Disclaimer - Mrs. Meyers own Twilight but I make it gangsta!

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Beta'd by crazysexycool MalloryKnoxx

"For us to live any other way was nuts. Uh, to us, those goody-good people who worked shitty jobs for bum paychecks and took the subway to work everyday, and worried about their bills, were dead. I mean they were suckers. They had no balls. If we wanted something we just took it. If anyone complained twice they got hit so bad, believe me, they never complained again.."

Henry Hill, Goodfellas

previously...

"Hello Isabella."

"Hi." I whispered unsure of his tone. It was flat, emotionless.

I moved to stand beside and waited for some signal of his mood.

A few minutes passed and he flipped his cigarette over the railing.

I fidgeted playing with the sleeve of Alice's dress.

"You have more questions." He said never looking at me.

"Yes. I mean, I didn't get to finish since I passed out on you." I started looking out over the large lawn, "Thank you, by the way, for carrying me in. That was... nice of you."

He cut his eyes over at me and I felt my blush creep up under his intense gaze.

I waited for a moment and when he said nothing I continued.

"What did you mean when you said I was off limits? And in both ways?"

Isabella's POV

Edward stood up and turned around. His brow slightly creased, as if contemplating what to say. His bright green eyes, darker than usual, pierced mine. He dazzled me to the point that I almost forgot why I was standing there. Almost.

"It's nothing for you to worry about. Just know that no harm will come your way. You don't have to worry about anything besides what handbag to buy next." He said to me.

"Maybe I don't care about handbags."

"Shoes then."

"Maybe I don't care about handbags or shoes or shopping in general. I just want to know what you're hiding. How do you think you can get away with what you're doing? From what little I've seen you seem in pretty deep." I said to him with a slight raise to my voice.

He chuckled. Not his usual chuckle when something I did amuses him. It was a deep chuckle, like the kind you hear from bad guys in the movies. It was also the kind of chuckle that let me know I wasn't getting any answers. He eyes darkened yet again but still I couldn't find it anywhere in myself to be afraid of him.

Edward Cullen may be a bad boy to a degree I was pretty sure I had no idea of, but he would never hurt me. He had his chance and let it pass by. He had instead taken care of me. Saved me from whatever fate the rest of them might have seen fit.

I was grateful.

I shuddered thinking about how the night could have possibly gone just because I hadn't listened to Esme.

"Isabella, you should go in. You're shivering." Edward spoke breaking me out of my thoughts.

I turned away from him rubbing my hands up and down my arms trying to warm myself.

"I'm not ready to go in." I pouted. Real mature. Bet he thought that was sexy.

Then I felt him drape his suit jacket over my shoulders. I looked up at him with a questioningly look.

"I have something I have to do but you shouldn't be cold. I understand not wanting to go back in yet." He said before turning and disappearing into the house. Once he was out of sight I faced the yard again and let a small smile creep onto my face.

His jacket smelled just like him. I took several deep breaths letting myself become drunk on his scent. He was giving me whiplash with his mood swings. Kinda like being on a rollercoaster. Good thing I liked rollercoasters.

Edward's POV

Isabella was too curious for her own good. She had seen too much, she was too close. She was a distraction I couldn't afford. That's what I kept telling myself. I had enough work to do already without messing with some teenage girl. All that amounts to is trouble and drama, drama and trouble.

I walked out front and leaned against Aronni's car to wait for him. I was a little early but I couldn't stand out there with Isabella a moment longer. Her pouty lips were calling to me. I shook my head trying to clear away the image. Just as I was about to pull out another smoke, Aro walks his ass out of the garage like the sidewalk is a runway. He spends too much time with his sister, I swear.

"You ready cuz?" He greets me smiling.

"Yea, yea. Let's get this done. I'm ready for bed." I tell him hopping in his Range.

Sometimes Aro thought he was living in a rap video. Whatever. He pulled it off, or at least the ladies thought so. The whores, too.

"Did you not get enough rest last night?" He joked.

I assumed he had talked to Alice and she filled him in on me sleeping in a chair.

He never showed up. They had to handle some shit at the club.

"Ha ha. Don't start with me Aro. I was just being the gentleman I was raised to be. You should be the same way. If ya ma knew half the things you had done to some of these broads, she'd have ya balls off." I corrected him.

We had to head down to a warehouse to deal with a shipment. It had been a busy week and really it was only beginning. It didn't take us long to get there even though we had to drive all the way downtown.

As we pulled up I see Emmett's Hummer our front along with Alec's ride. Good. This shit should go quicker with all of us to get it done. We walk in to find a couple of Emmett's crew standing guard at the door.

"Big C is in the back. Said to send you back." One of Em's guys, Aturo said nodding towards the back of the warehouse.

I glanced at Aro and he shrugged slightly not knowing what was up either. We made our way past the shipment and snaked our way through all the giant crates to finally get to my brother and Alec standing around a guy tied to a chair. I couldn't place his name but I had seen his face a few times in the club.

"What's good?" Aro asked putting a cigarette to his mouth and lighting it.

"This joke wanted to try to sell in one of our joints." Alec tells him picking up an aluminum bat and swinging in over his shoulder, letting it rest there.

"Who is this clown?" Aro asked. I remain silent just watching the guy, taking in every single movement he makes.

"Laurent Bishop. Was running a little something with a partner but doesn't want to give them up." Alec said stepping around right in front of him. "We're about to fix that."

He leaned over staring the guy straight in his bloody face, eyes nearly swollen shut.

"Are ya sure you don't wanna tell us?" Alec asked one last time. Mistake. Never ask twice. Hell I don't ask the first time normally.

Laurent tried to spit on Alec. Big mistake. This guy played baseball all through school. On and off the field. Alec stepped back and raised the bat before swinging it down and connecting with Laurent's kneecaps. Hard. I could feel the wind from the bat as I heard the cracking of kneecaps.

I loved that sound.

Not as much as the next one.

Laurent started screaming bloody murder. Alec glanced at Emmett silently asked him if he wanted to do it. Not wanting to wait all night with this pleasantries bull shit I start to reach into my jacket for my gun when I realize I'm not wearing it. Isabella is.

Fuck me.