As always, none of this is mine. This belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just like to dabble in the playground she created.

Up next will be a jump in time … probably leading up to Uncle Jimmy's wedding, Bella and Edward talking about their future, some Mobward being Mobward and drama. Thank you for reading and I'll see you in a couple of weeks!

Chapter Sixteen

Bella

Sitting in the kitchen at Jimmy's home, I was flipping through a bridal magazine to find a matron of honor dress for Sue's wedding to my uncle. It was early May and the wedding plans were nearly completed, save for my dress choice and choosing a wedding cake. Lauren was going to design a dress for Sue and was nearly done with it. I had no idea what it looked like, so I was going in blind in choosing my dress. The only thing I knew was that the wedding was going to be casual.

Leah was on the floor playing with Charlie, who was squirming and trying to explore the new space. Sue was sitting on the overstuffed couch, watching over my son and her daughter.

Seth was standing behind his fiancée in the kitchen, trying to pick out wedding invitations. Uncle Jimmy was experimenting. He was trying to figure out how to incorporate some new ingredients into his menu at The Blue Swan.

"Bells, try this," Uncle Jimmy said, putting something onto a plate. "What does it need?"

I took the proffered plate, cutting into the meat. I moaned when I tasted the meat. "Oh my God. This just melts in your mouth, Uncle Jimmy. What is this?"

"Beef spareribs," he answered. "How's the sauce? Too spicy? Not spicy enough? Be brutally honest, Bells."

"What are you planning on serving this on?" I countered. "Mashed potatoes?"

"I'm thinking some homemade mac and cheese," he replied.

"Then, the sauce is too sweet," I said, focusing my attention to the sauce. "You need more heat and the sauce needs to be more savory, less like a barbeque."

Uncle Jimmy nodded and pulled out another pan. He began throwing ingredients into it, muttering to himself. I snickered, enjoying the remaining meat on the plate.

I'd been staying with my uncle since Edward was out of town and had been for the past week. I was fine with staying at the house on my own, but Edward wanted me to either stay with his parents or with my uncle because Jake, Felix, Liam and the rest of the guys needed to go with him. Seth was staying back since he and Claire had several appointments they couldn't miss.

Alice was staying with Peter and Charlotte in Carlisle and Esme's home. Carlisle was with Edward, doing whatever Mobwardy thing they needed to accomplish. It was a big deal. Most of the family was needed and they flew to Italy. My husband checked with me when he woke up and before he went to sleep every day, but I missed him. I slept like shit without my husband. Charlie was persnickety, anxious to see his 'dada'. Though, his vocabulary had expanded in the past few months.

Dada, momma, no, ball, yuck and yay are his favorite words.

He also picked up his father's potty mouth.

Charlie was sitting in his highchair, enjoying some apples with Nonna Esme and he blurted out 'fuck', giggling happily. I blushed furiously, gaping at my child. Esme stared at him in shock, but gave me an understanding smile. I'd been pretty good at curtailing my cursing, but it appeared that Edward had not. With Edward as Charlie's father, it was a foregone conclusion that inappropriate language would be a possibility. Also, trying to reason with a baby was insane. It's like arguing quantum physics with him.

No, Charlie, you can't use the word 'fuck.' It's not good for babies to use.

Mommy and Daddy did a lot of fucking to create you …

What?

I reamed out Edward when he got home from work that night and have implemented a very pricy swear jar. I think I raised nearly $10,000 in the first week, alone. The worse the cuss word, the more expensive it was for the jar with the f-bomb being a whopping $1,000.

My Mobward needed to learn that cussing is not good around a growing child, who was essentially a sponge.

"Oh, I think we found our wedding invitations," Claire breathed. "They're so elegant."

"Let me see," I smiled.

Claire pushed a catalogue to me, showing me a photo of some slate gray and soft dusty pink invites. "Seth is already giving me grief about our colors, but I'm only getting married once. I love pink and gray, with cream accents. It's not like I'm making you wear a pink tuxedo."

"How am I supposed to look tough in pink?" Seth asked, his nose wrinkled. "My masculinity is going to be questioned, Claire-bear."

"Says the man who called his fiancée 'Claire-bear'," I teased. Looking up at Claire with a smile, "I like the invitations. They're elegant, but whimsical, too. Perfect for your spring wedding."

