The last thing she wanted was to get herself into something like this, but as she glared at the man laid out before her, disgust flashed through her eyes. Her entire being shook with loathing as she stared at the thug before her. (And he was a thug, one of Cullen's goons. Everyone, even the innocent ones, knew it.) She really hated men with that attitude. Bullies, the lot of them.
"Thank you." The soft voice behind her turned her attention back to the thug's victim, a young man around her age with sandy blonde hair and those All-American baby blues that looked so out of place it made her want to laugh. She'd known Mike since she moved here a few years ago, and he'd definitely taken a liking to her.
"I hate guys who think they can throw their weight around and not have it come back on them." She sneered. "Stay away from the ladies, yeah? I know Jessica's got her eyes on you. You should say yes."
"Sure?" He muttered, obviously confused.
Bella Swan walked out of the alley with no more than rumpled clothes and a severe case of exhaustion, life and handbag still intact. She knew it wouldn't last long, though. After all, she'd just crossed one of Cullen's thugs, and he wasn't about to take that sitting down.
"Where's Laurent? He was supposed to be back from his run an hour ago. How fucking incompetent is he?!"
Edward Cullen was having a relatively good day until he had checked in with his crew. There, things might as well have taken a long walk off a short plank for all everyone did. This didn't happen often, but every once in a while, things would get screwed up. Case in point: his newest member got in by the skin of his teeth because he'd seen something he shouldn't have and Edward had been feeling merciful. If the kid proved his worth, he would live. If not then it was up to Edward to make sure the Laurent knew exactly why he would die… tonight.
This was the second time the damn kid had gotten something wrong, and he'd had enough of the boy's arrogant behavior.
"He should be back soon, Boss. I'll check on him."
"I know he's your pet project, James, but he's fucked up one too many times."
I gave him his chances and he has yet to prove any worth whatsoever.
The boy was the true definition of cliche, anyhow. Arrogant, liked to think he'd gotten in good, just because Edward had taken mercy on him. The poor bastard would shout his position to the world if Edward himself hadn't threatened to cut his tongue off. Damn kids. James was doing his best to rein the boy in, but some things just weren't meant to be. Laurent would have to go, and sooner rather than later.
Mike took her advice and was engaged within the week. Jessica was thrilled and the ecstatic bride-to-be tracked Bella down a number of times to gush her thanks. She'd even asked for Bella to be the Maid of Honor, a position formerly reserved for one Lauren Mallory, the girl's best friend. Bella declined, of course, insisting time and again that being a guest at their wedding was not the way to pay her back, that she didn't need to be paid back. She was more than fine with her husband and their two-bedroom house and her large dog, Milo. She did offer her congratulations, though, and wished them both well on their honeymoon. What with poor Mike breaking his back to make ends meet and Jessica picking up odd jobs to help pay for the wedding, they deserved whatever peace they could afford to snatch up.
She was more than happy with the life she led so far.
"What the hell were you doing, Laurent?!" James snapped upon sight of the younger man. It was around nine in the morning when James' protege loped in with all the usual grace of a swaggering kitten. "The Boss wants you dead because you haven't been doing your fucking job, and unless you did what you were supposed to, I have to let it happen. Give me something, L... I don't want to see you go down for something so stupid."
Laurent rolled his eyes and flicked his dreads out of his face with a toss of his head.
"Cullen can't kill me." The darker boy sneered, accent heavy. "Not if I kill him first."
"What the fuck are you on, kid?" James demanded before shaking his head. "Look, just tell me you got the money. Give me something to work with so the Boss won't come in and gutt your ass."
"Mike didn't have the cash." Laurent sneered. "And when I went to take care of him-."
"What the fuck do you mean you tried to take care of him, Thickness?" Edward growled from by the door. "This is the mafia, not a goddamned Hollywood show. Unless we're in public where you can't outright say it, just use plain English! Now, go on. What happened when you went for him?"
"This banshee comes out of nowhere and knocks me out with what feels like a ton of bricks!" He spat.
"Hey now, kid. That's no reason to go around slanging the good people of the City through the mud."
