Summary: Isabella lived a perfect life with her husband until the abuse started. With the death of her mother, she may have just been given life changing gift: a way out. But with it comes a whole new world that she may not be ready to face. Maybe with the help of her green-eyed savior. Mafia, Crime, Abuse, Hurt/Comfort.

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. Stephanie Meyers owns characters but the plot is of my original work.

Enjoy!

Chapter 20: Start

The first time I ever laid my eyes on the Bella Swan was the morning I got back from a trip with Jasper and Emmett. We paid a visit to our good friends, the Charlottes, in Seattle and by good, I mean they were stealing money from Uncle Charlie. We took care of them, though. It was a bloody mess, and when we got back to New York, Jasper went home to Alice, and Emmett to Rosalie. I went to my parents.

She sure was a sight for my sore eyes.

Of course, at the time I didn't know she was Bella Swan. She was just a nameless beautiful woman. I saw her drive up in an Aston Martin and as she stepped out of the car, she gazed up at the house in awe. She didn't see me watching her through the curtains, and although she was on my family's property, I felt like the peeping Tom. She was stunning, and that was the first thing I noticed. Unlike the type of women I've been with and the ones I'm constantly surrounded by, she was real. She wore a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt, plain and simple, which was a stark contrast to the car she was driving.

The second thing I noticed was that it was Uncle Charlie's, Aston.

I knew that car anywhere, as I've driven it myself a couple times and not a lot of people own a car worth that much money. I frowned and wondered how she got Charlie to let her borrow it. At the time, it somehow got into my head that she was an intruder. That maybe she had gotten hold of the Aston Martin and drove it here to infiltrate the house; that the security guards recognized the car and it was possible they let her through thinking that Uncle Charlie was the one behind the wheel.

I dashed down the long staircase and didn't see her in the foyer. Instead, I found her bent over the table in the kitchen, sniffing the pot of flowers my mother put out that morning. Up close, she was even more beautiful. She had a slender figure with long mahogany locks. As she bent over, her sweatshirt exposed the skin on her lower back. Nestled on her porcelain skin were two dimples—those have always been my weakness.

She didn't have fake boobs, fake tan, or bleached blond hair. Her lips were naturally pink and plump, and with her eyes closed, her eyelashes were long and full. All of this without a single trace of makeup or whatever the hell women put on their faces. I thought about how the last woman I was with, Jessica, reeked of feminine products. She didn't look or taste natural…everything was hidden under a mask of chemicals.

Of course, I ruined it when I opened my mouth.

I was thrown back by the spitfire that she was. I was surprised that she didn't know who I was and that she fought back. The Cullen name was a staple in New York, and in the business world, it was feared. The Swan and Cullen family dominated the whole state, and everyone knew us. Charlie was the only one left in his bloodline … or at least until his long-lost daughter showed up.

She had me at a loss for words—I was angry, shocked, and aroused.

I left immediately after I had a conversation with my father, Carlisle. When I asked him who she was, he hesitated before saying, "Oh, Isabella? She's uh…your Uncle Charlie's…it's not my place to say. You'll have to ask him yourself. But be nice to her. She's a good girl who's been through a lot."

It didn't make sense what he said. I suppressed my curiosity, but that was where the idea that she was Uncle Charlie's girlfriend stemmed from. Ever since his wife left, he didn't date other women. He was solely dedicated to protecting his family from afar. Aunt Renee wanted nothing to do with him anymore, but I knew he watched over them. Everything he did was for them. All the money he made, his daughter would eventually inherit. I didn't know his daughter's name or what she looked like; I just knew he had one. Neither Alice nor Emmett knew about their existence, and they never came up in a conversation.

I didn't bother asking Uncle Charlie to confirm or deny if she was his girlfriend. I may be his nephew, and I may be taking over his business, but Uncle Charlie was still was my boss. I respected him as much as my own father. I wasn't about to interrogate him because I was infatuated with his girlfriend.

It wasn't my place.

X

"I want my money, Edward," Uncle said. "Make sure the Chang's cough it up."

The Chinese gang bought three crates worth of weapons from Uncle two weeks ago. Payment was supposed to come in full by yesterday morning. They were able to wire the cash, but it was only sufficient for two crates. They owed Uncle another fifty thousand dollars. That kind of money was pocket change for Charlie, but he doesn't like being gipped of money he was promised.

