Justice."
Ed nodded solemnly.
"With this, we won't have any issue with that, sweetheart."
Edward had been pouring over the pages his father has discarded. His head snapped up and his eyes were intense.
"We need to arrange protection for Bella until we can round up Charlie again," Edward demanded.
"I don't think he has any idea my mother had all this," I countered. "We think that someone at the bank tipped him off when I accessed one of the accounts in her name. He didn't appear until a few weeks after that." Mom, Dad and I had discussed this when he turned up at my bakery the first time. My resemblance to my mother was too close for him to be confused about my identity. We're pretty sure he had someone follow me and investigate me before he approached me. He was too calm, he knew exactly who I was. He was looking for a reaction from me to try to figure out how much I knew about him. I gave him exactly what he'd given me.
Nothing.
"He may not know about all this but he knows someone double crossed him. His first step in finding out who is going to be either you or Carlisle," Edward stated.
My stomach dropped at the thought.
I still wasn't quite sure how I ended up in Edward's apartment. In his bedroom. Wearing only one of his dress shirts.
One moment we were discussing the documents and the next Ed had invited Mom and Dad to stay with him and his wife Elizabeth. Then Edward was convincing everyone that we shouldn't all stay together and that he'd take me home with him.
After an intense whispered conversation between our dads we were sent on our way and Dad left to go and get Mom. I wanted to stop by my apartment but that idea was shot down when Jasper advised that Charlie was having my home and business watched.
I'd been lying on Edward's comfortable and delicious smelling bed for over an hour but I couldn't get to sleep. Dredging up the past and my worries about the future kept my mind too active. Deciding to grab a drink, I headed through the apartment to the large, sleek kitchen.
A dim light in the living room cast shadow on the glossy cabinets. I turned to see Edward sitting on the sofa, shirt rumpled and hanging open to reveal his toned chest and abdominal muscles. His arms were spread wide over the back of the sofa and a whiskey tumbler dangled from one hand.
"Hey, you ok?" I called softly. His eyes found mine quickly and then raked down my body. I shifted on my bare feet, remembering that I was only covered by his shirt. Although it was loose and long, I still felt exposed before his eyes.
"Can't sleep?" he asked instead of answering me.
"Not really." I sat in the leather overstuffed chair opposite him trying to cross my legs without letting the shirt ride up my thighs. His eyes followed every movement I made almost obsessively.
"Can I asked you something?"
"Sure."
"What was in the last page. The one you wanted my Dad to read?" I took in a sharp breath. I noticed that Ed hadn't let go of that sheet of paper for the rest of our time in his house. I hesitated but decided to just tell him. I hadn't been told not to.
"Um, my mother found out that Charlie had been involved in something that happened to your parents. When you were a few years old, your family were travelling to some lake house for the summer-"
"Medford," he cut in.
'Right. Well, Charlie arranged for the brakes to be cut on the car you were all in for the journey home. It failed. Obviously. They think it was due to the skills of your driver and the terrain, he hadn't got too much speed up before he knew something was wrong and he managed to drive into a grassy embankment to stop." I felt the same guilt and fear I had when Ed read her account of it. She included much more detail, even the name of the man in Ed's organization who tipped Charlie off to when they were leaving.
We sat in silence for a while as Edward absorbed this information. I knew I needed a few minutes after I'd read it all and I didn't even know most of the people mentioned.
"Why did you come to us with all this? Why not go to the police?"
I blew out a breath as I considered his question.
"I guess I knew your dad would deal with it properly. Charlie would get what he deserved for killing my mother. If I went to the police they'd probably watch me for the rest of my life. Investigate Dad for his part in it once they realized I wasn't legally adopted by them. If they were prodding around, it wouldn't take long for them to realize he took Esme's last name when they married. Then they'd figure out his connection to Ed. Also there's proof of Ed's business in there, too, which would get him in trouble. That would've hurt my Dad and now that I know Ed, it would hurt me, too. Plus, it felt like a betrayal of my mother to go to the police. This was her life and legacy too," I answered as honestly as I could. While I was speaking I looked at my hands in my lap, but as I finished I found Edward had leaned forward so his elbows rested on his knees studying me quietly. He nodded.
"What do you want after this, Bella? Do you want to go back to your old life or do you want something else?" he asked quietly. I considered his question for a moment. My life before Charlie turned up was a quiet one. The bakery was the biggest thing in it other than my parents.
"To be honest, I think I've always been tied to this life. As a child I knew I was adopted. As I got older the details were revealed and I read a letter my mother had written for me explaining the history of our family. I didn't get the impression that she was unhappy with the life, until Charlie came into it. Part of me has been waiting for this moment for a long time. I've been in limbo with my personal life as I was always waiting for the other shoe to drop. I didn't want an innocent person to be caught in the crossfire, I guess." Shrugging, I looked away. Almost instantly I felt a warm hand cup my cheek.
