A/N This is a story that's been in the making for some time. There's a set beginning middle and end, and already three parts of the whole story in the planning stages. This is a long story with twists and it not written in haste! Please be prepared for slightly longer waits for updates that are worth it. I hope you enjoy!


Bella

I shooed him away, shaking my head for the hundredth time. "Edward Masen you are going to KILL me one day!" He smiled back, straightening his suit jacket, "that's not the plan, Miss Swan, but I'll show you danger any day." I rolled my eyes again, cupping my hand over the end of a cigarette to light it in the windy neighborhood. New York City wasn't safe. There was a war going on, even though the tourists rarely caught wind of it. The Mexican Mafia and The Italian Mafia going at it like no other. My father fought to bring them to justice, yet somehow I was caught in the middle of all of it.

Edward Masen, sometimes known as Edward Cullen, was the mob boss for the Italian side. We met when he came to my door at sixteen. I answered, half naked, and he staggered back. "What can I do for you? I have twenty minutes 'till I need to be at Maria's Diner on 165th street." He looked at me intently, amused even. "165th in Manhattan? You're in Brooklyn, sweetheart. No way you're getting there in time." Tell me about it. My boss and friend, Alice Brandon, hated me as much as she loved me. I was always late. "Bella. What can I do for you?" He offered his hand, but my father, Detective Swan with the Organized Crime unit, didn't raise no fool. I crossed my arms instead. "I wanted to thank your father. For saving my life the other night. I was caught up in a bad situation." He motioned toward the corner. I continued putting my uniform on hastily, ready to straight up tell him off and leave to go to work. Instead I hummed, acknowledging his existence. "Hey, you know what, Bella? I'm not used to people not knowing who I am, or… treating me with such blatant disrespect." He eyed me up and down, and I grabbed my metro card and keys, closing the door and locking it.

"Yeah?" I started, "well I don't know who you are, and the fact that my dad saved you… Well, it doesn't bode well for your character. Have a nice day now, Mr. Hansen." I started walking off, somewhat taken by this intimidating man. He called back "Masen. It's Masen. Maybe you know Cullen, instead?" I almost froze. Of course. The Cullens were the main operating family in the boroughs for crime… And Edward, the 20 year old son of Anthony… Was the new boss. I turned around. I looked at him again, his amusement not hiding itself anymore. I bit my lip. I wouldn't ever get involved with him, of course, but maybe having a connection… I was off to college next year, graduating early from High school and starting at Columbia. It could be nice to have a friend in a high… or low… place. I yelled at my phone number, "Call me sometime, okay?" He waved and nodded, grinning as widely as I could have imagined. I was going to be late for work. SHIT.

That's how it started. How I met the most obnoxious human being on the planet. We were friends now, three years on, but he got on my nerves more often than not. He wanted me to be his eye candy, his mob princess. I wasn't interested. Truth be told, I was most interested in his friendship. My best friend, Alice, was dating Jasper Whitlock, who I was also friends with. My dad was either stupid and didn't know who the hell any of these people were, or was paid well for his silence. Jasper was the boss for the Mexican Mafia. Not being Mexican himself, he was raised in a Latino neighborhood in The Bronx and worked his way up. He was smart and decisive. Maria, coincidentally owner of my old place of work, saw great potential in him, and introduced him to the bosses. One day, seemingly all at once, he was the boss. I never asked about it much, saving myself from knowing too much, but given the Mexican boss' pride, I would assume they're… well, departed.

Alice was very taken with him. Thoroughly enjoying her time as a Mafia Princess, she told me every day through text how well he treated her. Jasper texted me every day about how he would rather have me than her. I brushed this off as new job jitters. Alice was good to him, and to his cause. I didn't really have a second best friend. Jasper was great to me, and so was Edward. Given the tension between them, and both of them obviously wanting to go with me, I never hung out with them at the same time. Naturally, they kept tabs on each other, and Jasper and Edward both knew of each other's emotions toward me.

As soon as Edward left around the corner I texted him:

B: I changed my mind, actually. Can u come back?

I hoped that would reach him in time, before he got in his car. He had invited me to go to a movie with Emmett and Emmett's girlfriend, Rosalie, whom I had met on occasion. Let me explain the mafia to you. From what I know, I know several Italian mobsters. Emmett, Edward's cousin, is the son of Carlisle and Esme. Esme is a pediatrician and not involved in the mafia. She was married into it. Carlisle's brother, Anthony, was the boss before he died from cancer seven years ago. Carlisle is the doctor for the mafia, not working in the public sector anymore. Emmett was Edward's second-in-command and his cousin. Rosalie, Emmett's girlfriend, is aware of some of the things the mafia does, though she isn't married, and therefore can't be involved. I'm different. An asset to the mafia in a way. My father was most likely bought by the mafia, so I know more than Rosalie would. The other thing I know about the mafia, or maybe just Edward, is that he's very fun to be around.