"Speaking of which, will you be one of my bridesmaids?" Claire grinned. "I don't have many girlfriends because of my work. The few female officers I know are bitter that I'm a detective they're still on the beat."

"I'd be honored," I said, walking to her and hugging her tightly. "Who's your maid of honor?"

"Leah will be the maid of honor, but in name only. I'll probably have you or Alice sign the marriage certificate," Claire answered, looking back at Seth. "More than likely, you. I'm closer to you than I am to Alice. No disrespect to her, but she's so high-strung."

"I agree," I laughed. "At Alice's last doctor's appointment, she was threatened with bed rest. Her blood pressure was too high. She needed to find a new doctor to fill in for her while she was on maternity leave."

"Have you found someone?" Seth asked. "I know that the Boss is fearful of letting too many people into our inner circle."

"We have. Jasper, Edward, Emmett and Jenks have vetted our second doctor. His name is Dr. Manny Moretti. He used to work with the Volturi's," I explained. Marcus was the one who suggested him to work with our organization. He'd been working in New York, but was looking to relocate to Chicago. He's moved into the same luxury condo building and has a state-of-the-art clinic in the Consortium building. He also had full access to Alice's clinic in their basement.

"What's your take on him?" Uncle Jimmy asked. "You are the best judge of character, Bells. I've learned quickly that if you don't trust someone, they are not worth knowing. I should have known that Victoria was bad news because you never took to her."

"Good point," I snickered. "And I've met Dr. Moretti in passing. We chatted and he seems nice. Easy on the eyes. Very Italian model-esque. He's handsome, knowledgeable, and good at what he does. He stitched up Liam after a skirmish with some Chinese gang members. You could barely tell he was injured."

"Do you trust him?" Seth pressed.

"I don't know him well enough to trust or distrust him," I replied honestly. "As long as he takes care of the guys in the organization, I trust him. He's vetted and was trusted by Marcus Volturi."

"A man who was your enemy," Claire frowned.

"A man who was our enemy, but who has atoned for his sins," I argued, keeping my voice quiet despite the fact that most of the people in the room knew about the inner workings of the organization. "He was sickened at how Royce and Stephan handled what happened, the dishonor among them. He was a man of honor and he valued the old ways. He respected Edward, Carlisle and the Consortium because the held the same values despite being an enemy of the family. Plus, how he's taken care of Rosalie after what happened to her …"

"I tell you, Bella is the best judge of character," Uncle Jimmy said, stirring the sauce on the stove. "Try this, Bells. Better?"

"So needy," I chided, gliding over to my uncle and taking a taste of the new sauce. "Hmmm, much better. This will be better with a mac and cheese base." My cell phone rang and I slid it out of my pocket. "Oooh, it's hubby. Charlie, Daddy's on the phone."

"Dada!" Charlie squealed, clapping his hands. I laughed, scooping him up and walking to my room. I set up the phone and answered the FaceTime call. When Charlie saw his father, he reached for the phone. "Dada! Dada! Dada!"

"Oh, mio figlio," Edward breathed. "I've missed you, both of you. Dolce, you are a sight for sore eyes."

"Agreed," I smiled, holding Charlie in my lap. "When are you coming home, Capo?"

"Jasper is booking the flight now," he grinned. "Things took longer than anticipated, but we're flying home as soon as we are able."

"Are you going to tell me why you had to fly to Italy for?" I asked, arching a brow at my husband.

"When I get home, dolce," he replied, taking off his glasses. I saw how exhausted he was. His green eyes were drawn and I could see fresh lines on his face. He pinched his nose and yawned. "From the moment we took off to this meeting until this phone call, I haven't stopped, Bella. I missed being home with you and Charlie."

"Dada!" Charlie giggled.

"Daddy loves you, Charlie," Edward breathed. "I'll be home soon. I promise."

"Home," Charlie nodded, snuggling back into my belly and idly playing with my necklace. "Dada home."

"Has he gotten smarter since I've left?" Edward asked, his voice wistful.

"He's talking more. Some of it is still baby babble, but we're hearing more and more actual words. This was the first time he's used the word home," I chuckled, kissing my son's wispy, red hair. "He was saving it for you, to tell you to come home."

