Title: Carolina Heat - An entry for the Deep South Contest

Pairing: Bella/Edward

Rating: M

Genre: Romance/Suspense

Word Count: 4,598

Location: South Carolina

Summary: The death of her father in a beach house proves to be too much for Bella Swan to handle. Her carefully crafted world is falling to pieces. Agent Edward Cullen is assigned to investigate the case after moving to Cherry Grove. They quickly fall in love as they help each other rebuild their lives, but how safe are they?

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable entities herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

Carolina Heat

Senator Swan's body was easy to drag into the dark beach house. It was the low season for tourists around the beach area, so there would not be nearly as many people on vacation. Night time fell hours ago, and it was simple enough to drag him out of the back of the rental office. With one quick blow to the back of his head with a baseball bat, he was out and thrown into the back of the SUV. Sea Mountain Highway was quiet as he drove along it toward forty-second avenue. After opening the door to the downstairs area of the building, he pulled the body inside.

Closing the door with his foot he turned to his guest. "Time for some torture old man," he hissed through gritted teeth.

"This was your fucking fault," he said calmly while tying the noose methodically around his neck to the low wooden exposed beam. "I have always been the fucking victim, but not anymore. It's time for me to take over the whole damn world. I'm entitled to everything I want, Senator."

He cut off his clothes, discarded them, and began stabbing him repeatedly in the torso and chest. All of the pent up rage he had over stored for the past few years was coming out with every violent move. This man was no longer a person that he was killing, but rather a momentary thrill. It felt good to pull the knife in and out of his flesh. If someone tried to blame him for this, he sure as hell was not going to accept for a second. Because of everyone else, he could never do what he wanted.

"Not a fucking thing wrong with me," he muttered later when he collected his items to leave. The Senator's body was still dangling a few feet off the ground. The sun had not come up yet as he got back into the SUV to drive home. He felt no remorse, no guilt, and certainly no blame for anything that occurred overnight. Once he was home, he burned the clothes and showered to get rid of any evidence. Since it was Sunday, he wanted to run to The Golden Griddle to get something to eat. Maybe he could charm a few waitresses into giving him their phone numbers.

~CH~

"Emmett, where is the spare set for the house on forty-second avenue? It's the two storey one that we need to renovate in a few days, but it's not on the hook where we keep the other ones," Ben told him after looking on the board.

"It should be over there with the rest of them," Emmett said before walking over to the large peg board that covered the wall. "Damn it…I told Mike to put it back after getting a copy made. Is he here yet?"

"His car is out in the parking lot, but he's always running late. Please tell me again…why did you all hire him? Personally, I think he's lazy."

"Ben, the realty company is family owned. You are the only one who is not blood related. Since he's our cousin, Dad said to bring him on in to learn the ropes. I know he has some idiosyncrasies, but he'll work through them."

He left the room to see if Mike was out in his car, but instead they ran into each other in the hallway.

"Hey man, I was looking for you. We're missing the key for the house that I needed you to get a copy of for the contractors. Do you have it?"

After looking through his pockets, he came up empty handed and, with a blank look on his face, offered to go back out and look in the car.

Other than looking for the missing key, Emmett's day at CRS Realty began in a normal manner. The low season was going to end soon, so they needed to have the beach houses ready for the early spring season. His dad, Senator Swan had not been by the office in some time as far as he knew, and he was expecting to see him at some point this week. Charles rarely came in due to the fact that he was busy with politics, even though he was the CEO of the company. Emmett was the man in charge who made most of the daily decisions.

His sister, Bella, was not involved with the family business. She went off to the Savannah College of Art and Design to study jewelry and metalworking. Her designs were widely sought out throughout the Grand Strand. The jewelry she created were one of a kind pieces. Emmett had not spoken with her or their Dad in a few days, so he went upstairs to his office to call them. As usual, his Dad's phone went straight to voice mail, which did not surprise him at all. Bella on the other hand picked up immediately, but their conversation was brief. She was walking into one of the boutiques to drop off a new collection for the owner. Yes, she promised she would call him back later on tonight to talk.

The contractors called Emmett a few minutes later to let him know they needed to get to work that morning on the house. They arrived at the realty office to collect the spare key Mike eventually found and brought back inside. Emmett drove over to the house with them to make sure the key was fully functional. No one expected to see the dead body of Senator Swan hanging from one of the wooden beams.

~CH~

"Bella, while I love your designs, I'm not sure the women who I market my products to will be as interested in this collection. Don't get me wrong…the sea glass is impressive, and I obviously will buy some from you. It's just that it's different than anything you've brought to me before."

"Jane, when I told you this was my way of getting out of my comfort zone, you applauded and encouraged me. You never know who will drop in unexpectedly," she began. "Wouldn't it be worth a try to keep it on the counter for at least a week? Or at least I could bring it back when the traffic picks up."