"I get it. Our life is different and I've lived in fear of bringing someone in who isn't in it for the long haul. But Bella, do you not consider yourself an innocent bystander?" His fingertips traced my cheekbone so softly I could barely feel it. Flustered, I tried to remember his question.
"Uh. Well, I know more about the workings of a mafia family than the average person. I've read about theft, money laundering and abductions. I read about a child, Jacob Black, being taken from his school and murdered. Just because he was heir to the family and Charlie had a disagreement with his father. So, in those ways, I don't feel innocent at all. But physically and emotionally, I suppose I am. Naively so." I blush at the subtle confession. Something about his quiet, questioning manner and confident gaze makes me blurt out everything.
"Bella, I know exactly what you mean. I've seen things, done things even, that make me feel 100 years old. But in my heart and body, I'm the same as you. I've never let anyone close enough to shed any layers. Physically or emotionally." He grinned, taking me off guard with both his words and how beautiful he looked when he smiled. His hand moved to the seat, his pinky just touching my naked thigh.
"I'm so sorry for what I did and said when we first met,
Bella. I'd like to say I was just trying to get a rise out of Charlie but honestly, I'd been watching your bakery for a few days and I was mesmerized by you. You're very beautiful. I felt sick thinking that he might be using you. I'll be honest, my jealousy made me act much harsher than I'd intended. And I shouldn't have um... rubbed up against you like that," he stammered. I flushed, partly out of embarrassment and partly from arousal at remembering the feel of him against me.
"It's ok. It was an intense and very unusual situation," I chuckled lightly to break the tension.
"I want to try something. Stay very still. Please," he whispered, leaning closer to my face.
My heart raced and my eyelids fluttered shut. His nose glided slowly over my cheek to the side of mine. Tiny puffs of breath hit my lips as he hesitated over them. I felt close to panting until suddenly his lips brushed against mine. I gasped at the feeling. His mouth caressed my top lip, then my bottom before pulling it into his mouth and tracing it with his tongue. He must have pushed up onto his knees as the heat of his bare chest was warming my skin through the thin layer of his cotton shirt. His hands delved into my hair, pulling me closer as my legs were pushed apart to accommodate his large body. His tongue fought mine for dominance as my hands slid tentatively up over his muscular chest and
into his hair. Our hands stayed in place as we lost ourselves in the fiery kiss.
After minutes or hours we broke apart, gasping for breath with matching swollen lips, mussed hair and goofy grins.
A week in Edward's apartment sounded like bliss but he still had to go to work and I couldn't leave. A few clothing items my Mom had bought for me had been sent over but other than that I just had Edward's stuff to entertain me. The highlight of my day was when he walked through the door. Although things physically hadn't moved forward, we were much closer emotionally. We spent our time talking and getting to know each other without interruption.
Edward had arrived home at lunchtime as I always made extra in case he had time to come home. He looked so serious that I was starting to get worried but then he broke the silence.
"Bella, I know we haven't really been together very long. Are we even together? I hope we are. We haven't known each other very long. And I know that Renee fell for Charlie too quickly and lived to regret it. But, uh. Well. Christ I'm saying this all wrong." He rubbed the back of his neck, looking at the kitchen floor. "Give me a room full of powerful people and I can convince them to do anything I want. I sit with you for 5 minutes and I sound like a fucking teenager," he rambled to himself and I bit my lip to stop from laughing. He blew out a breath and focused his eyes on me. The fire I was so used to seeing in them glowed.
"I love you, Bella. That's what I'm trying to say. You are my life now and I will do anything and everything possible to make you as happy as you make me." Tears welled in my eyes at his heartfelt confession.
"I love you, too, Edward. So much." I smiled, tears rolling down my cheeks. He pulled me close, kissing them away.
"Thank you," he whispered.
We'd just started kissing when his cell phone started ringing in his jacket on the back of the chair. Rummaging in the pocket he answered the call mouthing an apology as he drifted into the living room.
A few moments later he dashed into the kitchen.
"Sorry, love, we have to go. They caught Charlie and Dad wants us there now." He kissed me on the top of the head and grabbed my hand and tugged me outside, barely letting me pull my boots on.
After helping me into the car he settled into the driver's side.
"You ok?" He asked rubbing my knuckles with his thumb.
"Yeah. Is it awful to say that I just want this to be over? I want him to pay for what he did to my mother. For what he did to Jacob Black and what he tried to do to your family." I looked out of the window for a while watching the scenery change from city streets to an industrial district.
"I hate him Edward. I barely know the man he is now, I doubt that he's any different, but I hate the man who did all of those terrible things."
