Chapter 3

I couldn't believe my ears. I was about to ask a million and one questions but I was too spitting mad to get them to form coherently in my mind.

"Bella. I am so sorry to say this to you now. I knew your mother and father a long time ago. Before they were murdered."

I flipped. I couldn't listen anymore! I got up and ran. I could hear the ladies calling after me but I couldn't take it anymore.

My mind had officially snapped. I was running. Something I had done for so long. I made it to the hotel and started throwing my shit in my suitcase. I would only be able to take 1 of the 2 suitcases. I could buy whatever else I need when I got to where I was going. I had no clue where I was going only that it had to be away from here.

I was stopped in my track when I entered the living room and there was Edward sitting on the couch with an older gentlemen that had blonde hair and blue eyes. Both stood when I entered.

With his hands up and talking to me like I was some sort of skittish animal the blonde started to speak.

"Isabella my name is Carlisle. Before you leave I think I need to speak with you. Will you please listen and then decide what you want to do? If you want after we are done I will make sure we leave you alone and you will never see us again." Carlisle told me and Edward only glared at his father.

"Esme and I were married for a couple years as were your mother and father. They were so in love and quickly fell pregnant with you. We had already had our twins Edward and Emmett when you were born. They had been about 2 years old when you came into this big world. Charlie and I were best friends and you grew up toddling behind Edward and Emmett. You had to of been 4 or 5 years old when your father got accepted as chief of police in Washington. That was the last time we saw you until I saw you just now. When we heard of your parents' murder we searched for you. The system was always 2 steps ahead of us and we could never get a lock down on your location. We would show up only to be told you ran away or were removed from the shitholes they placed you. When you turned 18 we lost hope. We were told you had left the state and they didn't have time or resources to find you. And then Esme saw you today and confirmed what I thought might be true without seeing you for myself. God you are as beautiful now as you were when you were a child. Even Edward still seems enamored with you." Carlisle Explained and I had calmed down.

So they had tried to save me. To find me. I knew them when I was younger. They hadn't wanted me to stay in the system. If only I had found out about them I wouldn't have run so much.

I started to tear up. "I understand now Carlisle. And please extend my apologies to Esme. I should have listened when she started to talk to me. I just couldn't listen to one more person tell me I wasn't worth it. That while I was a great kid they didn't need any more or that I was more trouble than I was worth."

Carlisle was up and hugging me before the first tear fell. When I calmed down we sat again.

"Isabella I would like to introduce myself. I am Edward Cullen. While I was very annoyed and worried about your little disappearing act, I was told in no uncertain terms that you would not be treated like glass or a possession. That being said, you could have gotten killed. You not only placed yourself in danger but my family. My sisters and mother. I will never allow that to happen again. I assure you that it won't. I hope to extend an invitation to dinner to talk further on this." Edward said

He looked sincere and deadly. I didn't understand what he meant by putting his mother and sister's in danger. We took off for little bit and turned off our phones for less than an hour. How that could have killed us or gotten us hurt?

I was shocked that this gorgeous man wanted to take me to dinner but agreed. He was only trying to apologize and I would allow him to do that. But he was also willing to give me answers I so desperately needed.

"Ok Edward. I will let you take me to dinner but that is all this is. A dinner for apology and answers to questions I have. Be here at 6 o'clock." I crossed my arms and smirked at him. He seemed to be very pissed that I was telling him what to do but he grit his teeth and told me he would be here. Then he got a phone call and left.

Carlisle chuckled and told me, "You will be the death of him. Good"

"I'm sorry Carlisle but I truly want nothing to do with him. He is arrogant, cocky, and big headed. He needs to learn a lesson about how in the real world not everything is handed to you." I stated with my arms crossed.

"Oh Bella, You will learn a few things about Edward that haven't changed even when he was a child. He will always see you as his. When you were born we took the boys to see you. Edward climbed on the chair and demanded you be placed in his arms. When Esme placed you in his arms he held you so gently and kissed your tiny forehead. He then told us in no uncertain terms that you were his." Carlisle smiled at me.

"Then when you turned 2, there was this neighbor boy who was the same age as my boys. He came over and didn't like that Edward was spending too much time with you and playing with you so he pushed you into the mud face first. I was already on the way to pick you up but Edward was a quick little devil. He bolted past me and rammed the neighbor into the ground and pushed his face in the mud over and over till you got up crying and had a nose bleed." He paused for a moment.

