I'm off to the races, cases of Bacardi chasers, chasing me all over town. Cause he knows I'm wasted, facing time again at Rikers Island and I won't go out. Because I'm crazy, baby, I need you to come here and save me. I'm your little scarlet, starlet, singing in the garden. Kiss me on my open mouth, ready for you. ~ Lana Del Rey, Off To The Races

Dark…

EPOV

"You're doing what?" I grunted out, my anger bubbling over. Petrov had done some shady shit since he got back in the game a few months ago. None of it directly impacted any of our operations, so I let it slide. But now he had the audacity to come to me with this?

"It will be a lucrative business, Edward. I'm sure you know that."

Of course, I fucking knew it. Hollywood was swimming in money, my wife's bank account was proof enough. For Petrov to come to me, to ask me to follow his plan on how to use it to our advantage was an insult and he knew it. If anyone was going to bring the mafia into Hollywood, it was the Cullen's.

"Your daughter has one small role on a show and you think you know the best way to do this?" I asked, attempting to keep my anger in check. Once the bridge was burned with the Russians, it was burned. There was no coming back. The look on Luka's face made me want to burn it immediately, but I had to be smart about this.

"I've done my research. I'm sure my family will be able to handle it." The smirk on his face said all I needed to know. He thought he could take over. For years we had an understanding, a hierarchy. The Cullen's were always at the top. We had a lot of shit go wrong the last few years, but we were still making more money, making bigger moves than anyone.

I wasn't going to let the Russian's think they could change that. "You're in over your head."

"My daughter is very observant and willing to help. She takes her time planning things, unlike some people."

Blinding rage coursed through my veins at his not-so-subtle dig at Bella. "Not too long ago you were thanking her for getting rid of Volturi."

"That doesn't mean it wasn't a careless execution."

"Get the fuck out."

The dark chortle he let out as he left grated every one of my nerves. I had been itching to start working the Hollywood circuit for years. It would be an easy place to launder and make money. People had tried countless times before, but their Hollywood connections always got scared and sold them out.

I had something all of those people didn't. A wife with unfailing loyalty and the kind of pull in Hollywood that very few had. I couldn't ask that of Bella, though. I didn't want her to be part of these kinds of things anymore. She had already done too much for me; robbing a bank, killing Aro, committing perjury, she had a rap sheet longer than some of my colleagues. There was no way I was adding to that.

My pride was taking a hit though, that Petrov and his family were getting into Hollywood when I couldn't.

Emmett and Jasper came in then, and I explained the situation to them as well. They didn't see the problem with asking Bella for help, but it was a hard limit for me. I wasn't putting her in that kind of situation again.

We were at Jasper's casino downtown. I tried to keep meetings with people like Petrov rotating, just in case. You never knew when people would follow or try to listen in. So, we ended up here for the night. It was still relatively early, though my mood for the rest of the night was ruined.

Eric entered as we were finishing talking. "Your wife is here, Mr. Cullen."

Well, there might be something that could improve my mood. Before Petrov showed up I texted Bella and told her to meet me here before we went home. She had been in the city working on setting up some function with Alice and Rosalie.

"Where is she?"

"She got, well, distracted by a blackjack table."

That made me frown. Bella had never shown any interest in gambling or playing cards. We all, Emmett, Jasper, and myself, made our way to the main room of the casino and headed toward the blackjack tables. Sure enough, my wife was sitting there with a stack of chips in front of her.

Ben was next to her, keeping anyone else from sitting at the table. She looked adorably focused, twisting a chip in her fingers. She was so focused she didn't notice our arrival.

"Are you having fun?" I asked, taking a seat next to her.

"Oh, good, you're here! How much are these little brown ones?" Bella asked me, holding up a brown chip.

"Five thousand dollars," I said with a smile, noticing the generous pile of them in front of her. "How long have you been here?"

"An hour," Bella said with a smile. "Are you ready to go?"

"Are you?" She seemed to be having quite a good time, I hated to interrupt.

