Stephanie Meyer owns all things Twilight. I just own this story, not the characters.

All Human. Pairings do not start out how they will end. Bella x Edward eventually.

Rated M for language, illegal activity, sex and violence.

Chapter 1: Interview in Miami

BPOV

"Marie Dwyer, Mr. Cullen will see you now," stated the leggy blonde secretary behind the mahogany desk.

"Thank you," I replied, walking down the long wide hallway while straightening my black pencil skirt.

As I was walking, I noticed all the exotic car photos that adorned the walls. There was an Audi R8 Spyder, Mercedes Benz SLS AMG, Maserati Gran Turismo convertible, all the top ten exotic sports cars of the year; it was incredible. This could be an awesome job if I took it seriously enough – which I don't. I have one goal here and one goal only: retribution, plain and simple. But Mr. Cullen didn't know that and, if I'm good at my job, he never will.

Interviewing at C&M Enterprises was my idea from the beginning. Word on the street was that C&M Enterprises was a front for one of the largest drug smuggling rings in the southern United States. Now, this wasn't common knowledge to the average Joe; but then again, I wasn't your average Joe.

Flashback 8 years ago:

Giggling, Lauren looked over at me with a shocked expression on her face.

"Whaaaattt?," I asked, slurring even that one word.

"Where did you get that ridiculous shirt you're wearing?" she asked.

I looked down at my fuck-awesome shirt with a huge sense of pride. It was a retro Beastie Boys shirt from their first concert in Seattle. We were feeling pretty good after downing a few shots of our favorite beverage, Mr. Patron.

"If I didn't know any better, Isabella Marie Swan, I'd classify you as a rock groupie who only hangs out with bands for one thing!"

"Surely, you're not knocking on my cool sense of fashion, Lauren. Besides, what the hell is THAT you're wearing on your feet tonight? It looks like something out of Roller Derby - not to mention something Renee would probably have worn about twenty years ago!"

She was wearing the most ridiculous pair of black Converse sneakers I've ever seen. Laced up to the knees too – who wears that shit? Renee SO would have worn something like that when she was in college.

Yeah, I loved my mother but at least I didn't inherit her bad fashion sense, thank goodness! I don't see her as much, now that she's married to the newest love of her life – Phil Dwyer, baseball aficionado. She's off traveling the world while Phil tries excruciatingly hard to stay in the minor leagues. Yeah, he's quite the catch all right.

Lauren and I were a little plastered to say the least. We had just finished our last final for the semester and were looking forward to a night on the town. That is, of course, after we had busted each other's chops for what we were wearing.

It was such a relief to be going out and having a good time for once. Lauren and I have been doing nothing else but studying our asses off for the past two weeks and we deserved a much needed break.

"OK, let's get down to business. Where should we go first? Is it going to be Indigo, Ember or Club 23? I personally think we should hit Ember first because there was the hottest bouncer there the other night," said Lauren.

"Wait a minute," I said, while zipping up my boots. "You were at Ember the other night? What the hell…"

Lauren hesitated at first and then sighed. "Yeah, I was studying late at the library Wednesday night and Brad called to say that new band he wanted to see was there and asked if I wanted to go with him. I was a little tired from studying but thought 'what the heck' and tagged along. They were great and besides, I scored a couple hits of uppers."

"Dude, you seriously aren't in that scene again, are you? I thought that was just a phase you were going through with your ex. Please don't tell me you're getting hooked again," I said while putting on my darkest shade of pink lipstick.

"No, it's nothing like that. I just needed a 'pick- me- up' to get me through the night. I had two more finals this week and thought they'd come in handy," said Lauren.

I stared at her for a moment, hoping she was being straight with me. I don't even want to think of the last time we had a conversation like this and she lied to my face. She did seem better this time, I'll have to give her that. I certainly don't feel like holding her head over a toilet all night again. What a drag that was! Man, she was so out of it she was hallucinating, trying to catch butterflies and shit in our dorm room in the middle of winter. It was a little funny at the time. But I also knew that Brad was bad news. He had been busted twice already — one DUI and one for possession. He was like a moth to a flame with Lauren and she ate that shit up. She liked the attention from him and truth be known, would do just about anything for him and TO him for that matter! Now, here he was again and it scared me.

"Please tell me you will flush that stuff down the toilet," I said, my tone getting a little harsher. "You know I love you like a sister but I am not about to go to jail for your sorry ass either. Besides, we have our whole lives ahead of us, and if I do say so for ourselves, it'll be a damn good life. We are two fine female specimens and for all of our hard work, we are going to celebrate tonight – alcohol only!"

