Author: NotSoInnocentGirl
Title: Cullen Mafia
Rating: Rated M for obvious reasons, so if you're not old enough to read this, close the window and look for something else to read.
Pairing: Bella and the Cullen boys. Very OOC!
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, those Cullen guys are not mine… my life would definitely be less boring if they were! Hehehe!
Summary: In her will to help her boyfriend, Isabella Swan finds herself receiving way more than what she bargained for.
Warning: This story will contain some kinky, dirty, very explicit sex between multiple partners. If that's not your thing, skip the reading now, or consider yourself warned!
This is purely for fun, I don't, in any way, condone cheating, so while I'll definitely appreciate any reviews and/or criticism, you don't need to remind me of how wrong it is, I know that ;) I just don't like Jacob much and would rather see Bella with any of the Cullen men… or all of them! ;P
This is also pure fiction, so don't try too hard to find a real plot! At least there won't be much of one in the second chapter! :)
Her heart was beating erratically in her chest. Her palms were sweating. Her breathing was coming out in uneven puffs as she looked up the huge, intimidating building in front of her.
She could do this. She could get in there, take the elevator that would lead her to the 18th and last floor of the impressive construction and confront her fears.
They were just men. They were just human beings, with family of their own, with beating hearts, even if many believed they didn't, with wives as well and loved ones.
It shouldn't be so hard for them to understand why she was there, or what she expected of them.
Jacob would surely kill her -if they didn't first- if he only knew what she planned to do, but fortunately, she had managed to escape his watch without him being the wiser and she hoped with all her might that she would be back before he could even realize that she had been gone.
She was doing this for him anyway, even if he was too damned stubborn to see that she only aimed to help and not make him feel like he couldn't do anything on his own.
She had met Jacob Black a few years back, when one of her friends had invited her to diner at his restaurant, and while he hadn't made much of an impression on her the first time she had met his eyes, Jacob liked to tell everyone who was willing to listen that he had known, the second he had seen her, that she was the love of his life.
She had long learned to not mind when he told that story, just like she had learned to love him with time, even if it had taken some pursuing on his part, but she was still lucid enough to know that Jacob definitely cared more for her than she probably ever could for him herself.
It was a good thing she had never truly believed in the possibility of ever meeting her own Prince Charming, like so many of her friends already claimed they had, that guy who would literally sweep her off her feet and make her forget that anything, or anyone else, could exist in this world except for him, or she would have been seriously disappointed with the life she was currently living or worse than that, with her relationship with Jacob.
As sweet and caring as Jacob could clearly be, she knew he wasn't that guy. He didn't make her heart triple hammer in her chest every time he entered a room. He didn't make her forget to breathe when he looked at her and he certainly didn't make her see stars, or feel like the luckiest girl in the world when he made love to her.
She loved him though, she knew that. In her own way, she loved him, at least as much as she could and enough to be happy and she was going to prove it to him right now, even if he would probably never know about it.
He couldn't know about it in fact, or he would never forgive her for her actions, but what other choice did she have?
Ever since he had opened Breaking Dawn, his second restaurant in Vegas, things had been going downward and while he kept telling her that things would go better very soon, she knew she couldn't just stay aside and let him sort this mess out on his own, not when she knew she could help him.
She was Isabella Swan after all, only heiress of the Swan Empire, owner of a fortune that could definitely rival that of the men who were trying to ruin everything Jacob had worked so hard to accomplish, and if her dear boyfriend's pride made him refuse to accept her help, she was sure she could convince those men up there to reach some kind of understanding with her.
She just needed to make the first move and enter the damned building, she thought as she eyed it once more and after having taken in a huge gulp of air, took the first steps into the lavish building hall.
It was a good thing she was so used to this type of places, or she would have definitely found herself gawking as she took in her surroundings. Everything around her screamed money, wealth and power and it was no wonder to her then, why no one usually wanted to risk going against these guys.
She wasn't anyone though, and while part of her was scared shitless at the thought of the confrontation that she was sure awaited her, she couldn't help feeling a little bit exhilarated as well at the thought of finally meeting the men the whole town was so scared of.
She had done her homework well and she knew who she was up against.
Carlisle, the patriarch of the famous Cullen clan was reputed to be ruthless and not care about how many people he had to stomp over or destroy to get what he wanted and while he was clearly feared, many people couldn't hide their admiration, or even their jealousy, at seeing his success nonetheless.