"Yes," she said with a nod. Bella hopped up from her spot and shoved her chips toward the dealer. "Take care of my chips, Joe. I'll be back!"

Laughing, I threw my arm over her shoulder and pulled her to me with a kiss to the top of her head. It had been about a year since Bella took some time off. A year ago this weekend she won three Academy Awards. She was more carefree than I had seen her since the island. I couldn't dilute that happiness with Petrov's business.

Dark…

Weeks later and the conversation with Petrov was still frustrating me. I started keeping close tabs on every member of his family, just to be safe. Our alliance was officially over on our side. The main reason I had always worked so hard to stay on good terms with the Russian ties in Chicago was because I knew how fucking ruthless they could be. Now, all bets were off and we had to be careful.

Tonight, I was meeting Bella at an event she put together with Alice and Rosalie. I guessed she had been approached numerous times about a reunion of sorts with the cast from her Tainted films. She also knew Alice and Rose were looking to raise money for Chicago Public Schools. So, my girl put the two together. Her and the cast were everyone's prize for donating. There would be a Q&A session, and individual photographs to the highest bidders.

The room was already packed when I got there. Most were actually fans of the movies who had spent thousands to get in here. I had to admit, I had no clue how popular the films were. I met Bella when the series was ending and she was moving on from the whole thing, but it was obvious it was a phenomenon.

I stood with Emmett and Jasper, drink in hand, as the announcer said the cast would be out in five minutes for the Q&A. Alice and Rosalie skipped over.

"We've already met our goal, and we've only been here for an hour. This is by far our most successful event," Alice said with a smile.

The room went silent as the Q&A session started, and the cast was introduced one by one. They saved Bella for last, and she definitely got the biggest reaction from the group surrounding us. Our whole family sat in the front row.

"This is the first time all six of you have been together in years. The first movie came out eleven years ago," the announcer, Josh, said.

"God, way to make us sound old," Bella said with a laugh.

"Says the youngest girl up here," one of the others said.

"These movies kickstarted all of your careers. Bella, you went from a girl from a small town to the most awarded actor in the history of the Academy Awards…"

The talk went on, but there wasn't really any new information revealed, at least not to me. But, as I looked around, I couldn't help but feel a little twinge in my chest for Bella. She never wanted this. She didn't want to put on charity events like Alice and Rosalie, never wanted to be a stay at home wife.

I couldn't let her give up on her passion and become someone who talked about the good days when she was able to follow her dreams for a few years. She was too talented for this.

Dark…

"Would you like to go to Ireland with me?" I asked Bella as we were getting into bed a few nights later. She paused, halfway in bed, and stared at me.

"Why are you going to Ireland?"

"My great-grandfather died." Aiden Cullen died earlier today. It was completely expected, he was a hundred and two, but we would all need to attend the funeral.

"Oh… I'm sorry," Bella told me. She got into bed next to me and wrapped her arms tightly around my neck. The littlest things she did made my heart clench. How much she cared showed through in everything she did.

"I'm okay," I said truthfully. "Would you like to come with me? We'll have to leave tomorrow afternoon. It'll be a short trip, a week at the most."

"Of course. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm sure," I said, pulling her into my arms.

A day later we were pulling up to Daniel's home. Bella and I traveled together while everyone else, Carlisle and Esme included, were together. They would all also be staying with Daniel, while Bella and I got a suite at a hotel in downtown Dublin.

Things were tense between Bella and Esme, and I didn't see that changing any time soon. I saw Carlisle on a regular basis but he never tried to push the subject. I hadn't seen Esme in months, not since she tried to blindside Bella on her birthday.

Bella was nervously shaking her leg as we drove down the driveway. She had never met our family in Ireland. She asked me about them repeatedly on the way over, but nothing I said calmed her nerves.

"You have nothing to worry about," I said as we parked. The rest of our family wouldn't be here for another hour or so.

"What if they don't like me?"

