Hello, my friends!

I made getting this chapter up on time a priority this week, and I am proud to say I succeeded!

A few of you asked if we are going to get to see Bella and Edward back home in Washington before all is said and done, and the answer is yes. I plan for another chapter involving the whole Cullen clan as well. While we're getting close to the end, we've still got a few chapters to go.

In the meantime, it's been a hot minute since things have gotten citrusy between these two... so get ready and grab those lemons!

EPOV

Oh, mother of fucking God, this is good!

Bella's soft little tongue swirls over the head of my cock, and a guttural groan rips from my chest as I thread my fingers through her hair.

Hollowing out her cheeks, she sucks in before sliding up my shaft. She releases the swollen head with a pop, and I whimper, bucking my hips toward her mouth. I want more. I need more.

"You like that, baby?" She curls her fist around me and pumps, her lips turning up into a cocky smirk.

"Don't stop! Please, for the love of all that is holy, don't fucking stop!"

She winks and dives back in, taking me so far that I'm hitting the back of her throat. Her hand reaches down, gently massaging my balls in her palm. I want to keep watching, but my eyes roll back of their own accord as my balls tighten and my stomach clenches.

"I'm gonna fucking cum," I warn her, pulling at her hair gently in case she wants to finish me off with her hand.

But, of course, my little hellcat doesn't move an inch. She bobs up and down faster, and I'm fucking her, thrusting my hips and using my grip on her hair to ensure our rhythm doesn't falter.

Within a minute, I'm spurting hot streams down her throat as she swallows around me, drinking every last drop.

My breath comes in pants as she releases me and wipes her mouth with her fingers. I'm so in love with this woman it's ridiculous.

"Not that I want to discourage any future urges, but what was that for?" I ask as she settles against my chest.

"It's a big day for you. I wanted to help relieve some of your tension before you have to focus on the trial."

"Well, good job, you succeeded in your mission."

"Good."

"You know, waking up with my cock in your mouth doesn't exactly discourage me from working cases that will force me to testify."

Bella swats me on the shoulder and pushes herself up to climb out of bed. "Get up, Mr. Big Shot. You need to shower and get dressed. I'll go make you coffee."

I pout as she throws on a robe and pulls it across her frame, blocking my view of her barely there pajamas. She sashays out of the room, calling out one last "get up" before slipping into the hall.

So, this is it. The day I have waited for, planned for, and stressed over since my journey with the FBI began.

Eleazar, Mike, and I spent months reviewing the best way to play my testimony. We're laying off the tapes, instead focusing on the crimes I witnessed, how Aro kept his books, and the constant admissions of guilt that he confessed to in front of me.

But the defense is going to play the opposite angle. Eleazar wants me to defend my actions before Marcus can pin me as trigger-happy.

I let the hot water from the shower run over my muscles as I review the questions I suspect Marcus plans to ask me.

Did you shoot Jamie O'Henry?

Did you shoot Felix Marks?

Did you shoot Caius Vitali?

Aro's only chance is in the jury believing I'm some corrupt schmuck.

Well, fuck that.

There's a text from my father waiting for me when I leave the bathroom.

Good luck today. We're all proud of you.

I get a similar sentiment from Bella when she hands me my coffee as I head out the front door. Except hers comes with a kiss and an ass grab. I can't help myself.

Mike is my chauffeur to the courthouse, and we simultaneously cringe at the barrage of news vans lining the street near the front steps. Due to the chaos the news vultures crate, we were granted special permission to use a back entrance.

"You know, I was thinking," Mike says as he parks and kills the ignition. "You can probably benefit from all this attention."

"What do you mean?"

He pauses to climb out of the car and slam the door behind him. "People are fascinated by your story. They want to know the details. Not just about the case but the personal side of working undercover."

"What, should I go out front and let fifteen cameras get shoved in my face?" I scoff.

"No. But you ought to think about doing an interview or two. After the trail finishes, of course."