He ruled over the town and there wasn't anyone in the whole area that could open a new casino, a club, or even a simple restaurant -unfortunately for Jacob- without 'consulting' him first and asking for his 'protection'. A protection that had a cost of course.
That had been Jacob's mistake and why he found himself in such a predicament now. While he had paid the Cullen's 'tax' the first time, Jacob had been stupid enough to think that he could open a second restaurant and not pay it off a second time as well.
He had naively thought that he could do his business and not have the Cullens come and see him, since he hadn't made a fuss the first time they had visited him, years ago and had willingly paid them, or as willingly as one could in such circumstances, to have them leave him alone.
How dense could one be? Isabella thought almost bitterly. Like they would have let him be and risk seeing anyone try and do the same thing later on, if they saw the Cullens didn't react or that they showed any lenience to anyone.
When Isabella had offered Jacob to pay the tax for him, he had downright refused of course, claiming that he didn't need her money to make his business thrive, but that was counting without the Cullens' quick reaction.
Before Jacob could even open the doors of his second restaurant to the public, word around the street had let everyone know that the Cullens weren't happy with him and Isabella had not been more surprised than that to see everyone drop Jacob faster than what it took to utter Carlisle's three sons' names.
Isabella knew well that they were the ones responsible for what had happened to Jake -Carlisle was the man behind everything, but he wasn't one to get his hands dirty when his sons could do the job- and that they had been the ones to talk to all his suppliers and scare them into abandoning Jacob.
Without them, it had been impossible to receive the basic foodstuffs Jacob needed to run both New Moon and Breaking Dawn and while he tried to be optimistic, Isabella was lucid enough to know that he was only deluding himself into thinking that he could be more clever than the Cullens and find a way around them.
The worst of it all was that Jacob could pay, he just didn't want to, refusing to bow once more in front of what he called 'the Cullen Mafia and their stupid rules'.
Well, he could rebel against them, against the unfairness of the situation, or try to do it his way all he wanted, but Isabella herself knew that there was only one way out of this and that was why she was here today.
She just couldn't take Jacob's temper anymore, nor could she go through another one of his long tirades about how the Cullens were ruining his life, without telling him exactly what she thought of his stupid attitude and pride.
If he had just accepted she paid the tax, he would have gotten out of this a while back and he would have been able to have two successful restaurants, instead of two establishments that were slowly swallowing up all his savings.
What was half a million dollars for her anyway? Nothing at all, really!
Isabella was so into her musings once more, that she didn't even notice when the elevator she had just taken finally reached the last floor that housed the Cullens' headquarters.
When the elevator doors opened, Isabella found herself stepping into another hall as luxurious as the one on the first floor had been and she could admit, at least to herself, that the Cullens really had style and knew how to make a first good impression. Anyone coming to their office would immediately know who they were dealing with, if by some miracle they didn't know it sooner.
The desk in front of her seemed to be made of the finest and most expensive wood and Isabella was almost tempted to ask where it was coming from, until she remembered she wasn't here to make idle conversation with the owners. The sooner she got this done, the sooner she could be on her way out again.
The secretary behind the desk looked kind of cheap compared to the magnificence surrounding her, however, and Isabella guessed that she must be really good at what she did or she wouldn't have been hired. Or maybe she just had some special talent you couldn't see at first sight.
She briefly wondered if any of the Cullens was fucking her, before she shook her head to clear her thoughts and reminded herself that it was none of her business anyway.
She knew of course that they were all married, well all except Edward Cullen, but she wouldn't put it past them to engage into extra-marital activities. With the way they seemed to think that everything was theirs to take, it would definitely not surprise her.
Sensing a presence, the secretary looked up at last and Isabella was glad to notice that at least there were security guards around, because if the Cullens' safety depended only on their secretary's fast reactions, they were all seriously doomed.
Anybody could have gotten past her with the way she seemed more interested in reading the tabloid she was now trying to hide than in doing her job and greeting people as soon as they arrived.
"Hello… how can I help you?" the blonde, overly made-up secretary asked in a sugary voice that immediately grated on Isabella's nerves.
Fortunately, she wasn't here to talk to her, and was quick to let her know what she wanted.
"I would like to see Mr. Cullen, please." She asked just as politely, yet knowing what would be the secretary's next question.