"If I could click my heels three times and be home, I'd do it," he laughed. "Anyway, we're on our way. I'll be taking some time away from the office for a month, or two. Emmett is going to be in charge of the real estate and investment aspect of the company. I need to focus on the other side of the organization. Things are … out of control. I've been so focused on restructuring things that I didn't realize how much discord there is among my soldiers. I need to rebuild their trust. I need to fight alongside …"

"Edward, I don't like hearing 'fighting,'" I whispered.

"Not literally, cara," he said, shaking his head. "I'm so sorry for freaking you out. Bella, I promise I'll explain more once I'm home and back in your arms. I love you more than words can say. I love my family. I just need to fix the situation with my men."

"There's more that you're not telling me, Edward," I argued, pursing my lips.

"There is and I'll tell you more once I'm home," he said.

"Is it something about Maas?"

"That's part of it and the rest is something I won't discuss over the phone," he said passionately. "Bella, dolce, please, you have to trust me."

"I do trust you, Edward," I breathed. "Just get home. Be safe."

He nodded, giving me his signature crooked smile. "While we were talking, Jasper texted me and said he got a private jet for early tomorrow morning. I should be home by eight tomorrow evening."

"Does this mean I get to go back home?" I asked. "Not that I didn't love spending time Uncle Jimmy, Sue, Leah and their motley crew …"

"It's not the most comfortable situation," he retorted, wrinkling his nose.

"I miss my bed. I miss my husband curled around me in our bed," I said. "I miss my own space, my privacy."

"I think I remember when you and I first met, you moved out of your apartment with Uncle Jimmy because of …" Edward blushed and blinked down to Charlie, who was starting to drift off. "Well, you said that your uncle was getting more action than you."

"I was more focused on my schooling," I snorted. He yawned and rubbed his face. "Go to sleep, capo. I love you and I'm happy you're coming home."

"I'm happy I'm coming home, too," he replied, his voice scratchy. "I'll text you before we take off. You'll probably be asleep when we depart from the air strip outside of Rome."

"Sounds good, baby," I breathed. "Be safe."

"Always, my love," he replied and he kissed his fingers before pressing them to the phone screen.

The call ended and I leaned back on the bed, holding Charlie on my chest. My baby boy cuddled into my arms and fell deeper into slumber. I joined him, happy that Edward was on his way home.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

Edward

"Boss, you awake?" asked Felix. I opened my eyes, seeing him as he walked over to me. We were waiting for the private jet to fly us back to Chicago.

"For the most part," I answered groggily. "The past two weeks have kicked my ass."

"They kicked all our asses," he murmured. "And not in a physical way. Emotionally, mentally and psychologically."

"We have a lot to talk about when we get back to Chicago," I said. "Alliances have shifted. People's priorities have changed, Felix. Ours included."

"I like where we're going, Boss," Felix nodded. "Carlisle started the changes you've implemented, but you've taken us to the next step. That next level, Boss. Regardless, both of you have honor and respect the old ways. Other members of this twisted brotherhood do not hold that same respect. I just hope that … do you believe what Sean said?"

"I can't believe he found out all that information about Maas, detailing how truly dirty he was," I retorted. "And he's delusional in thinking that I'm involved in his sister's murder. Or as involved as he believes."

"I'm talking about the intel he has on Bella," Felix whispered, blinking to me. "He knows."

"He doesn't know, Felix," I said, shaking my head. "After we took care of the rats who sold us out … Bella is not going to serve any time. I'll go down for it."

"Boss, she needs you," Felix said. "The organization needs you." He stared at me, arching a brow. "I swore an oath to protect you, protect your family."

"Felix …" I whispered, reading between the lines of his impassioned words. "I can't ask that of you …"

"A life for a life," he said, standing up and smoothing his suit coat. "I was there. I have a motive, opportunity and the weapon used to kill both men. If push comes to shove, I'll protect this family. You've done the same for me, Boss." With a brusque nod, he turned and walked back to the front of the plane, leaving me in shock.

I loved my wife. I loved my life with her, the family we were creating and the legacy we were establishing with Charlie and the leadership of the Consortium. I also loved the loyalty of my men, especially those in my inner circle. It was my soldiers on the fringe that I needed to bond with. Hence my decision to take a leave of absence from the real estate company. Emmett was a brilliant businessman and he could take our company into the next decade, making it successful, even more so under my tutelage.

