AN: Hey, welcome back. I'm posting early cause it was finished and it's my day off. So, yay!

This fic will be heavily adapted from the movie. It will have the same plot and scenes with only minor changes from me - like inner dialogue and such and lot of the dialogue will be pulled straight from Savages. If you ever read my fic My Bella, which was written after the movie Wicker Park, you'll have a pretty good idea of how I'll write this story.

Also, for more description of the video sent, it's in the last chapter of SoCal. I didn't want to rehash the whole thing and its not really Edward/CHON's style.

Without further ado...

Day One:

...In the afternoon

Laguna Beach, California

Edward

The video was graphic, but nothing I hadn't seen before. Blood, guts, all the fucking gore men created barely had me batting an eye. It was the way of the world, and I was well-versed. Whoever filmed themselves hanging men by their ankles and decapitating them was sending a message.

They wanted to instill fear in us - obey or else.

Well, fuck them. I'll take the 'else.'

I had been preparing for the cartel to come after us for a long time. The drug scene was lucrative but competitive, and violence was often their first and only solution. Whenever you're on top, you have assholes willing to kill you and everyone you love to take that spot.

Jasper didn't see things like me. If any business problems arose, his brain worked out ways to avoid conflict. All he wanted to do was save the world, but it was filled with fucking savages, and you couldn't live peacefully with them - especially when you have something they want. His superior weed, with bountiful THC, had grown in ways even I hadn't expected it to. The money we made was good, and the power it provided me was even better, but I knew the ride would eventually end.

The only thing I didn't know was how I would respond. Would I kill all the fuckers who stood in my way, or would I only cripple them for life? With me, there was no kindness or negotiating. I would protect what was mine till the bloody end.

"Tell me not to worry anymore," Bean had said to me, her eyes wide, open, and pleading.

I didn't lie when I said, "Don't worry," because I believed that when we discussed business with these fuckers, I would shut it down.

"Okay," she said, trusting me but knowing things weren't kosher.

If only I knew how to tell her how much she truly meant to me.

Don't matter.

When it came time, I would lay down my life for our girl.

After a few minutes on the balcony, I left Bean there to call Jasper. It took forever for the dick to answer his phone, but eventually, he picked up, and I told him about the message.

He said after watching the video, "It might be a joke."

I snorted. "Does it look like a fucking joke?" He huffed and puffed until I lost my patience. "You need to come home."

"Man, I'm in the Congo. I can't just pick up and leave."

"I don't give a fuck where you are! Get your ass home."

These pricks haven't said when or where to meet them, but I guaranteed they knew where Jasper was, and we only had a two-day grace period.

Did he not get that?

"No, of course. You're right. I'll leave now."

"Good," I said, and I was about to disconnect the call when he cleared his throat. "Anything else?"

"Has Bean seen this video?"

For the first time, guilt stabbed me in the chest, and I felt ashamed. "She might have."

"Jesus Christ, Edward! Why did you show her that? The last thing she needs to be doing is worrying about our bullshit, and you fucking-"

"Know she will," he said in unison with me.

"You were supposed to shield her from this."

I hung my head and nodded. "Yeah."

Thanks for reading.

See you tomorrow.