Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

I would love to thank the wonderful women who help me. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't know what to do with myself. But, remember we are not perfect and even though six eyes are better than two, we are human and make mistakes. So, thanks to my beta(s) on this chapter: dannibags, piesmom

I plan to update this story once a month at the moment. I can't give you a specific day yet, but I will be sure to include that in the notes if that changes. I'm working on three stories at once and I think a schedule would be the best idea. So, please bear with me here. If I am able to update sooner I will, but I didn't want to say every week and then something happen and I couldn't make it.

Warning: If you are interested in getting involved in the lifestyle, please take care and do research. Don't jump in the middle of the lifestyle after reading stories. Find a mentor in your area, find out about munches in your area, get out and get involved before you begin to play. Always be safe, sane, and consensual.

What do you think Bella thought about Edward? Do you think she will be surprised when she learns that he is Carlisle's nephew? Let's see what Bella thinks of Mr. Cullen aka Mr. Masen.

Chapter 4

If Looks Could Kill

BPOV

I slammed the door in Mr. Masen's face. I really wanted to bend him over my knee and whip the shit out of him. What I wouldn't give to turn his ass a cherry red? In that moment, I would have given anything to hang him from my cross and torture him for several hours until he learned the appeal of pleasure and pain.

I huffed around the studio trying to figure out what to do with myself. Jared was scheduled for tonight, but after Mr. Masen's visit, I wasn't much in the mood. Well, if I would have went into that playroom with him, there would have been a good chance he would have suffered the wrath that Mr. Masen deserved. He was a little disappointed at first, but when I said I would give him a double dose next week, he was happy again.

Instead, I worked on the computer getting different packages printed out for my clients. When I had finished for the night, I finally gathered my things and the pictures he had given to me, and made my way home.

After finding something to eat and getting a glass of wine, I sat down on my couch and carefully studied the pictures again. I had marked each of my pictures with a special watermark for each person receiving a copy of the photos. My pictures where saved on my external hard drive, which I have locked up here at home.

The client's photos had a very small watermark with my initials on them. And, Carlisle's has a little bigger watermark with both our initials on his. However from the looks of the pictures he had taken,I knew they weren't the originals. But, the watermark wasn't visible. So, I didn't know whom they could have come from. Plus, the pictures weren't of one couple, but a couple of different couples. There were pictures actually missing from the sets.

Maybe when Mr. Masen found the pictures, he pulled the ones, which depicted what he would call the worse acts of violence to copy. There were other pictures in the sets of photographs that showed the different levels of submission. Not only the submission, but the love and respect each couple had for one another.

Those were the aspects of the photos that stood out to me. When the bottom would have a certain look in their eyes knowing what could potentially come next. I never told the clients what to do with one another. I would direct them for the best lighting or angle, but never how to perform in front of me. I mainly run around capturing everything that stood out to me. And, when the look I wanted, when their bodies would bend to achieve the love and trust they had to have with one another, was when I would get my best shots.

I sighed dropping the photos onto the table. I was hoping to see my mark on the copies. This would help me to know who to warn about a noisy friend or relative, but I was lost as to whom to go to. I could potentially ask my client's if they had family or friends over, but I felt that it might be to forward of me to ask. Or, maybe inquire where they keep their pictures. But, I didn't want to scare them if it wasn't them.

I knew Carlisle's nephew was in town, but would he really be that deceitful? I mean, Carlisle and Esme were exceptional people and wouldn't lie to save their souls, but his nephew I didn't know about. I worried about the type of influence his father might have had on him. Even though I didn't know the extent of his disgust in the lifestyle, I had to wonder if that was who had the pictures. But, his last name wasn't Cullen … not unless he used an assumed name. Would he do something like this? I was left with more questions than answers. So, I decided I would discuss things with Carlisle to see what he thought about it first.

I didn't like the fact that someone could get a hold of this information so easily. Hell, this information could potentially damage careers, if placed in the wrong hands. If someone had known that the lady in one of the pictures was a teacher, she would have definitely been out of a job. Thank God, Carlisle and I both had always suggested using masks or something to conceal their identities. Otherwise, people could end up getting hurt or worse. But, we also had to be careful where these pictures were located. If a child found them, whoever possessed them could be in trouble. So, whomever these pictures were taken from didn't properly hide their photographs. I always tried to express these things upon my clients that had children.