I scrunch my nose in distaste. "I'm not the biggest fan of journalists."

"Hey, man, I'm with you. But you would be able to pick and choose who to talk to. You could build a nice little nest egg for you and Bella. The bonus you got from the agency will only go so far. And God knows you're about to cap out on how much you can earn each year working for the government."

"Damn GS payscale."

"Don't I know it," he laughs. "Just think about it. I'm happy to help you vet some opportunities if you want."

"Yeah, we'll see."

We approach security and turn over our service weapons for safekeeping. Even agents aren't allowed firearms in the courthouse.

Eleazar and his team are in the courtroom when we arrive. Tension mounts quickly while they scour over notes and make last-minute changes to the wording of questions.

"Marcus is going to go after you hard." Eleazar gives me a hushed warning as the benches behind us fill. "Take your time. Think over your answer before you give it, and only give as much as you have to. Don't elaborate."

"I know."

"I'll have your back and object to anything I can."

"I know."

"We can make the jury like you. I'm positive they already hate Aro."

"Eleazar. I know."

He grins and pats my shoulder. "Yeah, I know you do. I'm just excited for today. It's going to be one of the highlights of my career."

"Mine too."

The bailiff calls the room to attention, telling us to rise for the entrance of Judge Jenks. Aro grumbles to Marcus as he stands, his once-tailored suit hanging from his frame. He's falling from his pedestal, and I hope that today he'll hit the ground- hard.

Jenks orders the court into session, and Eleazar is quick to step forward, eager to get things started.

"Prosecution calls Special Agent Edward Cullen to the stand."

"Go get 'em," Mike whispers, and I'm half expecting a slap on the ass.

I hold back my retort of, "yes, coach!"

I get sworn in and settle on the stand, allowing myself a moment to soak in the scene. We're all here because of me. A jury, reporters, and the son of a bitch defendant are all here because I did my job, and I did it fucking well.

Eleazar steps forward, his facade of a relaxed demeanor given away only by the excitement in his eyes. "Agent Cullen, can you please explain to the court your role within the FBI."

"Yes. Until recently, I worked as an undercover agent."

"Did you go by a different name during that time?"

"Yes, my alias was Tony Masen."

"Who was your undercover assignment investigating?"

"Aro Volturi and his associates."

"How long were you undercover investigating Aro Volturi?"

"Four years.

A slight commotion breaks out as the reporters in the back get to work, scrawling down their notes. I notice a few raised brows. Maybe Mike is right. Maybe I am sitting on a gold mine of a story.

"During that time, did you ever witness Aro Volturi do anything that, as an agent, you would consider illegal."

I scoff unintentionally. "Yes."

"Would you please list the things you saw?"

"I witnessed Mr. Volturi commit acts of violence such as physical assault on various individuals. I witnessed him shoot Jamie O'Henry, unprovoked. He ordered others to commit acts of violence, going so far as to order me and others to kill associates he believed had wronged him. On top of the violence, I was privy to acts of money laundering, extortion, and theft."

"That's quite a laundry list." Eleazar strolls by the jury before continuing. "Let's start with the shooting of Jamie O'Henry. Can you please explain what happened the night Jamie O'Henry got shot?"

I sigh. This is the part I am looking forward to the least. "Aro was tipped off that a drug deal was taking place. He did not want Jamie or anyone else selling on what Aro considered his turf. He assembled a crew that included me, Felix Marks, Demitri Renata, and Caius Vincini. Guided by Aro, we went to a garage owned by the O'Henry family.

"We entered through the back door and interrupted the deal between Jamie O'Henry and a man named Embry Call. Aro and Jamie argued, and eventually, Aro pulled his gun and fired, hitting Jamie in the hand. Aro then ordered me to kill O'Henry."

I pause the way Eleazar recommended I do when hitting important moments in my testimony so that the information can sink in with the jury.

"Did you kill Mr. O'Henry?" Eleazar breaks the silence after a moment.

"No."

