Chapter 1 (EPOV/BPOV)


Song(s): "Hold It Against Me" by Britney Spears

"I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift


A/N: Hi everyone! We are so excited to bring you our collab, The Code of Swan. We have had such a blast working on this together and can't wait to share it with you.

Special thank you our fabulous prereaders: SassyNoles, Maplestyle, and 2 brown eyes.

Also the biggest thank you to Mel Cee for betaing. She's fabulous and we are so grateful to her.

This story is pretty accurate to traditional Italian/Brooklyn life (not so sure about mob, but based on research , it's pretty close), so there are offensive topics mentioned and comments made. These do not depict our feelings or opinions at all. This is fiction, afterall.

Thank you and let us know your thoughts.


EPOV

"I can't believe you're making me come with you. Why you gotta be such a fucking pussy?" I sighed, flicking my cigarette onto the sidewalk. Assholes needed their hands held to carry out a simple task. Amateurs.

Alistair flipped his long, greasy blond hair, rolling his eyes. "Not everyone bags a bone as well as you, EC." He patted me on the shoulder as I reached around my back for my Glock, lifting it from my waistband under my suit jacket.

"Stop kissing my ass and get your fucking nine out. You need a lesson on how to use it now too?" I didn't need someone blowing smoke up my ass—I could call Lauren for that shit.

We walked down the cobblestone street for about half a block before ducking into the alley. I knocked on the metal door in the middle of the alleyway exactly three times. Felix, a muscular body-building type of guy, answered the door, pouting like the little bitch he could be. I would typically think he was your average fanuk, but he happened to be a great cleaner. If you had a dead body—he'd make it disappear without a trace. At least he wasn't a fucking stunad like Alistair. I was stuck with him because of Aro "calling in a favor" or some shit. Everybody wanted to get on my nerves today it seemed. As if I didn't have enough on my plate, I had to train the new kid. Because it was so fucking hard to ice people.

"Hey man." Felix extended his hand, pulling me in for a hug, patting me on the back a few times before letting go. At least he wasn't like Aro or Marcus who always wanted a double cheek kiss. Typical freaking guineas. Took one to know one I suppose.

Alistair stood there, uncomfortably, waiting for me to introduce him, I guess. Rolling my eyes, I said, "Felix, this is Alistair, or my new shadow for god knows how long." I gestured to the dirty-looking kid next to me. Geez, you'd think his new lifestyle could afford him a nice suit or something. He looked like he'd just rolled out of bed. Adjusting my watch, I looked to Felix, dying to leave already or at the very least get a drink from the bar. "Peter ready for me?" Peter was another Capo who made sure that Garrett arrived here for the hit.

Felix nodded eagerly. "Yep, he's in the back. Don't worry, the package is there too." He gave me a side smirk. He walked to his corner in the poorly lit back room, and I started down the hallway. As I approached the door, I glanced behind me and found Alistair where I'd left him by the supply closet Felix called an office.

"What the fuck?" I outstretched my arms, widening them. Why did I have to get stuck dealing with this shit?

He hurried down the corridor, meeting me halfway. He bit his lip and looked at me wide-eyed. "Is the assignment in there?" His voice was shaky, and I could see a tremble in the hand that was holding his piece.

I tried to run my fingers through my hair, but they got stuck, leaving me frustrated. I knew it was a mistake gelling it back today. Taking a deep breath and attempting to have patience, I nodded. If I spoke to him, I would probably end up yelling. And by the looks of him, he was already shitting his pants. My temper wouldn't help anything. "Well, EC–" He stammered, and there went my patience.

"You gotta problem with that? Thought you told Aro that you got this shit under control," I taunted. I knew full well he'd never iced someone before, but it was fun reminding him of that. You never forget your first kill…

"I've never gone all the way before," he whispered, looking around like it was some big secret.

"You think I don't know that? What do you take me for—a mamaluke?" Sheesh this fucking kid needed to calm the fuck down before I iced him. Aro would be "disappointed," but I think he'd understand.