One thing Mr. Masen had right was that living in this lifestyle wasn't always the easiest thing. People judged us and didn't understand or take the time to see that it was a need within us. There have been people in this lifestyle that had lost their jobs, their children, and even been run out of town. It's really a sad situation, but it does happen.

If Mr. Masen had called the police today, I would have allowed them to search my studio because there wasn't anything going on. The majority of my clients were seen in their own playrooms or playrooms that the club offered for rent. I tried to never conduct any of those business deals out of my office. I meet clients at the club, restaurants, or even their own homes.

The only time clients were given the address to my studio was when the photo shoot was over and they had received their pictures. However, if somehow they came to my studio, I would hand them a slip of paper with an address to the club or restaurant and a time we could meet;always somewhere other than here.

To me, this kept my business clean and away from the lifestyle, and it was a suggestion of one of the attorneys at the club. Yes, all walks of life participated in this lifestyle, and it required levels of security to keep their private lives private. I thought that people who walked around advertising what they were didn't have anything to lose from doing so.

I had never experienced the mishaps of this lifestyle, but I took precautions against it. I didn't charge my clients in the dominatrix aspect. However, I did kindly ask them to donate to a charity of their choosing or if they couldn't think of one, I always went with the Women's Abuse Shelter downtown. Once they had proven they had donated, then the sessions would begin. I felt like this was protecting me from being charged with prostitution and being that I wasn't having sex with any of my clients then, everything worked out.

There was always room for something bad to happen. There are ways a person in this lifestyle could get in trouble, and what I always worried about was if a scene turned out to be more intense, painful, or harmful than the submissive thought it would be; therefore, causing them to call the police. This was the reason I canceled on Jared. What if I had hurt him in the process? That wouldn't have ended well for me. I had to think about both our mental states going into a scene.

Of course, there is always the worry of serious injury or an injury that another might consider abuse. To the outside world, some scenes are not viewed as consensual and could even be misconstrued as being illegal, causing the concerned person who witnesses them to involve law enforcement in the process.

I've seen a couple of people that have held grudges against the lifestyle and call the police. That's what I worried about with Mr. Masen. If he held a grudge or didn't like the community he could cause some trouble, and the pictures would be the first bit of evidence.

The other and more common to me was a jilted submissive. It happens all the time when two people split. If one is not happy about the situation or the fact that they have found someone new, they can claim abuse or assault. But, this could also happen in any relationship whether it is a D/s or vanilla.

I told Mr. Masen that everything was done with consent, which it was, but consent wouldn't stop the fact that I too was an active participate in the scene. Consent didn't always standup in the court of law, and that was something the community wanted to get passed. Aro and several other members worked on getting the law makers to allow us to use consent as a defense in areas where it was necessary and clearly something the submissive had asked for beforehand. But, we were still viewed as perverse, deviants, or even immortal for doing those types of things to people. If only they could see that it was all consensual encounters between adults and not a brutal sexual assault, everything would be better.

I got up from the couch and made my way to my room. I wasn't getting anywhere thinking about the things that were said or even the laws regarding things. I would call Aro tomorrow and give him a heads up. I knew if I needed him to come and mediate the situation with Mr. Masen, he would, but I was truly hoping that Mr. Masen would forget the photos and move on with his life.

~MLML~

Other than Mr. Masen on Friday, my weekend was pretty great. I finally found the time to get all my photos printed and was actually ahead of schedule for once. I shouldn't have taken that wedding three weekends ago, but hind sight twenty-twenty; it ended up all working out. I always hated doing them, but my receptionist Angela begged me to do the photos for her and Ben's wedding; so, I caved. It really was a beautiful wedding and for a fleeting moment, I actually wished it was me with someone special.

With Angela being gone for two weeks on her honeymoon, things had gotten pretty backed up at the studio. I felt bad that I hadn't been able to get to meet Carlisle's nephew earlier. The timing was just awful. I had gotten everything done, and with me canceling on Jared, it had allotted more time to get things done so I could have dinner with them.

