S Meyer owns all the characters in Twilight, I am merely taking them for a ride! I'll take them home when I've finished with them (she should be so lucky!)

Be patient all you unbelievers! Edward and Bella will meet. The first few chapters are just the setting the scene. They will meet and the story will get very interesting!

Taken In

Chapter 3

EPOV

Fuck it! Five rotten, stinking years! Five rotten, stinking years taken away from my life. Five years spent banged up in prison. Five years out of my life! A life sentence left to serve!

All those years stuck in the same small, cramped prison cell. Interminable years spent with the lowest of the low. Murderers, rapists, thieves and god knows what else. The scum of the earth. And here was I – apparently one of them. How did Edward Cullen, one time golden boy, hot shot actor and feted film director end up here?

My mind drifted back to the last days of my freedom.

Marrying Tanya had at the time seemed like one of the best moves of my life.

Lonely years had been spent coming to the realisation that all women really wanted me for was either my body or my contacts in Hollywood and sometimes for both of those things. Numerous hook-ups with empty, vacuous women with nothing to talk about had become the norm. Sure they had to be stunning to look at to take my interest, but after a time one hot body pretty much blends with all the other hot bodies. One night stands had become the way to scratch the itch but never to satisfy my craving for something more. My cynicism about women had reached epic proportions.

When I met Tanya I thought my happiness had been made complete. Finally I believed, I had met someone who was something more than a pretty face or a hot body. Someone who was interested in me – Edward Cullen, human being not just Edward Cullen movie star. Realisation came late that the only complete thing about the whole sham of a marriage was the complete and utter idiot I'd been made to look by my caring, sharing wife. When I say sharing I mean sharing – with anyone else but me!

I'd drifted to LA and Hollywood after I left University with a degree in Film Studies. Full of optimism I'd hitchhiked my way to the world capital of the film industry. With my shiny new degree and my experience of directing student plays (just how naive was I?) I fully expected to be taken into the bosom of the whole movie world. In all honesty I truly believed that within a matter of months the major film studios would be knocking at my door.

Every year literally thousands of young hopefuls arrive in LA with nothing but optimism to sustain them in their search for success. Young actors, actresses and in my case wannabe film directors hope that elusive lucky break will come for them. I was no different.

After sending off hundreds of CVs and traipsing round every film set I knew about, and some I didn't want to know about, I realised my dream, like thousands of others in Hollywood was going nowhere fast.

Even to get a job as a bar tender in a seedy downtown bar meant beating off lots of other contenders. Working in a seedy bar meant low wages which in turn meant a revolting cupboard of a room to live in. Life basically sucked. No friends and no family close by. My pride was such that I refused to contact my family for help. They knew nothing of my daily struggle to survive.

The day came when I decided enough was enough! I was just going to have to bite the bullet and admit that Hollywood was never going open up to me. My talents would have to be used somewhere else. But where? And how? I packed my few belongings into my battered hold-all, returned the key to the landlord and decided to walk along Hollywood Boulevard once last time.

Feet dragging, I walked slowly past the shops, hotels and the famous Chinese Theatre. Looking at the crowds thronging the pavements with their golden stars and handprints I felt more than a little bitter. Why does one person achieve success and the next person – in this case me – become a dismal failure without being allowed to actually have a go? Heart heavy I turned in the direction of the bus station. It was going to be a long walk and an even longer journey back to my family in Phoenix where I would be forced to admit to failure.

Suddenly an extremely loud voice bellowed across the street. "Hey you! You with the hair. Stop!" Everybody within 20 yards stopped what they were doing and looked to where the voice had come from. An extremely large and unkempt individual was standing up in the front seat of a red convertible BMW sports car. He seemed to be looking and pointing at me, but although I knew my hair was messy and unmanageable at the best of times, I still didn't think he was shouting at me.

I carried on walking. The shout became even louder. "You there! Stop!" I put my head down in the hope that he was not talking to me. I carried on walking. An extremely large hand came heavily down on my shoulder.

"I'm talking to you," boomed the owner of the aforementioned hand. "Slow down I need to discuss something with you."

I turned slowly round and looked up into the face of one of the tallest and broadest men I had ever seen. Now I'm not short – at 6 foot two inches tall there aren't too many people I have to look up to – but this was certainly one of them.

"Are you talking to me?" I asked, eyebrows raised. The eyebrows usually did the trick. Not many people can argue with my eyebrows.

This dude certainly could. "Yes. And I've got a proposition for you."

Oh no! Here it comes, I thought. I'd heard all about these propositions. Hollywood was awash with propositions – seedy, dirty little promises of work which led nothing but degradation and downward spirals. I'd managed to steer clear of any and all such invitations. The eyebrows had helped!

Before I could open my mouth a huge grin appeared on his face. "Fuck it," he said, "That definitely didn't come out the way I intended!"

The grin was infectious. Despite myself I just had to smile back.

