All characters belong to Stephanie Meyer and the Twilight Saga.

EPOV

It smells like asphalt as I stroll toward the abandoned building. The brick building is a fourth burnt down, with the windows boarded up. My brothers should be inside. My phone chimes in my pocket as I enter the broken door frame.

New SMS alert:

Bella- Work has been a total shit show today. People keep staring at me.

Reply:

Edward- I'm sorry for that. It probably has to do with me. Can I call you in an hour?

New SMS alert:

Bella- Yeah, give me two and I'll be home. Can't wait!

I'm smiling at my phone like a teenager. Laughter begins to descend around me.

"Oh, you are so WHIPPED, bro!" Emmett guffaws.

Swiftly, I remove my knife from my waist and have the blade ready to go. Emmett runs around the room as if we're playing tag with my knife that has killed hundreds. By the end, I tackled him and had him in a headlock.

Jasper whistles to gain our attention, "You realize we have a business to attend to?"

The fact that Jasper is leading me today shows how off my game I am.

After Bella and I woke in the suite, we had a marvelous breakfast of crepes and berries before she promptly panicked over missing ten calls from her Father. She's a twenty-two-year-old adult, why does it matter where she spends the night? Charlie begged to differ with that logic and seemed protective of her, which begrudgingly, I related to.

She put on her clothes from the night before, which I told her was an awful idea, and she fervently disagreed- being stubborn as ever. I called Alec who'd slept in the helicopter awaiting my say as to when to start the engine. We made our way to the helipad and she kissed me repeatedly until I physically pulled her off of me and sat her in her seat. She wanted to stay in Forks, at least for a while. I didn't like it one bit. It's been one day since our date and I was reeling to be around her again.

We walked to the far corner of the building where a stairway led to a basement. It smelt like mildew and old smoke, and I knew I'd have to trash this suit afterward. There's a scruffy man in restraints on a metal table. As my steps grow closer to him, he attempts to scream. There's a gag in his mouth causing every sound he makes to be silenced.

I loom over him, "Marcus. Good to see you. I can see you're a bit tied up at the moment." Pun intended.

I rip the tape that's over his mouth off and pull out whatever disgusting thing my brothers used as a gag. He leers at me silently, his eyes showing how much he hates me.

"Stop looking at me like you want to fuck me, Marcus. We have a business to attend to."

He sneers, "You're disgusting, Cullen."

Marcus speaks with a haggard Irish accent. It makes me want to slice his throat open.

Retrieving my knife from my front pocket, I flick it open and press it over his trachea.

"Why were Aro's men, including you, attempting to intercept our shipment yesterday?"

Marcus is quiet now, his old, cracked lips tightly pressed into a firm line.

Lifting the knife, I stab him quickly in his trachea. Removing the blade, I can see it was the perfect hit. Not too deep, but not too shallow for my plans.

As he struggles to breathe, I grab Jasper's sterile short metal straw and gloves.

"I'm afraid I just punctured your windpipe, Marcus. If you'd like to breathe, tap your hand on the table two times. But know that I'll need you to tell me everything about the interception. Deal?"

As if on cue, two taps of his hand. My now gloves hand reaches the hole that blood's pooling out of.

Jasper's making gag noises behind me, "Shut the fuck up, J!"

With my other hand, I place the metal straw inside and hear the sound of airflow.

"Now, remember I have to keep this straw still for you to continue breathing, Marcus. Don't fuck with me. You won't be able to talk so I'll ask yes or no questions. One tap is no, two taps are yes. Do you understand?"

Two taps.

"Good. Did Aro tell you the location where the drop was?"

Two taps.

"Was the drop site leaked?"

Two taps.

"Was it leaked by James Denali?"

No movement.

I glide the knife down his bare chest. "Was it leaked by James Denali?"

Two taps.

Emmett mutters a curse behind me.

"Thanks, Marcus." I remove the straw and use my hands to break his neck, swift and clean.

Emmett barrels up next to me, beginning to untie Marcus's lifeless body.

"James did this? What a tool!"

"Tool? Non siamo al liceo!" ("He's a trader!")

Another ten minutes and the body's been cleaned away, tucked into a bag. Emmett and Jasper deal with clean-up, which probably entails ripping the poor sucker to pieces. The body bag is in a hidden storage space in Emmett's jeep, contorted to fit into the small space. The trunk closes with a slam.

Emmett turns to me, "You going to call Padre?"

I groan, "Unfortunately."

He chuckles, "Yeah, good luck with that. I wonder if he's going to start a war over this shit."

We part ways, and I dial Isabella's number on my car's no-hands system. It rings three times before she picks up.

"Hey!"

"Cio Bella. How has your day been?"

"Pretty.. weird? After your appearance, I've been getting personal questions from people who'd never speak to me otherwise."