They were at a moot point.

"Bring them back to me in two weeks. There are a few women that will be back in town that might be interested, but I can't say for sure that they will put money down for them."

Bella stood up, smoothed the front of her skirt, and looked Jane directly in the eye.

"Are you doing this simply as a favor to me?"

"Not at all…what makes you say something like that? We've had a great working relationship for the past year. There are other designers that would die for an opportunity to have their collections in my boutique."

"I am fully aware of that fact, Jane, but I needed to be certain that you genuinely wanted to showcase it. Thank you for working with me, and I'll give you a call in a few days to see how sales are going for the line."

They shook hands before she gathered the rest of her jewelry to set it in the travel cases. Normally, Bella was a strong woman, able to handle the daily frustrations that life handed to her. Yet she had felt off lately. Her designs, in her mind, were lackluster, but she could not pinpoint as to why she was questioning her talent. These thoughts ran through her mind as she set her things in the trunk of her car. It was a welcome relief for her to leave Jane's boutique today.

Driving down highway seventeen, she thought about how her life was not going as she had hoped a few years ago after graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design. Her creations were in high demand from the moment she returned home to Cherry Grove. There was not enough time in the day for her to bend wire, sketch designs, or call clients. It seemed as though it exploded over night.

Now a sense of burn out loomed over her head.

It really began when her Mother, Renee, was murdered about six months earlier. It shook her world up tremendously, and the case was still unsolved. She took a few weeks off after the funeral to clear her mind, but all the walks on the pier did not seem to do that much for her. Her father and Emmett were the only two who understood the depth of her sadness, but she threw herself into her career several weeks later. The pain she experienced during this dark time came out in a dazzling collection of dark burgundy and black pieces. The demand could not be supplied fast enough, and Bella thought about hiring someone to assist her in the process. Yet that fell by the wayside when the end of the high season came, and many tourists went home. The creative slump began at that point, but she kept showing up at the table every morning to create something, anything.

A walk on the beach one morning proved to be beneficial when she came upon a stunning cluster of sea glass in shades of blues and greens. After carefully drilling holes in each one, she had beautiful one of a kind beads to slide onto memory wire. They became the focal point of the collection she had taken to Jane this morning, but, her lack of enthusiasm hit Bella hard. This was the third time she spoke with either a buyer or a store owner about her newest collection. They all had similar reactions, and it was only adding to the doubt she had been carrying around for the past few months.

The sound of her phone buzzing brought her out of her mental dialogue, but whoever was calling would have to wait until she was home. She wanted to forget her troubles for a short time, so she drove down Ocean Boulevard toward the farthest end of the beach. She slid off her heels before exiting the car to avoid getting any sand in them. When she walked out onto the soft sand, the cool breeze hit her face. The tide was going out, so there was plenty of area for her to walk.

Bella missed her mom, more than words could express, and the fact that her murder remained a mystery was equally upsetting. She was her biggest cheerleader, especially when her Father expected her to take over the business alongside Emmett. He continued to beg her to quit college so she could come home, but Bella would have none of that. Renee believed in her talents, as much as her professors did. Her Mom always wore her daughters' creations, and bragged about them to the patrons of CRS Realty.

It was in these quiet moments that the memories flooded back into her mind, the ones she set aside for the empty nights. There was no time in her life for a serious relationship, or so she had tried to convince herself. But if she was being truthful to herself, deep down she knew she needed someone to brighten her life, to show her the love she craved. A deep sigh escaped her body while she looked out over the ocean. Was it possible that she could ever allow someone to come into her world?

The solitude of the inlet eased her mind for a short time, but she needed to get back home. Bella created all of her jewelry from her spare bedroom. She needed to focus her energy on the simple acts of drilling, hammering metal, and selecting the proper color schemes. No sooner that she sat down in her car than her phone went off again. It was the second missed phone call from her brother in the span of approximately an hour. Emmett never called this frequently, so she assumed it was an urgent matter. There was no way she could have prepared herself for the news he gave her.

~CH~

The following day, Agent Edward Cullen was waiting in one of the rooms set aside for questioning. This was only his second week working for the Investigations Bureau of North Myrtle Beach. He had just moved from Columbia, where he was a field agent for the Law Enforcement Division, to the low country to start his life over. The politics of the agency were wearing on him. He was looked over for positions time and time again, only to be given assignments that were beneath him. The time had come for him to get out of there. The transfer was relatively easy between the departments. His parents, Carlisle and Esme, helped him to move to Cherry Grove.

He had the file for the Senator's murder spread out across the table in front of him. This was the third murder in the past nine months to occur in the area, which lead him to believe there was a serial killer behind this. The first victim was a John Doe; he was killed in a similar manner…multiple stab wounds to the torso, as well as being hung from the rafters of the underside of a beach house. Ironically, the second person was the Senator's wife, Renee; except in her case, she was blindfolded. There were rope marks found around her neck, but her body was not discovered in the same way as the other two victims. The killer had set it in a dumpster over near forty-eighth avenue. All of the houses on that street were fully searched for any DNA evidence but nothing was found. This murderer was good at evading the police and covering his trail.

