Chapter 12

EPOV

I could tell it was going to be a rough night. Emmet and J had been ringing me a ridiculous amount of times, but I never answered. I texted them to leave me the fuck alone, but it wasn't working, the phone kept ringing.

"Aren't you going to answer that? It's okay, I promise." Bella smiled at me as cocked her head to the side. "Are you sure? I don't want to be impolite." "No, no, go ahead." She reassured me.

"What do you want?" My tone was harsh and raspy as I leaned more into the door.

"Yo, we've got problems. Primo wacked Tony, shot him dead right in front of his house tonight. Right in front of his kids and everything. We got cameras swarming the restaurant and every other place we own. Don't bring her anywhere near here unless you want your cover blown by the 6 o'clock news." Emmett's spoke in fast, agitated syllables. I slammed my fist against the window so hard the pane shook. "Fuck him. Fuck him. Fuck him. Who does he think he is? Fuck him. Fuck this. Go after him." I slammed the phone shut and threw it against the partition in the car, destroying it.

As I glanced at Bella, I could tell she was visibly upset by my actions. My anger was powerful, I recognized this fact, and I also recognized that I scared her tremendously.

"Bells, I'm sorry." I inhaled deeply, trying to remain calm, even though my adrenaline was racing through my veins, readying my body for an attack, an attack that would be so heinous that even I couldn't understand where it was coming from. "I let my anger get the best of me. I am terribly sorry." I reached for her hand which was ice cold from fear. I hadn't meant to upset her.

She nibbled on her lower lip, hesitant, cautious. "Edward, I, I…I've never seen anyone get that angry before." As I watched her face, I saw a tiny smile creep across her glossed lips, "I've got to admit, it was kinda hot." She winked at me as she intertwined our fingers.

I laughed. "What's so funny?" Her voice was inquisitive as she peered at me. "I just broke a phone and almost a window and you act like that is a turn on. I love it." I mumbled as I kissed her forehead. She couldn't tell, but I was beaming on the inside. If she could handle that, she could handle my choice of career, right?

I had to think fast, where was I going to take her? Every place would be swarming with cameras and television crews; I couldn't risk taking her to any place that could impact my cover. My apartment would be buzzing, so I made the quick decision to take her to the Hamptons, the only likely place where no one would be. Tourist season was over, and no one but a handful of people knew I kept a house out there. This would actually turn out halfway decent after all.

"I hope you like the beach…" I whispered in her ear as I pulled her closer to me.

Alice POV

"I know I've seen him somewhere before." I closed my eyes and tried to visualize where I had seen him.

"You think you know everyone…" Rose's voice trailed off as she bent down to the oven. "I mean, come on, you saw him at the restaurant, and I am going to bet that that's the first time you've ever saw him."

"No, no. You're wrong. I've seen him before somewhere in a newspaper, and its here, somewhere." Alice jumped up and headed to her room, she was a notorious packrat, hoarding everything for months, years until it proved useful to her in some way. Rustling of papers could be heard over Alice's humming as she sorted through her year's collection of the New York Times.

"You know, Alice, I don't even know why you keep those things." Rosalie ran a paper towel over the counter, scrubbing spots that demand her attention. Alice poked her head out the door, "Rose, I am a teacher, I must keep up to date on current events and therefore, I keep things to refresh my memory." And with that she disappeared back into her room where she continued to search for the alleged newspaper.

"Alice, you teach kindergarten!" Rose's voice was a burst of giggles as she retreated to the couch. "Found it!" Alice ran out of the room in a flutter of yellowing newspapers, magazine clippings, and dust bunnies as she proudly present Rosalie with a yellowing, stained edition of the New York Times from roughly eight months ago. "I told you I had it. I told you." Alice beamed as she took a seat next to Rose.

Rose took a minute to study the paper, reading and rereading the headline…

"Mob boss acquitted"

"Read it out loud." Alice inquired as she leaned back into the plush couch. Rose cleared her throat and began, "Reputed mob boss, Carlisle Cullen, was acquitted today in his extortion case brought against him by the State of New York. This is the second time that Cullen has left court victorious, the first time being in the late 1970s when he reportedly took over the infamous crime family…" "I don't see what this has to do with Edward, so what they have the same last name?" Rose let the paper fall to her lap as she looked to Alice. "Turn to page A4." Alice's voice was a matter of fact as Rose thumbed through the yellowing pages.

"Look." Alice's manicured finger pointed to a picture that made Rose catch her breath and sit straight up.

"Flanked by his sons, Edward and Emmett Cullen, the rumored underboss and consigliore of the Cullen family, Carlisle Cullen exits the courtroom victorious."

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my god! Do you know what this means? Oh my god!" Rose tossed the paper on the coffee table as she leapt to her feet. "Do you know what this means? Oh my god! This explains so many things; the clothes, the cars, the businesses he owns! This explains everything!" Rose tossed her hands up as she paced back and forth, stealing glances at a beaming Alice.

"I told you I had seen him before, and to think you didn't believe me." Alice smiled, letting her bright, white teeth show fully. "But do you know what this means? Bella is dating a mob boss, a real true to life mob boss! Oh my, this is like an episode of the Sopranos! Oh my!" Rose gripped Alice's shoulders as she spoke her words in a fury.

"You know what this means now, don't you?" Rose chewed the inside of her cheek pensively.

"No, what?" Alice asked, tilting her head to the side.

"We have to tell her. She has to know. She can't date a mob boss. He's probably killed people." Rose felt chills as she let the last part of her sentence roll off her tongue. "We…" Alice gesturing to the two of them, "We don't have to tell her anything. It's not our place, and what if she already knows and she's okay with that? We can't ruin her happiness because we think he's in the mob. Remember the paper said rumored, we don't even know if it's true." Alice clasped her hands in front of her in a matter of fact manner. She was always ready to give people the benefit of the doubt, she didn't like jumping to conclusions especially when it came to people's happiness and Bella was certainly happy with Edward.

"We can't not tell her. What if he tries to hurt her or worse, what if he tries to kill her?" Rose's voice was shaky as she regained her seat beside Alice.

Alice couldn't contain her giggles, "Rose, this isn't The Godfather. Today's gangsters are civilized. Plus, Edward is infatuated with her. He's not going to harm her. I trust him." Alice wrapped her arm around Rose, in an effort to calm her.

"Oh, I'm vibrating." Alice announced as she reached for her phone on the coffee table.

"Hello? Oh, hi Bella. What are you doing? I thought you were out with Edward. Oh, you are? That's cool. Have a good time. Call me later. Love you too. Bye."

"What happened? Is she okay? If he hurt her, I'll…" Rose's eyes flamed with anger in an instant. She was always quick tempered.

"She's fine. They are just going away for tonight. She just wanted to let us know so we wouldn't worry."Alice inhaled deeply, sometimes Rose was a bit exhausting.

"Going away? You are letting her go away with him? Are you crazy?"