"That says a lot about you, son," Dad said, sitting down next to me. "About your wife and your leadership."

"You heard what he said?" I asked, crossing my legs.

"I did, Edward," he replied. "The information that Sean shared with us regarding Maas is damning, to the say the least. It's damning for him."

"How so?" I pressed.

"He goes through with this investigation with you, his connections to Royce, Stephan and organized crime will become apparent and he will lose everything," Dad answered. "Think about it. He's obsessed with you. He believes that you killed his sister. The only way he'd connect you to his sister is through her connection to Royce and Peter's monetary gifts from the Bratva and Stephan."

"Royce's and Stephan's bodies were discovered in a burned building. They were dug up from the unmarked grave in an Elburn cemetery. Their decomposed bodies were found and they were able to determine that both men were shot," I hissed. "The bullets had been removed, obviously, but it was apparent that they'd been shot and what type of caliber was used to kill them both. On top of that, this brewing war with the Bratva and Chinese Triad, it scares the fucking shit out of me."

"They've been quiet for a long time. This was long overdue," he grumbled. "With our alliance with the Irish Mob and Mexican cartels, we should be fine."

"I was hoping we could …" I trailed off. "I'll support our allies. I'm a man of honor, but I don't want to lose anyone."

"I don't want to lose you, Emmett, Jasper, or anyone in our inner circle," Dad breathed. "So, you need to be on the offensive. Do you know about what's going on in Chinatown? Any Bratva movement in the city?"

"After Royce's death, the Bratva cleared out and the remaining members are so far in hiding that we can't track their movements. The Bratva is more apparent in New York, Los Angeles and Seattle. Anthony is going to keep an eye out in New York. Sean's cousin, Conrad, is going to flush out the Bratva in Seattle. He lives just outside of the city, in Tacoma. One of our new cartel allies, Marco, is going to work on the Bratva in Los Angeles."

"And the Triad?" Dad asked.

"We're monitoring them. Recently, they pinged on our radar and we'll increase our presence in known Triad hotspots," I answered. "It's not just in Chinatown that they are spreading their influence. We're seeing some Triad presence in Wicker Park, Glenview, Boy's Town and Wrigleyville, too."

"How so?"

"Drug sales, massage parlors," I listed.

"Massage parlors?" Dad snorted. "How is that …?"

"They're fronts for illegal prostitution. People go in for a massage and end up with a 'happy ending.' These men and women owe money to the brokers who paid for their passage to the States," I explained.

"Oh, gross," he grumbled. "And sad."

"Up until fifteen years ago, we weren't much better, Dad. We had a prostitution ring, pimping women out and they paid us nearly half of their take," I snapped.

"The difference between the massage parlor and what we did was that those women could walk away," he snapped back.

"Could they?" I argued. "I remember being called to a flop house when you were out of town, flying to New York. One of those women was eager to leave and she was raped, Dad. I found her body, bleeding from everywhere." I arched a brow, gesturing to my crotch. "Her pimp told me that she needed to learn her place and she did. I didn't like that response and I shot him. Right in the johnson, which was covered in her blood. This was not the first time that this happened, Dad. However, it was the breaking point."

"You were so adamant on pulling us out of that aspect of the Consortium," he choked out. "I remember when you approached me about that and moving our focus to drug sales, night clubs, casinos and weaponry."

"And since then, we've stopped with the drug sales, focusing on night clubs, casinos and weapons, along with some mercenary work," I said. "Are we hurting? No. We are still living like kings, with the Chicago Police in our pockets."

"Not everyone, it would seem," Dad sighed as he scrubbed his face. "Peter Maas and his minions are clearly not on our side, Edward."

"And the only way we can stop that is to stop him," I said definitively. "We either need to make Peter disappear, or stain his reputation with CPD where he has to leave the city."

"Do you want to kill a cop?"

"I don't, to be honest. Even a cop as dirty as Peter Maas," I responded. "We may be on the other side of the law, but I respect the police. I don't want to kill a cop because that will bring us down. It will bring me down and I don't want to spend the rest of my life behind bars, while my wife and son go on without me."

