Edward walked out of the warehouse, wiping his hands on a rag before dropping it in a metal trash can, stripping his gloves, and dumping them along with the zip ties he still had in his pocket. Unlike the spy he'd tortured on Quinn's birthday, he hadn't lost his temper with the man he just left. Edward's suit remained immaculate, as did his shoes, and every hair was in place. One of his men would set the contents of the can on fire before they left, so he walked away without a backward glance.

Climbing into the backseat of the SUV, he pulled his phone from the center console and pressed the button to wake it up. What he found was a text from Bella that made him smile. While he waited for Jasper and Emmett, he sent a reply to let her know he was pleased she'd had an enjoyable day and that they'd be home soon.

To say Bella had blossomed in the time she'd lived in Seattle would be an understatement. Her classes were going well, she was getting better at hitting the center of the target when they practiced, and she and Rose were planning the upcoming wedding. Recently, Bella had asked if they could use the gym in the basement. Edward was reluctant to allow another person to know of the hidden room so, instead, he had Ben empty one of the unused rooms on the main floor and turn it into a home gym. Specifically, what they wanted was to learn kickboxing. It took a little vetting, but Edward found someone through word of mouth who could be trusted, though he still had Garrett monitor him. So far, Liam was a strictly professional trainer, and the women enjoyed learning from him.

Edward thought back to the conversation he and Bella had on a wintry morning months ago, realizing that she was finally fulfilled. It was a stark contrast to the woman he'd met in Forks; she wasn't cowed by strangers anymore, and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind. She initiated more than conversations with Edward, something he was eternally grateful for, and she commanded respect from the men they employed.

The front doors opened, and Jasper and Emmett got in the vehicle.

"He should be ready to spill the rest by morning," Jasper commented.

"I think we have enough," Emmett countered. "He told us when Heidi and her daughter will be out of town, and how to get into the garage."

"The only thing I want solidified is Laurent's plans." Edward set his phone on the seat beside him. "I don't want to go to all this trouble if the fucker won't even be home."

"So Rat will follow him." Jasper started the car, checking his mirrors before pulling out.

Even after the discussion about how solid their security truly was, Edward felt a paranoid need to check for bombs. Not only had he beefed up security at the house, but he made sure one of his men checked the undercarriage of every vehicle before they even put the key in the ignition. Despite being confident that the garage was secure, he double checked. If they left any of their cars unattended while out of the house, even at the warehouse where no one else had access, they checked again.

To lose focus was to be a dead man, as he always said.

Once they were positive their plan was solid, they would take out Laurent. If his underboss, Diego, was amenable to reinstating their alliance, then he would undergo a trial period. If it appeared he would abide by a new peace treaty, the rest of the Young Family would live. If Diego declined or fucked it up, he would find himself in the grave next to Laurent and their compound would go up in flames.

The ride home was blessedly uneventful, and the first thing Edward did was head upstairs to shower. He didn't believe there was any such thing as being too careful and always burned his clothing after doing anything even remotely including someone else's bodily fluids. His clothes went in a bag to take care of later; he took a second to mourn that suit. However, he put it on that morning knowing what was on the agenda, so he couldn't be too upset over its loss.

The water droplets on the tile told him Bella had recently used the shower, causing him to lament his timing. Though they'd volleyed the idea back and forth, they'd never gotten around to having sex in the shower. Usually, one of them brought it up to tease the other, but the timing of what else they had going on prevented it from coming to fruition. It remained on his list of things to try with his wife, a list they'd managed to shorten drastically in recent months.

Considering what time it was when he finished his shower, Edward assumed Bella and Quinn would be in the dining room. Once dressed, he made his way there to join them. Bella sat at the table, her laptop open in front of her, and Quinn was in his favorite bouncy seat.

"Mo chroí," he said, picking the baby up and kissing him. His reward was a drool-filled smile.

"He's eaten, and Tyler should be in shortly with our dinner," Bella said.

Edward couldn't help noticing she didn't look up from her computer. Standing behind her, he saw that she was busy with classwork. "Did you not have time earlier today to fit that in?"