"Do you have an appointment? Miss…" the other woman trailed off and eyed Isabella a little suspiciously, since she knew only men were supposed to meet with her boss today and his next appointment wasn't for another hour or so.
"Miss Swan… and no, I don't have one…" Isabella responded with much more confidence than she was really feeling, knowing that she would certainly not be let in, if she didn't play her cards well.
"I'm afraid Mr. Cullen won't be able to see you then, but if you would like, we could schedule another appointment at a further date…" the secretary delivered her well rehearsed speech, but Isabella didn't let that deter her.
"And I'm afraid the matter I wish to discuss with Mr. Cullen is just too urgent to wait…" she started, only to have to raise a hand in warning when she saw the other woman ready to argue with her again. "I'm sure if you told Mr. Cullen that Isabella Swan is here to see him… he would make an exception and see me…" she finished confidently and barely resisted the urge to comment when she saw the blonde in front of her roll her eyes heavenwards, like she was definitely used to receiving this type of argument.
"Unfortunately, Mr. Cullen is currently conferencing with his sons and I'm afraid he can't be bothered right now…" she informed Isabella next, and for a few brief seconds, it was enough to make her hesitate.
Dealing with Carlisle Cullen was one thing, but having the whole family there when she made her proposition was a whole different story. It was definitely harder to convince four people than it was to convince one.
"Could you at least let him know I'm here and see if he can meet me nonetheless?" Isabella insisted nevertheless, thinking that there was no way she had come all this way to give up at the first hurdle.
She had known that she had her work cut out for her and that one of her smiles wouldn't be enough to get her inside, but she had thought it would play in her favor if Carlisle didn't know she was coming and couldn't prepare for their meeting and therefore had preferred to not secure an appointment.
The secretary huffed at the request, like she had heard that one, one too many times as well, but she didn't say anything else to Isabella and picked up the phone instead.
Her annoying voice reached Isabella's ear again and even if she couldn't hear what was being said on the other side, she got the gist of it.
Apparently whoever had picked up the phone wasn't very happy to be interrupted and Isabella heard the other woman announce her presence, before she answered in monosyllabic 'yes' to whatever was being said to her.
After minutes that seemed like hours to Isabella, she hung up at last and eventually told Isabella that Carlisle was ready to see her, if she wouldn't mind waiting a few minutes.
It was evident, by the tone of her voice, that she wasn't very happy with that fact, or how easy it had actually been for her to get what she wanted, but Isabella chose to pay it no heed and waited patiently to be shown in.
Merely five minutes later, a buzzing sound came from the secretary's desk and she immediately stood up, inviting Isabella to follow her down a short hallway that led to two impressive doors.
The secretary knocked and opened one of them when she was invited in, Isabella instantly spotting the four Cullen men over the other woman's shoulder.
Yep, they were all there!
Ushering her in, the secretary briefly asked her boss if they needed anything and was quick to exit, the second she was dismissed.
"Miss Swan…" Carlisle Cullen exclaimed as soon as the door closed behind his secretary and Isabella barely resisted the urge to cower and turn around when he stood up from his seat and walked toward her.
He was clearly taller than what she had expected and definitely more handsome that any picture she could have seen of him, but she forced herself to not let that impress her more than it should.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you… we've heard so much about you…" he admitted as he reached her and after having taken her hand in his, planted a soft kiss on the back of it.
Isabella chose to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine at the short contact, but for a few seconds she was unable to not get lost in the sea of blue that were the oldest of the Cullens' eyes.
She could feel his sons' gazes on her as well and couldn't help but cast a quick glance around, taking in the form of Emmett, Jasper and Edward Cullen, all sitting behind the huge conference table that composed the room, all looking at her like they had never seen, or heard of her before.
She knew that they had never met in person, but just like she was well aware of whom they were and what they looked like, she had no doubt that the same applied to her.
She had made enough magazine covers, with or without her father, for them to not know of her existence or ignore her looks.
"I'm sure you have…" Isabella answered as she retracted her hand and met Carlisle's eyes once more, as if to show that she wasn't in the least intimidated.
No need for him to know she was actually trembling inside.