"What, is Boss a defender of the innocent now?" Laurent scoffed. "Gonna be somebody's hero?"
"No, but I'd sure as hell like to find out who saved ol Mikey's arse. He's getting married soon, right?"
"First weekend in May, Boss." James offered. "They put out the announcement just now on Facebook."
"What's it say, James?"
"Well, Boss, in the words of Mike Newton:" Here, he pitched his voice to match the cracks that were bound to occur.
"I woke up a lucky man, to be engaged to the love of my life, Ms. Jessica Stanley, soon to be Mrs. Newton. Save the date for August 2nd, 2015."
James rubbed his throat and hacked out a few short coughs before he spoke normally.
"Think she'll be at the wedding, Boss?"
"Depends on who she is. I don't want to count on that and come up empty. Take Laurent, here, and go find her. I'm sending Jasper along, so you'll have him for backup if there's any trouble. Make sure this one gets his goodbyes in before sundown."
"Yessir," James murmured solemnly. "She'll be here in a few hours."
"Swan! Cleanup on Aisle Three!" Lauren Mallory screeched over the intercom. I loped over to aforementioned aisle to find that boxes were all over the place. This was the cereal aisle, so I expected some type of mess, but what in the world did these parents let their kids do?!
I sighed, glad that I'd brought the mop with me. This would take a while. Not that I minded much. Cleaning had always been therapeutic to me. It gave me a chance to sort my thoughts while keeping my hands busy. Right now, I didn't want to think. Right now, my thoughts were dangerous, because they always swirled back to what happened not even yesterday, and the trouble that's bound to follow. Men like Cullen don't let you get away from a debt. I had cost him money, and now I would have to pay it back. Could be money I didn't have or a prized possession I wouldn't give up. Not that I had much. My possessions consisted of the many clothes I'd acquired, either thanks to my new sister, Alice, or that, much to her horror, I'd bought on my own. I had plenty of books that transferred from my hands to various storage boxes and back. I also had a charm bracelet I'd received from my childhood best friend, Jasper Hale, as his going away present. His sister, Rosalie, bought two of the charms. I had the locket my father gave me a few years ago, before he died. Last but not least, I had my ring, and no way was I giving that back.
"You work fast, Swan." The Assistant Manager, Tanya Denali, offered begrudgingly. I shrugged and went back to my cash register.
"I can take people here!" I called over the din of the grocery store. Such is life.
"So, are there any leads on who this chick is?" Laurent demanded once Jasper arrived. The taller man shook his head full of blonde curls and slammed his hazel eyes shut.
"If it were anyone else asking, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves with a rusty spoon, see how they like it." He rasped under his breath.
"Sounds uncomfortable." James smirked, knowing who he was talking about.
"Exactly." Jasper grinned before turning to an eager Laurent. The boy seemed more on edge than usual, and there was a malicious glint in his eyes. Jasper nodded and the younger man beamed. Jasper turned back at James.
"That was a good tip you gave the Boss earlier. Emmett agreed to make sure he followed it."
Edward, Alice and Emmett grew up in the same house, under the strict but loving roof of their doctor father, Carlisle Cullen, and his wife, Esme, who had a passionate interest in local stores that focused on interior decorating. Between them, they made enough money to be of considerate influence, especially when, as they were prone to do, spent in all the right places.
One of the many things Esme taught her children, besides how to keep most self-respecting partners happy, was how to handle people when it came to being underestimated. This lesson was constantly reinforced, if not by the good Doctor's colleagues then by their own. On the other side of the fence lived one Isabella Swan and her older half-brother, James. The five of them, along with Jasper and Rosalie, spent their younger days roaming the forests of Forks, Washington and doing their best to cause as much trouble as possible.
"Who's your friend?" Bella asked when the trio of men showed up at her door later that night.
"He's new." James groused, voice tight as she led them into the living room.
"We can't stay long, Bells. The Boss wants to see you."
Laurent's eyes widened when the girl turned to face them full on.
"Hey, I know that bitch! Got a good look at her before she clocked me with her fucking handbag-." Jasper cut the boy off with a fist to his gut that sent him stumbling into a nearby armchair.