Paying the Chang's a visit and getting the money back ... that was easy. Going to Seattle to take care of the Charlottes was dirty work, but it was done. Uncle never got his hands dirty unless it was truly necessary. Therefore, Emmett, Jasper, and I were the ones that got hands-on experience with our clientele. Although many feared Uncle, it was unbelievable how people like the Charlottes and the Changs still tried to fool him. Uncle controls everything, and not a single thing passes by him.

"I'm heading there tonight with Sam," I said.

Jasper and Emmett had their own personal agenda to take care of tonight. I haven't seen them since we came back from Seattle. In fact, I haven't seen her since that day. I was actually quite busy, and I've been on a plane more times than in my own bed. After our unfortunate first meeting, I went straight to Monaco, back home, and off again to Seattle. We needed to make sure the Charlottes learned their lesson and to secure the weapons.

Jasper, however, was quite taken with her after Alice introduced them. It seems Alice and Isabella were best friends. Whenever I was around my parents, her name would be mentioned. My jealousy flared, and I couldn't understand why. She wasn't anything to me. Yet she infatuated everyone in my family.

He shook his head. "I've assigned Sam to take care of something else. Take Jacob with you," he said. Jacob wasn't my favorite person in the world, and I frowned.

I was about to question why when she burst into the room.

I couldn't explain the emotions that ran through my mind. I watched her speak to Charlie in a tone no one else could, and imagine the look on my face when Uncle silently told me to leave. It further proved my theory that she was his girlfriend. No ever told Charlie what to do.

I was undoubtedly attracted to her—it wasn't hard to be, but the fact that I am, makes me a traitor. Cullen and Swan men go through ends to protect the woman they love—even if it means I'm family. My only solution was to stay away from her, and if she's ever in the same room again, respect her.

When I loaded the car that night with Jacob, neither of us spoke. I was in the driver's seat, and he sat stoically on the passenger side. We had Paul, Jared, and Brady with us tonight but they were driving separately. Apparently, they were coming in from a meeting with Sam. There were new security measures taking place, and due to the fact that I've been flying back and forth, I wasn't updated on things.

I wasn't about to ask Jacob either. When he up and left the country for a couple months, I was glad to see him go. I didn't know why he left and I didn't buy Uncle Charlie's story that Jacob just needed time away from home. Something was up, and I knew it was connected to the fact that Uncle disappeared for a whole week earlier this year. Then, he came back, and that's when everything changed.

That was around the same time he pulled out of Witherdale Industries, and that's when he got rid of a couple people on his roster. For one, he stopped all weapon sales with the Chicago families, mainly the Witherdales. No one questioned his motives, and he never divulged that information with us. No one dared to ask either.

When we arrived at the Changs, everything became a haze.

Later that night, I dreamt of her.

She sat beside me, and her skin touched my body. My obsession with this woman was so far gone that I imagined her in my sleep. The manifestation was so strong I can smell her strawberry scent.

Who was with me?

A nurse, maybe?

Growing up, my father and Uncle Charlie were tough on Emmett and me. They put us through martial arts classes, and I learned to shoot my first gun at the age of ten. My parents had a huge fight later that night when I came home and told my mom how much fun the shooting range was. Dad told her that we were safe and that boys liked that sort of thing. I think that was the moment Mom realized that her sons were doomed for a life of guns, gambling, and violence. Alice, well she's different.

I grew up very spoiled. Of course, I took advantage of the privileges I was given. Private schools, fancy clothes, flashy cars, and endless amounts of girls during my younger days. I was used to getting what I wanted and because of that, I have a very dominant and competitive nature. There wasn't such a thing as second place or losing. I hated working alongside Jacob, and I refused his help that night. In the end, I was cornered into a room with five men, and one of them played dirty with a knife. Jacob was the one who ended up carrying me out of there. The good news was we got the money that Uncle Charlie wanted.

When I woke up the next morning, I was neatly bandaged, and a glass of water and painkillers were on the bedside table. Dutifully, I gulped them down and headed down the stairs. Realizing that Jacob must have dumped me back at Uncle's place, Tammy must have been the one to dress my wounds. I searched for her in the kitchen but found her sifting through a pile of junk mail in the library.