"I thought he would just help you up and let me get you but he helped you all the way into the house. He refused to allow anyone to help you but himself. He helped you get into a bath that he ran only a little water. He helped you get clean and stopped the blood by sticking toilet paper up your nose. He put you into some of his clothes then tucked you into his bed with a movie for you guys. It was only when you fell asleep that he allowed me to check your nose and the slight scratch on your forehead."

"I remember nothing of my time with you or your family Carlisle." I felt almost bad for not remembering. I wish I could. I could see what was happening in my own mind but I didn't remember anything.

"I wouldn't expect you to. You were so young. When you left I swear a part of Edward died that day. He was never the same sweet loving child. But that is neither here nor there. I just wanted to let you know that what you see now is not what he has always been. He is fierce and loyal. He only wants to protect you. That brings me to my other part of this. Everything he has wasn't handed to him. He worked his ass off to get to where he is today. So stop insulting his hard work by telling him it was handed to him."

Carlisle's face suddenly turned dark when he spoke the last part. I felt like a royal bitch when he told me that. I had assumed Edward grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. And while he was given things when he was a child he also worked hard for what he had.

"And another thing" Carlisle paused "you could have gotten my wife, daughters, and grandsons killed with your little stunt. I don't take that lightly and will let this pass because you don't know why things are the way they are but I won't let you do it again. You want to get yourself shot, be my guest, but I REFUSE to let you take anyone else from my family down with you and your childish behavior."

"How would they have been killed?" I asked. I was pissed he was berating me like a child but I also knew deep down he was right. I had acted childishly. I had never had to listen to an adult figure other than my parents and it has been 13 years since I have had to.

"The job we men hold causes a lot of danger. It also causes a need for security detail on our women. They are precious to us and while you may not see it like that I can assure you the threat is very real." He was deadly. Almost like he would kill me if I did it again.

"What job? I won't agree to anything until I know exactly what it is that your son has dragged me, unwillingly by the way, into." I crossed my arms until I realized I was still acting like a brat and uncrossed them. God it was going to take a while to stop doing shit like that.

"We are the Mafia Cullen of Chicago" He said in all seriousness.

I thought I heard wrong. I thought it was a joke. I tried to reason that he was lying. He was just pulling my leg. The Mafia was a thing in stories. Like a fairytale.

Then I looked at his face. He was deadly serious. He was not joking. He couldn't be lying. He would sooner break my leg than pull it like this. Fairytales always did give me nightmares. Holy fucking shit Batman.

"You're not joking are you" I asked him. I was in shock. I'm actually surprised I haven't fainted yet, but that wasn't like me. I was a runner. Something told me I wouldn't be able to outrun them now that I know what they do. Would they kill me if I tried? I really never expected this though. Not from them. They seemed like such nice people. Jasper was so easy going and dimples, while huge, looked like a huge teddy bear.

"I would never joke about this. This is what we do and that is why it is so important to protect our women. They suffer and benefit from what we do. They hate our jobs sometimes but they love us so they tolerate it. I am telling you this not to frighten you, not to threaten you. But you would never have understood otherwise." He told me

"Well now I certainly do understand. Will I be killed if I leave or talk?" I asked

"We would never hurt you for leaving but I won't lie when I tell you that you could never reveal what we are and what we do. Edward may love you, he always has, but until he gets married and takes over the spot as Boss I'm in charge and as I say stands." He told me.

So I could leave but I could never talk. I understood.

"What is this about a wife? Am I just supposed to let him have me till he finds someone suitable?" I asked sarcastically.

"Never Isabella! That is sick. I would never ask that of you and neither would he. He wishes to pursue a relationship with you. All I ask is that you give the man a chance. He is more than his job. He is a man who has been searching for you. I will allow you time to yourself to get ready for dinner and to think about what was said here." He got up and kissed my forehead from where I sat still as stone on the couch. "Please Isabella. See the man NOT the title. He would give you the world if you asked. He is loyal, loving, and devoted. You just have to see passed what he does."

Carlisle left. I sat on the couch staring at the wall thinking over everything. I watched the clock tick away. At 5 pm I had decided what I wanted to do.

I got up and got ready.

At 6 pm I opened the door to an Edward Cullen, Mob boss, standing there. He was devilishly handsome and completely deadly.

But I had chosen my fate.

With a sexy smirk on his face and a hesitation in my heart I walked into the lion's den head on. Never would my life be the same. I just didn't realize what that would mean. Not really.