"Did you attempt to kill Mr. O'Henry?"

"No."

"Can you please explain what happened next?"

"I hesitated, as I had no desire to harm Mr. O'Henry, but Caius Vincini called me out on my lack of action and physically shoved me toward Mr. O'Henry. At the time, I did not believe I had a choice but to appear to follow Aro's orders. If I did not, I believe he would have killed me. So, I aimed for spots on Mr. O'Henry where I thought I would do the least damage and shot him." I grimace at the memory.

Eleazar moves on quickly. "What happened after Mr. O'Henry was shot?"

"Aro ordered the rest of the crew to confiscate the drugs and for me to dispose of Jamie O'Henry, who Aro and the rest of the crew believed to be deceased."

"Did you follow Aro's orders?"

"No," I laugh. "I couldn't. Jamie O'Henry was still alive."

Eleazar fights off a grin glancing down and clearing his throat. "Of course. What did you do?"

"When Aro and his crew left, I found Jamie's phone and called a number that appeared many times in his recent call log. It turned out to be his girlfriend. I asked her to come to get him and take him to the hospital. I then stayed with him and aided her in getting him into her car so she could take him to get medical care."

"So you helped Jamie O'Henry?"

"Yes. I did the best I could under the circumstances."

"Agent Cullen, earlier, you mentioned you witnessed Aro Volturi's involvement in money laundering, extortion, and theft. Can you please elaborate on what you witnessed?"

I nod and lean in, readying myself. The breakdown of Aro's financial crimes is long and tedious when you get into the details.

"The first job Aro sent me on was that of an enforcer."

Eleazar discreetly raises a finger, telling me to pause. "What is an enforcer?"

"An enforcer in the Volturi organization usually works to either collect money or send a message, often using violence."

"Please continue."

"I was sent to a few businesses in Aro's neighborhood to collect what he called 'protection money.' Aro charged these businesses money each month to have his organization work as a sort of security firm. However, these businesses did not hire Aro. Aro made threats of violence against them, even going so far as to loot and vandalize businesses until they agreed to pay him."

"How much would Mr. Volturi usually collect from these businesses?"

"Many times, it was a percentage of their monthly earnings. It could get into the thousands of dollar range."

"And you were sent to collect this money?"

"Yes."

"How did you do that?"

"Most of the time, the business owners were afraid of us and would hand us envelopes of cash. Other times, when they did not have the money, Aro ordered us to vandalize their shops or restaurants. A few times, Aro even told us to assault someone who could not pay."

More scrawling on notebooks and murmurs in the crowd tell me I'm hitting home with my explanation of Aro's guilt. Eleazar gives it a moment before continuing.

"Agent Cullen, can you please explain what you know about Mr. Volturi's bookkeeping process?"

I take a breath and jump in, Eleazar leading the way. He submitted Aro's books for evidence when McKenna took the stand as an expert analyst, so he pulls them back out and has me go through them piece by piece, explaining what different names and numbers mean.

We wrap up the financials by explaining how Aro laundered his money through Carmen's Deli, Felix's laundromat, and other businesses in the area. It's past noon by the time Judge Jenks stops us for lunch.

"Things are going well." Eleazar pats me on the shoulder as I rejoin the prosecution team. "We ordered out. Plenty of food if you're interested."

"Absolutely. Financial crimes build up an appetite."

"I think we lost about half the jury when we delved into the numbers."

"But did we get the point across? Prove Aro's guilt?"

"I sure as hell hope so!"

After scarfing down a roast beef sandwich, I escape to the cafeteria and claim a table tucked away in the far corner. I pull out my phone to check in with my favorite ER doc.

So, do I get a reward if I do a good job today? -E

She's quicker than I expect to respond, making me think she was waiting for news from me.

