Mafia Princess

Chapter One-Hundred Seventy

Twilight...not mine (sigh).

Chapter 170

EPOV

I was pacing inside of the large conference room in the courthouse. Normally, this was done at the office, but there was another meeting scheduled there and it was moved here. Carlisle was blankly shifting through some emails on his Blackberry while I paced. This deposition was a big deal. It was all about Aro Volturi and his involvement with Bella's kidnapping. We'd already spoken to the U.S. Attorney about the terrorism and bigger charges against him. That would probably grant him the death penalty, but this meeting was more important in my eyes.

It was personal.

"Will you sit down?" Carlisle barked.

I sat down. For a nanosecond before I was up and pacing again.

"What crawled into your boxers? You're so antsy. Well, antsier than normal," Carlisle chuckled.

"I want Aro to pay for what he did to Bella," I said, running my hand through my hair. "Riley and James paid for their crimes with my bullets..." I scowled, wishing I had given them less lethal wounds and make their torment last longer. "But, Aro is still breathing. He needs to fry, Dad."

"He is a sadistic mother fucker," Carlisle growled. "Oh, I heard that Bella got good news about Charlie. Aro isn't her sperm donor?"

"Nope. Turns out that Aro can't even father children. He's infertile," I chuckled. "Lost one ball in an accident as a kid and the other ball got cancer, rendering it useless."

"I'm happy for her. All of that torture, plus the truth that your dad isn't your dad? I could only imagine," Carlisle whispered.

"I told her that blood didn't make you family. Relationships do," I said, looking at my adoptive father. "I'm a Cullen. I may not be a Cullen by blood but you and mom are my family. You'll always be my family. I love you both and..." Carlisle shot up and hugged me tightly. I was too shocked to panic, but hugged him back.

We were interrupted by a young female attorney, an assistant to the U.S. Attorney assigned to the case. She blushed and set up the camera, digital voice recorder and everything for the lawyer, Phil Dwyer. He was shrewd and had this in the bag. The evidence against Aro was irrefutable.

"Good morning, gentlemen," Phil said as he sat down. "This shouldn't take too long."

"You said that yesterday and we were here all day," Carlisle deadpanned, sitting down at the table.

"I just want to be thorough," he smiled, putting on a pair of glasses. "We'll start with Agent Edward Cullen. Have a seat, please?" I sat down across from Phil and the woman moved the camera, pressing record. "Thank you, Brianne. You can go, okay?" She nodded and darted out of the room. "Please state your full name and relation to the case."

"My name is Special Agent Edward Cullen. I was placed as an undercover operative in the del Cigno Syndicate after we received an anonymous tip of several drug deals that were being funded by the syndicate," I answered. "After a year of being undercover, I was appointed to be the private bodyguard for Isabella del Cigno after one of the bodyguards was murdered during a meeting with James Cacciatore. During that meeting, Cacciatore put out a hit on del Cigno under the instruction of Aro Volturi."

"How long were you the bodyguard for Isabella?" Phil asked.

"From the middle of May until roughly a month ago, just prior to her abduction," I said, swallowing the bile the threatened to come up. The guilt I felt shattered my heart. I shouldn't have let her go. You were unconscious, moron. "She discovered my true identity and was taken outside of my apartment that I used during my cover."

"How did she discover your identity?" Phil asked.

"I didn't put my badge or ID card into my safe," I grumbled.

Phil nodded, jotting some notes down. "What else do you know about Aro Volturi?" he asked. I spent the rest of the morning, explaining my research on Aro Volturi, from first-hand accounts from interviews I had with del Cigno associates, my own research on the computer and information from Charlie. We broke for lunch and then afterward, went over the days leading up to the raid on Aro's warehouse, finding Bella and single-handedly dismantling the Volturi organization. We were done by six and I was emotionally wrecked and completely drained from talking all day. Phil was a bit concerned about Bella discovering my cover, but in the grand scheme of things, felt that we had more than enough information to put Aro on death row, along with his brothers and the remaining associates in the Volturi organization.

I drove back to my condo, parking next to a Bureau SUV. Alice and Rose were still at my place. Walking into my condo, Bella, Alice and Rose were on the computer, oohing and aahing over something. Charlie was on the phone. Emmett was flipping the channels, but staring at Rose like she was a steak. From what Rose told me, the feeling was mutual.

"This one is nice," Alice said, pointing. "It's close to school and halfway between your old house and here."

"Eh, I don't like the floors," Bella grumbled. "I want something move-in ready."

"What are they talking about?" I asked, sitting next to Emmett.

"Charlie is selling the house. With all of the drama, it just seemed logical. Bella is looking for a condo or something," Emmett said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh," I whispered, my heart falling to my feet.

A/N: Poor FBIward...

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