"Let me introduce you to my sons…" he announced after having smirked at her in a way that could only mean he knew exactly how she truly felt. "Emmett… Jasper… and Edward…" he announced as he pointed at each son and received a smile in return. "Sons… this is the lovely Isabella Swan…"
"Hello!" they greeted in unison, their eyes racking over her body in a way just too blatant to not make Isabella feel at least a little uncomfortable.
"Hello!" she uttered back, but chose to follow Carlisle's move as he gained his seat again between Emmett and Jasper on the other side of the huge mahogany table.
There they suddenly stood, after having heard so much about them, all of the Cullen men, a table length away -their position, all on the other side, having probably been thought over before she entered so they could offer a united front and intimidate her more easily- all of them observing her now as she did her best to not fidget under their intense stares, yet no matter how hard she tried, this time Isabella couldn't help but gulp almost audibly.
The least that could be said was that the sons had definitely taken after their father in the looks department, each of them so different yet more handsome than the other.
Emmett probably made every woman swoon with his dark locks and dimpled face.
Jasper's deep blue eyes, so much like his father, coupled with his blonde wavy hair were surely a hit as well.
As for Edward, the coppery mess on top of his head gave Isabella the furious urge to run her fingers through the disheveled mass and see if it was as soft as it looked from a distance and she couldn't help but curse herself inwardly when the thought crossed her mind and she realized that she was definitely letting herself be softened by their good looks.
She had to remind herself of who they were and what they were capable of, or this would be over before it even started.
"So, Isabella… to what do we owe this… unexpected visit?" Carlisle demanded almost as soon as he was sitting again, never departing himself of his smile and pulling Isabella out of her misplaced thoughts.
Of course he probably already knew, or at least had a pretty good idea of what she was here for, but Isabella was sure he would make her say it anyway.
"If you know who I am… you probably know why I'm here as well…" Isabella couldn't help but remark almost smugly and knew she had scored a point with Carlisle when he looked back at her almost proudly.
Do not show hesitancy or weakness, she reminded herself, they don't like that.
"Probably, yes…" he admitted, yet didn't elaborate any further, leaving Isabella with no choice but to speak.
"I'm here to talk about the… 'tax' you insist on imposing on Jacob Black…" she said with utter professionalism, like she was just discussing a business deal and wasn't personally involved in all this.
She was affected by all this of course, though. Not as directly as Jacob could be, since she wasn't seeing all her efforts being destroyed, but she couldn't say either that what was happening was not disturbing her own life.
Ever since his problems had started, Jacob had only been growing more distant with her, when he wasn't downright taking it out on her and at times, Isabella wondered if he didn't resent her for how easy her life was, and always had been, contrary to his.
She could understand it, too, after all, she had never had to work a day in her life, thanks to Daddy's fortune and care, but things would be way less complicated for Jacob if he wasn't so stubborn and accepted that as his girlfriend, it was normal for Isabella to want to support him and give him a hand when she could.
Jacob was just too old-fashioned though, and accepting money from his girl, instead of being the one providing for her was apparently the worst of humiliations. At least Isabella supposed that was how he saw it, since he had never come out and said it so clearly.
He accepted the fact that she was richer than he could ever be, most of the time, because he loved her and wanted to be with her, but that was the extent of it and he had more than once made her understand that he didn't want her to intervene in any way in his business, or didn't want to have anything to do with her money.
Usually, Isabella even appreciated that trait, the fact that he refused her financial help proving to her that his intentions were sincere and that he wasn't with her for her wealth, like unfortunately she had discovered, many had been before him, but this was just getting ridiculous now and it was time it stopped, in her opinion.
"Oh, yes… I seem to remember reading something about you two dating…" Carlisle said a little too casually to be honest and Isabella was sure that he definitely knew more about her than what he obviously wanted to let on.
She smiled tightly at him, but immediately lost said smile with Carlisle's next answer.
"I'm afraid there's nothing much to discuss though… he pays the tax, we leave him alone… he doesn't, he can just try and find another job… in another city of course…" he announced unrepentantly, like there was nothing wrong with his behavior, or what he imposed on almost every honest worker in the game capital.
His sentence brought smiles on his sons' faces and Isabella could only guess they were rejoicing over the prospect of seeing her try and get Jacob out of his predicament.
The Cullens weren't ones to let anyone get away with disobeying them, so they all knew there wasn't much to be done in the situation. Either people paid or they didn't, but in any case, the Cullens wouldn't lose a dime in the story.