"No, sir. I'm just nervous. I mean, this is all over a few Gs missing?" he asked.

This asshole really had the audacity to question why we were offing someone. I didn't even challenge that, and I was way higher in rank.

Rule number one in mafia life: don't mess with the fucking paper. It was literally the most important rule. Even for people not in the freaking mob, but Italians in general too, don't mess with their money was pivotal. That and pasta on Sunday were non-negotiable.

Aro called me early this morning, only an hour after I'd gone to bed, reporting he was missing money from Garrett's crew. Now we'd been having a problem with him and his fucking people for some time. So today his day had come. Once eight grand went missing after the last drop of yak, I knew he made his bed. Sure, I could wipe my ass with eight Gs, but that wasn't the point. No, this was a message to all. The principle was stay in your lane and do the job asked of you. Anybody who didn't was going six feet under.

I shoved Alistair toward the door, helping him along to get this shit done already. He was teetering on the edge of one life and another. Sure, he took the oath, but until he looked someone in the eyes and pulled the trigger, he would never know what it was to be a part of this life.

I always laughed when shows and movies glamorized this lifestyle. Sure, there was tons of money, cars, and pussy, but it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. There was a darkness looming around anybody involved in this life. One day, it could all follow me home and ruin my entire life. Reminded me that I needed to call my ma.

Back to the dick in front of me, I barked, "Are you going in or not? If not, I'm sure Peter and Felix won't mind disposing of two bodies." I smirked, leaning against the door, careful not to wrinkle my suit. Gotta remain professional.

Alistair's eyes widened at how casually I spoke of his demise, but then he shook his head violently from side to side. "No, EC."

I put a hand up. "You can call me sir from now on. Only my colleagues or friends can call me EC. You've hesitated too much, so I don't consider you either." What the fuck was Aro thinking? Again another question I didn't get paid to think about. I'd been with the Volturi family for nine years now, ever since I turned eighteen, and it always surprised me how people could be so sloppy. I lived every day based on the principles and the pillars that mafia life instilled in me. Success wasn't optional—it was mandatory. Not just from the boss but from myself. I needed to do this for myself. Only the best was acceptable.

Alistair inhaled sharply, being dramatic if you asked me, but he walked through the door, sealing his fate.

After business was tended to, I cleaned up in Felix's office, depositing my jacket and my piece until later. I rolled up the sleeves on my dress shirt, loosened my tie, and popped the top button, making sure not a drop of blood had marred the pristine material. Spotless as expected. Alistair, for as annoying as he was, had a good point—no one bagged a bone like me. I nodded toward Felix, alerting him that it was taken care of. Garrett was dead.

Alistair did have it in him after all to clip somebody. I was surprised he didn't piss himself when he pulled the trigger. He wouldn't shut up after the fact that he'd done it, so I sent him home once we'd arranged for the body to be disposed of. I couldn't take his bullshit another minute.

Having some time to kill, and in desperate need of a drink, I walked over to the bar and sat in my usual corner. Going undetected was second nature for me after all these years.

Jake, the bartender, came over, with a Cheshire Cat smile. He thought he knew what this life entailed. He thought he knew what we did. Jake had no fucking clue. He was just jealous of the pussy I got on the daily.

Speaking of which, I should text Lauren and see if she was down to come over. I needed a release after my day. Fuck, after my week.

E: "You up? Can you come over?"

I didn't have to wait all of two minutes for a response.

L: "Yes, please." She also added a winky face emoji at the last second.

I pursed my lips, too easy. Like taking candy from a baby. I longed for a challenge, someone with a little substance.

I sent Lauren a message letting her know what time I expected her, and then I pocketed my phone, resting my forearms on top of the bar. Jake poured my scotch, neat, and tried to small talk me until I waved the motherfucker off. I needed an Advil. Fucking Alistair.

I hoped my night would improve from this shitstorm…

BPOV

"So, what exactly are we here for?" Rose asked, seemingly already bored with this.