I pulled up to their house, noticing the Silver Aston Martin sitting in the driveway. I scoffed; of course he would be a rich boy. He was already starting off on the wrong foot with me. I felt like he would be like everyone else I had ever encountered in my life.

I opened the door to the house and walked in. Esme and Carlisle knew I was coming, and if they were in the middle of playtime, the door sure as hell wouldn't be wide open. That was something I learned with them. Carlisle always had an open door policy, so to speak. I firmly believe, if he thought it was safe to leave his doors unlocked all the time, he would.

I smelled the wonderful aroma coming from the kitchen. I knew where Esme would be just from the smell of things. Esme was an excellent cook. I could hold my own, but I didn't do much being by myself. I needed a man who didn't mind cooking either.

"Hey girl," I said walking up besides her looking into the pot.

"Hey, about time you got here," she said smiling.

"Yeah, it's been crazy since Angela got married and left for her honeymoon," I sighed.

"I bet it has," she said lifting the spoon to her mouth to taste.

"Mmm," she said.

"What are we having tonight?" I asked.

I knew we were having something with tomato sauce, but I didn't know what.

"Spaghetti," she said pouring the sauce over the meat I hadn't noticed to the side.

"So, how are things with Carlisle's nephew?" I asked walking to the refrigerator to get myself a bottle of water.

"He's great! Oh, Bella … I can't wait until you meet him. He's absolutely gorgeous, and he has the greenest eyes I've ever seen," she said mixing the meat and sauce. The green eyes … hmm my green eyed submissive that I could never make out all of his face because he was wearing a hood.

"He's tall and lean with copper colored hair."

I listened and tried to remember the color of Mr. Masen's hair from the studio, but I wasn't paying attention to the way he looked, and if I had to give it a color, I would have said golden brown or reddish color.

"He's so polite and sweet," she said gushing about him.

"We will see," I said into the opening of my bottle. I wasn't going in there thinking he was the next best thing to peanut butter. I had done that before in my life and ending up being sadly wrong.

"Come on, the foods ready and the boys are in the dining room," she said picking up the sauce, meat bowl, and the garlic bread, while I grabbed the wine and the pasta.

We walked into the dining room, and I had all my attention focused on the food I was carrying, making sure I didn't trip. I wasn't always sure footed and carrying too many things at once made my odds of falling even greater. I heard his voice before I saw his face.

"Isn't it a mental illness?" he asked Carlisle.

I looked up the same time he did and the look of shock was written all over his face.

"You," I seethed.

"You allow this trash into your house?" I asked looking directly at Carlisle. I couldn't believe he would allow someone who thought our lifestyle was deviant, sick, and perverted to be sitting at his table.

"Isabella," he scolded.

"You will respect me in my own house."

"Yeah, fuck that … this little twerp …" I pointed at Mr. Masen "… riffled through your things, finding private pictures, and then came to my studio to confront me. I have to respect you, but he doesn't like our kind," I seethed.

"I will take care of him, but you need to step out and calm down, before I ask you to leave," he stated.

I was pissed, and for Carlisle to use the damn dominant card and voice on me was a wrong move. Just because I respected him and looked up to him in some ways didn't mean he needed to kick me out of his house. However, I did need a cigarette before I marched in there and dragged Mr. Masen back to Carlisle's playroom and whipped him into submission.

I walked to the edge of the estate, far away from the house. Hell, I think I stomped the majority of the way, but once I got there, I leaned against the boulder that was right on the forest edge.

I pulled out my pack and beat the pack on the palm of my hand so hard that the whole thing was dented at the top. I figured I better stop before I destroyed all of my cigarettes. I opened the pack and pulled a cigarette out placing it between my lips as I placed the foil and trash into the pocket of my jeans.

I fired up my cigarette, drawing the first toke into my lungs. I blew the smoke out of my nose working on calming myself. Half way through the cigarette, I finally calmed down enough. I knew Carlisle wouldn't hold it against me once I told him everything Mr. Masen had said to me, but it was getting to that point.

"He's not that bad really," Carlisle said coming up behind me.

"Could have fooled me," I sneered.

"He doesn't know the ins and outs, Bella," he said calmly.