"No," she said distractedly. "Rose had a dress fitting, and then Liam was here."

"Do you need any help?"

Finally, she looked up with a smile. "Thanks, but I'm almost done."

"Okay."

Finding one of Quinn's favorite toys on the floor, Edward bent to retrieve it and hand it to him. It was odd to feel unneeded for a change, but he took the chance to have a break, sitting on the floor and letting Quinn crawl around him.

Tyler brought dinner in, and Bella set aside her schoolwork while Edward strapped Quinn into his high chair. It was important to her that they both abided by the rule of putting work away at mealtimes, ever since she'd asked Edward to do so several months back.

"We got most of the information we needed," he told her once Tyler returned to the kitchen.

Bella looked at him carefully. "Does that mean the plan is a go?"

Edward handed her the bowl of pasta. "Not yet. We either go back in with him, or Rat follows Laurent to ensure he's at the house before we plant the bomb. We know which car he takes the most often, but we're considering setting them all up after Heidi and Gianna leave."

"How do we approach Diego? He won't be easy to grab, and he's even less likely to agree to a meeting after we take out Laurent."

"I think we'll need to hash that out further. Are you with me tomorrow?"

Bella leaned over to retrieve the sippy cup Quinn threw on the floor. "If I can get this homework finished tonight, then I can be yours tomorrow."

"Can you be mine tonight when Quinn goes to sleep?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Not likely," she said in a serious voice. "There's too much at stake on my next test, and I want to study this evening."

Edward wasn't sure if he should tell her he was just kidding, or let her know he was disappointed. On the other hand, he was proud of all that she'd accomplished and didn't want her to feel that he expected her to be available to him twenty-four hours a day. "Then we'll celebrate when you ace the test."

"That sounds like a deal."

The following day, they gathered in Edward's office to discuss the best way to force a meeting between them and Diego.

Jasper said, "Just send a note through the usual channels."

"But Laurent is about to go out with a bang," Emmett said. "Why would Diego agree to meet with us?"

"If he wants peace," Bella said, "he'll agree."

"I don't know him very well, so I can't say if he's the peaceful type or if he's the come-and-take-it type." Edward paced behind his desk, tossing a longing glance at his liquor stash before moving on. "I would like to think peace would be more important, but there's zero evidence that he's that smart."

Bella dug through her notes. "Have we sent word to the Santiagos yet?"

"Yes, but they haven't responded," Jasper told her.

Bella acknowledged his response with a nod. "Are we sure Diego is worth saving?"

"Honestly, no," Edward said. "But Laurent is the one who tried to kill an untouchable."

Emmett shifted in his seat, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. "It doesn't seem necessary to kill both of them when all evidence points to Laurent being solely responsible for trying to kill the two of you."

"But wouldn't it follow that he's the same in the Young Family as you two are in this Family? Edward may make the ultimate decision, but you're right behind him. Diego is likely the same."

"Bella, you make an excellent point." Edward propped his shoulder against the fireplace. "The only reason I want to make the effort is that it's always better to have peace than constant bickering. If the rest of the Families remain in their territories and stop squabbling, then we can stick to worrying about our own issues and not watching our backs quite as carefully."

"That feels like a naïve stance to take."

The air in the office stilled at the same time as the occupants.

Emmett cleared his throat. "Why do you say that, Bella?"

Before speaking, Bella was the one to stand and pace. "Every time a Family tells you they want to make peace, what do they do? They stab you in the back. First, Aro Volturi sends a spy, then claims he wants peace so you relax your guard. Thinking he's bold to send Marcus, you kill him and have him delivered as retribution. What do they do? Do they abide by their claims of peace above all else?"

"Of course not," Emmett murmured.

"Exactly. Then Laurent Young says he wants to meet me, to remain friends and allies. After entertaining us in his home, ensuring he knows precisely where we are and setting us up as targets, he tries to kill us."

"So, you think that regardless of what Diego says, he'll never want to form an alliance."

Bella pointed at Edward. "After we've killed his boss, his friend, why would he?"