"Sure, Bella, I promise to be good tonight. Who knows, if we're lucky we might catch us a couple of hotties and find a better 'high' than any drug could give us anyway!" shouted Lauren.

Lauren and I left the dorm room and caught a cab downtown to Ember. It was crowded tonight as most college kids were done with finals and were out looking to have a relaxing, stress-free, fun night. The club was hopping and dance music blared out of the speakers from all corners of the room. I noticed some of my fellow marketing friends at the bar so I motioned Lauren over so I could introduce them to her.

After downing a couple of Cosmopolitans, I heard Prince's song, Purple Rain. Everyone looked at each other and said simultaneously, "I LOVE THIS SONG!" We all grabbed hands and started toward the dance floor. Well, all of us, that is, except Lauren.

I noticed Lauren was not with us after a couple of songs. I told my friend Mike I'd be right back and went to look for her. I headed straight for the bathroom – no luck there except for some heavy petting going on with a couple of brunettes who looked like they were going to swallow each other whole. "Get a room please, ladies!" I shouted after looking under each stall for those God-awful knee high converse shoes. No luck here. I went around the bar and in the corner booths to see if she had found herself her very own "hottie" yet. OK, so a little panic started setting in and I went back to my friends on the dance floor.

I grabbed Mike since he looked like he was the closest friend I had who could beat the living daylights out of someone if I needed him to. "Where do you think she would've went, Bella? You know, she could've just found a hot random guy and went home with him. You guys were a little tipsy and she is pretty hot."

"She wouldn't have just left me here without telling me where she's going, Mike. Even if it is for a one night stand…" I said. "Let's just go take a quick look outside and then if I don't find her, I'm going to go home and see if she's there."

Mike and I went outside of the club and saw nothing but a bunch of people hanging out on the street by their cars smoking, laughing and having a good time. No Lauren out here. There was an alley to the side of the club, so I decided to take one last look before hailing a cab. As Mike and I were walking toward the alley, we heard footsteps and voices, and when we rounded the corner, they were running like the wind. We heard some moaning and then someone rolling around on the ground.

"Mike, come here quick!" I shouted as I ran as fast as I could to the now limp body.

As I found Lauren lying face down in the alley, fear shot through my body with the feeling of a sharp knife penetrating my heart. When I saw those god-awful, lace up Converse shoes, I knew it was Lauren. I also realized at that moment, as I choked back tears that I knew I had been lied to by a friend who had been overcome by the monster of addiction. As I turned Lauren over, blood coursed from her nose and her once beautiful face. I moved her blood soaked hair back from her shattered visage and looked at what remained of the gorgeous and vibrant friend that I loved so much.

As I held her in my arms, it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. "Oh my God, Lauren. Oh my God. What have those bastards done to you?" I sobbed. The tears just exploded out of my eyes like a raging river of grief, hopelessness and anger all mixed together.

Lauren looked up at me as her tears mixed with the blood pouring from deep cuts on her eyebrows and cheeks. She could only muster a whisper and I moved closer to her while holding her tight in my arms.

"Bella, I'm so sorry. I lied to you and I'm so sorry. I just couldn't beat it. Oh God, I'm sorry for everything. I just couldn't sto—", she let out a large breath as her eyes rolled back in her head and all the air left her body for the last time.

"NOOOOOOO!" I screamed with a wrenching pain that came from the depths of my soul. It was too late. Too late to help my best friend and too late for my sorry self to have noticed something was wrong with her sooner.

"Bella, stay here, I'm calling for help," Mike said, running around the corner to get reception on his cell phone.

As I held Lauren's lifeless body in my arms, I made up my mind right then and there that, so help me God, those mother fuckers that did this to her were going to pay…

Present day:

"Marie, why don't you sit down here, please," said Mr. Cullen. He couldn't have been much older than me. "Now, please tell me a little bit about yourself. Why are you looking for a job so far away from your home state? And please, call me Emmett… Mr. Cullen is my father!" he laughed.

I couldn't quit staring at him. Mr. Cullen—Emmett—was a big burly guy with broad shoulders and dark hair that curled on the ends. His laugh bellowed throughout the room and he easily put me at ease.

"Well, Emmett, I am looking for a change of pace. I've lived my whole life in Seattle and I'll be honest with you… I need a change of scenery and just get away from there for awhile," I stated.

"Oh, I get it. You're getting away from a man!" Emmett shouted. Wow, he's pretty perceptive, I thought.