That one made me chuckle, "What kind of questions?"

"You're laughing now, but I'm almost positive the majority of the staff at Forks High School is fantasizing about you."

"Even the men?"

A giggle comes through the phone speaker, "Especially the men."

"What are your plans for the remainder of the day?"

She sighs, "Well, I'm heading to the store to grab some fish to fry for Charlie for dinner. It's his favorite and he's still grumbling at me."

"Bella, you're an adult, why is he so upset?"

"I had to come home because of a threat on my life, and he doesn't even know that! He thinks I had a toxic relationship… maybe he thinks I'm moving on too quickly? He has no idea I was blackmailed before."

It's my turn to sigh, "I guess I can't talk. I'd flip out if you disappeared on me."

I can hear the smile in her voice, "Oh you'd flip out?"

The sound I emit is like a growl, "Don't even joke about that, Isabella."

"I've gotta go into the store now, but thanks for calling. Can we chat before bed? I'm re-reading Othello and I have thoughts for you."

We bonded over our love of Shakespeare and certain author's works during the time in the hotel suite.

"I'd be elated to hear your thoughts mi amore."

The line clicks after another round of goodbyes, and I continue my drive into the heart of Chicago. It's time to speak with Carlisle, about everything.

BPOV

My alarm chimes in my ears as I roll over and stuff a pillow over my head. Another day at Forks High School, by choice. What was I thinking? Now people are ogling at me the same way they did when I first transferred here seven years ago.

Taking a hasty shower, I drag a brush through my conditioned hair. It's the same conditioner from high school. I'm not surprised Charlie hasn't touched it. Do toiletries expire?

Dark jeans and a long-sleeved gray shirt are my outfit of the day. It's casual Friday, at last. I grab a thick olive cardigan for the classroom because Forks High blasts the air conditioning, even during autumn.

My phone vibrates on the nightstand, it's a text from Edward.

New SMS Alert:

Edward- Jasper is late to the morning meet-up again. Why is he like this? Be prompt or be nothing.

Chuckling, I roll my eyes.

New SMS Alert:

Edward- Good morning mi amore. Probably should've said that first before complaining.

As I'm typing up a reply, Jasper messages me:

New SMS Alert:
Jasper- When are you going to see Mr. Angst again? He's only calm around you. He's driving us insane!

I shake my head and type back to Adonis.

Bella- Good morning! Do you plan on killing Jasper today? He seems worried, he just texted me.

Laughing, I imagine Edward threatening Jasper because he sent me a simple text. Each night, we've been able to carve out some time to talk about our favorite works of fiction. Last night he had an awful lot of critiques for Wuthering Heights. We may not have too much in common if he dislikes Bronte so much.

It's been incredible to see inside of his mind. He's intensely astute, like no one I've met before. His mind is like a fortress of facts I've never heard. It's nice being able to hold a riveting conversation with a man. Edward looking the way he does is a gigantic plus.

As I stumble down the stairs, I hear Charlie clunking around in the kitchen. Rounding the corner I see him pouring cereal into two bowls.

"Making me breakfast?" I smile as I go to grab the bowl.

"You know I can't cook, so this is the best that I could do for you." He grumbles.

"Well, it's nice, thanks."

I sit in the seat across from Charlie's chair which has a permanent dent in it. There's a newspaper in the middle of the table, and I like doing the little crossword puzzle The Seattle Times does in their paper. Bringing the paper towards me, I can't help but regard the front page.

It's a photo of Edward, Jasper is next to him, and then a muscular man beside them. What the hell?

The headline reads "FBI'S MOST WANTED CULLEN BROTHER'S IN SEATTLE."

I know Edward is a criminal, I mean he's in the mafia, but.. FBI's most wanted? It's not like he kills people, right?

Charlie would know more, and I can't help myself but ask.

"Uh, Dad.. What's this front page about?"

He gently takes the paper and looks while eating another scoop of cereal.

He lets out a sigh, "These guys?" I nod and he continues, "They're part of the Cullen crime syndicate."

"What does that mean?"

Charlie looks at me in hesitation, "The Cullen family are gangsters, you know, the mafia, Bells."

Egging him on, "Mafia? Does that exist?"

"Of course, it exists. A lot of organized crime families lay low. Most of them have had their leader taken in on RICO charges in the late nineties, so they move discreetly. But the Cullen's have power over the entire United States. Their leader sends messages directly to law enforcement, almost threateningly."

Chills rise on my skin as I remember Edward's father, Carlisle, that was his name.

I rise, ready to get to class.

"Jeez, Bells. You're going to be early if we leave now. You haven't even eaten."

I can't eat. My stomach is rolling with nausea. My phone dings as Charlie stands up to head to the cruiser, New SMS Alert from Edward.

I'll research all I can on the Cullen's while subbing today. Did I sleep with a killer?