"The target will be squarely on our backs this time." Jasper scrubbed a hand over his head, mussing his hair. "It'll be obvious it was us, and it won't matter that it's in retaliation for them trying to kill your wife."

"Why are there rules if everyone breaks them?" Emmett muttered.

Bella returned to her seat. "Great question."

Edward addressed the room. "Have we turned the discussion from offering an alliance with Diego to taking them all out?"

Jasper shrugged. "If it's war either way, shouldn't we stack the deck in our favor?"

Bella tapped her pen on her knee. "We've yet to approach the Denalis. Without the Volturis on their side, they might be more open to forming a friendship with us."

Edward had to admit, at least to himself, that his wife was damn smart. "I haven't reached out to them because we're nowhere near the same as the Volturis. If that's the type they want to make friends with, we're fucked before we even ask."

"If you don't ask, you don't know."

"I'll think about it." Edward picked up the phone on the desk. "We need to get back to the warehouse."

Jasper snorted. "Hope Randy was gentle with our friend since the last time we were there."

"What will you do if the guy died?" Bella asked.

Jasper stood, stretching his back. "Grab a new one, I suppose."

"I didn't think it was that easy."

"It's not."

Edward set the phone down. "Randy says our reluctant snitch is still breathing and he can have him coherent by the time we get there." He looked at Bella. "Coming or staying?"

He knew by her expression that she seriously contemplated joining them. "I'll pass. I want to study more for my test tomorrow."

"Fair enough. I might miss dinner."

"Understandable."

Though it wasn't in his nature, Edward stopped on the way out the door, turned back around, and wrapped his arms around Bella as she stood from her chair.

"Thank you for your input."

She braced her hands on his shoulders. "Y-you're welcome."

With fervor, he took her mouth with his own, showing how he felt with actions when the words wouldn't come. She swayed on her feet until he steadied her, then he left the house.

They needed to find out more about Diego's movements if they had any chance of pulling off a double hit. It needed to be perfectly timed, or one of them would go into hiding and they'd all be fucked. Alternatively, they could take down Laurent and pretend to hold out an olive branch to Diego, taking him down in person when he met with them. There were so many variables to consider that Edward's mind was focused on that and nothing else the entire ride to the warehouse.

"Boss, we're here."

Edward surveilled the surrounding area before stepping from the car. It was not the time to drop his guard, not even for a half second. The warehouse smelled like piss and vomit, scents to which Edward was unfortunately accustomed.

"How are we this fine day?" he asked, walking closer to the man tied to a metal folding chair in the middle of the empty room.

Not really expecting a response, he wasn't surprised when the man said nothing. However, he had expected him to be awake.

Edward looked over at one of his lieutenants, Randall, who'd been charged as the babysitter overnight. "You said he'd be coherent."

"He just needs another few minutes."

Edward glanced at his watch. "What am I supposed to do in that amount of time, Randall? Find ways to trade you for him?"

Randy stepped over quickly, slapping the man's cheeks a few times. He roused enough to open his eyes, though his head lolled.

"Listen up," Edward said, squatting in front of the chair. "What can you tell me about Diego?" The man's eyes slipped closed again. "Fuck!"

Jasper rounded on Randall. "He's five seconds from dying, dumbass. You said he was alive and willing to talk."

Randy cleared his throat and put his hands up in defense. "These things change fast. I got him to open his eyes and nod his head when Mr. Cullen was on the phone."

"Well, you fucked up, because now he's dead. You wanna be next?"

Randy blanched at Jasper's words.

"Éirigh as mo radharc." Rising, Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to decide what to do next. "Get out!" he bellowed when Randy didn't move.

Calmly, Emmett said, "We'll plant bombs on every car left in the garage when the wife and daughter are out of town."

"It'll do for Laurent, but not Diego." Edward headed to the door, pissed enough that he knew he'd do something stupid if he stayed.

Jasper fell into step beside him. "We'll figure it out, boss."

"We always do," Emmett interjected.

Maybe they could figure it out, but would the alternate plan be any good, or had they sealed their fate by not questioning the man fully the previous day?

Mo chroí~ My heart

Éirigh as mo radharc~ Get out of my sight