Quick note- some people have asked about Bella's back story. It was in chapter ten. Maybe you missed the update.

I left her sleeping, unable to bear saying goodbye. I'd be back tonight or tomorrow and then take Carlisle with me. Project "Destroying Aro" was now starting in full gear. I had two objectives today: one, to get him to offer me a position in his organization; and two, to get close enough to his computer to plant the small devices on it Carlisle had given me—and hopefully, in it. Today would be the right day to plant the devices—they would be activated at another time, but they needed to be in place.

I made sure to take all the precautions Carlisle and I discussed, and his brilliant idea yesterday was now living reality on the seat beside me. How he managed to do these things so quickly, I had no idea and I didn't care. The fact he did them was good enough. I patted my pocket, suppressing a shudder, knowing if needed, what was in there was for Bella's protection. I didn't even ask Carlisle how he obtained what was in the small bag. I didn't want to know. Everything I did now, there was the added layer of needing to make sure she was okay.

Carlisle had done a quick search, and we'd both looked over the information we could find on her father and background to make sure neither were connected to Aro in any way, since he had been in law enforcement as well. I couldn't risk my operation—or her. But he was exactly what Bella thought—a good guy. The pictures we found were few, but I could see she looked like him. The on-line obituary was short, and the comments scarce, mostly talking about his service record. Bella was as alone in the world as she thought she was. Until now. I had to get this done so we could start new, and I could make sure she was never alone again.

But for now, I had to dismiss her from my thoughts and once again become Anthony. My foot pressed down on the accelerator a little harder.

Showtime.

~o0o~

"How is it, Anthony," Aro drawled in that nasally, strange voice of his, "you manage to show up with no notice? I can't track you, locate you, or even know you're approaching until you show up at my gate? How do you stay so…invisible?"

I shrugged, keeping my facial expression impassive. "Another talent, Aro."

"Indeed. I don't like it."

Again I shrugged.

There was a trace of impatience in his voice. "You took your time getting here. The snow ended two days ago."

"I wasn't exactly within city limits."

"Where exactly were you?"

I pulled a folded piece of newspaper out of my jacket pocket, tossing it on his desk. "Nowhere that exists anymore."

He reached out, snagged the article; a cold, emotionless smile on his face as he read about the farmhouse burned to the ground, located in the opposite direction of where I had actually been staying. Carlisle had been right when he said Aro would want to know where I'd been and had paid to have this story planted in the local paper. He thought of everything.

"No survivors?" he asked. "No…extra guests?"

Shit. He wasn't going to let this go.

"Nope."

He studied me over the newsprint. "For how insistent you were on keeping the girl, you didn't keep her around long."

"I never keep things past their expiry date, Aro. Ever."

"Not…fresh enough for you?"

I steeled myself, making my voice cold and detached. "Not …respectful enough."

"Ah." His eyebrows rose. "And?"

I pulled the small pouch out of my pants pocket and dumped the contents on the wood. The small items lay on the dark stain, glowing white under the bright lights. He stared at them, his eyes wide.

"I…don't…like…biters," I spat out.

His gaze bounced between the teeth lying on his desk and my face which I knew was dark with fury—but not for the reason he thought it was.

He leaned forward and I covered the small discs with my hand. "Mine, Aro. No one touches my…trophies but me." Then I scooped them up and poured them back into the pouch, replacing it into my pocket. I leaned back in my chair, crossing my legs and swinging one in what I knew he thought was anger. "Any other questions?"

His face contorted and he threw his head back, his creepy-ass laughter sending chills down my spine. It was everything he was—dark, twisted and nasty sounding. I hated his laugh as much as I hated him.

"You, Anthony, are a man I can identify with. We think alike. No one touches my trophies either."

"I bet you have lots."

"I might be persuaded to show you one day."

It took everything in me not to jump up and tell him to show me now. Instead I feigned nonchalance. "One day. You insisted I come here—so talk."

His eyes narrowed. "You try my patience, Masen. Don't make me kill you—it would be a waste of your talent."

I chuckled low in my throat. "If I wanted, Aro, you'd both be dead before Felix could move his fucking pinky finger. So either talk or pay me what you owe and I'll leave. I don't really give a shit either way."

Grudging respect crossed his face. He began to speak again and I held up my hand.

"Privately."

Felix growled from his corner.

Aro shook his head. "He stays."

"I showed you enough respect to come alone, so show me the same and discuss business with me without your lapdog."

Felix stepped forward, his sheer size menacing without the murderous look on his face. I gazed at him impassively.

Aro tented his fingers. "Leave us, Felix."

He grunted. "I'll be right outside the door."

I waited until he had left. "How many cigarettes does he smoke a day?"

Aro shook his head. "None. Over a year ago, there was a fire—purposely set. Felix was protecting me—he saved my life and ended up the one injured. It damaged his vocal cords, left the scars on his face and affected his eyesight. He almost didn't make it, and when they took the bandages off I hardly recognized him. He sacrificed himself for me."

"That's loyalty."

"He is one of the few I trust."

"I got rid of your mole, Aro—what else do you want from me?"

"Felix can't be everything I need anymore. But he has a job with me until…he doesn't."