"I vow to you that you won't. Edward, your son will know you and love you," Dad said fervently. "Now, focus on spending time with your family when you return to the states. A couple of days with Bella and Charlie will not be a bad idea."

"I'm thinking that I spend some time with them for a week and then work with my inner circle to devise a plan to flush out the remaining Bratva members and shut down the Triad businesses, forcing them out, too," I explained.

"If they are as eager to bring us down, they will clap back," Jasper said, sitting down across from me. "They are getting bolder, Boss." He handed me a file, with information regarding Triad movements. "They're also forming alliances with some Latin gangs. They're going against the cartel's word of allegiance, disagreeing with the alliance we created in Italy."

"We made one alliance, with one Mexican cartel. There are so many more," I said, shaking my head. "Those guys could work for them. The largest Mexican gang in Chicago is Los Muertos and I know that they are not working with Marcos Arroyo and his crew. Felipe Sanchez is the head of their organization and is an arch enemy of Marcos."

"Fuck," Jasper spat. "What does this mean?"

"We rely on our Irish allies and call on our friends if we need to," I said. "We also need to reach out Felipe and try to get him to work with us. If he thinks that working with the Triad is a good idea, he'll be burned badly."

"They're not called snakeheads because of their tattoos," Jasper growled. "They'll bite the hand that feeds you, if it means that they'll move up in the world. Ruthless, cunning, evil."

I pursed my lips. "Line up a meet with Felipe and the head of the Los Muertos. We need more help, not enemies."

"When, Boss?"

"A week after we get back. Find a location that is off the beaten path. We don't want to be interrupted by the cops and if things go south, we can easily take care of the problem," I said, my voice cold and deadly. "Now, I want to get some sleep before we land in Chicago. The past two weeks has been stressful as hell. I've got a migraine."

"Got it, Boss," Jasper nodded. "Sleep well." He got up and sat down back in his seat, tugging down the shade and stuffing his ears with his ear buds.

"I'm proud of you, son," Dad murmured, kissing my temple. "And get some sleep. You do look like shit. Bella will kick my ass if she knows that I let you get this run down."

"Thanks, Dad," I said, giving him a wry smile. "I couldn't have done this without you."

"You did do this without me. You created that alliance. It was your brainchild," Dad said, squeezing my shoulder before he got up and moved to his seat, across from Emmett. He gave me a crooked smile before picking up his iPad. I followed Jasper's lead and closed the shade. I leaned my seat back, taking my glasses off and putting on some noise-canceling headphones. Within a few moments, I drifted off and stayed asleep until we began our descent into Chicago.

It was so fucking good to be home.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

Bella

I was sitting on the back patio, watching the fire burn in the fire pit. Edward was sitting forward, his hands clasped around the baby monitor and watched me with rapt attention as I processed what he'd told me.

The Bratva and the Triad were declaring war on the Italian Mafia and Irish Mob. They had said, in no uncertain terms, that they were all going down. The leaders were being targeted. Sean received several threatening letters and he was an acting head of the Irish Mob in New York City. Edward hadn't received anything, but Marcus had in his protected compound in Sicily.

"So, this is why you're … you're shifting your focus from the company to the Consortium," I whispered.

"As much as I hate it, yes," he answered. "My attention has been split and there's a real threat from the Bratva and the Chinese Triad. Plus, there's this whole situation with Peter Maas. The bodies have been found and they know that they were shot."

"I could be implicated," I said, shaking my head. "I could go to jail. I did murder …"

"Bella, you acted in self-defense," Edward breathed, standing up and moving to sit next to me.

"No, I acted like a cold-blooded killer. I gleefully shot Royce in the dick and I watched him die. I'd do it again in a heartbeat," I said.

"And, you're not going down for it," Edward said, staring into my eyes. "We're going to bring him down. Both him and your mom, Bella. They will not wreak any more havoc on our lives. By year's end, they will be nothing but a distant memory."

"How can you say that?" I pressed.

"Because, one way or another, Maas will not be our problem. We're going on the offensive. We're digging up dirt; we'll bring him down and run him out of Chicago," he answered. "Same thing with your mother. Without a fucking dime, too. She'll be so embarrassed and mortified …"

"Good," I barked out harshly. "My incubator is a worthless human being. I don't care how you make her disappear, but if she's out of my life permanently, I'll be so fucking happy. No more random phone calls or surprise visits, demanding money. She deserves none of it. Nothing." I looked back to the flames, watching them dance with the wind and wood. "What's going to happen, moving forward?"