"Tammy," I greeted her. "Good morning."

When she turned around, she flew two inches off the ground as she yelped. She clutched at her heart and screamed, "Edward!"

I tried to laugh but the bruises on my ribs hurt too much.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"What the hell happened to you?" she gasped as she came in for a closer look.

I frowned. I guess Tammy didn't even know I was here.

"Jesus, Edward," Uncle Charlie said as he came in the room. "Care to explain what happened last night?"

I sighed and watched as Tammy excused herself.

"The Changs play dirty, Uncle. Always have, always will," I said.

"Figure out who tipped them," he replied. "They knew you were coming last night and had time to prepare. But the money?"

I gave him a cheeky grin. "Coughed it up. Right before Huan's twin brother cut me up," I growled. "I'll take care of him another day."

"Be careful," he warned me.

"Always am."

X

"Jacob," I called out.

He turned around and raised an eyebrow at me.

I didn't see Jacob days after the incident, and it bothered me that I didn't know what happened. He held the door open as I jogged inside the building. The last couple of days, I rested for the most part, but I eventually had to get out of bed—especially tonight. It was Christmas dinner, and Esme would shoot me if I didn't attend.

"Don't you have a dinner to attend?" he asked.

I ignored him as I followed him into the building. Before he turned down his corner, I called after him once again.

"You cleaning up my cuts don't make us even," I said.

"I didn't help you," he replied coolly. "Last I checked you owed me."

I scoffed. "As if," I laughed.

"Get off your high horse, Edward," he growled. "It was in the past, and you got me back. I paid my debt to you. You don't like me, and I don't like you, but we work together. You wouldn't have been jumped if you just let me help you."

"We don't work together Jacob. You work for me."

"No, I work for Charlie," he shook his head as he walked away. Then he stopped and turned around. "Oh, one last thing. Are you too high and mighty to thank Bella?"

"What for?" I asked even though I finally knew the answer.

"For spending the entire night cleaning up your mess," he said. Then he pointed a finger at me as he said, "Don't fuck around with her. You can mess with me, and the rest of us here, but not her. She's too special for Charlie."

"Go fuck yourself, Jacob," I spat. "You work for Charlie now, but don't forget your place after he's gone. You're easily dispensable."

I turned around without letting him get a chance to speak.

Then, I spent most of the day in the office taking care of paperwork. Most of them were contracts for the clients we have and the rest was checking to make sure no one passed their deadline for payment. It was clear during negotiations that Charlie doesn't accept late payments without repercussion. That's usually where Emmett, Jasper, and I come in to collect money or get the guns back.

Before I knew it, it was dark out, and I was going to be late for dinner. I texted Jasper to let him know and drove to my penthouse to get changed. Two hours later, I was pulling up outside Uncle Charlie's. My phone buzzed, and I sent a quick reply to Father. I honked at Paul, and he nodded at me as I drove past the gate.

I walked inside, fussing with the cuffs on my sleeve, and apologized for being late. When I looked up, I locked gazes with the woman who's been haunting my thoughts. I immediately looked away and kissed my mother on her cheek. When I was seated across from Bella, I greeted her simply and curtly.

Throughout the night, I found myself gazing at her. I don't remember what the conversation was, for the most part. At least until Rosalie asked about Bella's new living situation. The fact that she lived with Uncle further proved my suspicions on her role in his life. And when she was asked about her thoughts on having children some, for the first time in my life, I envied Uncle. The way she looked at him and the way he patted her hand…how I wish.

She stuck close to Uncle all night.

I was getting frustrated because I wanted to get her alone to thank her for helping me, but everyone had his or her turn taking away her attention. I tried not to make it obvious that I was watching her but when I glanced at Jasper, he was staring right back. He cocked an eyebrow at me—silently asking me what my problem was.

I flipped him off, and he shook his head laughing.

"You're pathetic," he mouthed.

I shrugged my shoulder, pretending I didn't know what he was talking about.

Jasper moved from the loveseat he was sharing with Alice to plop on the one next to me. He inconspicuously leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Bro, not a chance."

"At what?" I feigned ignorance.

"I've known you since kindergarten. I know that look," he laughed.

"And so what?" I conceded. "What if?"