"I know well how this works, Mr. Cullen…" Isabella informed coolly, years of having seen her own father deal with the kinds of Carlisle having taught her well. "I'm here to offer… an alternative…" she concluded, when she noticed she had their attention.
"Please… have a seat then…" Carlisle immediately offered as he heard her, pointing at the seats on the other side of the large table, but then couldn't help but smile crookedly at her. "I'm sure this will be… very entertaining."
Isabella barely resisted the urge to tell him that she was in no way here to entertain him and immediately declined his offer, knowing that the slight height she had over them by standing was the only advantage she had on them, how slim that could actually be.
"I'll rather keep standing, thank you…"
"Suit yourself, dear…" Carlisle just uttered and steepled his fingers in front of him, as if to show that he would be listening. "So… about that alternative you were talking about…" he gave Isabella the go ahead, yet she couldn't help but inhaling sharply before telling them what she suggested.
She knew this wasn't how they worked and that it could make Jacob appear weak in their eyes, but she wanted out of this situation now, and there was probably no other way.
"I'm here to buy off Mr. Black's… debt…" she used the term lousily, knowing that Jacob was in no way in debt with them but was shamelessly being fleeced like everyone else, but she had no doubt that wasn't how they saw it themselves.
This was strictly business for them, but luckily she knew how to play their game.
"Interesting indeed…" Carlisle smiled once more at her, but raised a hand to stop his son Emmett from being the one to answer next.
He and Isabella both knew what he was going to say of course.
"I know this is not how you usually conduct business…" she was quick to acknowledge, her admittance immediately making Emmett lean back into his seat again. "But money is money, right? And you know I have it…"
Her words were met with silence and Isabella was just starting to fidget in her heels now, when Carlisle made a humming noise in acknowledgment of what had been said.
"Hmm-uh… I'm wondering though, Isabella…" the way he uttered her name did weird things to her, but she held her ground and looked him square in the eye when he gazed at her, signaling him to go ahead and ask whatever it was he wanted to ask. "Does your boyfriend know you're here?"
The question would have caught her of guard, if she hadn't been prepared to hear it, and she didn't even bat an eyelid when the words were out.
"No, he doesn't… and I would very much like to keep it that way…" Isabella confirmed what Carlisle suspected, but she refused to feel any shame for her action.
Jacob didn't understand this world like she did, he didn't know the rules or how it worked, but she did all too well, having grown up in it. There was only one language these people understood.
"Of course, he doesn't…" Carlisle repeated almost mockingly, like he was happy to see that he had something to use against her now, if need be. "Isn't this cute?… the rich girlfriend coming to fight her man's battles…" he went on, his words having of course the reaction he had been hoping for.
While it infuriated Isabella to realize that he only saw her as a woman in love, trying to sort out her boyfriend's problems, his insinuation brought forth chuckles from all the men around him.
Isabella glared at them before she could stop herself, but her own reaction had little, if any at all, effect on the men it was aimed at.
"I'm not fighting…" she started to defend herself, outraged that he could insinuate such a thing, only to be stopped mid-sentence when Carlisle raised a reprimanding finger.
The significance was clear, he was the one doing the talking for now and no one was supposed to interrupt him.
"I truly fail to see how you think this is going to work out, Miss Swan… we've been waiting for months now, what makes you think you can barge in here, uninvited, and just offer to give us money and hope to see us forget and forgive your boyfriend's disrespect?"
His tone now made Isabella shiver and for a moment she stopped to consider what consequences Jacob's refusal to pay could have had, outside of what had actually happened to his restaurants.
The truth of the matter was that until that second, she hadn't seen past that, but from the way Carlisle had just expressed himself, she could only guess now that he had probably not appreciated whatever negative publicity Jacob's stunt could have had for them.
Hopefully, no one else had thought to follow in his steps, or there was no saying how badly this could end.
"I perfectly understand how Mr. Black's attitude could have upset you, Mr. Cullen… and I'm definitely not here to ask for your forgiveness regarding him… I will be the first to admit how foolish what he did was… but I still think that you and I could come to a fair understanding and put all of this behind us… if we are all willing to… compromise of course…" Isabella enounced, holding her ground despite the way Carlisle was staring her down now, clearly showing how much he had disapproved of Jacob's move.