"That's what I don't know. I have a plan, but I need to flush it out," he said, moving behind me and pulling me back against his chest. "Regardless, you will be protected."

"You have to protect yourself, too, capo," I whispered, threading our fingers together. "Promise me that you'll do that."

"Always, cara," he whispered back and kissed my temple. "For now, let's enjoy the week I have off. Let's do some things as a family. We have tickets to the latest Cubs home games at our sky box. We should take Charlie."

"Sounds perfect, Edward," I said, relaxing further into his embrace.

We stayed out on the back patio until the flames flickered out. The air had a bit of a chill in it, holding to the last few vestiges of spring before the warmth of summer descended upon us. Edward slid his arm around my waist and kissed just below my ear. I whimpered, turning my head and capturing his lips with mine. Without words, he stood up and tugged me to our bedroom.

Clothes were shed from our bodies. We came together, becoming one and moved as one body, one being. Our lovemaking was not about release, desire. It was about comforting, loving and relishing the gift we had in each other. We also were lost in the emotions of how much we felt for each other. If I lost him, I'd be devasted. The same for him. He relied on me to be his light, his love, his joy. Edward was my strength, my confidence and my happiness.

The next couple of days, Edward recuperated from his trip. Jet lag kicked his ass. He also didn't sleep much while in Italy, making him susceptible to illness. He caught a cold and he was laid up. Our plans were put on hold, doing things as a family, until he got better. I didn't blame him. He'd been on for two weeks straight and it caught up with him.

While Edward nursed his cold and caught up with his sleep, Sue and Leah came over to discuss Sue's wedding to my uncle. We also made some final decisions for my dress after Sue showed me a picture of gown, which she couldn't do while I was staying with them. Uncle Jimmy was always hovering. The dress I picked out was royal blue and matched the casual vibe of their wedding.

By the end of the week, Edward and I were able to go to the baseball game. We went with Carlisle, Esme, Emmett and Lauren. Jasper and Alice were invited, but Alice didn't follow Dr. Myerson's suggestion to relax and she was placed on bed rest until her blood pressure went down, or when she gave birth to their baby girl.

It was official.

Alice was pregnant with a girl.

Unfortunately, the baby did not let that information known until after her baby shower in late April. A lot of the baby gifts were gender neutral and I know that Alice wanted to everything perfect the baby nursery, including pink and purple necessities for their daughter. Not green or yellow.

It didn't jive with her aesthetic or the Feng Shui of the room.

Suffice it to say, I went shopping with Jasper to return all of the gender-neutral goodies and to completely fit out the nursery in all things girly while Edward nursed his cold.

While at the game, Lauren and Emmett announced that they were moving in together, after a friendship of over a year and dating for another year. They were looking for a house in the same neighborhood as Edward and me. I also knew that Emmett was thinking about asking Lauren to marry him. He'd asked me to look at engagement rings that might be a good fit for Lauren, but with his past history with Rosalie, he was apprehensive in taking that next step.

We celebrated with a round of beers and with a Cubs win. Unfortunately, we had to leave shortly after that as Charlie had a complete melt down. He'd caught my husband's cold and was also teething, making him a cranky old man at nearly eight months old. That combination made my normally easy-going son into a little hellion. Nothing would calm him down and we needed to get him home. He needed some baby Tylenol and a cold teething ring.

Once we got home from the baseball game, Edward made the executive decision to hold off going back to work for another week. He said that he needed more time to devise a more solid plan of attack in regard to Maas, my mother, the impending war with the Bratva and the Triad and moving forward as the leader of the Consortium.

I was happy to have my husband home. I'd missed him more than words could express.

I was worried about the toll that his leadership of the Consortium was wreaking on my poor husband's body, mind and soul. I was terrified that he wasn't going to die from a bullet or a threat on his life, but from his own stress. In the two years since he'd taken control of the organization, he'd aged. His hair, while still thick, was greying at the temples. His eyes had dark circles underneath them and his face was drawn.

