Chapter 10

Bella's POV

"Will you go out with me?" Jasper blurted out."

I froze at Jasper's words, my eyes threatening to pop out of my head. When Jasper's eyes began to widen in pain a part of me really wanted to be able to just forget everything that I had learned today and scream yes. But I couldn't, the sense of betrayal wouldn't let me.

"Isabella, I'm s..." Jasper began to say but was cut off by a clearing throat.

The two of us looked round and I saw a man who clearly worked for the family standing in the doorway. He was slightly shorter than Jasper, fulfilling the stereotypical Mafia persona in his grey Italian suit, jet black hair, gelled back of course, and his ice blue eyes looked more than a little apprehensive at interrupting us.

"Apologise for the interruption Sir, but the bosses have arrived, the meeting's about to start," the man said.

I looked back to Jasper and found that he was breathing very deeply, his nostrils flared and eyes were closed. When he opens his eyes I see the coldest most calculating look I've ever seen on a person's face, and I can't stop the shudder that shoots through my spine. Jasper's attention turns back to the messenger, and out the corner of my eye I see him shudder in fear. Just how important is Jasper within the family?

"Let's not keep them waiting then Alec. Excuse us Ms. Swan." Jasper said, his voice as cold as his expression.

My heart tightened at the cold formality in which Jasper addressed me. It was with a look of hurt, that I know was on my face, that I watched Jasper and this Alec person leave.

Now I was even more confused, especially with my head and my heart telling me two different things. My heart was screaming at me to go after Jasper and say yes to the date but my mind was reminding me that they had all lied to me. Something both my heart and mind both could not readily forgive. With a huff I got to my feet and went back inside.

After aimlessly wondering around the ground floor for ten minutes, vaguely registering the many men in suits, found myself entering the kitchen. Where Rosalie, Alice and Esme were sitting. At the sound of my footsteps, Esme looked up and saw me. Perfect, all I wanted right now was to be alone, instead I was in the kitchen with another set of people I'd rather avoid

"Bella, come join us," Esme said cheerfully.

Residing myself to the fact that either way I would have people around me, I went and sat down at the breakfast bar with the others.

"Bella? What's up?" Alice asked me.

I looked up in awe, seriously. I had just found out that my father and brother are in the Mafia and they're asking me 'what's up?'

"Bella, sweetie I know we did wrong by keeping this from you but..." Esme began to explain, her cheerful nature disappearing.

"NO! There is nothing else to add here, you ALL lied to me and it's not even as if the lie was something ridiculous like Emmett stealing the last brownie and blaming it on a dog we don't even have. This is my LIFE that you're playing with!" I shouted in anger.

All three of them froze. They obviously hadn't been expecting me to blow up like that, in truth I'm shocked too but hey, I'm well within my right here.

"Bella...we...we assumed you'd be safer not knowing," Alice babbled out desperately.

"Well, you should know by now what happens to people who assume things," I replied coldly.

You wouldn't think it would be possible but their eyes widened even further. After my words a cold and awkward silence descended over the kitchen.

I remained in the kitchen for five minutes before I quietly took my leave and headed to the living room. I am sure Rosalie and Alice think I am being unreasonable but it only further proves that they must have been aware of this 'life style' from the moment they were adopted by Esme and Carlisle. So why hadn't they told me?

As I began to pace around the living room I started to wonder if maybe Renee and Tanya had a point, not the part where they thing the only way I'll survive is by working on my back but about the part of my not being good enough. Had I somehow given them reason to think I couldn't be trusted?

Okay, maybe I'm overreacting here. After all whose to say that I wouldn't have done exactly the same thing in their position? It's not like there's a Mafia Guide book or anything and there are probably other people out there who have no idea that their loved ones are part of an organised crime family.

"Yeah, until they get kidnapped, shot in the head, cut up and dumped in the sea or a hole somewhere." My mind threw back at me.

Was that what the man at the mall intended to do to me, Rosalie and Alice? As some sort of message for the bosses to get out of the business? Then again, if that was his intention it would have been a really stupid thing to do. I mean, name one parent who wouldn't be out for blood when their child is murdered? Yeah okay, Renee probably wouldn't even notice that I'd be missing until she needed something from me. How things usually go with her, but that's not the point. The point is that there would be no way in hell that Dad, Carlisle, Emmett, Edward and Jasper would just let our deaths go unpunished.

It was with an exasperated sigh that I threw myself down on the giant bean bag that was in the room I had blindly walked in. I needed to stop thinking about everything for a while, the more I thought about it the more frustrated and hurt I became. So, to distract me, I took in my surroundings.

Of course, it was a game room because every family who was part of organised crime just had to have a game room. Then again, that may well be true for anyone that's rich enough. Unless you had a phobia of games. The room was decorated with neutral colours, with the biggest flat screen I have ever seen mounted on the wall.

"Jesus, I'm amazed Dad can get Emmett away from this place." I mumbled to myself.

"It's not without difficulty Miss Swan," A man suddenly said behind me.

