2

Edward rushed down the hallway, finding the first open door he could find, which just happened to be the storage room Alice used to keep their surveillance equipment. He leaned against the farthest shelf, bending at the waist and bracing himself by placing his hands on his knees and trying to keep from hyperventilating. It was stupid, of course, letting himself get so worked up, but then again, he hadn't expected to see her in person again.

The door opened and he felt himself tense, only to relax when he saw Alice. The tiny, small woman had managed his business for the better part of the last decade. Most people thought she was a bitch, and she could be, but she was the most loyal person he had ever known. She stood a barely five foot and had long black hair and dark eyes.

"So? Did she recognize you?"

Edward shook his head.

"Oh," she said, dryly. "That sucks."

"Why would she, though? It's been almost twenty-five years."

"You knew who she was," Alice pointed out.

Edward rolled his eyes and stood up straight. "The whole fucking world knows who she is, Al."

"American's Sweetheart," she snickered, folding her arms in front of her. "Her manager is a bitch. She snapped her fingers in my face."

Edward laughed. "She did, huh? And let me guess you didn't do anything to deserve her to snap her fingers in your face?"

Alice grinned. "Well, I may not have fawned all over them when they walked in."

Edward shook his head, his own smile growing. "Well, guess that explains it, doesn't it?"

"Sorry," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Just because she's America's Sweetheart doesn't mean she is getting special treatment from me. She's just another poor sap who needs our help."

Edward frowned. "She does. She's got a stalker, Al. A seriously dangerous stalker."

Alice rolled her eyes.

"He's been sending her letters for the last six months," Edward said, shoving the red folder into her arms before he stepped into the hallway. "They leave yet?"

"About thirty seconds after you hightailed it out of the room like a chicken," she replied, but opened the folder and started reading through the stack of letters.

Edward had been prepared to read the usual messages. How beautiful the stalked was, how they felt an instant connection with them, and those messages were definitely there, but the letters got more aggressive quickly, and in the last letter, the person stalking her knew the color underwear she had been wearing during one of her last shows. That's why Edward was insisting on moving in. Whoever her stalker was, they were too close. Someone too close to her, someone she might even trust.

"Oh."

"Yeah. Not only is he sending her letters, but he broke into her house last week. Masturbated on her bed." Edward brought his hand up to the back of his neck. "I need you to get everyone here. We need to get a plan in place." He paused and looked back at Alice. "I'm moving in."

As he expected, her eyes widened and she said, "I'm sorry, but did you just say you're moving in with her?"

Edward nodded. "I know, Al, but —"

"No, no, this is crazy, Edward!" Alice exclaimed, closing the folder and almost throwing it into his hands. "You can't move in with her."

He sighed, dropping his hands to his hips.

"Wow." Alice shook her head. "Fine. I'll rally the team, but, dude, you need to get your head together. You're letting your . . ." Alice gestured toward his crotch. "Well, you know, mess with your fucking head, Edward!"

"It's not like that," Edward argued. "She needs our protection."

"So you say," she quipped, walking past him and down the hallway, pausing and looking back at him. "But ask yourself if you would be preparing to move in with a client if they weren't her?"

Edward pressed his lips together, unable to deny the accusation before he turned and walked back into his office. He closed the door behind him and walked around his desk and settled in his chair. He pulled open the bottom drawer and picked up a small box, setting it on the desk. Edward pried the lid open and picked up the almost faded photograph on top the handfuls of mementoes he had managed to take with him.

Two little kids, a boy with bright red hair and green eyes and a girl with long chocolate brown hair and brown eyes, sitting on a floral sofa together. He was wearing a pair of white knit pants and a white button up shirt, her a white flowing sundress. The standard uniform, he thought bitterly.

They were holding hands, but it was the sadness in their eyes that always drew his attention. It was the last time they had been together, a memory that had stuck with him for years, one of the few memories he had from that part of his life. Edward dropped the photo back into the box and shoved it back into the drawer of his desk before he scrambled to his feet and hurried out of his office, down the hallway, and past Alice.

"Everyone should be here in an hour," she replied, but when he bypassed her and headed for the door, she stood up and said, "Where the fuck are you going?"

But Edward didn't respond. Instead, he waved her off and hurried outside, his chest heaving as he looked around before running across the street and climbing into his truck. He saw Alice watching him from the door to their office, her phone pressed against her ear, which didn't surprise him. The minute her manager called to set up a meeting, Edward had been on edge, but could you blame him? The memories of the little brown haired girl had haunted him since he was five years old.