We pulled up outside a large brick building with a rusted steel door. The day was cloudy and dull which added to the bleak surroundings. Edward helped me out of the car and pulled me into a hug.
"If you want to leave, just tell me, ok? When we go inside he's going to be tied at the wrists and ankles and suspended off the floor by a rope. He may be a bit battered and bruised, too. You don't have to speak to him if you don't want to. If you want to ask him anything, though, this will be your last chance. Do you understand?" he said firmly, holding my gaze to show that he's serious. I nodded letting my mind race with questions.
"Ok," he says, towing me to the door. After a single knock the door is opened by the big guy, Emmett.
"Hey, boss, Bella." He grinned waggling his eyebrows, making me giggle despite the seriousness of the situation. I guess they all know about us.
The dark interior made outside look positively sunny. My eyes adjusted after a few seconds and I noticed Ed, Dad and Jasper talking quietly on the left side of the room. On the right was a slumped figure exactly as Edward described. His clothes were ripped and blood was splattered over his face and chest.
Dad strode towards me and gathered me into a tight hug.
"Isabella. Are you ok, honey? He been treating you right?" Dad asked, jerking his head towards Edward. Wow, guess Dad wasn't handling me having my first boyfriend very well.
'Yes, Dad, I'm fine. Edward has been a perfect gentleman." Dad harrumphed in response. "I just want it to be done. Does that make me a bad person?" I asked quietly, biting my lip. He smoothed my hair smiling at me softly.
"No, honey, not at all. You've lived with the knowledge of his wrongdoings for a long time. I can understand your need for justice in whatever form it takes. Sometimes the right thing is not always the easy thing," he said, repeating the line he often quoted to me as a child. I smiled, feeling at peace.
"Hello, sweetheart," Ed bellowed from across the room. Edward had told me that a gun shot too close to his head had cause irreparable damage to his eardrum years ago. Hence the volume issues.
"Hi, Uncle Ed." I grinned waving at him causing him to laugh boisterously. The others joined in except Edward who poked my side. Apparently the familial references made Edward uncomfortable and I took great joy in teasing him. Ed made his way over flanked by Jasper.
"Miss Cullen." He did an oddly fitting half bow, half nod. I startled at hearing a southern accent as it was the first time I'd heard him speak.
"Anything you want to say or ask before we finish this for good? I figured you might want some closure and asked Edward to bring you, but you don't have to stay while we do it." Ed reassured me.
I turned and moved closer to Charlie's hanging form. He rocked slightly side to side and lifted his head as I approached. He refused to meet my eye.
"You made my mother's life miserable. You used her name, money and connections to ruin innocent lives. You killed her and would have tossed my body out with the trash. But you still didn't win. She was smarter than you to the end. She hid me and gave me a life, a wonderful family and the means to take you down. She ruined you and didn't even have to be alive to do it. I won't bother asking you why you did it. You're a selfish, power hungry thief. And I hope you rot in hell." I turned my back to him and strode towards the three men who cared about me.
Edward scooped me into a hug.
"I'm so proud of you, love."
"Come on, let's go. I don't want to waste another second of my life on him." I smiled at my dad and Ed.
"Go on, son, I bet she's desperate to check on the bakery!" Dad laughed with a wink, Ed copying the motion. They'd never looked more alike.
As we reached the door a gunshot cracked and a scream rang out.
"That was only the kneecap, we've barely gotten started," Ed's voice echoed around us.
As far as destinations went, a private island was a pretty amazing spot for a honeymoon.
I stretched out in the sand enjoying the morning warmth before it got too hot. With my eyes closed I drifted to thoughts of our wedding. A month after Charlie's body was found dumped naked behind a seedy bar, Edward proposed. We wanted to get married immediately but my Mom and Elizabeth demanded a huge affair befitting the union between the future heads of two families. Since Charlie's death I was technically the head of the O'Dwyer/Swan family. But due to my marriage to the heir to the Masen family, the two have been merged. I wasn't particularly interested in the kind of decision making required to run a family so I was happy for Ed and Edward to take the reins. However, I did state that my mother's money and the money from the sale of Charlie's mansion and holdings go to creating a foundation.
Over the course of the six months it took to plan the wedding I became close with Emmett's wife Rose and Jasper's wife Alice. Living in similar circumstances threw us together but we bonded over a love of books, oddly enough. When I was putting together the charitable foundation for women and children, they insisted on being a part of it. We had secured a building but were still renovating it and hiring staff when I left for our trip.
We'd left immediately after the wedding and arrived here three days ago. Losing our virginities had been an overwhelming, slightly awkward experience. I'd been a bit sore afterwards but it wasn't as bad as I feared. Edward was intent on giving me time to recover and hadn't touched me since. I was beyond frustrated. Which is what led me to lying on the beach in a tiny blue bikini.