"I didn't either at one time Carlisle, but I never said anything negative to anyone associated with the lifestyle. You didn't know that he had my pictures and accused me of operating a sex ring out of the studio," I huffed.

"He's been talking today about the lifestyle, asking questions. I think since seeing the pictures, which by the way, he wasn't riffling through my things, but knocked them off the desk while using my computer; he's intrigued," he said.

"He thought the bottoms were being abused," I sighed.

"Wouldn't everyone think that?" he asked.

"Yes, because everyone thinks they are being abused if some strikes them."

"A common mistake," he mused.

"Common enough that he asked who they were. He wanted to talk them into pressing charges against the top. I didn't give it to him."

"That's good, remember Aro says to always remain calm and don't offer any information," he stated.

"I know, but next time, I want Aro present if I plan on talking to Mr. Masen," I said motioning toward the house.

"Why did you call him Mr. Masen?" he asked puzzled.

"Because that is the name he used, and I don't know if he is a Cullen or not. Hell, I don't even know his first name," I said looking over at Carlisle as I stubbed my cigarette on the ground.

"I don't know about letting him use my house," I stated.

"Yeah, that was what I was afraid of. God, Ed is going to hate me even more now," he sighed.

"Who's Ed?" I asked.

"My brother, Edward's father," he said. At least now I had a first name.

"What's the deal with his father?" I asked. I wanted to know if he had spread the same thoughts and stupid ideas to his son.

"We had a falling out years ago," he said looking out into the forest.

"He walked in on my girlfriend and me at the time. I was just starting in the lifestyle, and I had her tied to the bed."

"That doesn't sound so bad," I mused.

"That's not the worst of it. Ed quickly walked back out of the room. I think he would have been okay with me just having her tied up, but it was a combination of things.

We were still in school at the time he walked in on me. Edward Sr. is two years older than me, and he was getting ready to graduate when everything went all to hell. Ed had just proposed to Elizabeth. Things were going great, and she moved into the apartment we shared. I was still with Carmen, and we had been actively participating in the lifestyle for a couple of years.

One night Elizabeth noticed marks on Carmen's wrists from the handcuffs we had used the night before and had a fit. She complained to Ed, and he casually asked me about it. When I explained that Carmen liked to be restrained, he gave me a high five like I had done something awesome."

"That doesn't sound bad," I replied.

"It's not, that's not where things went all to hell. That was the beginning."

He leaned up against the boulder, and I fired up another cigarette. Offering him one in the process, Carlisle didn't smoke often, but with him telling something hard to discuss, I figured he might need a little nicotine.

"There were different incidents like the handcuffs … bruises on her thighs or back, something Liz would notice and comment about them. I overheard her talking to Ed one night about how she thought I was hitting Carmen and abusing her. She threatened to call the cops if Ed didn't set me straight."

I watched as he sucked the smoke into his lungs and blew it out through his mouth.

"He talked to me again, and once again, I assured him it wasn't abuse and that we were just having some kinky fun. Ed once again acted like it was all good. Until Valentine's night, Ed and Liz were out to dinner, and Carmen and I wanted to capitalize on the fact that no one was in the house. I had her tied to the coffee table in the come fuck me pose," he smiled.

The 'come fuck me pose', it was a good pose. The bottom was face down on the floor with their ass in the air, grabbing their ankles.

"I had her wrists tied to her ankles and a ball gag in her mouth. I was rotating strikes with my riding crop when Ed and Liz walked in on us. But, there's more. I had already disciplined Carmen earlier in the evening for being a brat, and her ass had small blue bruises and was still red. The strikes from the riding crop only added to the scene."

"Proof you were abusing your girlfriend," I mused.

"Yes, and that was all they needed to call the cops."

"They didn't?" I asked shocked they would go that far.

"Oh, they did, and I was arrested for assault on a female," he said.

"How in the hell did you get out of it?" I asked amazed that he not only got out of it, but somehow still managed to become a doctor with it on his record.

"Aro and Felix," he said stubbing his cigarette out on the side of the boulder.

"Aro and Felix, they were in Chicago?" I asked perplexed.

"No, we went to school here at UW. Mom was originally from Washington and Dad was from Chicago. They met when he was in Washington on a business trip. Mom moved to Chicago. Ed and I always wanted to go to UW, so that is what we did. Aro was my mentor, and Felix was Aro's inside man," he smiled.

