Chapter Twenty Seven
Jasper
I could feel how upset Megan was but there was nothing I could do until we were settled into our new hotel suite. As soon as the door shut Megan jumped into my arms clinging to me like a little monkey just as she always had whenever she was upset or ill. I wasn't able to tell Bella what had happened at the aquarium until Megan was asleep and that took quite some time. I ran her a bubble bath and cuddled her as I told her a story but she wouldn't let me leave until she was asleep. Even then she was so upset that she had a nightmare a few minutes later and woke up screaming.
Eventually, I made her a bed on the sofa between Bella and me and she fell asleep with her head on my arm and holding Bella's hand. I used my gift very lightly to calm her knowing how upsetting it was for Bella to see her little one in distress.
At that moment I wished I'd beaten the crap out of Edward earlier even though he had no idea of the effect his appearance would have on Megan.
Once she was finally settled we were able to speak about the situation at the aquarium.
"Do you think he would have tried that if he had known how much it would upset Megan?"
I glanced at her, "I'd like to say no but Edward only cares about himself. He was most indignant when I asked him to leave. He said if Megan was afraid of him then it was because we had told her terrible things about him."
"The bastard! I wish I'd been the one to talk to him. I'd have wiped the smug look off his face. Does he really think I'll let him anywhere near her after what he did?"
"Yes. He does. Edward is single-minded. What happened in Forks two years ago is ancient history to him. He has already dismissed it and he can't understand why we, why you, can't let it go."
"Then I guess I'll have to explain it to him in words of one syllable."
I grinned, I would love to be a fly on the wall when the two got together tomorrow or should I make that today? I'd lost track of time with Megan being so upset.
"Anyway, I don't want to talk about Edward, I don't even want to think about him. Tell me what happened to Megan, why she had to stay inside. You said she was sick. What did you mean?"
I shrugged trying to make light of what had, in reality, been a very worrying time.
"I guess it was a war between her vampire and human genes. She became really sick and I was beginning to think I'd have to contact Carlisle for some advice when I noticed she was reacting to sunlight. Her skin sparkled and then became patchy as if it was sunburned. She ran a temperature and began to have problems with her balance. She bruised herself badly and cut her leg but healed really quickly. I guess that's what clued me in as to what was wrong with her. I couldn't let her outside because when she ran a temperature she would have like fits, shaking and screaming that she was on fire. I think the vampire side wanted control of her but she fought it. I helped her all I could and slowly everything calmed down. She's not been sick since but I'm worried about the tension and pressure she's under worrying about Edward. I think we have to get him out of her life as quickly as possible."
"Right. Well, that will help me when I meet Edward later. I just want to be free of him. Did he say anything about that when you spoke to him?"
"Edward doesn't like to lose anything unless it's his decision and I'm afraid that includes you. He didn't say anything to me except that he would have his say face to face with you."
"Well, he's going to have to get used to it this time. I'm never going back to him and he is never going to have a place in Megan's life. Besides, he's already denied her. If he thinks he's getting a second chance he's very much mistaken."
"I wish I was going with you, Bella."
"Thank you but I think Megan needs you more right now and I wouldn't trust anyone else with her while Edward is sniffing around."
"She'll be safe with me."
I knew he meant that and I loved him even more for it.
Edward
That bastard! How dare he threaten me! I'll show them both. If Bella thought I would let her leave me and take my child with her then she didn't know me very well. As for Hale, I would love to take him down a peg or two but I wasn't a fool. I knew I didn't stand a chance against him alone and I didn't know enough fighters who would be prepared to stand against him.
Still, he was the one who had made a fool of me by stealing the baby or at least its body and one day I would get my revenge. He might be tougher but I had the brains and they always won over brawn in the end.
For now, I was looking forward to confronting Bella. It would be amusing to see her try to wriggle her way out of giving me what was mine as a right. That kid was mine and she was not going to stop me from seeing her. Not that I really wanted a small child around but that wasn't the point, she was mine and I always get what is mine.
The lawyer that Carlisle had recommended seemed to know her stuff although she hadn't been best pleased to be dragged into the business over the holidays. What was it with these humans? Still, a few hundred dollars extra provided incentive enough to get her idle butt into gear.
The guy she had recommended had a good pedigree. He had worked for her for about eight years and knew as much about divorce law as she did, especially the more obscure clauses and loopholes that could be used to trap a difficult opponent.
I met up with him at the hotel and we rode the elevator together up to the conference room that has been reserved for our use. I had been somewhat surprised when I discovered he was a vampire, she hadn't told me that and unnerved when I tried to read his mind only to find him engrossed in law files for several cases I assumed he must be involved in.
He introduced himself as Mr Harrison then fell silent leaving me to make conversation.
"Do you think we'll have much trouble with my wife? I will not accept any less than joint custody of our daughter. I take it your boss made that very clear?"
"Indeed she did Mr Cullen. I have all the details that you gave her here in my head."
I already knew that from my attempt at reading him.
"Have you been in the law business for long?"
"Long enough although I have tried my hand at many things. A life like ours can become a little boring unless we stretch our minds, don't you think?"
"Yes. Yes, I do. Personally, I find my love of music helps. I have learned to play many instruments over the years. May I ask when you were changed?"
He stared at me and for a second I felt a shudder at his gaze. There was something very intimidating about him which I guess he found useful in difficult cases.
"You may not. This is purely a business connection Mr Cullen. I'm sure you understand."
As he spoke I caught the merest glimpse of a beautiful young woman with long dark hair before it was gone. He must have fallen for the allure of a female of our species some time in his past. Well, we all had our secrets, me included.