It was cases such as this one that piqued his interest.

He looked up when there was a knock on the door, and a woman was escorted in by one of the officers. Immediately, he was captivated by her physical beauty…long, lush brown hair, deep eyes that were the same shade, and a face that he dreamed of for years. They stared at each other for several moments. She was lost in his intense gaze, barely able to focus long enough to introduce herself as the Senator's daughter, Bella Swan. Her name was etched in his mind, and when they shook each other's hand, it was like nothing either one had felt before.

"I am so very sorry for you and your family," he began. "The alibi you gave the police checked out perfectly. I wanted to meet you and your brother in person, though, because we have reason to believe there is a serial killer in the region. This is the third murder within the past nine months, and each one has similar features."

"Wait a minute…did you say a serial killer?"

"Unfortunately, I did, Bella, but what worries me more is that this person could be aiming at you or your brother. I'm not going to beat around the bush, but it's very possible the two of you are in a lot of danger. Do you know of any one that would have any grievance against your family?"

She blinked several times while considering this possibility, yet no one particular to her mind.

"I'm not certain if it's the lack of my ability to concentrate now, but I honestly can't think of anyone that…that would want…oh god, I'm so very sorry," she said as her emotions got the better of her. His heart ached to give her comfort because it was the right thing to do. Only a person devoid of any emotions could resist what he was reaching out to do at that moment.

He had never wanted to hold any woman in his life as much as he wanted to hold Bella Swan.

The sensation of his strong arms around her did not go unnoticed even while she was letting out her emotions. There were not enough words to describe how warm and safe she felt in them. It was the comfort she needed now as she literally cried on his shoulder; she kept mumbling apologies to him.

"You've been through a traumatic experience that no one should ever have to go through. The fact that there is someone on the street who might be watching you and your brother is more than enough to send someone into emotional over load," he said as she sat back in the chair.

"My world…my life…damn, it's all falling apart now. What do I need to do to stay safe?"

He saw pain in her eyes, the kind he wanted to replace with happiness. There was an undeniable pull he felt toward her, and she could not ignore that this was the first time she felt a sense of calm in the past few twenty-four hours. The look of concern in his emerald eyes hit her in the heart. Despite the misery she felt over the horrific death of her father, she saw something in him that made her want to open up to him.

"I am going to program my number into your phone, Bella. This is not a situation that we can take lightly."

After she pulled out her phone, his fingers brushed over hers as she handed it over to him.

"How am I supposed to live now? I feel vulnerable, exhausted. Emmett's handling the details of the funeral, but I fell like a mess," she confessed to him. "I'm…scared for my life."

"I want you to call me the second anything happens that seems questionable. One way or another, these murders will be solved, and I'll be damned before I let something can happen to you."

The emphasis on certain words was not lost on her. Edward offered to walk with her out to her car, and she happily accepted. He reminded her to call him no matter what time it was. As she drove out of the parking lot, he felt as though something about his world had begun to change with meeting Bella Swan.

~CH~

Emmett gave his little sister a giant squeeze after she came into the realty office. They were trying to clean out their Dad's personal items, and she let him know about her meeting with Agent Cullen. What she did not tell him was that, even in the midst of this hell he was all she could think about. Yes her world was falling to pieces, but the comfort he offered her was nothing less than perfect. Cleaning out the shelves was tearing them apart. The pictures of their parents over the years was making Bella cry even harder, and she had to get out of the room. She stood in the middle of the downstairs lobby, holding her face with her hands. An older man was pounding on the glass door, trying to get her attention. He was visibly upset, probably because the office was closed. He would not leave until she finally went to speak with him.

"Sir, I'm sorry, we're closed due to a family emergency," she said while brushing back tears.

"I don't give a fuck if you are closed. There is a problem with the beach house that I spent a shitload of money on, and I want you to take care of it," he said in a very loud manner. Emmett came walking down the stairs just in time to hear him.

"What seems to be the problem?" he asked as he stood next to Bella,

"This stupid bitch doesn't seem to understand that I need some fucking help, or I'm going to beat the shit out of someone."

Emmett let out a heavy breath while trying not to let his anger get out of control. Bella, on the other hand, was losing it quickly. Keeping her emotions together was not very easy for her now, and she was thankful that her brother took over the conversation. While they talked about the problems the man was having in the beach house, she escaped to the privacy of a separate office to make a phone call. Something about this man made her feel deeply uncomfortable. She dialed the number with shaky hands, but felt relief upon hearing the voice that flooded her brain. He would be at the realty office within a matter of minutes.

