Italian Assassin
1 oz Jack Daniel's® Tennessee whiskey
1 oz amaretto or Disaronno liqueur
Pour the Jack Daniel's whiskey and amaretto liqueur over ice in a mixing glass. Swirl and strain into a double-shot glass, and serve.
LtV Chapter 15
Surprised by Edward's angry tone, Bella met his eyes head on and leered at him. She realized that Edward's very own words would make the decision for her. Oh, he's going to just love this, she thought.
Composing her response, she slowly turned towards Riley. He seemed hopeful, searching, and his pupils appeared large. Perhaps a little too large for Bella's liking. She knew that look and it could signal danger not only for her but for their mission in Forks. Stepping into a delicate dance, she proceeded with caution. She was going to say yes, but not to everything and more than likely not too much at all.
"I'm pretty sure that Mr. Cullen can make it through the evening without me." She spoke with determination and turned back towards Edward. "Am I right, Mr. Cullen?"
As Bella waited for Edward's reply, she noticed that the look on his face had changed. No longer was it angry or agitated. Instead she saw a worried frown. His brows were furrowed together as he leaned forward.
Jasper spotted Edward's fists clenched tightly in his lap. He realized that Edward needed help getting through this meal without blowing their cover. "I think we can manage okay tonight. Right, Edward? After all, we're just going over some mundane due diligence reports on the building costs."
"I suppose. Ms. Swan did work all weekend and probably should have a few hours to herself." In truth Edward wanted to throw Bella over his shoulder and yell, "she's mine" as he took her back to the hotel. This feeling only increased as his mind quickly processed Riley's carnal thoughts and plans for the evening. All of them ended with Riley balls deep inside Bella. Edward's stomach turned in knots as he tried to clear his head. No fucking way. She'd never let him touch her. But would that matter to a guy like him?
Edward was aware that Bella's beauty and wholesomeness had even disarmed the honorable Dr. Banner, so letting her be alone with a horny bastard like Riley was a similar to smoking near a powder keg. Something was likely to blow and, from everything he gathered tonight, he knew that Riley was pumped and primed for a good fuck. Danger signs were flashing before Edward and he needed to warn Bella without exposing his secret ability. He wanted to break the news of his mindreading to her but now wasn't the time.
"I appreciate it, Mr. Cullen," she stated, glancing Riley's way. "I'd love to learn more about the area. Get a feeling for what it might be like to live here and work on this project."
"Consider it done." Riley's excitement was evident to everyone, especially Edward. "I'll drive you by a few landmarks around the beach property before we head to Port Angeles. That should give you a feel of the area. It'll be my pleasure."
"Ms. Swan, before you two leave, I'd like to speak with you alone." Edward tapped her leg under the table to get her attention and emphasize his point.
"Of course, Mr. Cullen." Bella stared at Edward with her emotions completely hidden behind an impassive face.
"Well, now that we have the lovely Ms. Swan's social calendar filled for the evening, I'd like to talk about the reason for our gathering tonight. The beachfront." Aro wanted to move the conversation along in hopes of scrutinizing Edward's true intentions. If he thought Edward wasn't serious, Aro had no desire to continue wasting his precious time. Especially since James had just arrived with Natalia's new "pet."
Edward tried to compartmentalize the thoughts of everyone around him. Usually he could do this with ease, however, his emotions were interfering with his focus tonight. When he heard the name "James" roaming through Aro's thoughts, he knew that he needed to concentrate solely on Aro and Natalia. Somehow he had to squelch Riley's thoughts and Edward knew that it would be a nearly impossible task.
Over the next hour Aro discussed the property and its potential with Edward and Jasper. He explained the reason why the beautiful land remained free from commercial building.
"After my family purchased the land from the previous owner, we were blocked from any type of developments. We were allowed to build a standard single family home, but nothing beyond that. After years of petitions and untold amounts spent on attorney fees, I put the matter of commercial building to rest for all intents and purposes. Then the City of Forks came knocking at the gates." Aro laughed.