I didn't need to know anymore. I highly doubted there was a retirement package in Felix's future.

"So?" I promoted.

"I want you to join me. Work for me."

I shook my head. "I work for myself. I don't take orders. From anyone."

"Consider it a consulting job."

I pretended to consider it. "Doing?"

"I need more…enforcement than Felix can provide. I want to know who planted the mole and make an example of him. I need the…reaction your being in my organization will cause."

"Reaction?"

He leaned forward. "When word gets out we are now a team, the ripples of fear will be…delicious. The great, invisible assassin Anthony Masen within my inner circle?" His fingers bent and twisted. "We'll be legends."

"I'm already a fucking legend," I growled. "I did it on my own. I don't need you, Aro." I stood up, towering over him. "And I repeat. I don't work for anyone."

A glimmer of fear passed over his face, and he jumped to his feet. "I meant no disrespect."

I shook my head. "Not interested."

I turned to walk away. I hadn't even taken three steps when he spoke again. "Name your price."

I pivoted, my heart racing. I had him. "What?"

"I'll give you six million."

"And what exactly do you want for six million, Aro?"

"A few months of your time. I want your continued…enforcement and your…expertise. No one will cross me with you on duty."

"Are you still being crossed?" I asked, already knowing things were still happening he couldn't explain. "You don't think taking out the mole was enough?"

His fingers drifted across the keyboard in front of him absently. "I don't know. Things are…occurring. I can't explain them, Felix can't help and I still don't know how White got in. Getting rid of him probably was enough, but I want to make sure. I want to send a message."

"Which is?"

"You don't fuck with me."

It took everything in me not to laugh. I was so going to fuck with him, and the asshole was going to pay me to do it.

I paused, exhaling heavily, pretending to reconsider his proposal. "Twenty million."

His eyebrows rose. "That's a lot of money for a few months."

"Not compared to what you'd lose if things keep 'occurring.'"

"What's my guarantee you won't take the money and disappear?"

"My fucking word," I spat back. "I'll take half now—consider it a signing bonus—and we'll revisit in a few months. See where things are at." I flashed him my darkest smile. "Not that I'll sign a fucking thing."

Inside I was smirking.

Not that you'll be around in a few months either, asshole.

"Ten."

I shrugged and turned away again.

"Fine. Twenty. Ten now."

"I only want half of it wired to the account I gave you before. The other half to a new one."

"Give me your details and I'll make sure it's done."

I smirked. "The new one requires my password."

"You're trying my patience, Masen."

"I don't take orders from anyone. We need to be clear on that. I'll work with you—not for you."

"I want you here on these grounds. There're private suites."

"I'll stay here, but I need some private time. And Carlos is free to come and go. He needs to look after my business for me. If I have something to handle—I handle it, no questions asked."

"I'll give you a car."

"Fine."

"All your equipment will be provided."

I knew what he was doing—he wanted to monitor my movements. Follow me. Little did he know, it would never work.

"Whatever. I can use any machine."

"I want your loyalty."

That I smirked at. "The only thing I'm loyal to is money."

He sighed and started typing on the keyboard, his annoyance showing in the way he pounded the keys. In a show of boredom, I sat down, sticking my hand in my pocket. Cautiously, I felt the lining until my fingers found the miniscule piece of equipment Carlisle had given me, sliding it onto the tip of my finger. Thanks to Carlisle's insistence of practicing the move, it was done quickly before any movement was even noticed by Aro.

"I need your information."

I stood up, moving behind him. "I need to be sitting."

He stood up and moved to the side. I sat down smoothly, making a show of pulling the laptop toward me. The tiny chip easily affixed itself to the bottom of the laptop, forming itself to the hard plastic instantly—just as Carlisle said it would. Then I held up a memory stick. "I need to use this," I stated.

"What is it?"

"It interfaces with the new banking system I use. It only verifies my identity. You can watch."

His eyes never left the screen as I plugged in the device. Exactly as I said, banking information filled the screen, hiding the memory stick's true function. As I pulled out a piece of paper and entered the account number I had jotted down, then repeated the pattern with the number I had memorized for the other five million, it silently planted the software Carlisle would need to bring Aro and his empire down. I made as many errors as possible, muttering the whole time about how Carlos handled this shit usually, making sure the device was complete with its hidden function. Satisfied it was finished, I pulled out the drive. "Done."

Aro shouted for Felix and I stood up and moved back to the chair, watching as he came back in. "Get Demetri and check it," Aro snapped.

A thin, nervous looking Demetri came in and sat down, not saying a word. His fingers flew over the keys, first typing in a set of test parameters, then passing a piece of equipment over the laptop. I picked up a bottle of water, breaking the seal and taking a drink, hiding my smirk as Felix nodded at Aro.

"All clear."

Of course it was. Neither the software nor the chip were activated and both were undetectable and would remain so, even when Carlisle started them. They would begin working when I informed Carlisle they were in place. Once their jobs were done, they would once again be deactivated and undetectable. I would remove the chip when and if I had the chance and Carlisle would erase the program. I didn't plan on being here long enough for either to be discovered.

Aro sat back down. "Now we begin."

I set down the bottle of water.

"We begin."

Thank you for reading. See you mid-week.