We were the first to arrive and chose the seats with the windows at our back. That gave us an advantage right away as the winter sun would be in their faces and they would have difficulty in reading our expressions.
They were dead on time, Bella and a man I had never seen before but who introduced himself as her legal adviser without giving us his name.
"Shall we be seated?"
My companion motioned to the chairs we had placed for them and they sat down. On the table in front of me was a document I had my lawyer draw up which Bella would be signing before she left giving me joint custody of our daughter and agreeing to return to the matrimonial home within seven days. If not I would make life very uncomfortable for her and her kid.
I slid it across to her aide and waited while he read it through and then handed it back.
"My client will not be signing this."
"Oh. May I inquire as to why?"
I nodded my approval of Mr Harrison's words and slightly truculent tone.
"Certainly. Your client is asking for joint custody of a child over whom he has no rights."
"On the contrary, your client admitted to Mr Cullen that the female child was his."
"But your client had already denied that the child was his and continued to do so. Allow me to furnish you with proof of this."
Bella's aide pulled out a cell phone which I recognized as Bella's and switched on the recorder.
I bowed my head as I heard my own voice explaining to Bella not once but on two separate occasions that the child she had given birth to had been a deformed male child who had not survived.
He then pulled out a document which he passed across to Mr Harrison.
"Please show this to your client. I think you'll find that it proves conclusively that the child in question is not your client's child."
I snatched it up and read it quickly feeling the rage build up in me. Jasper Hale was her father? Never. She was mine, Bella had told me as much.
"This is fake. Hale has no children. He doesn't even have a wife or girlfriend."
"Why not get your associate to check the relevant database. You'll find this is a legal document which has been filed in accordance with the laws of the United States of America."
"Where is this woman? Janet Cross? She's named as the child's mother. I want to talk to her."
"So would Mr Hale I believe, but she died in childbirth. I have a copy of her death certificate here should you wish to see it."
I was fuming, Bella had outsmarted me using my own stupidity. I should never have said what I did giving her the opportunity to record it.
I turned my attention back to my wife.
"What about you, Bella? Why did you tell me the kid was mine when it isn't even yours? I know you were desperate for a child but you are just deluding yourself. Come home? Hale can't give you anything more than I can. I always looked after you. I gave you everything you could ever have wanted. He's a dirt poor cowboy with a third rate education and blood-drenched hands."
Bella stood up, her chair sweeping across the polished wooden floor.
"Goodbye Edward. This is the last time you'll see me and if I see you anywhere near me or Megan again I will make sure it's the last thing you'll ever do. Leave me alone. I'll sign any divorce papers you like to send but I will never come back to you. Not ever. Oh, yes, there is just one thing I'd like to say. Jasper Whitlock is three times the man you could ever be. I regret the moment I met you, I regret marrying you, and I will never forgive the way you treated me afterwards. You might want to think about that. Goodbye Edward."
As she swept from the room I started to follow only to find Harrison holding me back and her aide standing between us and the door. He shook his head slowly as he spoke.
"Best not Mr Cullen. It would be to your advantage if you just took your wife's advice."
"And if I don't?"
He smiled and took a step closer as if trying to intimidate me and succeeded.
"Then her friends will make you and trust me, you really don't want to get into it with us. Not if you want to live."
He nodded curtly at the man standing at my side and followed his client out of the room.
Pulling free of Harrison's restraining arm I cursed and thumped my fist down on the highly polished mahogany conference table splitting it down the center
Harrison regarded the damaged table then moved his attention to me.
"Perhaps we should leave before they discover the damage, Cullen."
I frowned, what had happened to the polite way Mr Harrison had addressed me before?
He smiled a rather unsettling smile that made me uneasy.
"I'd take his advice if I were you. It will be safer in the long run and far less painful. You know I really didn't believe what I'd heard about you until I heard those recordings. You really are the scum of the fucking earth."
"What? How dare you speak to me like this? I'll have your job."
He smiled more broadly as if amused by my words.
"Great. I don't think the law society is ready for the likes of me, fucking amateurs. Go home, pack your bags, and fuck off back to the hole you crawled out of."
I frowned still trying to read his mind but failing to find anything solid to latch onto. It was like trying to wade through a bucket of eels.
"Who are you?"
"Well, not a friend to you but I guess you worked that out for yourself, genius. I was here to see fair play and you stayed on your side of the table so I never got to punch your lights out. That's a shame, but I guess there's still time. Oh, before you go I need you to put your signature on this."
He pulled out a document and flourished in front of my face.
I snatched it from him and read through it discovering that it was a divorce petition citing irreconcilable differences and made no mention of the child.
Sneering I threw it down on the wrecked table.
"You must be joking."
He smiled and held out a pen,
"It wasn't a request. Sign it."
I shook my head and found myself flat on the floor.
"Now, I'll be happy to keep this up all fucking day. It's your choice."
"Need any help, Peter?"
The man who had accompanied Bella was back, standing in the doorway.
"Nah, it's all under control. Eddie here was just about to sign the paperwork. Weren't you?"
I opened my mouth to argue but found myself grabbed by the collar and lifted to my feet.
"I didn't hear that. Care to repeat it a little louder?"
The other guy leaned against the door arms folded and a smile on his face.
"He seems a little reluctant. Should we give him a little encouragement? Need a hand holding the pen, Mr Cullen?"
The one called Peter waved the document under my nose and I snatched it ripping it down the centre and dropping the pieces to the floor.
Peter sighed,
"You really don't get it, do you? Well, let me spell it out for you in simple words."
He held out his hand and the guy at the door handed him another document, obviously a copy of the one I had ripped up.
"You are going to sign this fucking document or you don't get to leave. Got it?"