"Compromise, of course…of course…" Carlisle drawled out, seeming to think it over, but Isabella wasn't fooled and knew it couldn't go so easily. "You do realize that our… understanding…" he continued, insisting on the word, as if to remind Isabella that he was the one calling the shots, the only one able get them out of this situation, if he was only willing to 'understand'. "… will have to come with a price, though!"
"Of course…" Isabella replied herself right away, not letting this deter her. She had known that she would need more than just saying she was willing to pay them in place of Jacob, to have them accept and forget about everything. "I perfectly understand the notion of interest… that's why I'm willing to pay twice the sum Mr. Black owes you!"
One million dollars was nothing for her, if it allowed Jacob to work again and his restaurants to be profitable again.
"A million?" Carlisle all but snorted while his sons laughed next to him, like Isabella had just said the most ridiculous thing.
"I think that's a fair trade… a million to… compensate whatever loss or inconvenience you consider this situation caused… and to leave Mr. Black free to open his business again, of course…" Isabella retorted, displaying way more confidence than she was really feeling.
"You obviously don't realize the mayhem your little boyfriend's stupidity could have caused my business, Miss Swan… he's lucky no one was foolish enough to follow his lead, or I would have done way worse than hindering his activities…" Carlisle rejoined, eyes hard now.
"Two millions, then…" Isabella offered next, as casually as she could, but she could feel sweat pearling down her back as she clearly understood Carlisle's threat.
While Jacob always called them the Cullen Mafia when he referred to them, she had never heard of them resorting to 'radical' methods in their line of business, but she suddenly wondered if there were things she was completely ignorant of. Maybe they did kill people if, or when, they were too much trouble, who knew?
"Two millions barely covers the penalty he should pay us for his lateness…" Carlisle informed her, causing Isabella to look at him incredulously.
"Then what would be… according to you, of course… the adequate sum?" she found herself asking nonetheless, despite the fact that she clearly thought she was being ripped off here.
Of course, Carlisle had to know that two millions would barely make a dent in her immense fortune and she didn't doubt that he would try to make her cough up as much as he could, but still she didn't think he was being fair.
"Hmm…" once more, he acted like he had to think about it, but this time Isabella couldn't prevent an audible gasp from escaping her mouth, when Carlisle spoke again. "Five millions."
"Five…" she repeated after her mouth had opened and closed a few times, without any word being able to come out. "Are you completely insane?... that's ten times what he owed you initially…" she cried out when she recovered her voice, wondering how Jacob would ever be able to get out of this on his own, if that's what he had to pay in the end.
Did he even know about this? she wondered briefly, since Jacob had refused to let her know if he had had any contact with the Cullens, since the last time they had stopped by the closed restaurant, a few months back.
If he did, he had surely not informed her of the outrageous price he was asked to pay, but then that would surely explain why he had looked so worried lately. There was simply no way he could ever pay such a scandalous sum, not if he didn't want to end up completely penniless afterwards.
"Are you forgetting who you are talking to? You would refrain from speaking to me in such a disrespectful way, young lady…" Carlisle's reaction was quick to come, but Isabella refused to apologize when she knew he was just trying to rob her.
"I'm definitely not forgetting who you are… but I'm sure you understand I don't appreciate being ripped off… nor will I stand just here and not say a word while you try to…"
"You little…" a growl erupted next to Carlisle, but he immediately put a hand on his eldest son's forearm, preventing him from bolting out of his chair.
"Calm down, Emmett…" Carlisle just breathed out, having anticipated Emmett's reaction. After all, his son had always had a bit of a temper. "I'm not in any way 'ripping you off', Miss Swan, but I can't either let Mr. Black's… mistake… go unpunished… what would people think if they saw there weren't any repercussions to his actions?" he addressed Isabella again then, his tone almost too gentle, considering what she had just insinuated.
"Maybe that you do have a heart after all…" she retorted quite defiantly and immediately saw Emmett and Jasper squirm in their seats, like they were only seconds away from leaping across the table and maybe strangling her for her audacity.
The only one who didn't react was Edward and Isabella couldn't help but wonder what his deal was.
He seemed different from his brothers in more than just his looks. Like he was somewhat calmer, more like the observant and silent type, yet she wasn't sure she liked the way he kept looking at her, like she was some kind of strange mystery he was slowly trying to elucidate.