E: We're swinging by to pick you up. I got your ticket cost. No worries. After all, we're celebrating!

Celebrating, right. At twenty-two, I was among the youngest to ever graduate Columbia's law program. I was signed on as a District Attorney for Manhattan, and was definitely friends with the wrong people.

B: OK, whatever you say! Lol, popcorn's on me and my new salary!

I hoped he'd get a kick out of that. I saw his car pull up and waved at the blacked out windows, seeing only my reflection in return. Emmett got out of the driver's seat and opened up the back for me, I stepped in, thanking him. In the back, Rose was sitting behind Emmett, so I was behind Edward. "Hey, Rosalie! How are you?" I greeted her. She smiled at me and waved politely, "doing well! I hope you're okay too?" She reached in for a hug and we embraced momentarily. "Of course I am! Hey, what do you think of this stupid action movie the boys have planned?" She rolled her eyes. Like me, Rosalie was into both action and adventure, but not all the time. We both whined, asking Emmett and Edward to pick a comedy instead, to no avail. "This is what? The third this month?" she asked. I nodded in laughter, pulling out my phone to text my dad.

B: Hey dad, on my way to the movies with Edward, Emmett and Rosalie. Should be home around 10:30.

I silenced my phone then, knowing that I would forget later on.

The drive to the theater wasn't eventful. Normal evening traffic made the trip about 10 minutes long. Once we found parking, we walked to the theater. Rosalie skipped to Emmett's side and held his hand. In a way, I was jealous of her. She had a femininity about her that I could only dream of. While her eyes were a brilliant and piercing blue, mine were a lackluster hazel. Her hair was perfectly blonde, and mine a dull brown. The clothes she wore looked like she got them off of a model during fashion week, I was wearing sweat pants and a Rolling Stones T-Shirt.

Edward slowed down to be next to me, and I looked down awkwardly. "So, you're sure this movie is the best bet?" He laughed at me, "of course! I helped make it after all." I tried to ask what he meant, but my judgement told me not to, so I just shrugged and let it go.

Jasper

I kissed Alice on the cheek when she left my car to go to work. Maria's Diner was our main point of laundering and other illicit services for the Mexicans. I wasn't born into the mob, but they weren't particularly picky. Maria originally hired me as a dishwasher, a favor to my mom to keep me off the streets. My knack for math and laundering helped me work my way up the ranks, until I met the bosses. They took a liking to me, and eventually made me a Junior Boss, or First Lieutenant. Fuck that. I waited almost a year to gain their trust before I called a hit on them. My own personal branch of the mafia that was all mine and not theirs helped me.

Alice was a good girlfriend, and a good princess, if you will, but she was almost too good for me. She was a follower, and I didn't need any more of those. Bella Swan, her best friend, was a different story. I tried courting her before I went for Alice, though Bella made it clear she wasn't interested in the mob life. Not that intimately, at least.

I became friends with her instead, hoping that one day she might change her mind. So far, it's not been a success. She must have met Edward Cullen at the same time as she met me, as we both became her friends at roughly the same juncture. She was a freshman in college, aspiring for great things, and she was a leader. I'll be perfectly honest and say I don't know what love is. I have a hard time comprehending the emotion, but I think I love her. Not in a friendly way, either. In a full on smooch way.

Edward had recently taken too much territory from me, and I was preparing to meet with my trusted mercenaries and gangsters about the situation. I drove to a warehouse about 40 minutes from the diner, given traffic. I was greeted in the usual way. Heads bowed, someone offering to valet my car. I wasn't interested in that. I was interested in getting to the point.

I sat down at the head of a meeting table, more like a glorified card table, I didn't care much for the layout of things, except for the layout of my power and reign as boss. My head men were already sitting, ready to propose ideas. "Well? Let's start already. I'd like this taken care of tonight."

For the next hour, I listened to a spiel. Edward had taken over parts of the Bronx and Staten Island that were historically ours. Our already small territory was being taken over in large amounts, and I wouldn't have that. After listening to my options, which included taking his territory, fighting for ours, and killing some of his men, I pounded the table. "NO. We will NOT let him get away with this."