We were waiting in line to get into a very popular nightclub in Manhattan. "We're here to have fun and let loose. You remember what fun is, right?" I teased, waggling my eyebrows.

She scoffed, smiling slightly. "I think that you have enough fun for the both of us. Daddy is gonna catch you and figure out what you and Jasper are doing."

"Oh my god, Rose, it's not like we're fucking behind his back. He's just teaching me how to defend myself."

"And you need to learn how to shoot a rifle to defend yourself?" she asked, her perfectly sculpted eyebrow arched.

"No, that is strictly for fun." I laughed.

My sister and I were two very different people. She was the tall, blonde, leggy bombshell. I, on the other hand, was short, with brown hair and eyes, and fairly ordinary. Because Rose was the older of the two of us, she was more serious and took on a lot of responsibility. I had a more easygoing approach. While Rose focused on the aspects of running our house—taking care of our dad and making sure that our housekeeper and chef were following her specific plans—I concentrated on learning everything I could to make sure I was able to protect myself in this life. I didn't need anyone to save me. Besides, life was too short. My mom was proof that you were never guaranteed tomorrow, so I lived each day to the fullest. Going to a club was nothing new to me, but this definitely wasn't Rose's scene. I wanted to rub off on her just a little and help her learn to be free. She was twenty-four, not forty for Christ's sake.

Once we got through the line and showed our IDs to the bouncer, we were ushered inside. The loud music was a welcome distraction, and I pulled Rose after me to the bar so that we could get a drink. Rose would drop her guard when it was just the two of us, but in a crowded place like this, I knew she would need the alcohol. I ordered two Sex on The Beaches, and as soon as they were handed to me, I gave one to Rose and watched as she took a sip. She hummed and took another drink, so I smiled, glad that she seemed to like it. While I usually didn't give a fuck what most people thought of me, I did still enjoy when I got the smallest approval from Rose.

I scanned the dance floor, not seeing anything of much interest. Rose was bobbing her head to the music, and when I turned to look at her, I caught sight of a man sitting by himself at the end of the bar, away from the clusters of people. Usually I would think twice about talking to a guy in a club. They were fun to go to, but the guys were all after getting wasted and scoring a piece of ass. I had much higher standards. But I was willing to suspend that rule because this guy was fuckhot. His hair was a unique mix of brown and caramel, and currently it was slicked back. It looked like it was long enough to tug on—but not shaggy. His mouth was currently turned down in a frown, but I could still tell his lips would feel good against mine. I couldn't see what color his eyes were, because he was looking down, but he had those eyelashes that girls would kill for—long and perfect.

Rose was still nursing her drink and getting into the music, so I figured she would be okay for a few minutes. "I'll be right back," I told her and walked toward the lone man before she could even say anything.

I pushed through the crowd of people before stopping at the guy's side. He tapped his glass to signal to the bartender to give him another drink. I chugged the rest of my drink and slid the glass on the bar. "Looks like I'm empty too. You got this right?" I asked the guy.

He chuckled, clearly taken aback at my forwardness. "Madonna mia, sei una piccola cosa esuberante, aren't ya? Sure. Jake?" He gestured to my glass.

Ah, so he was Italian? I had to assume that Jake was the bartender since he nodded and started to make my drink. "Feisty? It's been a while since someone has called me that."

He pursed those lips I couldn't stop staring at. "Well, aren't we quite the pair? What's your name?" His eyes, which I now saw were the most captivating shade of green, narrowed, looking up and down my body. Checking me out no doubt.

In addition to not picking guys up at bars, I rarely gave people my real name if I didn't know them. This guy was a complete stranger to me. "Marie. What's yours?"

"Well hello, Marie. I'm Edward." He outstretched his hand to shake mine.

"So, Edward. What's with the frown? You having a bad night?" I looked at him from under my eyelashes.

He laughed incredulously. "Yeah, to say the least. Bad night, bad week. Though it's turning around it seems."

I smiled at him. I had him hook, line, and fucking sinker. "Awww, is that a nice way of saying you're enjoying my company?"

"I always enjoy the company of a beautiful woman, Marie." He practically purred my name.