"So the City changed its stance and decided to give you a commercial permit?" Edward cringed at the sound of Aro's laughter and wanted him to focus on the question. He found it difficult to keep up the charade with such a vile man.
"They saw a beachfront development as a way to bring jobs and tourism to their sleepy little town. There's even a promise of tax abatements for the land and its buildings." Aro stopped to finish the last bit of his chocolate ganache dessert, humming as he swallowed the last bite.
"Interesting," Jasper remarked. "We're still wondering why you're selling. Edward says you've never really given him a direct answer."
Aro raised his brow at Jasper sizing him up. "Well, you're rather direct, wouldn't you say?"
"You could say that. I'm not one to mince my words, Aro. It's probably the whole 'don't mess with Texas' thing." Jasper smiled at Natalia, who was laughing at his response. "So what made you throw in the towel after years of prodding the local government?" Jasper watched Aro take a deep breath as he seemed to compose his answer.
"Let's just say my interests have changed from land development to other more profitable ventures."
Bingo, thought Edward. Finally the door was cracking open to Aro's abhorrent dealings of selling people. It was the reason for their mission, the repulsive practice of profiting from others misery.
"So after decades of struggling with the authorities something better came along?" Edward was closely analyzing Aro's thoughts. They needed clear and concise details on how the operation worked. Somehow Aro and James had kept the FBI from directly linking them together. The evidence that they held against them as a team was all speculative. Thus Edward hoped to find a string that connected them together and then he would use it as a noose to strangle all the evil they'd created.
"That's correct. Business ventures come and go. Quite frankly, I'd grown tired of the fight. And Natalia here introduced me to another opportunity that's allowed me to semi-retire, right love?" Lifting his wine glass, Aro nodded towards Natalia.
"I'm curious to know about your new venture." Edward doubted that Aro would give any details out loud, so he paid close attention to Aro's thoughts. They all revolved around James and the money that he was pocketing.
"It's rather complicated since we are importing goods from overseas. We've been fortunate to have an exclusive product to sell. But let's get back to the matter at hand for this evening. The property."
Bella listened as the discussion focused around soil tests and architectural blueprints. A couple of times Riley caught her eye trying to engage her in a private conversation. When he started brushing his hand lightly against her thigh under the table she was forced to react to his wandering fingers.
"Would you all excuse me while I make a trip to the powder room?" Bella's movement away from the table also solved the issue of Riley's forwardness.
"Certainly, Ms. Swan. Natalia, will you please escort our guest?" Aro motioned to Natalia and signaled towards the side door.
There were several bathrooms on the main floor but Aro wanted Bella to be far away from James. He was a person that should never make an appearance in front of his guests. James was likely to say something inappropriate or, worse yet, try his hand with Bella.
"And please make sure that our guest finds her way back, Nat." Aro's words were spoken with an ominous tone, full of warning. It was clear that Bella wasn't to be left alone to find her way back. Natalia nodded dutifully and signaled for Bella to follow her.
"Tell me Ms. Swan, or do you mind if I call you Bella?"
"Yes, please call me Bella. After all we're the only women here. We need to stick together, right?"
"Something like that." Natalia's response was cold with no warmth or kindness. As they continued to walk side by side down a hallway, Bella studied her face to see if perhaps a smile was there. Nothing showed at all, it was a blank canvas, completely emotionless. "Bella, I watched you at dinner and I'm amused to say the least."
"Amused?" Bella questioned.
"I've never seen a woman so unaware of how she affects the men around her." Natalia stopped in front of a large door and slowly turned the knob. "Here you are. I'll be in the room across the hall waiting for you."
Once inside the bathroom, Bella decided that she needed to text Edward and let him know that she was okay and fully aware that he didn't want her to go. She reminded him that he had told her to "never turn down an offer that might be construed negatively."
Going w/ Riley. It seems that u don't approve. But u did say we should not turn down an offer. I will use this time to gather intelligence. Don't follow us via the earrings either. I can handle him.
After pushing "send," Bella wondered if Edward was jealous of Riley. She still believed that his attraction to her was based on her rejection of him. She challenged him, told him no. Something that he was not accustomed to hearing. I seriously doubt that he's got deep feelings for me, so I'll just have to settle for some wishful thinking.