Sighing, I leaned over the console and grabbed her face in my hands. "You know all of the praise people in Chicago have given you, about your testimony?" Bella frowned, but nodded. "They did that because you could have taken them all down, easily. You could have taken down the entire Cullen family even easier, and everyone in there knows it. They'll respect you for what you've done for this family, and they'll love you because you're fucking amazing. Okay?"

Bella nodded. The moment we were out of the car Daniel was there to greet us. He pulled me into a surprisingly emotional hug. "I'm damn glad you're here."

He wasn't upset because of Aiden. We all knew his days had been numbered, and he lived a full, happy life. Ever since my resurrection, I hadn't had a chance to visit everyone here.

"You know I'd never go down that easily," I told him. Bella approached then and I wrapped my arm around her waist. "Daniel, this is my wife, Isabella."

"Ah, Isabella, an honor to meet you," he said theatrically. Daniel had one of Bella's hands sandwiched between his.

"Just Bella, please. You're Carlisle's brother, correct?" Bella asked.

"Yes, but don't hold it against me. I'm much more fun than that asshole."

We were ushered inside where Maggie and a few other of Daniel's closest were waiting.

"Don't scare the girl off, Daniel," Maggie said, standing next to her husband.

"Please, if Embry Call didn't scare her off, you think I can?" Daniel laughed, but I could see a slight drop in Bella's smile. She hated any mention of the trial.

Daniel sobered up after that. "All jokes aside, we're all in your debt, Bella. You were stronger than a lot of powerful men have been when in your situation."

"It's lovely to see you under better circumstances," Maggie said, always knowing when to change the subject.

"Better circumstances? Have we met before?" Bella asked, complete confusion covering her face.

"We were at Edward's funeral," Maggie said, her voice soft. "We talked to you at the gathering afterwards but you were completely distraught. I'm not surprised you don't remember."

With an arm around Bella's shoulders, I gave her a firm squeeze. She needed it, but so did I. My imagination conjured up so many images of Bella; her at my funeral, falling apart at the burial, being completely despondent at the wake. No matter how much time passed, that was something neither of us would fully recover from.

"I don't really remember much from then, I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't worry about it, dear. It doesn't matter anymore." Maggie put a comforting hand on Bella's knee, which thankfully didn't make her flinch. "Well, let us introduce you to everyone!"

Maggie went through the small group that was around us. Her and Daniel's son Colin was there with his girlfriend, Ana. There were a few long-distance aunts and uncles, but it was a crowd of fewer than fifteen.

Our Irish relatives were much more laid back. They were at the top of the food chain, so to speak, in Ireland, but they didn't feel the same need to tear down everyone else like we did in Chicago. Granted, there was more competition in Chicago, but even the wives were kinder here, less competitive. It was a nice change of pace from the ruthlessness that we faced every day back home.

The next hour was surprisingly peaceful. It was the kind of conversation I should have been able to have with Bella and my own parents. Daniel and Maggie and the family surrounding us wanted to know everything about her and her career. They congratulated her on her accomplishments and showed sympathy when telling her how worried they were when she was arrested.

When Emmett texted me that he and the rest of our family were almost here I stood, pulling Bella with me. "We should get going."

"You don't want to wait for the rest of your group?" Daniel asked.

"Esme and I aren't on the best terms," I said simply. Everyone nodded, knowing I wasn't going to give much more away than that. "We'll see you tomorrow morning."

With Bella in the passenger seat next to me, we started the drive back to Dublin to our hotel.

"Shouldn't people have been more… sad about Aiden?" Bella asked. It was a valid question. No one even mentioned him during our time with the family. It wasn't unusual that we didn't talk about him, though. We had all grown up in this life, and we had all known his time was coming to an end. Our policy was to save any mourning for the funeral and wake. No one in our family wanted everyone to spend days depressed over their passing. We were Cullen's; we moved on and got shit done.

"We don't like to mourn the dead. We like to celebrate their life. In our business, it's a miracle Aiden lived to be as old as he did." I regretted the words the second they left my mouth. I could feel the tension surrounding us. When I peeked a look over at Bella she was frowning out the windshield.