I touched his thigh, feeling the firmness through the thin material of his slacks, and leaned into him. "Well, I have a few ideas of how to make it even better."

"Really? Like what?" He brushed the tendril of hair that was in front of my face, grazing my cheek ever so slightly.

I slid my hand higher, caressing the very sizable bulge in his pants. "My SUV is out back." I hadn't come to the club with the goal of sleeping with some random guy, but there was something about this guy that drew me in. He was hot as sin, but there was also something more there, and I wanted to unravel that mystery even if it was just for one night.

He rose from his seat and started settling his bill with Jake. I pulled my phone out to text Rose and saw that she had already texted me saying that she got called into work and took an Uber.

I slid my phone back into my pocket as Edward turned to me, and he looked at me with his eyebrows arched in question. "Are you good?"

"Definitely." I nodded and took his hand, leading the way to my vehicle out back. I hit the unlock button on my key fob. Opening the back door, I gestured for him to get inside first.

Once he settled himself on the seat, sitting right in the middle, I decided to throw caution to the wind and climbed into his lap, shutting the door behind me. I pressed my mouth to his, eager to kiss the lips I had been staring at all night. He responded immediately by weaving his hands into my hair and then wrapping it around his fist. He pulled my head back and kissed his way down to my cleavage

When his hands went under my top and pulled my bra cups down, I wanted to gain some sort of control back, so I started undoing his tie. When that was off, I moved onto unbuttoning his dress shirt. I wanted to just rip it open, but it looked like fucking Armani or some shit, and people got all in a huff about designer clothes. He pulled his arms out of the sleeves as I pushed his shirt off his shoulders. I noticed he had tattoos all over his chest and his upper right arm. I suppressed the moan that wanted to come out because I found tattoos really sexy.

He grabbed the hem of my shirt and peeled my top off, followed by reaching behind me and trying to unclasp my bra. I chuckled and reached up to undo the front clasp and let the straps fall from my shoulders. He gave me a charming smile, and it was absolutely stunning. This man was the epitome of masculinity, but when he smiled like that, he was kind of beautiful. Realizing that I had stopped moving and was staring at him like an idiot, I shook the thought off and we resumed helping each other get undressed, pulling off our pants and underwear. The space was kind of cramped with his long limbs, and I almost got elbowed in the face and came close to kneeing him in the groin.

Instead of kissing me, he leaned down and started licking my nipples, teasing the tips with his teeth. I tugged on the ends of hair several times at the nape of his neck, causing him to grunt. The vibrations shot straight to my clit. I rubbed my thighs together to get some sort of friction. Edward noticed what I was doing and chuckled. "Don't worry, baby. I'll take care of you."

I shook my head. I hated being called baby, and I had to control my temper. "Show me what you got," I taunted.

He ran a hand along my body, starting in the valley between my breasts, down over my stomach, and then his fingers parted my folds, his fingertip grazing against my clit, causing me to moan and buck my hips. He slid two fingers inside me, and I threw my head back, letting the feelings roll over my body. Goosebumps rose on my skin and caused my nipples to tighten to stiff peaks.

"Goddamn, so responsive," Edward murmured as he thrust in and out while playing with my nipples with his mouth and fingers, alternating between the two. Deciding that he would probably want some attention, I took his dick in my hand. It was bigger than I was used to, but I knew it would feel so good inside me. I wrapped my fingers around it and started stroking up and down, twisting at the head and brushing my thumb over the tip.

Edward groaned, and it was a guttural masculine sound that made me gush on his digits. I pushed myself down on his fingers so that he could get deeper. "Use another finger," I told him breathlessly. He did as I asked and then also used his thumb to rub my clit. I was still trying to control this by basically fucking myself on his hand, and he seemed content to let me. The only sounds in the car were our heavy pants, moans, and skin on skin. There was a shift where he started hitting a different spot, and it had me gasping for breath. "Oh, fuck. Right there. Don't stop," I whimpered.