That depends. What kind of reward are we talking about? -B

You did a great job motivating me this morning. -E

Can I take that to mean things are going well? -B

Definitly. -E

Hmm, in that case, I might be able to think up a reward. Jessica wants to go shopping before work tonight. There's a Victoria's Secret at the mall… -B

You're killing me. -E

She responds with an eggplant and kissy face emoji. I don't answer because I'm about to start sexting in the middle of a cafeteria, and it's probably a bad idea to go back on the stand with my dick hard as a rock. I can only imagine the headlines- "Special agent aroused by trial- What happens when the defendant is convicted?"

I adjust my slacks and check my watch. It's time to get back.

Fifteen minutes later, I'm on the stand with Eleazar slowly pacing in front of me.

"Agent Cullen, what happened on the morning of November twenty-ninth?"

"Cauis Vinicini and Felix Marks took my girlfriend, Bella Swan, and me hostage under the order of Aro Volturi."

"Can you please explain what happened when they took you hostage?"

I break down the morning of our abduction piece by piece, my story collaborating with Bella's perfectly. I've reviewed the details a thousand times, so I'm confident enough to steal a few glances at the jury as I speak. I'm happy to find that no one looks bored or uninterested. Their undivided attention is on me. As I get to the details of what happened inside the warehouse, I catch a few of them glancing toward Aro.

Eleazar faces me as I get to the part where I was forced to shoot Felix. "And did you shoot Mr. Marks?"

"I did."

"Were you concerned about his well-being when you shot him?"

"I was concerned, but I was confident he would survive."

"Why was that?"

"In the car, when Felix frisked me, I noticed he was wearing a kevlar vest. I'm in the FBI. I know how we treat confidential informants. I took a leap of faith that Felix had been flipped and was working with the agency."

"Was he?"

"Yes. He was."

"So, the kevlar vest he wore made you confident he would survive a shooting?"

"Yes, I aimed toward center mass, where I felt the vest would be able to protect him from the bullet."

"Did you consider not shooting Mr. Marks?"

"Yes. Until Aro threatened to have Caius Vincini shoot Bella if I didn't shoot Felix."

"What happened after you shot Mr. Marks?"

I smirk as I tell the story of Bella spraying Caius in the face with pepper spray and explain that I didn't know she had anything in her pocket and that, at the time, I had no knowledge of the recording device she had left behind.

"After Bella left, Aro and I got into an altercation. I was able to disarm him physically. However, Caius Vincini was still armed. Despite being momentarily incapacitated by the mace, he raised his weapon and aimed it at me. My training kicked in, and I pulled my trigger, shooting him before he could shoot me."

"You shot Caius Vincini in self-defense?" Eleazar asks, strolling by the jury.

"Yes."

With my explanations of why I chose to use my weapon done, Eleazar moves on to ask me about some of the other felonies Aro committed. I explain numerous incidents where Aro used violence for intimidation or punishment. I explain the night I watched Felix kill a man for stealing from Aro, then move on to the times Aro orchestrated the hijacking of delivery trucks.

When Eleazar and I are through, the jury is eating out of our hands.

"No further questions." He nods at me before returning to the prosecution's table. I have to cough to hide my chuckle when he covers his smile with a hand and settles back in his chair.

The courtroom looks to Judge Jenks, waiting to see how we will continue. "Due to the length of Agent Cullen's testimony, I would like to begin cross-examination tomorrow morning. Court is adjourned for the day."

I stand and roll my neck. The witness seating leaves a lot to be desired in the way of comfort.

Mike meets me at the benches, and we walk out, dodging nosey reporters along the way. "How are you feeling?"

"Like Aro is going down," I grin.

He throws his head back with a laugh. "Amen to that!"

A/N: Yes, sir, Amen to that! The next chapter is back in Bella's POV, so we aren't going to get a play-by-play of questions from Marcus, but instead, learn how cross-examination unfolds the same way Bella does. What do we think? Is Marcus going to be able to spin things in Aro's favor or not?

If you haven't had the chance to yet, don't forget to Follow, Fav, or drop me a line if you're so inclined! Y'all are awesome, and you keep me going!