~CH~

Edward was not expecting to hear from her that soon after she left the department, but she did exactly what he instructed her to do. Another officer was joining just in case he needed back up. Bella's voice sounded very distraught over the phone, more so than when they spoke earlier, causing him to feel on edge. Upon driving up into the front of the realty office, he saw Emmett walking outside with another man. Edward and the officer approached them with a few questions, but Emmett explained the situation. The man apologized profusely for his outburst earlier, and asked if he could talk directly with Bella. His request was obviously denied, but he was assured she would know about his apology. Once the man was gone, Edward followed Emmett inside because he wanted to talk with her. They found her sitting in one of the chairs in a back room, crying quietly. It nearly broke his heart to see her like this.

"Bella, Agent Cullen is here to talk to you, and that old shit wanted me to tell you he was sorry for the way he talked to you. He was having trouble with the fucking washing machine, and when I told him I would have a repairman to come to the house tomorrow, he was fine. You know we get assholes like that," Emmett said while she looked over to look at them.

"Thank you…I could not face him, knowing that he wanted to possibly hurt you or me," she responded.

He put his hands down on the table to look at his sister.

"Whatever happens, please do not go back to the way you were after mom was buried. I feel like I almost lost you too Bella. It was months before Dad and I saw you come back to us," he expressed to her with a serious tone.

A few stray tears began to fall down her cheeks, and Edward turned to ask Emmett if he could have a few minutes alone with her. As he walked down the hall, he wondered why he wanted to speak privately with her. Once they were alone, Edward pulled up a chair next to her.

"I know you're under a tremendous amount of stress, Bella, and I can only begin to imagine the pain you are in," he said while taking her hand in his. "Would you allow me to do something for you tonight? Can I make dinner for you?"

The nearness of him was making her feel emotions that she had pushed away for a very long time.

"I don't have the willpower to say no to you, Edward," she told him while he rubbed his thumb over her skin. "Aren't you supposed to be at work?"

"I was leaving for the day when you called me," he said. "Now would you like to follow me to my house? I don't live very far from here actually, just off the boulevard near Tilghman Beach."

She gave him a smile, the first genuine one that had crossed her face in a few days.

"That sounds very inviting. I'm not sure if I will be the best possible company, but I would love to have dinner with you," she said as they passed Emmett in the hallway. Edward told him that they were going to his home for dinner, and he walked her out to her car. She followed him as he drove the short distance to a one of the older homes. He led her into the house after opening her car door, and it was the kind of place she could be very comfortable in.

Letting someone take care of her needs for a change was slightly foreign to Bella now. She was used to her independence, yet this felt remarkably good. All he wanted her to do was to sit back on the oversized sofa and relax, which was something she had not done lately. Admittedly, she knew he was a virtual stranger, but it was impossible to deny the pull she felt towards him.

Edward was thinking almost the exact same thing in the kitchen. He would ask her the occasional question to make sure he was making the right dinner for her. For one reason or another, he was determined to bring some happiness back into her life. Throughout dinner, they kept gravitating towards each other, as if the other was too far away. He learned that she was a jewelry designer, but she softly confessed that she was starting to feel a degree of burn out. When he asked to see the bracelet she was wearing, she took it off and slid it into his hand.

"I may not know much about jewelry, Bella, but this is amazing. The fact that you make all of this by yourself is nothing short of fantastic. What is holding back your creativity besides the obvious?"

She let out a long held breath.

"For months I was on fire…unable to make bracelets and rings fast enough. It was like a switch was turned on. Right before Mama was murdered, something felt off, I guess you could say. I…I shut down for a few months, but that was to be expected. Then it came back, full force for a short time, and I showed the latest collection to one of the store managers that normally raves over my creations. She was not thrilled with them, nor were the other two."

She stopped for a moment, and he took her hand in his again.

"If you don't mind, I would love to see what you have made recently. Is it possible that your opinion of your own work is too hard? We are usually our own worst critic, but if it's anything like your bracelet, then I'm sure it is great."

"Edward, you are the first person that has made me feel better about designing," she said as she looked up at his face. "I've been fighting this huge battle by myself, and it's hard for me to explain this warmth I feel when I'm near you."

"It apparent that you need someone in your life that is by your side. I know we just met today, but I want to know you, Bella Swan. I believe fate pushed us together for some reason, even if it was not for the best reason."

He ran his finger over her cheek to brush away the tear that fell, but she grabbed his hand to press it to her face. There was an emotional shift between them and the pull toward each other became stronger.

"This is the first time in months that someone has not only heard me, but listened to what I had to say with an open heart. More than anything, you make me want to live again, to open up to the possibilities in front of my eyes," she said as he leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"I'll be right here for you, making sure you are safe and always making sure you are inspired, Beautiful."

In her heart, she already felt that and so much more.

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