"Off limits," he replied. "Charlie will blow your head off."

"Fuck off, Jasper," I growled.

"That," he pointed knowingly at me. "Is not nice. Allie, baby, I think Edward needs some Christmas spirit."

He smirked at me while the rest of the family laughed as Alice shoved a Santa hat on my head. During this debacle, Bella somehow slipped out of the room, and I knew that it was the perfect opportunity to speak to her. I excused myself to the bathroom in order to search for her. I found her outside on the balcony.

The conversation started out great, but all my pent up frustration came flowing from me all at once. I wanted to know why she was with Charlie, but the way I said it was too abrasive and offending. I could immediately see the walls go up around her. Her shoulders tensed and her face turned an unnatural shade of red. Her fists balled up and she inhaled deeply. What she said next knocked the breath out of me.

She was Charlie's daughter.

And then she slapped me.

X

The fiasco after Christmas dinner didn't leave my mind the days following. For the first time in my life, I was mortified. I'm not the nicest person out there—I know. I've been told I was heartless, cold-blooded, and dangerous. Those traits came with the job. Working with businessmen and criminals? It's inevitable you become someone with those characteristics. With that said, it's hard for me to express myself emotionally.

I planned to avoid her for as long as I could. Then try to figure out how I'm going to apologize without aggravating her any further. I buried myself in work to keep busy but also secretly hoping that I'd run into her before the year ended. Thoughts of her plagued my mind so much that Emmett and Jasper started noticing.

"Dude," Jasper nudged my shoulder.

I blinked as I realized I was staring into the crate of guns for too long.

"What's up with you?" Emmett asked.

"Nothing," I grumbled.

Jasper snorted. "Yeah, right."

"Pay attention to us if you don't care to share," Emmett rolled his eyes.

"Since when did you get so clingy, Emmett?" I growled.

"Don't mind him. He has blue balls," Jasper snickered.

Emmett's eyes grew wide. "Who?" he asked. "I thought you were seeing Tanya." My face scrunched up at the mention of her. "Is she not giving it up?"

"Giving what up, Emmett? This isn't high school," I glowered. "We had sex once, and she thought we were going exclusive after that. So I dropped her, and she went crazy on my ass. Worst mistake of my life."

"Well that's not who's giving him blue balls," Jasper revealed.

I shoved him away and barked, "Will you shut the fuck up?" He laughed and dodged my chokehold and whispered something into Emmett's ear.

"Fucking Bella Swan?" He boomed.

I looked around to see if anyone heard before hissing at him. "Can you keep it down, dude? I don't want the whole factory to fucking know this shit."

"So it's true?" he asked, a little lower.

"No," I lied through my teeth.

"Liar," he called me out, then he straightened his shoulder and crossed his arms. "Good luck, bro. That's going to be a tough nut to crack."

"Bella's too good for him," Jasper joked.

"Apparently off limits, too," I glared at Jasper to which he simply shrugged his shoulder. "What, she has a boyfriend or what?"

He shook his head. "Nah, none that I know of. Allie and Bella are like new best friends or something. Allie was talking to me about her the other night. That she's been through a lot. She didn't tell me what it was, cause you know, it's not her secret to tell. But it apparently explains why Charlie is super protective of her."

"Bella seems like a cool chick though," Emmett added. "I didn't know that Uncle had a daughter in the first place. Rosie likes her—which, we all know is surprising."

"The ice queen cracks," I smirked.

"Not the point," Emmett gave me a knowing look. "Why not, you know? Uncle Charlie wouldn't mind if you two ended up together. Keeping it in the family." He wagged his eyebrows and thrust his hips forward explicitly.

"Gross, Em," Jasper groaned.

I explained to them about our rocky relationship so far, if you can even call it a relationship. They groaned and smacked their palms on their forehead as I told them about the story, especially about the debacle after Christmas dinner.

"The mighty Edward Cullen must apologize," Jasper mused.

"You finally found your match in Bella," Emmett laughed.

"But seriously," Jasper said. "I said off limits because we," he pointed between him and Emmett. "Know how you treat girls. She's special to Charlie, so you don't get to fuck around with her. If you want her, be serious. Otherwise, this could get very messy for you."

This chapter was edited by SunflowerFran. Thank You!

4/12/2018