Regardless of my opinions, I would support my husband but I didn't want to become a widow.

Something had to give.

xx MOTM:FFF xx

Edward

It was Memorial Day weekend. Instead of celebrating with my wife and son, barbequing with my family, I was driving to a run-down, dilapidated apartment building. I was meeting with Felipe Sanchez, who was the man in charge of the Los Angeles gang, Los Muertos. Along with Felipe, the local leader of the Los Muertos, Esteban Sanchez, was meeting with us, too. Esteban was Felipe's younger brother and he was bringing his son, Roberto.

Felipe was a man I could negotiate with. He seemed logical and amenable to common sense, with a cool head. Esteban and Robert were both known to be hot-headed, angry men who relied more on their weapons than their brains. They had a tendency to shoot first, ask questions never.

Death was the only language they understood.

As a precaution, I was wearing a vest underneath my button-down shirt and I was sweating my balls off. Summer had come with a vengeance. It was already ninety degrees and had been for a majority of the month of May.

"Do you think you can negotiate with Felipe?" Jasper asked as we drove to location Felipe and I agreed upon through several phone calls and texts.

"Felipe? Yes. His brother and nephew? I'm not sure and to be honest, highly unlikely," I answered honestly. "We cannot make anymore enemies. We're being stretched too thin as it is. We need help." I rubbed my chest, feeling a knot build beneath my ribs. I didn't have a good feeling about this meeting.

"You okay, Boss?" Jacob asked. "You look a little pale."

"I'm always pale," I deadpanned, shooting him a wry look. "And I'm okay. I just want this meeting done. I want to be home with my family. I want a beer and a brat. Simple as that."

"In a few hours, Edward," Jasper said, pointing to a parking lot. "We're here." Jacob eased the bullet-proof SUV into the parking lot.

"You're all loaded and protected?" I asked. I checked my back and felt for my Desert Eagle. I also verified my Glock was strapped to my ankle. I put on my jacket, hiding my weapon and got out once the car stopped. I tapped my ear. "Felix? You there?"

"Parked across the street. Liam is on the roof and Seth is seated in the park behind the apartment building. Felipe and his men arrived about twenty minutes before you," Felix answered through his earpiece.

"How many?" Jacob asked.

"Fifteen men surrounding Felipe, Esteban and Roberto," Liam chimed in through the comm. "All heavily armed."

"Fantastic," I grumbled, rubbing my chest and blowing out a breath. "Let's get this done." With one final adjustment, I walked toward the entrance. Before I even got there, the door was buzzed open and I strode through it, with Jasper and Jacob tailing my flank. My cell phone vibrated and I tugged it out, seeing a text message from a blocked number.

Apartment 420

"Fitting," I sighed. "The meeting is in apartment 420. Let's go." We walked up the stairs to the fourth floor. The apartment building was abandoned, but there was music playing loudly in the hallway. I tightened my jaw, walking down the dingy hallway to the apartment. Several tall, beefy men were standing in the doorways of the apartments lining floor. They were glaring at us. I just ignored them, along with the growing pit in my stomach.

Bad idea. Bad idea. Very, very bad idea, my subconscious repeated in my brain.

"Señor Cullen," came an accented voice. I watched as a short, muscular man with a patchy, black and grey beard walked out of the apartment where the music was playing from. "I'm Felipe. I would say it's a pleasure, but it's not."

"You're here. That's a step in the right direction," I said, holding out my hand. "I am pleased to meet you, Felipe. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

"You said it was important and urgent. What's important and urgent is making sure that I get my money from my drugs and my whores," Felipe growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Well, that money delivery might be disrupted of you don't listen. The Triad and the Bratva are gearing up to fuck us all in the ass, Felipe. Men from gulags deep in Siberia are being trained to kill us and infiltrate our organizations. Our shipments are being disrupted because of the Chinese Triad's hold on the shipping industry out of Shanghai, Hong Kong and Taiwan. We need to …"

"We don't need to worry about any of that bullshit," Esteban spat. "Everything we have, comes from Central America. No need for Chinese shipping industry because it's carried over the border in drug mules and whores. We don't let anyone in that's not our blood, our family. We don't need you." He cracked his knuckles as he glared at me.