"I do have a heart, Miss Swan… but in my line of work… I can't afford showing it… I can't afford any weakness or indulgence…" once more it was Carlisle's calming voice that seemed to defuse the situation, but Isabella was sure that she would definitely not count Emmett and Jasper as her friends once she would be done here.
"Of course you can't…" Isabella answered, yet her tone clearly showed she was thinking just the opposite. Her father was a business man as well, probably just as powerful as Carlisle and any other of the Cullens could be and he had never shown anything but honesty, fairness and kindness while conducting his business and that had never stopped people from respecting him. On the contrary. "That's why I offered you two millions… which I'm sure would show people how high is the price to pay when they defy you…" she continued, not wanting to delve more than that on what she thought of Carlisle's character, or his family's way of treating other people.
She definitely wasn't there to make him have a change of heart, or make him suddenly realize that there were other ways to do things. As far as she was concerned, once she would be out of there, she didn't want to have anything to do with him ever again.
"Only, I don't see how that could be possible, since I understood you didn't want people to know you had intervened in any way… if I recall correctly, you don't want your dear boyfriend to know about our understanding… if we come to one…" Carlisle immediately reminded her, like she could have forgotten that point.
"You could always claim Mr. Black came back to his senses and eventually paid you …" was Isabella's own quick answer, not seeing what the big deal was.
Like Carlisle didn't know how to lie, or anyone would even just think about questioning him anyway. If he said the word, people would take things as they were and wouldn't try to know the how or whys.
"What if it got back to Mr. Black… he would immediately know who the money was coming from, don't you think?" Carlisle said then, but Isabella took only a few seconds to consider his sentence.
She knew it could happen of course, but if it came to that, she would deal with the situation and Jacob like she always did. She would just have to make him understand that she had acted for the best and make him accept it.
"I'm willing to take the risk…" she replied, knowing that she had no choice anyway. "… as long as we come to an honest agreement… one that would be to both our satisfaction…"
The minutes that followed were probably the longest of Isabella's young life and she found herself reminding herself that she still needed to breathe while she waited.
Carlisle didn't take his eyes off of hers as Emmett whispered something in his ear, the way he showed absolutely no reaction only making Isabella wonder even more about what could have been said, yet she completely forgot about that when a quick look to Carlisle's left side made her meet the youngest of the Cullens' gaze once more.
No one had ever looked at her with such intensity, not that she could remember at least, and she tried to convince herself that the way her body trembled all of a sudden had nothing to do with the fact that his emerald green eyes seemed to be piercing her soul.
Never in her life had she reacted to anyone the way she was reacting to him at that instant and she wondered what it was about Edward Cullen that made her feel so now.
Even more disturbing than her own reaction though, was his, Isabella opening her mouth in a silent gasp when she saw Edward lean sideway to his other brother and without taking his eyes off her, he whispered something into Jasper's ear, just like Emmett had done with their father just minutes ago.
Jasper's smirk made goose bumps break over Isabella's skin and when he in turn leant to speak to Carlisle and she watched him react at last, she couldn't stop her heart from skipping a few beats.
Carlisle turned to Edward, like Jasper had clearly let his father know that the words he was uttering were his brother's and Isabella couldn't help but be transfixed by the silent conversation father and son suddenly seemed to be having.
No words were spoken, Carlisle and Edward just looking at each other for a few too long seconds, yet Isabella had no doubt that they were communicating and that each understood what the other was trying to say.
Carlisle even seemed to be silently asking Edward if he was sure about whatever message he could have transmitted to his father and she was just about to pull out her hair, or yell at them to talk out last, when Carlisle broke the intense exchange and turned to her again.
"Maybe we could agree to three millions then…" he suggested eventually, yet while Isabella clearly heard him talking to her, there was no way she could look at anyone but Edward at that instant.
As soon as he broke the connection with his father, he observed her silently again and Isabella almost begged him to say something to her, anything, but stop making her feel all the things she did with just one of his looks.
God, what was he doing to her?
"T-Two and a half…" she stuttered uncharacteristically, the first sign of emotion she had shown until then, even if she had truly no idea herself how she eve managed to say just as much.
Fortunately, no one called her on it, and if it weren't for the way she was sure she saw a corner of Edward's mouth almost imperceptibly twitch, she could have believed no one had noticed.
"What do you think, boys? Do two and a half million dollars seem reasonable enough to you?" Carlisle demanded and Isabella found herself immediately wondering why he suddenly seemed so willing to lower his price, when she had been so sure he never would just minutes ago.