"Serves you right, damn kids." The hazel-eyed young man growled.
"We're supposed to find out why Laurent, here, didn't get the money." James informed her.
"He was being foolish, and I have no tolerance for that sadistic crap your boys like to play."
"Bella-." Jasper sighed, rough hands wringing in frustration.
"It's not the mob I'm after, you know that. Do what you have to, by all means, but kids like this only get worse."
"Bella-." James started to object but she cut him off.
"Jacob's incident can't happen to someone else. Not while I'm around."
"You can't save everyone, Bells." Jasper offered morosely.
"I can damn well try. Are we going to see Edward or not?"
"Ms. Swan." Edward Cullen was a sweet-talker if she'd ever seen one, but Bella's seen enough to be wary of falling for his acts.
"Get on with it, Edward. What's your problem now?"
"You drive me to drink." He growled, all hint of warmth gone from his emerald orbs.
"And why is that?" She simpered.
"Mike Newton either needed to give up the cash or pay a different price. We had a deal, Isabella. You're not supposed to interfere!"
"Well I pity your French boy over there, because if he didn't put up much of a fight against me then he has no chance with you."
"Be that as it may, I can't have you running around playing vigilante every time someone gets shot."
"And why not?" Bella sneered.
"Bad business, for one thing, and the last thing you want to do is make me look bad."
"Your threats hold nothing for me. Give me a better reason and I might consider it."
"I don't want you getting hurt, Bella." Edward insisted. "One day, you're going to cross the wrong person and I may not be able to save you from that!"
Bella rolled her eyes, but nodded. She knew when she was in over her head.
"Mike isn't the one you should be bleeding dry."
"How so?"
"I did some digging." The young woman admitted. The man before her squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I haven't messed with anything important, or anyone, for that matter. I just looked into some records. If you want someone to bleed dry then look to Jessica's fake as hell parents. They're avid social climbers, for one thing, and you don't need them hanging on like burrs. And if you do pursue them, you won't get any objection from her on it because again, shitty parents. This wedding is her only escape, and she and Mike belong together. You have no right to take that away."
Edward paused, gaze thoughtful.
"I'll take that into consideration." He offered. "Stay off the streets."
Bella raised an eyebrow.
"My husband you may be, but don't forget who you're talking to."
She didn't need to look back to know that Laurent's eyes went wide and his jaw dropped.
"Of course, dear. When are you going to quit that crappy job? If you want work, I'm sure I can set you up somewhere much nicer. Perhaps you'd be able to actually use your talents."
"I'll consider it." Bella chuckled. "Wash your hands before you eat, Masen."
"Yes, ma'am." He murmured before escorting her back to where the boys waited. James grinned when he saw them.
"Oh, good. Jas thought for sure you two had forgotten the scamp and got it on."
"Of course not." Bella snorted. "Offices were never a kink of mine."
"We love you, Bells, truly, we do, but I do NOT need to know about my little sister's sex life." Jasper choked out.
"It's bad enough I let you two get married." James shivered.
"Fuck off, Jamie. You didn't let me do a damn thing. I actually agreed to marry this fool."
"Made Mama Esme proud, you did." Edward smirked.
"I only agreed because you wouldn't stop hounding me about it. Now, what's up with Pinky back there? Poor kid didn't seem so bright."
"Pinky shall be dealt with accordingly, dearest. There's nothing about him that should concern you... unless there is?" Edward raised a questioning brow, eyes widening for effect.
"Now is not the time for flattery, Masen. Go take care of that boy. And give Jamie tomorrow off, will you? I haven't seen my brother in forever and it just so happens that it's my lucky day."
"We'll see, love. For now, they're taking you home. Lock up, will you?"
"Definitely. Later, Masen."
Be careful
Always am.
She didn't have to like this side of her life, but she had long ago accepted that this is what he did. He wasn't overly cruel, efficient as needed, and more often than not, that involved a certain amount of ruthlessness. She could more than understand that, but she refused to lose anymore people to it, family business or not.