What may have sounded like a power play and purely about turf went deeper than that for me. I didn't want him gaining Bella as a friend or romantic partner or anything. He already had her as a friend, and I knew that much more of it would spell trouble to Alice and Bella's friendship. I stood up and looked at the maps, running my finger over the part of Brooklyn where Miss Swan lived. Then I turned to my men. "He will be dead. Tonight. I'm ordering a hit. Call Rodriguez, he's the best shot we got." I knew the routine, Every Tuesday, Edward and Bella hung out. If not at her house, he'd be in the area, and I intended to kill him tonight.

We rushed to Brooklyn, parking down the block from Bella's house. They weren't there, the lack of lights on proved that much. "He must be out and about. He'll be back." His protective nature would be his downfall. If they went out, Edward always walked Bella to her door. I only knew this because as a mob boss, I need to know what others are doing. I had a recon team follow him for a few days, and the result was the same when they hung out.

My hitman saw them first, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth and taking aim. "Wait, let's get closer." My driver pulled up closer to the pair, still walking toward Bella's house. "Go when you have a shot," I muttered, unhappy that Bella was there, not really wanting her to see this. I definitely cared about her, her feelings mattered to me, and I wanted to make her happy. This was the same way with Alice, but different. It was deeper with Alice, for sure, but there nonetheless with Bella.

He rolled down his window, and at that moment, Bella looked up. We locked eyes for a moment, before she turned and saw the gun. In that moment, I knew she saw me, and I knew the fighter in her would try and save Edward, possibly at the cost of her own life. It was too late. I blinked, heard screaming, and then the gun shot. It was done.

Bella

After the movie was finished, Edward and I went to grab a bite to eat. There was a cute malt shop just across the street from the theater. We got milkshakes and dinner. I got a cheeseburger and Edward got a hamburger. I swear, we spent 20 minutes arguing over whether there's a difference- there is. He slid his credit card into the waitress' hands before I could pull mine out, and I slapped him lightly on the shoulder, "I could have paid, you know!" He shrugged and got his receipt back.

I hopped off of the barstool I was sitting at and walked with him out the front door. We talked extensively on the walk home about music and movies. We also discussed our futures. "I think I'll just be an ADA until I die," I joked. He grunted and retorted, "and I'll be a mob boss until I die, we'll always be at odds, Isabella!" I played a song for him from a band I was interested in seeing. "Ah, good band, La Dispute, right?" I nodded, excited he recognized them. We turned onto my street. Just four more houses and I would be home, ready to go to bed. Something didn't feel quite right, though.

I heard a rumble, and knew it was a car. The sound was all wrong; though, it was lingering too much. I looked up and saw a car I recognized. Jasper's car? I had to be sure. I looked for Jasper, eventually meeting his gaze. He was in the backseat. So then who was in the front? I shifted my attention and found myself staring a gun down the barrel. I felt a swift kick of adrenaline. Not today. What the fuck? "NO! EDWARD!" I pushed him as fast as I could. I felt a sting in my stomach, and then heard a loud bang. I looked down and saw blood. "You killed me…" I whimpered to the backseat of the car, falling to my knees while tracking the sedan as it sped away. Edward was by my side in an instant. "I feel like I'm dying." I said, but for some reason, I laughed. He looked incredibly concerned and picked up his phone, talking to someone on the other line. Looking at my wound. "Hey, I'll be okay. Just walk me up to my door?"

And then there was blackness…

There were fuzzy memories every few seconds. Like a TV show playing in slow motion. I felt like everything was spinning, I wanted to get off the spinny ride. I was going to throw up.

And then there was more blackness.

"Isabella…" blackness. "Stay…" blackness. "DAMNIT, YOU STAY WITH ME, ISABELLA." I didn't understand why he was sobbing, crouching over me, holding me. I placed my hand where it hurt, on my stomach, and I looked down. A vibrant red was spread over my hand, glistening in the pale moonlight mixed with soft porch light of my neighbor. It was a friendly color. My vision got hazy, and I didn't feel pain anymore. I looked up at Edward again, reading fear in his face. I wanted to reassure him. I was sleepy, but I was okay. "CARLISLE," Edward screamed, wheels screeched, and car doors opened. It was silent except for the screams. Hurried footsteps, and then the light was gone. I used the remainder of my strength to make a hushing noise with my mouth, and placed my hand on Edward's cheek. I was alright.

And then there was blackness.

And then there were voices.

And then it was black.

And then there were lights, and cries, "Damnit, what do you mean? BRING HER BACK."

And then there was nothing.


A/N Well, I hope you guys enjoyed that! Please leave a review so I know if you guys like this story!