Thank you all so much for reading and following this story. I am humbled by my readers, as well as my beta, Fran. She's all kinds of awesomeness. I own nothing.

Chapter 2 – The Best of The Best of The Best

"Yeah, I can see his point of view. If it were my daughter, I'd want a whole damn army of security specialists watching her every move. But in this case, less is far more…beneficial," Aro carefully selected his words. He knew from experience that clients, even if they were old friends, had certain expectations when it came to personal protection.

"We take every request and decide what is necessary before making a fast decision. Recently a manager of a hedge fund had a group of protesters that greeted his family every morning, in, shall I say, an unpleasant manner? Made their lives difficult, you know? Well, his wife was expecting their first child. In their case, we had a team of three men guarding them and their property. There were no incidents involving weapons, so we believed that was the best plan of action."

He took a pause. "In Swan's case, I already have an idea of who would be the best fit for the job. And before you can ask, he can be on the next flight out to Columbia. The men and women who work for Chicago Shadows are serious about their work."

Aro set his phone down on the desk and rubbed his eyes before taking a look outside. Chicago Shadows was located on the tenth floor of the Grant Thornton Building, which allowed a generous view of the eastern side of the city. The sun was coming up over the horizon. Another hot July day was starting, and there was demand for another security specialist.

He knew what he was doing when he founded Chicago Shadows within a year of the terrorist attacks on New York City. Multiple security businesses opened in the wake of the fear that permeated dazed citizens. What had been considered the norm was no longer safe. It wasn't just the celebrities or politicians who needed protection. Old money and new money were desperate. His contacts, both professional and personal, wanted him to work with them to form a business. Aro had a reputation that preceded him, but the city was nearly oversaturated, so that led him to consider his home town of Chicago.

Within the first six months, the demand for their security services more than doubled. The rich had a whole different set of needs and problems, and his company was the one with the solutions. Their clients expected the best and that's what he delivered. The best.

This is why Aro always came in before six. Certain situations were urgent, such as the one he learned about a few hours ago.

Phil Swan was an old college buddy who moved to Charleston, South Carolina to live the good life. They had a long history, from being each other's best man to golf weekends. Now Phil was retired from working as a scout for the Chicago Cubs franchise. Once the team won the World Series, Phil was ready to move down south and be closer to his family. The idyllic low country of the state suited him fine.

If this had been anyone besides Phil, Aro would have rejected the offer since sending one of the team members to another state was not standard procedure.

However, this wasn't a regular request, either.

Phil's niece, Bella Swan, was a beauty queen who happened to win the title of Miss South Carolina the previous evening. But all hell broke loose when a suspect took aim and fired a weapon. No one was arrested, and the police had yet to determine all the details of the shooting. They were certain it was not an act of terrorism. Ten people were dead, several injured, but Bella was physically fine, minus some scrapes. Her dad, Charles, who was Phil's brother, had a broken arm, but he was more concerned about his daughter's safety than his injury. Was she the target of some delusional madman? Had someone planned to hurt her?

And that's where Aro and Chicago Shadows came into the picture.

While there were more than enough employees to choose from, there was one he had in mind.

Vampire, also known as Edward Cullen, would take the job, no questions asked. He earned that name since he was beyond pale due to a severe vitamin D deficiency. If Aro asked him to jump, Cullen would only ask if he needed a parachute. The guy was a thrill seeker, always ready to go where ever he was assigned, and a professional. Aro never had to be concerned with Cullen's behavior around the clients. He didn't talk to the press about what went on behind closed doors. Employees were not allowed to have social media accounts, and Cullen thought they were useless and avoided them like the plague.

Aro left his office and headed straight for the training room. When he wasn't on assignment, Cullen was normally there early in the morning, and today was no different. The moment his boss walked through the door, they made eye contact.

"Good to see that you're present and accounted for, Vampire. Hate to pull you away from your work out, but duty calls."

Before Edward could open his mouth, Emmett 'Tank' McCarty entered the room, singing loudly and extremely off key. It was part of the usual routine. McCarty was the smartass who brought the sarcasm to the table. The wall of muscle stopped in front of them with a look of uncertainty.

"Aro, I wasn't expecting to spar with you. I'm rather flattered that you would join us, especially for a round of kickboxing."He pointed his thumb towards Edward. "Vampire here takes whatever I throw at him. You know he's the best of the best of the best." He puffed out his chest in a mock military pose. Aro was expecting a salute at any second.

"Tank, seriously, cut the shit and get busy with the weights." Aro was direct with his words. Emmett declined from making any more conversation. When the boss gave an order in that tone, he knew it wasn't time for play.

Edward grabbed the closest towel, dried off in a hurry, and followed Aro down the hall.

Thankfully, the flight to Columba was uneventful. He'd never been to South Carolina before, but from the way some of the locals sounded, Edward knew he would stick out like a sore thumb. And that really wasn't a good thing. Standing out was not something his job required. Not many men were dressed in suits, since the outdoor temperature probably had something to do with that. It was nearly a hundred degrees outside. People walked around in tattered or clean cut khaki shorts, and dingy flip flops, which he assumed was the dress code. No one seemed to own any other style of footwear. A cold shiver ran down his spine just as Edward met up with Phil Swan. The fact that he was wearing a dress shirt and tie made Edward feel relieved.

They exchanged greetings; a tight handshake, and a bit of small talk before getting into Phil's SUV. He was expecting a guided tour of the city, but Phil drove down the interstate at a speed that could set records.

"Did Aro tell you anything about my niece?"

Edward wasn't expecting that question. "No sir, other than she won a beauty pageant. Is there something I need to know about Ms. Swan?"

Phil let out a hearty laugh and clapped his hand on Edward's shoulder. "Whoa, I better keep both hands on the wheel, right?" He said as the car veered to the left. "You have to excuse me. I'm in a bit of a hurry. My brother wanted to have you at the house as soon as possible. That's the way Charlie is, always impatient."

"Back to Ms. Swan, though," Edward redirected.

"Yeah, you need to know that she's really shaken up by the whole incident, but it's to be expected. And call her Bella, not Ms. Swan. That's not her style." He went on to describe some details while flipping through a phone. "Not sure if Aro had a picture, but this is my niece."

Phil handed over the device, setting his eyes back on the interstate, while Edward studied his client's image.

The girl in the picture was no girl. She made him recall a dream he kept having for several nights. There was a woman who beckoned him up a flight of stairs, wearing just enough to prove she was both a lady and a temptress. Same long dark brown hair and eyes, and a smile that could hold his gaze for hours. In this picture, she was wearing a tiara and a sash with the words 'Miss Magnolia.' There was no denying Bella was stunning, a definite beauty queen. Edward unconsciously swiped to the next picture, in which he saw a more casual version of her.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

She looked just as good, if not better, than when she had on a crown. And for this one moment, Edward mentally took back what he said about shorts and flip flops. Bella was in a pair along with the casual shoes, and holy shit, did she ever look good. Her legs were long and lean. A fitted v-neck shirt did more for her than any other woman he knew. And that smile...oh yeah, it would be the death of him.

"You all right?" Edward hadn't realized he'd been staring at Phil's phone for such a long time.

"Yes, sir. Bella reminds me of someone I've seen before."

He handed over the phone and resigned himself to the fact that Bella Swan was already a bonafide rarity. A beauty who was all his to protect.

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