Could Edward be the one who had suggested it?
But why would he? And what could he gain by trying to help her?
She had no answer of course and unless she asked him directly, she knew she would never have them. She doubted he would tell her the truth if she asked anyway though, and therefore she chose to not look a gift horse in the mouth and ignore what her mind was just a little too loudly screaming at her to do.
She waited patiently and when she saw everyone nodding at Carlisle, or voicing their approval -everyone but Edward of course, which would have certainly made her wonder if he wasn't mute, if she hadn't clearly seen him talking to Jasper earlier- she knew this would soon be over.
"Well, dear Isabella, it would seem we have reached an agreement at last!" Carlisle announced after a long wait and Isabella released the breath she hadn't even been aware she had been holding.
She couldn't say why she had though, if it were because she had been waiting anxiously for Carlisle's verdict, or if it were due to the way Edward kept looking at her, but she refused to try and find the answer to her own question, once more, knowing almost instinctively that doing so could very well have the power to disrupt her so well constructed life.
"Very well then…" she uttered after a pause that she was sure was just too long to look normal. "I will have my lawyer contacting you soon, so we can proceed as quickly as possible." she eventually announced, suddenly wanting to get out of there as fast as she could, for fear she would completely lose her composure.
No one answered and Isabella felt even more uncomfortable when Emmett, Carlisle and Jasper kept looking at her, with smirks evident on their faces, like they were in a secret they just couldn't wait to reveal to her at last.
"Well…" she stuttered again, before breathing in a huge gulp of air. "If that's all, I will be on my way… goodbye, gentlemen."
She didn't even wait for an answer but turned around quickly and she was just about ready to open the door and rush out of there, when Carlisle's smooth voice stopped her dead in her tracks.
"Wait a second, Miss Swan…"
Slowly, as if moving too fast would cost her her life, Isabella turned around again and wished herself to still manage to maintain a calm façade, just a few more seconds.
She waited expectedly as Carlisle now seemed to be appraising her from head to toes, like he hadn't had time to do that sooner, yet when he spoke, it was honestly the last thing she expected to hear.
"What if there was a way around all this?"
"What?" she uttered incredulously, wondering what he was trying to do now.
They had been here for she didn't even know how long and suddenly he was suggesting that there was another way? Why the hell had he made her waste her time then?
"You heard me… what if there was another way out of this? A way that wouldn't make you lose millions, but would still prove to be… satisfactory to all of us?" he paused briefly, but long enough for Isabella to wonder why his 'satisfactory' had just sounded like way more than the simple word it was, was supposed to be. "Of course, you would still have to pay what Mr. Black owned us initially and a small penalty… but…"
"I don't understand…" Isabella interrupted before she could stop herself, but fortunately no one seemed to hold it against her this time.
It was clear she was confused and how could she not.
"My sons and I are offering you… another option… if we may say…" he informed her casually and Isabella really felt like she was losing her mind.
What game were they playing with her now?
"I still don't get where you pretend to go with this…" she told him, a frown marring her brows, as she tried to make sense of what was happening here now.
"Well, Isabella… it would appear that there is… something… Mr. Black has that we want even more than your money…" his sentence couldn't have been more suggestive if he had tried to, yet for a few seconds Isabella could only stare at him with a dumbfounded expression on her beautiful face.
Jacob had something they could want more than money? she considered, thinking that only his restaurants were more valuable to him than any money.
Carlisle could probably turn them into the most sought out place around Vegas, if he really wanted to, but Jacob would never let him have them.
He would probably die first before letting the Cullens get their hands on them and it wasn't her call anyway, so she couldn't really see what she would be able to do, if that was what they wanted.
Surely, they weren't expecting her to interfere in their favor. They had to know she would never do that to Jacob.
"And that would be?" Isabella asked softly eventually, even if she wasn't sure she really wanted to know.
Yet as much as she thought she could have prepared herself to hear out whatever would come out of Carlisle's mouth next, when she heard him utter the single word that constituted his answer, she could have sworn her heart had finally stopped beating altogether.
"You!"
TBC…
So, seriously, what did you think? Does this make you want to read more, or should I just forget and delete it? Let me know! Show me some love and if you want more, I'll have the next part as soon as I can! I'm already working on it, just in case!