He hadn't seen this one and it was sure to drive him wild. The balcony top lifted my breasts up and pushed them together but the material was so small it barely covered my nipples. If I shifted much they would be exposed. The bottoms were equally small and tied on the sides. I stretched out again raising my arms above my head, feeling smug.
I felt a drop of water hit my stomach followed immediately my one on my forehead and one on my left breast. I shivered at the feel of cold water on my overheated skin. Opening my eyes behind my sunglasses, my new husband was hovered above me.
"What the fuck are you wearing?!" he growled. I left my hands above my head and smiled.
"A bikini. Don't you like it?" I asked coyly.
"That's not a fuckin' bikini. It doesn't even cover your nipples!" He grunted and his eyes remained focused on my chest. I looked down and saw that the material had pulled down when I'd lifted my arms. Smiling sweetly I leaned up on my elbows bringing my breasts close to his face.
"Oops." I whispered.
Without warning he buried his face between my breasts, groaning. He quickly latched onto a nipple licking and biting causing me to gasp. Squirming under him I gripped his hair pushing him onto the other nipple. I threw my head back enjoying the tingling burn growing in my belly.
"I need you. You ready?" he gritted from between clenched teeth while pulling on the ties of my bikini bottoms.
"Yes!" I panted as two of his fingers entered me quickly and his thumb pushed on my clit. Grinding myself against him I gasped again. This was so different to the tentative explorations last time but I loved it just as much.
He dragged my nipple back in his mouth taking strong sucking pulls on it. A few pumps of his fingers later and I exploded.
"Ah...Edward!'
His movements slowed and he swapped his fingers for his cock. I jerked as he ran it through my still sensitive folds and then pushed slowly into me.
"Ungh, Bella. Feels so good," he panted against my neck. It was my turn to groan as I tried to push up against him. Taking the hint, he began to pump in and out of me, picking up his pace.
"I can't… Bella!...I'm gonna." He shook his head.
"Cum, Edward. I want to see you, let me watch you," I crooned. I'd never talked dirty before in my life but it felt natural in the moment.
"Fuck...Bella!" He shouted as he erupted inside of me and caught himself on his elbows either side of my head.
I rubbed up and down his back with my hands, enjoying the closeness.
"Are you, ok? I'm sorry I couldn't last any longer. You feel so good, love," he trailed off obviously embarrassed.
"Hey, it's ok. I'm fine and you already gave me an amazing orgasm before we started. I loved you letting loose like that." I shivered remembering the feel of him devouring my breasts. There was a glint in his eye as he lowered his mouth to my ear.
"Oh, yeah? Did you like that, baby? You liked driving me fuckin' wild, teasing me so I was so desperate I couldn't do anything other than fuck you right in the sand?" I gasped at the intense look on his handsome face.
"I walked up from my swim to see my goddess of a wife stretched out in the sand looking like a virgin sacrifice. This tiny little bikini lifting and exposing your tits to me. I could see your pink little nipples slowly working their way out as you lay there oblivious." He started grinding his hardening cock inside me. I moaned, desperate for relief.
"Then you tell me you love it when I let loose," he growled, making me whimper. I officially loved that sound.
Suddenly he picked me up, his hard cock still inside me and strode toward the pool house behind the property. We both gasped and groaned at the feelings created by his movements.
In seconds, my back was pressed against the smooth door of the outbuilding. My shoulders soon became the only part of me in contact with the wood as he held my hips away. Without warning he pounded into my body at a frenetic pace.
"Holy shit!" I cried as his cock dragged against a spot inside me that felt amazing.
"That's more like it. I'm going to show your pretty little pussy what letting loose looks like," he grunted. I looked down my body, noting my top was cupping my breasts like an offering. Then further to where he was doing magical things to my lady business.
"Yes, Bella. Watch your husband fuck you. Look at your nipples, love, they're begging me to touch them."
He wasted no time in pulling one in his mouth, making me cry out. I felt one hand move to my ass cheek squeezing and massaging. The feel of his fingers so close to my pussy from behind made me cry out. I was so close.
His other hand moved to my clit frantically thrumming it with his thumb. With a last suck on my nipple I screamed out, feeling my pussy spasm so violently it felt like I was going to hurt him.
"E-Edward!" He slammed into me once more before I felt his hot cum fill me up.
"Fuuuck!"
As he stopped pumping, he slid to his knees, letting my ass land on them gently while I was still wrapped around him.
My face must have looked as content and dazed as I felt.
"That's much better," he laughed.
"Hmmm. You know, we really should move to a house with a pool. I could wear this again." I smiled batting my eyelashes at him.
"Done," he laughed carrying me towards the house.
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