"You're not dying for a very long time. I won't allow it."

I didn't respond, instead I grabbed her hand in mine and gave it a comforting squeeze.

The next day was busy. The funeral was long and drawn out, hundreds of people from around the country came. The wake at Daniel's home was a smaller affair, but a lighter one as well. It was more about happy stories and memories as opposed to the seriousness of the funeral.

I made sure Bella was by my side at all times. She was acting off, and I didn't have to ask to know why. The last funeral she had been to was mine. The process for our funerals would have been very similar, as would the ceremonies themselves. Bella may have repressed most of her memories of that time, but it was obvious today would be hard on her.

Bella went straight to bed when we got to the hotel. Until we were back in Chicago, I would give her some space. She just needed time to collect her thoughts, realize that things were so much different from the last time she was in a situation like this.

Sometime in the middle of the night, I woke up to soft hands running down my bare back. Taking in my surroundings, I realized I was resting nearly my entire body on top of Bella's. She was sitting up in bed and I had my arms wrapped around her waist, my head buried in her stomach.

My first instinct was to move so she could get more comfortable, but something about the way her fingers would grip my back made me stay still. For a while, she alternated between trailing her hands along my back to gently running her fingers through my hair. Then the mumbling started.

"Edward, are you awake?" she whispered, her hands freezing on my back. I didn't make a move and kept my breathing as even as possible. After a minute Bella sighed and resumed her ministrations.

"Do you ever have moments where you look at someone and you're just like… wow, they're mine. That probably doesn't make any sense, but I just really love you. Sometimes it's overwhelming, you know? How much you mean to me. It's hard to put into words." I know, baby. I love you more than words can express.

"We never should have made it this far. I should have run when I found out who you really were, or I could have died from the shooting. I could have spent my life in prison, or you could have died outside of the courthouse…" Bella sighed, but her hands continued roaming along my back.

I should have interrupted her, let her know I was awake. But I was too comfortable, with my Bella-pillow and soft hands roaming wherever they wanted. I was also never one to let an opportunity to hear Bella's unfiltered thoughts go to waste.

"It's all worth it, though, because you're mine. I get to wake up next to you every day and go to sleep next to you every night. I know your favorite meals and how you like your desk organized. I know the faces you make when you come," she said with a small giggle. That would be something I would dig into later.

"I'm really glad I know you, Edward Cullen. You were worth it."

She said it was hard to put into words, how much she loved me. But, I thought she did a pretty damn good job.

Dark…

The next day we were back at Daniel's estate, along with most of our Chicago family. Unfortunately, it would be hard to avoid Esme today. It was time to meet with the executor of Aiden's will. Thankfully, later tonight we would be on our way back to Chicago. Bella seemed to be in better spirits today, but I still thought getting her home would get her out of this funk.

We were the last to get to Daniel's, considering everyone else was staying there. The lawyer was already here and got right to it. "I need to meet with Carlisle, Daniel, Colin, Emmett, Edward, and Isabella Cullen," he said, reading the names off of a list.

It was a surprise to everyone in the room that Bella's name was included. Aiden had never met her. Still, I grabbed her hand and led her with us to Daniel's office where we would be having our meeting. We all sat in chairs surrounding the desk.

It took hours to get through everything. Aiden had left most of his property to Daniel and Colin, obviously. Some family heirlooms were left to Carlisle, and his fortune was divided among each of us.

Then, the man pulled out a jewelry box and pushed it toward Bella. "Mrs. Cullen, Aiden Cullen left you the bracelet that once belonged to his wife, Cara, along with this note."

Bella took the small piece of paper with shaking hands and opened it. She handed the note to me after she read it and opened her box.

Thank you for protecting my family. You earned this.

I read the note and smiled, appreciating the fact that even Aiden saw Bella's loyalty. Looking over her shoulder, I saw the bracelet in the box. It was gaudier than Bella liked, but I knew she would never wear it anyway. She didn't wear bracelets anymore, she hated things around her wrists. It was obvious she understood the sentiment behind Aiden's gesture, though. Even though he never met her, he was accepting her as part of the family.