"I understand that and I respect your need for self-sufficiency. Don't think, though, that you are not going to be impacted. You may be shipping your product through Central America, but those shipments will disappear, ending up in the hands of Bratva dealers or in Chinese whores. Your profits will be cut in half, if not more, because of their actions. Your men will be at risk …" I said, but stopped abruptly when a gun was shoved into my face. I held up my hands in supplication and I took a step back. "Whoa …"

"You know nothing, asshole," snarled Roberto, cocking the hammer of his gun and waving it haphazardly. "We'll not align with you. You are weak, a pussy."

"Roberto, stand down," Felipe barked. "You're going to get yourself shot."

"He needs to learn a lesson in respect," Roberto hissed, shoving the gun into my forehead. I felt my heart stammer in my chest, thumping against my ribs. I kept my eyes open until Esteban shoved Roberto away from me, pushing him into the cracked wall. I blew out a breath and watched as Esteban wrangled his son, shouting at him in Spanish. They scuffled on the floor while Jasper and Jacob moved to stand in front of me.

There was a gun shot, causing all of us to jump. Drywall rained from the ceiling, into our hair and onto the floor. The music quieted and the world seemed to pause. "The next time, I shoot you in the ass, Roberto," Felipe said lowly, stuffing his gun back into his pants.

Esteban stood up and stomped to stand next to his brother. Roberto was glowering at both of them, his black eyes swirling with anger and hatred. He blinked to me and he snarled on the floor. He shot up, leaving the apartment and shouting about dishonor and betrayal in Spanish.

"He's got a bit of an anger management problem," Felipe said dryly. "Roberto gets it from his old man."

"Fuck you, Felipe," Esteban snapped. "Are we doing this or are we walking away?" He looked at me, his reed-thin and tattooed arms moving anxiously as he clenched his hands into tight fists. "You know my opinion."

"I need time to think," Felipe answered. "What's the best for Los Muertos?" He looked at me with a smirk. "You've got cajones, Cullen. You didn't even flinch when Roberto pulled that gun on you."

"It's not the first time," I answered with a nonchalant shrug, though I was feeling anything but nonchalant. My heart was still stammering against my chest and it was painful. I felt like a had an elephant sitting on my chest. "It most certainly won't be the last."

"I'll be in touch, Señor Cullen," Felipe said. "You know the way out."

With a nod, I turned and we walked down to the first floor. I still had this uneasy feeling, along with the pain in my chest that was only getting progressively worse. Jacob was in front of me and Jasper was just behind me.

"Boss!" I heard in my earpiece. I turned around I watched as Roberto was charging toward us. He stopped about fifty feet away and held up his gun. With a rebel yell, he shot off his entire clip. I felt an agonizing pain in my chest, with another searing pain in my thigh as I fell to the ground. I heard more gun shots around me, along with screams in Spanish and English.

"Boss, can you hear me?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah," I said, my voice raspy. "Are you okay?"

"I am," he answered. "Jasper's been hit. They got him beneath the vest. Felix is grabbing him and taking him to Dr. Moretti's office. You've got to go, too."

"What?" I asked. I looked down and saw two holes in my shirt, which meant I was hit twice in the vest.

"Your thigh, Boss," Jacob said. He removed his belt and cinched it up above my wound. With ease, he hefted me to my feet and we limped away from the carnage in the parking lot.

"Roberto?" I asked.

"Dead," Jacob replied. "His father took him out with a shot to the head." He helped me into the backseat. Seth was clambering in on the opposite side. I groaned as my body lurched in pain. "Boss, stay with me."

"Jacob, drive fast," Seth said with urgency as he pressed his fingers to my neck. "I think on top of being shot, Edward's having a heart attack."

"Call Bella," I choked out, black clouding my vision. "Tell her I … love …"

"Boss! Boss! Open your eyes! Boss!"

A/N: Hides behind Jacob. Protect me, Jake.

When I started writing this, I had one idea, but it morphed into something else. So yeah, major cliffie. I promise not to leave you hanging. My hope is that by the time I post this, I can post the next update the following week.

Anyhow, pictures are on my blog. You can find a link for that on my profile. I'm also on Facebook: Tufano79's Twilight Fanfiction Appreciation. Twitter, too: tufano79.

Leave me your thoughts and send Mobward some healing vibes.