Chapter 5: A Risky Invitation

The summer heat in New York was starting to press down, thick and unrelenting, even in the late evenings. The kind that made the city feel slower, heavier.

Edward leaned against the counter in their cramped apartment, flipping through the latest copy of the New York Times. His green eyes scanned the bolded headline:

"Body Found in Staten Island Alley Raises Questions."

The article was vague, just a few lines speculating about organized crime, but Edward didn't need to read between the lines. People who know the history of this city probably know who is responsible for that, but no magazine will ever mention Charlie Swan's name, fear of backlash; it happened in the past.

"Charlie's work," he muttered, tossing the paper onto the table.

Across the room, Emmett was hunched over a plate of reheated pasta, a fork twirling lazily between his fingers. He glanced up, his expression unimpressed. "Another one?"

"Staten Island this time. Probably someone sniffing around that pier."

Edward rubbed the back of his neck, the weight of the mission settling over him again. It wasn't the first time he'd come across something like this, and it wouldn't be the last. Every move the Swans made left a trail of bodies, a reminder of the stakes and why they were here.

Emmett shook his head, stabbing at his food. "Not going to lie bro, but it feels weird reading this knowing we are on the other side now, huh?"

"We've been in deep since the day we started," Edward replied. "This is just more proof they don't mess around."

The heat in the room seemed to grow heavier as the words hung between them. Edward didn't like how normal it was becoming—to read about bodies in the paper and feel nothing but calculation. No horror, no shock. Just another move in the game. It was the job, but it was also the reminder that they were playing with fire.

The next month passed in a blur of careful planning and deliberate trust-building. The diamond shipment was only days away now, and they had spent the past few weeks making themselves indispensable: running security, handling deliveries, cleaning up loose ends,…

Their faces were familiar now in every corner of the operation. He had become a go-to for errands that required a sharp eye and steady nerves, delivering sensitive documents to Simon and at times Marcus.

He has the feeling that the bosses trusted them a little bit. I mean he knows that Marcus and Charlie tolerated them. Caius, with his unreadable smirk, had once told them: "You two think like veterans. We'll definitely keep you around."

A compliment. A threat.

Edward wasn't sure which.

But none of that was what kept him up at night.

…..

It was during one of those deliveries that he saw her again. Bella Swan.

Edward had caught glimpses of her before, usually at a distance—gallery events, family dinners, photos in surveillance reports. But this time, she had walked into Charlie's office just as he was leaving. The door swung open, and she walked in, effortlessly.

Edward barely got out of the way in time.

He'd seen her up close, close enough to notice the freckles on her nose and the way her light brown eyes seemed to hold the room. Her long dark hair was swept over one shoulder, a casual elegance that shouldn't have made his breath hitch. But it did. She'd smiled at Charlie, a smile that softened her sharp features and carried a warmth Edward wasn't used to seeing.

Edward was still standing there when Charlie glanced at him.

"You need something, Masen?"

The bite in his voice was mild, but it was a warning all the same.

Edward tore his eyes away from Bella. "No, sir. Just leaving."

Later that night, Edward jotted down notes about her in the worn leather notebook he kept for the mission. It was part of the job—documenting everyone who crossed paths with the Swans. But as he wrote, he realized he was memorizing details that had nothing to do with the mission.

By the time Edward snapped out of it, Emmett was already in the kitchen, reviewing maps and routes. They'd taken copies of the blueprints from the pier and started marking potential problems—blind spots, exposed areas, and possible escape routes.

"This route here," Edward said, leaning over the table and pointing to a red circle they'd drawn, "is too risky. If the cops are watching, this is where they'll pounce."

"Yeah, we avoid that," Emmett agreed, tracing a new line with his finger. "We take this industrial zone instead. More cover, fewer cameras. If we have to lose a tail, it's easier here."

Edward nodded. "We'll run it past Simon tomorrow, but it looks solid."

Their suggestions had already earned them praise from Marcus and even Charlie. Caius even smirked.

Two days before the shipment, Simon called them to a back room in a downtown club. The air reeked of spilled whiskey and cigars, and the noise from the bar outside was a dull roar behind the heavy door.

"Alright," Simon said, spreading a blueprint of the pier across the table. "Listen up. The shipment comes in here." He tapped the map with a calloused finger, marking a dock near the waterline. "The unloading takes ten minutes, max. Once it's out, we split it between two trucks. Convoy A and Convoy B."

Edward leaned in, memorizing the details. "We're Convoy B?"

"Exactly," Simon confirmed. "You'll take the east route. Fewer checkpoints, but tighter streets. Screw it up, and you'll get boxed in faster than you can blink."

Edward exchanged a glance with Emmett, whose expression stayed calm, though Edward could see the tension behind his brother's easy smirk.

Simon's sharp eyes lingered on Edward for a moment before moving on. "You two have been solid so far. Don't make me regret trusting you."

"You won't," Emmett said, his voice steady.

Simon nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now get out of here. I don't need anyone seeing us together longer than necessary."

They left, walking back through the smoky club, past the bodies pressed against each other under dim red lights. Edward barely noticed any of it.

Back at the apartment that night, Edward sat alone at the kitchen table, flipping through his notebook. He jotted down more notes about the route, the pier, and the convoy plan, but his thoughts kept drifting.

His notes were neat. Organized. Plans, routes, risk assessments. But his thoughts weren't on the shipment.

They were on her.

He thought about her smile. Strangely, how different the boss had looked in that moment, almost human not the monster he is known to be. He thought about how she'd moved through the room with quiet confidence, how she had probably grown up in spaces like that, effortlessly navigating the world of powerful men.

And he hated that she was on his mind. It felt like she was becoming a distraction. A liability. And he needed to focus. So many people rely on his work right now, and if he succeeds, that will make his career. He will forever be known as the guy who helped bring Charlie Swan down but also brought peace and justice to so many.

Edward snapped the notebook shut and leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling like it held the answers.

But the truth was, nothing about this was simple anymore.

The next morning, Edward and Emmett stood outside their apartment, smoking. The summer heat had cooled just slightly, but the air was still thick, and heavy with the weight of everything coming. But even as he forced himself to focus on the mission, the memory of her smile lingered. Damn it! What is it with this girl?

He stayed awake late last night, staring at the maps and imagining every possible way the shipment could go wrong. They could not afford to fuck this thing up, because if they succeed that will for sure give them a shoo-in in other operations, meetings, and anything that can help him their case.

Emmett exhaled, watching the smoke curl into the air. "You ready for this?"

Edward flicked the ash off his cigarette, his green eyes scanning the quiet street and chuckled "It's not like we have a choice."

Emmett grinned, though there was a flicker of unease in his eyes. "Yeah, but we're gonna kill it. We've been prepping for months. Nobody's better at this than us."

That is true!

Edward nodded, but his chest felt tight. Somewhere in the distance, the sound of sirens wailed, faint but growing closer.

They weren't there for him—not yet. But Edward knew it was only a matter of time.

Thank you again for following this story! I really want to hear your opinions on this story so far. :)

I am working on the next chapter already, and If I get over 5 reviews by February 15th, I will post a new chapter on February 16th. (I know, I am bribing right now hahaha, but I am super excited about this story and want to hear some opinions)