Ten minutes later, he found himself parked in front of the large white house on Maple Drive. He'd barely shut off the engine when the front door opened and his mother walked out onto the front porch, drying her hands on a dishtowel before slinging it over her shoulder. He climbed out of the truck and walked across the perfectly green lawn, up the three wooden steps, and wrapped his arms around the woman who had loved him for more years than he deserved.

"Wow, she wasn't wrong, was she?" she asked, leaning away and placing her hands on either side of his face. "Dad's not here. He caught a case last night."

Edward nodded. "He texted me this morning, told me he would be off the grid a day or two. Maybe more."

"Well, come on in. I just started a fresh pot of coffee. Looks like you need a cup, or two."

"Thanks, Mom."

She hummed and led him into the house, through the living room, past the formal dining room, and into the kitchen. She motioned for him to sit at the table before she poured them each a cup a coffee and sat across from him. Sighing, she smiled, her dark eyes crinkling at the corners. Esme Cullen may not have given birth to him, but she was his mother in every way that mattered.

"So, are you gonna tell me why you drove across town in the middle of the afternoon?"

Edward picked up his coffee, taking a sip. "I saw her today."

Esme's eyes widened. "Oh."

"She, um, she's being stalked. Her manager has hired me to protect her."

"Ah, I see." Esme took a sip of her coffee. "Did she know who you are?"

Edward shook his head. "I don't think so."

"Why didn't you tell her?"

He shrugged his shoulders.

"Edward, why didn't you tell her?"

"What was I supposed to say, Mom? For all I know, she doesn't even remember that part of her life. Hell, I don't. Not really."

"You remember her," Esme quipped, leaning back in her chair.

Edward frowned. "Yeah, well, I didn't have as much to forget as she did."

"Suppose that makes sense."

Edward leaned forward, pressing his forehead against the table. "I told her I'm moving in, Mom."

To his surprised, she laughed. "Of course you did. Like father, like son."

Edward scoffed and looked up. "Am I making a mistake, Mom? Letting myself get involved in her life again?"

"Would it matter if it was a mistake?" she asked.

"Probably not."

Esme moved to the seat next to him, placing her hand on the side of his face. "You are not that little boy anymore, Edward, who couldn't help her."

"I know," he whispered. "I just . . . I never thought I'd see her again, Mom, and when I do, she's in danger. I don't know how to else to help her."

"Oh, my sweet boy." Esme patted his face gently. "I'll text Dad. Tell him to pass his case off on another team."

"I'm fine, Mom."

"No, you're not, kiddo." Esme leaned back. "What's she like?"

Edward pressed his lips together. "Beautiful."

She grinned. "Yes, that much I know. I have seen her picture everywhere, but what is she like?"

"I don't know," he said, shrugging his shoulder. "We didn't get to talk much. It was a short meeting. The longer I was sitting there with her, the harder it was not to blabber like an idiot."

"Oh, I see." Esme picked up her cup, but didn't take a sip. "Are you going to tell her who you are?"

"I don't know, Mom," he confessed. "It was a long time ago, and it wasn't a good time, you know? For either of us," he added with a frown. "I wouldn't want to open wounds. Especially if she doesn't remember anything from back then, you know?"

"I do," Esme said. "But if being so close to her makes it harder for you, Edward." She leaned forward, placing her hand on the side of his face again. "I can't help but worry that being around her is going to open your wounds."

"Me too." Edward stood up, walked over to the sink, and poured his coffee into the sink. "I'd better get back to the office. Al was going to call everyone in so we can make a plan."

Esme nodded. "I'll get a hold of Dad, and let him know. Probably won't make the meeting, but he'll get in touch with you when he gets his case covered."

Edward walked back over to her, squatting next to her. "Thanks, Mom. For the coffee and the talk. I needed it."

"You're welcome." Esme hugged him. "Be safe, okay? Promise?"

"I promise, Mom."

Edward kissed her cheek before hurrying out of the house and heading back to the office.

—TB—

When Edward arrived back at the office, he found Alice seated in the conference room with his brothers, Emmett and Jasper. While Emmett — tall and bulky with dark, curly brown hair and deep blue eyes — was leaned back in his chair with his feet propped up on the table, Jasper — just as tall as Emmett, but lanky with shaggy blond hair and blue eyes — was sitting next to Alice, who was facing him with their hands wrapped around each other's. The two had been dating for almost five years, and why they hadn't married yet was a mystery to all of them. They simply just said they didn't want that type of life together.