After sending the text, she opened the door and found the hallway empty. She briefly thought of wandering off and exploring but Natalia promised to be across the hall, so an escape from her clutches was unlikely. As Bella made her way across the hall, she heard muffled voices straining to be quiet. Moving closer, she clearly heard Natalia speaking to a man. The man raised his voice and Bella was able to understand his words.
"Listen to me, you slut. I expect some respect here, since I put my neck on the line and brought your little "pet" back with me. I like to leave things clean once I get over the border. I don't have any desire to go to jail for your skinny ass."
"Respect? You're lucky that we've funded you and your schemes. Tools like you are a dime a dozen." Bella heard a shuffle as she huddled outside the door. She peeked through the door's crack at the hinges to see what was transpiring inside. Standing in the room was the man in the photos that Edward had shown her. James Hunter, he's here. James held Natalia tightly as she tried to free herself from his grip.
"Get your slimy paws off me, you animal." Natalia's words were biting, but had no effect on James. He controlled the struggle and pressed her body against a desk.
"You owe me this." Bella watched as he pulled the straps down her white, slender shoulders. His mouth immediately found her flesh and Bella was confused when Natalia appeared to enjoy his assault. Gagging, Bella covered her mouth when she realized that the rough antics in front of her were actually a sick form of foreplay between two twisted lovers.
"Oh, James. It's been so long." Natalia ran her hands down James' back, pushing him towards her as she quietly moaned. "But we need to stop now. Please. Come to my room later. I'll tell Aro that I have a headache."
Bella leaned against the door a little too hard causing it to creak and move a few inches, startling the two lovers tangled together. James observed the beautiful brunette he saw earlier standing in the doorway frozen stiff with her deep brown eyes wide with shock.
"Well, who do we have here?" James released Natalia and moved towards Bella, closing the space between them. Natalia was close behind him grasping his arm and stopping him before he reached Bella.
"Bella, we need to get back to the dining room. Aro will be wondering what we've been up to." Natalia grabbed Bella's forearm and forced her down the hallway. Bella jerked her arm away as they moved further away from James.
Tension needed to be broken and Bella wanted Natalia to see her as an ally, a confidante. Avoiding strife while working undercover was key. Camaraderie was paramount to gaining her trust and from what Edward said Natalia held the keys to the evidence they sought.
"It's really none of my business, Natalia. I'm here to work not to pry into your personal affairs."
"Thanks Bella. I think I misjudged you earlier. Now back into the lion's den."
Bella took a deep breath as she crossed the threshold into the dining room. She found Edward's eyes immediately and wanted to tell him that James was here under the same roof. It was the missing link that they had needed.
"Oh Bella, you've returned just in time. We're wrapping up for the evening and my son's ready to head out." Aro laughed as he saw the hungry look on his son's face.
Edward found no humor from looking at Riley's face or reading his thoughts. Once again, Riley was listing what he planned to "accomplish" with Bella later tonight when they were alone. Infuriated and searching for a distraction, Edward pulled out his phone to retrieve the text that Bella had sent minutes earlier. Reading it helped to ease his mind about her leaving with Riley, but he still wanted to speak with her before she walked out the door. Timing. It all came down to timing for them. Pushing his hand with her would raise an eyebrow or two and he didn't want to undermine the success of the evening so far.
"Ms. Swan, a word please?" Edward's face communicated that 'no' was not an option so Bella walked towards him.
"Certainly." She turned to Riley as he observed the interaction between supposed boss and employee. "I'll just be a minute."
"No problem. I'll bring the car around to the front and met you there." Riley pulled keys out of his pocket and left the room with a spring in his step.
Seeking privacy, Edward led Bella to a side window in the room. "Bella, I know that talking you out of going with Riley is pointless. I just want you to be careful." Edward's eyes were filled with concern.
"If I'm not mistaken Edward, I managed a rather convincing demonstration at Café Saint-Ex remember?" Edward flinched as the scene from D.C. came to mind.