It sounded like nothing had changed; it still worked that way to this day.

"Carmen, also just happened to be Felix's sister. So, he talked to her and the cops, and before long the charges were dropped. They weren't as strict about things like that back then."

"So, what happened after that?" I asked wondering how things finally imploded.

"I was locked up for seventy-two hours, and when the charges were dropped, I was released. Nobody bothered to come and pick me up. I walked home. Ed was sitting on the couch when I walked in. He was disgusted that his brother could lie to him, that I would hurt a woman, and that I didn't feel terrible about doing it. I tried to explain to him what I was and how I felt, but he was convinced I was a pervert, sexual sadist, and a deviant. There were other things he called me, but it doesn't matter now."

Carlisle picked up a rock and threw it into the woods.

"He disowned me that night and kicked me out of the apartment. I went to live with Aro for a while, and figured out how to get myself back together. Ed and I were always so close and did everything together. It was like someone had kicked me in the gut. He wouldn't talk to me if he saw me on the street. He moved back to Chicago when he graduated. I went home one summer hoping to patch things up before I headed to medical school. It was pointless; Liz was pregnant and wouldn't allow me in their house. Ed told all my friends from the neighborhood. I got my ass kicked several time that summer, and even fathers of the girls I used to date cornered me wanting to know if I had ever touched their daughters in that way. People in the neighborhood cursed me and called me a heathen. Hell, some of the women would avoid walking around me. It was like I had coodies or something. I confided in my mother, letting her know I was still the same boy she knew and loved. She never once condemned me for my choices and still loved me no matter what. I wasn't going to let them run me out of town until they tied me to a tree and beat the shit out of me. They left me for dead, and the one person who should have come to my rescue was the one cheering them on."

I broke down and started crying. Oh, my God, they had tortured him because of his sexual preferences.

"I'm so sorry," I cried.

"It's not your fault," he sighed.

"Did they get in trouble?" I asked trying to wipe the tears from my eyes.

"I didn't tell on them. An angel found me that night, and I have never let her go," he smiled handing me a tissue from his pocket.

"How did you?" I asked holding up the tissue.

"You wear your heart on your sleeve when it comes to injustices."

"Esme found you?" I asked.

I couldn't believe she hadn't told me about it.

"Yes, she was in the park when she saw the commotion."

"I thought she was from Washington too," I mused.

"Nope, Chicago, but you will have to ask her about her past. I won't share it."

Now, I was curious.

"I thought you moved out here after college," I said confused.

"We moved to Dartmouth, for a while, so I could finish medical school, and I have never run into people who knew me from college except for people from the community. I didn't get out much during college, always stuck in a book and easily missed," he shrugged.

"But, you knew my parents," I said trying to figure everything out.

"Charlie was a bird of a different color. He knew about Carmen and Felix. Hell, he knew about Aro, and when I was with them, he knew about me. Your father was new on the force when it happened. But he never judged me. Your father had a keen eye for details and information. He would have made a damn good detective, but he was happy being a beat cop. Your mother was the same way. She always accepted me for who I was and not what I did in the privacy of my own home. That's why we were such good friends."

Carlisle talked for a little longer and promised to talk to Edward about things and just get everything out in the open. I told him if Edward came and apologized and was clearly remorseful that I would allow him to move in, but only if he could understand the situation. Carlisle agreed and told me he would let me know.

I didn't even go in the house. I walked straight to my car and called Esme to apologize to her for leaving without telling her goodbye. She told me we would have to talk soon, but wasn't mad for me leaving.

I was completely blown away by the way people could behave over something that was really none of their business. Like Carlisle had said about my parents … what I did in the privacy of my own home was no one else's concern.

I crawled into bed and fell asleep dreaming about my green eyed submissive.

A/N: All right another installment for this story. I hope everyone is enjoying the ride and don't worry, I have to build Edward up to being a bottom. It will take time and there will be a little twist in here, but no heavy angst. I'm tired of writing heavy bad guys at the moment. The next chapter we will see Edward and his chat with Carlisle. Hang on while I get everyone lined up and ready to go. As always be kind and review.