"Uh, I'd rather not discuss my personal life, if you don't mind," I said, getting a little uncomfortable.

"Oh sure, I didn't mean to pry. I have that problem sometimes. So, please feel free to continue."

"Okay, well as you can see from my resume', I graduated with honors from the University of Washington with a degree in Advertising and Business and then received my MBA. I got a job after college working at a small firm in Seattle where we supported big clients such as Nike, Coca-Cola and NASCAR. I believe the latter client is what led me here actually. By working closely with the racing industry, I heard about your company through the employees that worked there. You are highly regarded and I heard nothing but great things about you," I paused, thinking of my next words carefully. "I'm thrilled to have this opportunity interviewing with you and I hope I'm what you're looking for. I have been the lead on many accounts and have quite a bit of experience, as you probably know from my references. So, here I am and the rest is history." Wow, I hope I pulled that off. Bella, you make a terrific liar.

"Well, Marie, tell me what you know about our business. I am hoping you've done some of your homework and know a little bit about the car industry. We just lost our previous Sales Director because her husband got another job in a different state. She was wonderful and we hated losing her and she's going to be hard to replace. I'm going to need someone who will give 110% to this job and probably work late, travel a lot and put in lots of hours. Is that something you think you can handle?" Emmett said looking at me from head to toe. Well, I do believe he is checking me out, not caring if I noticed or not. Hmm…

"To answer your first question, I know that your sports car company was on Forbes list of Top 100 'Best Places to Work.' Your company received the Miami Award for Fastest Growing Company. The 2010 World Travel Awards said you were the best Automobile Company in the south and last but not least, C&M Enterprises received the Diamond Club award from AAA for the past 5 years." I took a breath because I didn't want to come on too strong. I didn't want to look over determined, but I did want the job as well. Now was the time for me to mark my territory.

"So, absolutely Mr. Cullen, I am perfectly willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done." You bet your sweet ass I am. Taking you down will thrill me to no end and get my sweet revenge for Lauren all at the same time. "I am new to Miami so I know absolutely no one else here. It'll be good for me to absorb everything I can about your company and there's not a better way to do that than dive in headfirst and give it all I've got!" I exclaimed.

"Please call me Emmett again, Marie. I have to admit, I appreciate your candidness. Also, your research is very thorough. I'm thoroughly impressed with your knowledge of our company. With all of that being said, welcome to C&M Enterprises! I have reviewed your resume thoroughly with my executive staff and you come highly recommended in the sales world. Can you start on Monday?" asked Emmett.

I nodded holding out my hand to shake his, feeling quite proud of myself for my first accomplishment while in Miami. "I can have my assistant show you around the building and introduce you to the sales staff, your new sales staff that is. Your office will be down the hall from mine and we have executive staff meetings on Wednesdays at 11 am. Your assistant's name is Alice and she'll be glad to order any office supplies and anything else you might need. Have you found a place to stay yet? I know you're currently staying at the Hilton right now. Alice can also show you a list of apartments or condos to look at as well."

This is it, Bella… just the opportunity you've been waiting for. Say something. "That would be awesome… Emmett. I can't wait to get started and I'm really looking forward to a great career with C&M. Uh, just out of curiosity, I know that C&M stands for Cullen and Masen. You're obviously the Cullen, so when do I get to meet the Masen?" I asked, solely for the purpose of bringing down his sorry ass too.

"Well, that's going to be a hard one, Ms. Dwyer, because Mr. Masen is a very private person and likes to stay out of the limelight. He's perfectly content in letting me run the day to day business," Emmett stated while walking around his desk, arranging his sticky notes in orderly fashion.

"Wow, that's interesting. You have a multi-million dollar company and the half owner doesn't even come in to the office to check up on things. He must have quite a bit of trust in you," I remarked after standing up, smoothing my skirt down and venturing over to the doorway.

"Oh, Mr. Masen and I have been good friends for most of our lives. Our families lived next to each other in Palm Springs and we practically grew up together. So, yes, he does trust me. But don't get me wrong, he definitely has a say in the company and cares a great deal. He just likes to do it behind closed doors." Ain't that the truth... thought Emmett.

Huh. It's going to be a little harder than I thought to see this mystery man. I had heard that Mr. Masen was like that, a very private and reserved individual, but I sure didn't think he would never come into the office. So, I have my work cut out for me but that's never stopped me before. I will find this Mr. Masen so I can bring him down with the rest of them. Mark my words!

-Reviews are welcome. Be kind, it's my first story ever! Thanks...