"Can we start again?" he requested. "Let me introduce myself. I'm Emmett McCarthy."

Emmett McCarthy! Instantly I knew who he was. He was one of the up and coming directors on the circuit in Hollywood. He was heading for fame and fortune after directing a self-financed and independent film which blew all its rivals away at the box office. He was an overnight success and all the major studios were now vying to have him work for them. Lectures had been given on his directing techniques when I was at University. He had brought a freshness and unique flavour to the films he had since directed and he really was the new boy wonder in Hollywood.

He held out his hand and we shook hands. I'm not a small guy but my hand nearly disappeared in his meaty paw. He had a very firm handshake! Surreptitiously rubbing my knuckles to restore circulation I said "Okay, now I know who you are we can talk about your proposition."

"You know who I am?" Emmett asked, looking surprised.

"Of course I know who you are. Everybody in Hollywood knows who you are," I replied. My mind was now working overtime. Visions of becoming his assistant director or even just a gopher for him were dancing round ion my head. I could do that. Anything but returning home with my tail between my legs.

"Well, actually I don't usually go around shouting at strangers in the street," Emmett said in an embarrassed tone of voice. "This is most unlike me. We're looking for some extras for a scene in the film I'm shooting. I've just put in an extra scene and we're shooting round the corner here. Most of the crew are hunting down likely people to play gang members. I think you would fit right in!"

I did fit right in. I got paid for appearing as an extra in the film and when the rushes were looked at that night it was decided that the camera loved me! I was apparently a natural!. My talent as an actor shone through just in those few moments on film, which I found thoroughly surprising as I had never wanted to be an actor. Consequently Emmett wrote a small part into the film just for me. From there, as they say, the rest is history. The parts I got in films grew and grew. In a very short space of time I was the actor in demand. Everybody wanted a piece of me. Magazines, TV, photo shoots and any and all media events organised by my agent. I was the hot property. Film studios vied for my services.

Life should have been good. It wasn't because my life wasn't my own. I could no longer walk down a street without being mobbed or screamed at by my adoring fans. A trip to restaurants, the theatre or just anywhere became impossible. Edward Cullen, film star belonged to his adoring public, at least it seemed that way.

I was introduced to Tanya, my future wife by my agent Jessica Hope. We were at a reception to celebrate the wrap of my latest movie White Water Rapids. The shoot had gone down very well and everyone was very tired and at the same time very satisfied. We knew we had a fantastic film on our hands. Everybody felt that ripple of excitement as a truly great film had been finished. This was the movie I won my first Oscar for acting. The buzz around the set had been electric and this feeling had carried on over to the reception.

Jessica sauntered over to where I was standing with Emmett, both of us sipping champagne . With Jessica was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen. Tall, blonde, willowy and elegant. Sex just oozed from every pore of her body! I was already feeling horny with the excitement of finishing the movie and Tanya looked like she was just what I needed.

"Edward, this is Tanya. She's been dying to be introduced to you. She inveigled me into bringing her over to you. So – here she is," said Jessica. At the time I didn't notice the hesitant note in her voice. I should have been listening more closely. Emmett just rolled his eyes and walked away.

We chatted all evening, scarcely even acknowledging the presence of anyone else in the room. Tanya was amazingly easy to talk to. I found myself telling just how lonely I was, despite my success and how I'd always planned on settling down and having a family one day. I'd never even acknowledged this to myself, yet here I was telling Tanya all about it. She had decided that her days as a struggling film actress were numbered. She too wanted to settle down and raise a family – and sooner rather than later. I couldn't believe my luck. We were made for each other.

I also hadn't noticed just how many glasses of champagne had been poured down my neck. I was drunk, but a very happy drunk! I decided that Tanya was without doubt my ideal woman.

After that meeting we rapidly became inseparable. We spent all our time together and I fell very deeply in love with her and she professed her love for me also. I had no reasons to doubt her. I refused to listen to Emmett when he told me that she wasn't good for me. He was the only person in Hollywood who had the courage to try and bring me to my senses and tell me what kind of woman Tanya was. I chose not to believe him. We came closer to falling out than we ever had. But Emmett backed off, much to my relief. He realised that I wouldn't listen. He decided to be there for me when I crashed and burned.

Her skills in bed were extraordinary. I later found out they were in fact legendary - all around Hollywood! She had honed her expertise on many casting couches and it was me, poor sucker,who fell hook, line and sinker for her. Desperation to try and bring some normality into my life clouded my judgement.

Emmett had become one of the best friends a guy could ever wish for. He was always there for me. He was one of the few true friends I had. Sure I had lots of so-called pals – sycophants and hangers on. People who surrounded me to supposedly help and look after me. People who disappeared as quickly as rats off a sinking ship once I really needed them! There was only one man who stood by me throughout my trial – you've guessed it – Emmett McCarthy. My one and only true friend.

Next chapter will deal with the murder.

Lots of people are reading, please give me some feedback so I know you are enjoying it – or not!