My legs started to shake, and my walls began to flutter with my impending release. With another thrust of his fingers, I tipped over the edge. I was taken aback by how fast my climax hit me, leaving me shaking and unable to stop moaning. Before I really had a chance to come down completely, Edward pulled a condom from his wallet and slid it down his length. Then he was thrusting inside me, filling me so completely. I was right—he was above average, and I was shocked how different it felt.

He thrust his hips up into me, not giving me much time to adjust to him. I didn't care and started swiveling my hips to grind down onto him. My clit hit his pelvic bone, and I was just lost in a sea of sensation. His dick reached places that I wasn't even aware I had, and while I was pretty fit, he had me panting like I was winded. I locked my arms around his neck and wondered if he'd let me kiss him. I tried to test the waters and pressed my lips to his and bit his lip, soothing the sting with my tongue, and he opened his mouth to me. His tongue fused with mine, and he started thrusting harder inside me. I dug my nails into his skin, and he growled.

I pulled away from the kiss, and his green eyes snapped to mine. I didn't quite know what the look in his eyes meant, but it caused my stomach to flutter in excitement. When I pressed my lips to his again, he started to speed up his thrusting. I knew he was probably close, so I reached down and rubbed my clit.

"Are you close?" he asked, his voice a little breathless.

I nodded, not trusting my ability to speak. Seconds before he stilled inside of me, spurting inside the condom, I shattered in his arms. I went limp against him, my forehead resting against his shoulder, and he pulled out of me. We took a few moments to catch our breath, and he pulled the condom off, tied a knot in the top, and then put it in his pants pocket. I didn't know what to do, so I started getting dressed again, and Edward did the same. I had done the one-night stand thing before, but it was usually in a bed, and I could sneak out in the morning while the other person was still asleep. Did I shake his hand and thank him for his service? Do I give him a thumbs up and a hearty good job? I really hoped he would say something first and save me from acting like an idiot.

When it became clear he wasn't going to speak first, I put out my hand for him to shake and he looked at me with his eyebrow arched in question. I scoffed. Rolling his eyes, he took my hand, and we shook hands. He was giving me that smirk again. "Thanks, ciccio. But I gotta get home so I better take off," I told him.

"You're really kicking me out of your ride after sex?" he asked, seeming a little stunned.

"Do you want to go another round? I'm good to go, but from what I've experienced, it takes guys a little time to recover," I teased, smirking at him.

"Then you've been fucking the wrong guys, Marie. I'd love to give you a demonstration, but you're right. It's getting late." He leaned in and softly spoke in my ear.

I fought to school my expression and not let it affect me. "Yep, so shoo. You gotta get out for me to leave."

Edward chuckled and shook his head as he opened the back door and got out. I grabbed my keys from the floor where I had left them earlier and climbed into the front seat. As soon as Edward closed the door, I turned the ignition. I pulled out my phone and texted Rose to ask if Dad knew that she wasn't with me. I had to wait a minute until she replied.

I told him you took me to work, and you'd be home soon. You got enough time to get home from the club so go now. Plus, you gotta come get me when I get off at 6 a.m. Sleep well, sis. ~R

That bitch. I threw my phone onto the passenger seat, fisted my hair in my hand, and then made the trip home. My night sure hadn't ended like I thought it would and six am was going to come sooner than I wanted it to.


Translations:

Bag a bone: gain another kill, or to add a kill to your body count

Glock/Nine: types of handguns

Iced or clipped: killed/murdered

Madonna mia: pronounced (mah-DON-na MEE-a) general use of an exclamation of shock. Also meaning: My mother/mother of God/Virgin Mary

Sei una piccola cosa esuberante: You're an exuberant little thing/feisty

Yak: cocaine

G: $1,000

Mamaluke: Italian slang for idiot

Fanuk: A homosexual

Guinea: known as the most offensive racial slur that can be used to describe an Italian-American

Paper: money

Ciccio: honey

Stunad: Italian slang for a stupid person


A/N: Thank you for reading and leave us a review to give us your thoughts. Until later lovelies.