"Yes, you did handle my advances quite convincingly. Your knee to my junk move is hard to forget." Edward turned the attention back to Riley. "But Riley's a horny bastard looking for a spring break hook up, so please keep that in mind."
Edward positioned his 6'2" frame in front of Bella, sheltering her from everyone's view in the room. He inched dangerously close to her. Standing and staring into each other's eyes, their breathing sped up as they felt an intangible force pulling them together.
When Bella's tongue moistened her lips, Edward's hands could no longer remain at his sides. His desire for her was too strong. He had to touch her, feel her soft skin against his fingertips. When he reached out to her, Bella welcomed the warmth of his hand in hers.
While holding and gently caressing her hand, he clearly heard her thoughts. His face is so intense, and God his eyes. It's like he's worried and really cares.
Grabbing her other hand and pulling them both to his chest, Edward whispered to her, "Bella, I'm worried and I hope you realize that I, um, care for you." His voice trailed off with his last words.
Tilting her head to the side, Bella's face looked puzzled. Her brows tightened together as she pondered what Edward had just said.
What the..? I just thought that. It's like he's reading my mind or something. And he does care about me, but here we are standing in this room with everyone around us. Damn, we should probably break this up.
Edward released her hands and moved to her side after hearing her unspoken concerns.
Bella was surprised how accurately his actions reflected her thoughts but pushed her concerns to the back of her mind. "Guess, I'd better go. I hate to keep Riley waiting."
Wringing his hands, Edward added, "We'll debrief after you get home. Keep in mind that we have an early morning meeting at the property." Edward hoped that Bella would cut the night short by using tomorrow's meeting as an excuse.
Squeezing Edward's arm, trying to reassure him, she whispered. "I won't be late. Promise."
Leaving for the front entrance, Bella felt Edward's eyes on her back. What is it with him? He looked so sad and forlorn. I just can't let myself hope too much. Maybe we should talk when I get back to the Lodge. Clear the air between us.
Aro and Natalia were engrossed in a private and hushed conversation, so Jasper walked to Edward's side as Bella exited the room. "Edward, are you okay buddy?"
"I'll be okay, Jazz. But fuck, I've just never felt like this before. It's new to me. I can't stand the thought of anyone touching Bella. It'd be like they were defiling her." Edward closed his eyes to regain his composure. "Perhaps we should change the subject. I need to focus on Aro before we leave."
"Absolutely. Let's go join him and Natalia. I think the evening went well. We've definitely established some trust here."
"Agreed." Edward strolled across the room to speak with the cloistered couple. "Aro, Natalia - we'd like to thank you for a lovely dinner. We look forward to visiting the property tomorrow. "
"You're welcome, Edward." Aro led the group to the front entranceway. "It's been our pleasure. Let's hope that the fog is nonexistent tomorrow morning." Aro held his hand out to Edward and Jasper.
"Maybe we should wait until noon time. Give it a change to burn off." Natalia knew that she'd be staying up late with James in her bed tonight, so she pushed for a later start.
"I'm game, but I don't want to waste our guests' time. Gentlemen, would you two be able to schedule a later time?"
"Let's say eleven o'clock. We can work from the hotel in the morning. Mondays are always hectic." Edward decided that they could debrief and review their game plan in the morning.
"Well, good evening gentlemen."
"Thanks again," Edward spoke and Jasper nodded in agreement.
Approaching the car, Edward knew that it would be best if Jasper drove. He was afraid that he might find himself driving towards Port Angeles and work up Bella's wrath towards him.
"Here Jazz, you'd better drive." Edward tossed his keys to Jasper, whose face took on a quizzical expression. "I'm pretty sure that I'd end up in Port Angeles."
Crossing to the driver's side, Jasper pulled the unlocked door open and climbed in. "Edward, man, you've got it bad for her. Do you even realize it?"
"Shit, Jasper. I can't remember a time where I've gone this long without fucking someone, anyone. You'd think I'd be climbing the walls and trying to hit the next target wearing a skirt." He sighed in surrender, acknowledging the truth of his words. "I'm falling for her, Jazz. Fuck, if he touches her tonight. I'll kill him. I feel like I need to defend her virtue. What's wrong with me? Am I crazy?"