As we left the office, Bella with the velvet jewelry box in her hands, the family in the living room went silent. It wasn't hard to guess why. Esme was standing, her face red with anger. Jasper was standing as well, looking equal parts frustrated and confused.

"I knew it. She got the bracelet?" Esme seethed.

The bracelet Bella was holding was a very old family heirloom. Every woman in the family had seen it and heard about it. Aiden loved to brag. When Cara died about ten years ago he started promising it to everyone. It was expensive has hell fifty years ago when he bought it and was worth millions now.

The moment Bella opened the box I knew it was going to cause trouble. Aiden had promised it to nearly every woman in the family, and they all knew it. I knew better than to expect the women of the family, Esme especially, to respect Aiden's decision. Though, in all honesty, no one else deserved it.

Most women in this family turned a blind eye when things went down. I couldn't see any of them ever doing what Bella did; taking over the family, plotting to get everyone out of jail… She wasn't just my wife. She was one of us. She was smart and talented and didn't just sit by while I took care of her.

"Watch how you speak to my wife," I grunted, placing a hand on Bella's waist. It was obvious we would need to get going now.

Nodding at Daniel, he understood my need for a quick exit. I pulled Bella with me but, unfortunately, we had to brush right past Esme to get to the door. Before I could stop her, Esme reached out and grabbed Bella's wrist as we passed.

I felt the shift in Bella immediately; the anxiety and fear suddenly tensing her entire body. "No, no no," she said, frantically pulling her hand out of Esme's grasp. The velvet box fell to the floor with a thud as Bella backed herself into my chest. I wrapped an arm around her to keep her steady.

"It's okay. You're safe," I whispered in her ear. It only took Bella a minute to calm down, then I could see the light blush on her cheeks.

Bella's wrists were her biggest trigger these days. She rarely had flashbacks anymore but having anything around her wrists still caused her to panic. It was understandable, there was nothing more terrifying than having your complete freedom taken away as someone clicked handcuffs into place. Bella practically lived in them for a year.

"Never touch her again," I hissed at Esme, her eyes wide and confused. They shouldn't be, I had told my entire family never to touch Bella suddenly, especially her wrists. Esme knew what she did.

"I don't care about the fucking bracelet," Bella grunted, pushing away from me and picking up the box. She tossed it at Esme, who fumbled with it. "I don't care about the money Edward spends on me or what the Cullen name means. I know you think I'm some gold digging whore, but I don't care.

"I never wanted any of this. It was never my plan to be a mob wife or steal your precious status. I fell in love with a man who happened to be your son. I don't love him because of his job or his money, I love him in spite of that.

"And I'm so fucking sick of you looking at me like I ruined your life. So, take the goddamn bracelet and just… leave me alone."

Bella left the house. One quick look to Jasper and he was following her. Then, I turned toward Esme.

"You never used to be like this. Maybe I just didn't see it because I was always doing what you wanted. I don't know what your problem is, but you're not welcome around us anymore. You don't come to my house, and you sure as hell don't come near my wife."

"Edward –"

"No," I hissed. "From day one I told you how important she was to me and you've constantly undermined that. You've never once treated her with the respect she deserves. You've disrespected me and my wife for the last time."

Esme looked sufficiently rebuked, but it didn't matter. With a swift tug I had the jewelry box out of her hands and turned my back on her. The room was silent as I left, but I didn't care about the reactions of the surrounding family.

Bella's words from earlier left me feeling conflicted. I always knew she didn't care about the status and the money. I was glad she wasn't like most women in her situation. But the way she said I'm so fucking sick of you looking at me like I ruined your life… that left a pain in my gut.

A/N: More fighting with Esme, because more needed to get out in the open. I won't make it a habit, because I find it boring when this happens in fics, but the next chapter will be Bella's POV of the fight and move on from there. I thought it was important to see her side of things, as well as Edward's thoughts on the fight. Hope you don't mind!