The third man was seated on the far side of the room, his arms were folded across his chest and his eyes were closed. Rolling his eyes, Edward walked over to his chair, using his foot to push Sam Uley's chair backward, causing him to startled and push his long, black hair out of his face.

"Fuck, man, I was asleep!" he groaned, sitting up and stretching.

"No shit. Explains the drool running down your chin," Edward snapped, rolling his eyes at him before he walked over and sat at the far end of the table, looking between each of them, all of whom were focusing all their attention on him. "We have a new client."

Alice gave him a look before she stood up and started spreading their client files around to the three men, keeping one for herself and one for his father, when he showed up.

Emmett flipped it open, his eyes widening, but it was Jasper who spoke first. "Are you shitting me, Edward?"

"Nope," he said, clearing his throat. "She's being stalked. Threatening letters, and they broke into her house last week, masturbated on her bed. Luckily, she was out of town. She had a show in New York, but the fact that he managed to get inside her house made her nervous, okay? She needs a bodyguard, and came to me. I need you three to work with Dad and find out who is stalking her, and deal with them. Legally, of course," he added, giving Sam a look.

"America's Sweetheart, huh?" he scoffed, ignoring the look Edward gave him.

"Yep," Edward gritted, resisting the urge to crawl across the table and smack the shit of him.

He and Sam got along, but he had a tendency to use force when it wasn't needed, and more than once, they had to cover for him when he went too far. However, whoever was stalking her had already gone too far when he helped himself into her home. Hence why Edward was insisting on moving in. He couldn't leave her inside that house, vulnerable, alone, fragile. Not again.

"She's hot," Sam added, his eyes shifting to Edward.

"Okay," Emmett said, drawing their attention to him before Edward really did crawl across the table and smack the stupid out of Sam. "So, what exactly is your plan?"

Alice snorted, but didn't say anything as Edward said, "I'm moving in with her. I will be by her side twenty-four, seven."

Jasper stood up, leaning his hands against the table. "Uley, take a walk."

"What? Why?" Sam asked, but when Jasper turned his glare on him, he simply nodded and walked out of the room.

Jasper waited until they heard the front door close before he turned and looked back at Edward. "Bro, what the fuck? You're moving in with her?"

"I am," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

If he were being honest with himself, and he rarely was, he was scared to death to be that close to her again, but he couldn't not be there for her, either. He'd spent a long time with people telling him she was dead, that she hadn't been saved like he had been. And then five years ago her face was everywhere as she released her first of three albums. The little girl from the picture was alive, and now, now he needed to protect her. Again.

"Edward, man, that's . . . Are you sure that's the best plan?" Emmett asked.

"You have a better one?" he asked, gesturing to the copies of the letters Alice had made for them. "We can't leave her vulnerable any longer, but I can't be in two places at once. If I am with her, that means I need you guys to find this motherfucker and stop him before he gets close enough to actually hurt her!"

"Okay, calm down, bro," Jasper said, putting his hand up. "We can divide and conquer, all right? You can move in," he said, giving Edward a look. "But we are going to have to be hands on. You can't be the only one around when she's in the field."

"Jay's right," Emmett agreed. "Dad and Sam can work with Al, find the motherfucker who is after her, but we," he said, gesturing to him and Jasper, "will be in the field with you."

"Okay, I can agree to that," Edward told them, knowing he didn't have a choice. When push came to shove, their father would put his foot down on the matter. "She has a show tonight. We need to be there. See for ourselves who is closest to her, observe only of course. Who is coming with me?"

"Al and I are having dinner with her parents," Jasper said, gesturing to Alice.

"Dad's being a dick, says it's been too long since we've been over," she added, rolling her eyes. "We either go to dinner, or he's going to come to our place."

"I'm free," Emmett offered, shrugging his shoulders.

"Okay, I'll pick you up at six."

And before Edward could be stopped, he was out of the room, making his way to the back staircase leading to the upstairs apartment he lived in. He closed the door behind him, leaning against the thick metal door, and blew out a deep breath. He cross his apartment and dragged his suitcase out of the closet, tossing it on the bed, but before he could start packing, his phone chimed with a new message. He dug his phone out of his pocket, sitting on the bed as he got a text from his father that simply said: Mom and Al caught me up. I'll touch base with you in the morning. Follow your instincts, son.

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews to the first chapter! I am blown away by all the feedback. Do me a favor and leave me a few more words.