Shaking his head as he pulled out of the circle drive, Jasper tried to cheer up his best friend. "Hell, Edward, Bella can handle herself. Just because she's a virgin doesn't mean that she's all innocent and pure. She's made of steel under that delicate exterior. Honestly, I'd hate to get on her bad side."
"Believe me, Jazz, I've been on her shit list and it ain't fun." Edward recalled the painful memory of Bella throwing away the flowers that he'd brought to her back in D.C. "It got pretty ugly between us. But things seem different now."
As the car left the estate and pulled out onto the main road, Edward decided his next course of action. "Bella and I need to talk tonight. I'm not sure what I'm going to say. Got any pointers for me?"
"Pointers? You're kidding me, right? I've been waiting for this conversation since college. First, tell me what you're feeling? Dig deep, too, no one-word answers."
Edward proceeded to tell Jasper how he loved listening to her giggle or when a smile would break out on her face. It gave him a strange, peculiar feeling. "It's like there's this weird tightening in my chest. I'm happy but at the same time there's an ache there."
"You know what it is, don't you?" Jasper glanced quickly at Edward. "It doesn't take a brain surgeon to figure this one out."
"It can't be. I've only know her a short time. Oh man, I'm fucked."
"That's where your wrong, Cullen. Being alone, bouncing from pussy to pussy, now that's fucked up."
"Hard to believe that this shit is supposed to be good."
"You're experiencing growing pains. You're developing something deeper with Bella than you've had with any other woman."
"Well, I know what I need to ease these growing pains. A bottle of Jack." Edward sighed, resolved to numb himself tonight. "Turn the car around, the state liquor store is in the other direction."
Four hours and half a bottle of Jack Daniels later, Edward found himself sitting on their sofa in the suite's shared living area. Jasper had gone to bed earlier and Edward sulked alone with a dark silence surrounding him.
Edward tortured himself as he waited for Bella's return. Fulfilling his promise to Jasper, he stayed at the lodge pacing the floors of their suite. Staying there and not following Bella and Riley to Port Angeles was one of the most difficult things he'd ever done. Exhausted, he had switched off the lights and collapsed onto the sofa, burying his head in his hands.
As he sat in the darkness, his mind was plagued with scattered thoughts and fears. Where were they? Was she dancing and swaying in his arms? Did he nuzzle into her hair as he tried to steal a kiss? When he made her laugh did it warm his soul like it did mine?
Finally, he heard the clicking of her keycard in the door. Slowly she crept into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Cautiously she moved forward in the darkness but stopped, startled by what she saw in the shadows.
"Edward, what the hell are you doing? The room's all dark." Bella walked to an end table and switched on the lamp. She gasped as she saw Edward slumped on the couch with the half-empty bottle of Jack in front of him. Every hair on his head was tousled, and a defeated look emanated from his face. Bella didn't recognize this Edward in front of her. He looked like a lost soul, anchorless and desperate.
"Bella, I waited up for you. I couldn't sleep knowing you were still out with him." The disdain in his voice was unmistakable.
"You waited up for me?" Bella moved closer to the couch and stood in front of Edward as she spoke.
Patting the cushion next to him Edward asked, "Would you please sit with me?"
His eyes looked at Bella with such longing that she knew she couldn't say no. As she lowered herself onto the couch next to him she smelled his scent. It was a heady mix of Jack and want.
"Bella, we need to talk."
James POV
Earlier when he arrived at the house, he locked Alice in a room over the garage until he knew who the strangers were at the front door. He needed to find out more details about the beautiful brown haired woman that witnessed his display with Natalia against the desk. He would squeeze the information he wanted out of Natalia when they fucked later that night.
Smiling and laughing menacingly, James started making plans that would finally free him from Aro.
"It's my fucking lucky day!" he whispered to himself. "Who would have thought that I'd find what I needed in this hell hole."
A/N: We would liked to thank our Special Agents…..Betas Elizabethan and Aquariumjenn