I jumped off of the bean bag clutching my heart.

"Christ! Knock first will you!" I snapped as I worked on getting my heart out of my throat and back where it belongs.

The man, who surprise was also in an Italian suit, raised his hands with an apologetic smile on his face.

"Apologise," he said quickly and I realised that he was Irish. "Just wanted to check on you, the bosses are concerned with how you're handling everything." He explained.

"Well I haven't ran from the house screaming yet, so I think they can relax for the time being." I told him annoyed.

The man nodded and silence took over which allowed me to really look at the man before me. The more I looked at him, the more I realised I had seen him somewhere before.

Flashback: -

I was 14 and on my way home after spending almost most of the day at the library to avoid catching Renee and Phil doing anything that would mentally scar me for life. It was fast approaching 10pm and I was cursing myself for being so stupid in letting the time get away from me, not that Renee would notice.

As I crossed the empty road that would take me straight to the block where my house is, I heard the unmistakable sounds of someone or somebodies coming up behind me.

My mind instantly went to worst case scenario. Rapists, murderers, kidnappers and each possibility was complete with it's own gory detail of what would happen to me.

"Excuse me, Miss." A man called out behind me.

"Shit, okay. Don't panic, remember your training." I told myself while I gripped a firm hold on my keys that were thankfully in my jacket picket.

I turned to find only one man standing there and he was holding something out to me.

"Your cell phone," he said, his voice heavy with the Irish accent. "it fell out of your pocket." He added.

My cell?

With my free left hand I checked my other pocket and sure enough it wasn't there. I gave the man a confused look, I didn't understand why I didn't hear my phone hit the ground...

End of flashback.

"YOU!" I suddenly shouted in anger.

It was the same man.

"My phone never fell out of my pocket, your lifted it!" I accused, though is it really accusing when you know with 100% certainty that you're right?

The man before me all but admitted the truth either way when his eyes went wide with shock.

"Ah, this is awkward..." he proclaimed suddenly very nervous.

"Awkward." I laughed at him bitterly. "Is that what we're calling it? You were following me weren't you!" I told him, a fresh wave of betrayal now hitting me.

He swallowed, clearly looking for a way to get out of this but it was pretty obvious to both of us that the game was up.

"Bella?" Emmett's voice came from behind me. "What's going on? We could hear you shouting?" He asked, I didn't need look at him to know he was worried.

"You had me followed." I replied unable to keep the hurt out of my voice or the angry tears at bay.

"Shit!" Emmett muttered, effectively confirming what I now already knew.

"Bella-bear, we can explain..." Emmett started to say but I spun round and slapped him.

"It's pretty fucking obvious what you're going to say Emmett!" I spat at him.

Emmett looked at me shocked and hurt that I had slapped him.

"Dad told me that the reason why you never told me about this family's extra curricular activities was to keep me safe but if I was supposed to be so safe with being ignorant then why the FUCK were you having me followed?!" I demanded through tears.

"Bella-Bear..." Emmett whispered, completely lost on what to say.

"It was a precaution." Dad suddenly chimed in.

I looked over Emmett's shoulder and saw that Dad had tears silently running down his own face.

"Bella, honey. I am so, so sorry...I never want you to get hurt. Emmett and I wouldn't even be in the family if it weren't for..." Dad began but suddenly stopped.

"If it weren't for what?" I demanded.

"Your father did his job my dear." A new voice joined the conversation.

Emmett and Dad both tensed up.

"And who the hell are you?" I asked, the man who spoke was standing behind Dad, in the shadows like some horror movie serial killer.

Eventually he stepped out of the shadows and I found a man who looked to be in his late 40's with greying black shoulder length hair and a, you guessed it, black Italian suit.

"I am Marcus, one of the four bosses. Charles here brought a fight to an end by arresting the two men, one of the men was Liam here, whom you've clearly already met," Marcus began telling me, nodding to the man that had been following me as he explained. "and the other was a rather aggressive fellow by the name of Stefan Roman. Mr Roman is part of a rival family and they did not take too kindly to Charles here arresting their employee." Marcus continued.

I looked to my Dad, who was now deathly pale, while Emmett now looked seriously pissed.

"So, Mr Roman's employers decided to give Charles and incentive to drop the charges. By threatening you, my dear." Marcus finished.

"After that, I had no choice but to join the family. It was the only way to keep you safe." Dad added, pleading with me to understand.

Nobody said anything for some time after that. Instead they just watched me and I felt my heart breaking.

"Y-you gave up your morals...everything that you stand for, for me." I choked out through tears.

"Yes, and I would do it again in a second." Dad told me firmly.

It was my fault.

If Dad and Emmett have already killed people, it was because of me.

"Bella?" Dad asked, his voice drenched with worry.

I put my hands on my knees so I could calm down but it wasn't working, black spots appeared before my eyes and the last thing I remember is the distant sound of four men shouting my name in horror.

Then...nothing.

A/N: There we go, far longer than what it had been. More to come shortly.