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Intensity Forty-one
Paul's POV
After the meeting with Crispy and Jeff, things began moving along with just about everything having to do with Vandenberger. In the criminal case, the plea bargain presented to the judge after the Feds agreed to the attempted manslaughter charge was rejected. The consequences were too lenient and wouldn't prevent Vandenberger from repeating his actions.
A new plea deal was presented to the judge in which Vandenberger would plead guilty to attempted second-degree murder along with the rest of the criminal charges. There would be no trial in exchange, and he would serve a minimum of twenty years to a maximum of fifty years behind bars. He would also pay a three-hundred-thousand dollar fine, forfeit ten-million-dollars in profits, and his license to develop and operate hotels and casinos would be permanently revoked. Also, all legal fees incurred by Bella and me in the criminal case were his responsibility. The new deal was approved and signed off on by the judge. Vandenberger was sent to a federal facility somewhere in Colorado.
As far as the civil trial was concerned, the judge in the case was quick to give his approval. According to Crispy, it was because the five-million-dollar settlement was fair restitution to us. I didn't really care about the monetary award; I was just happy my wife and I didn't have to sit through a long and arduous trial.
We turned around and donated most of the settlement to various reservations across the United States to boost education and healthcare. We took the rest of it and started college funds for Bella's three half-brothers.
Since Vandenberger was responsible for all legal fees and court costs incurred by us, I told Crispy and Jeff to feel free to bill us on the higher end of the spectrum rather than the usual 'friends and family price. I wanted them to be generously compensated for their time and trouble.
By mid-November, the Vandenberger case was settled, and the media attention had died down because their fervent hope for a long, drawn-out public trial had not panned out since a plea bargain was accepted for the criminal case. We settled out of court for the civil case. The press did not manage to discover the civil suit's details because a privacy clause was written into it. In any case, Vandenberger was now sitting in a federal penitentiary in Colorado, most likely feeling sorry for himself and trying to figure out where it all went wrong.
XOXO
Last night, Bella and I had gone to watch Sammy at his choir performance. After last year's awful experience, he had given up wrestling and was now a tenor in the school choir, which he enjoyed far better. He also swapped out his elective classes to art instead of shop. Sam and I had a chat with him and told him that he should do what he wants to do rather than allowing Ryan to make all the decisions. Sammy was happier, and so was Ryan because he no longer had to look out for his buddy all the time. They also joined one extracurricular club together—the Anime and Manga Club. According to Jared, Ryan encouraged Sammy to participate because he was so good at drawing cartoon porn and figured it would be a good outlet for him. Of course, drawing porn was not allowed at school, but according to Ryan, Sammy could draw clothed females as well. Jared and I still weren't sure if drawing pornography was a healthy outlet for a teenaged boy.
Jenny Cameron, Jared's younger sister, was attending the same high school as Ryan and Sammy. She excelled in school, still maintaining the straight A's she had at the tribal school, and participating in track and field. She also worked part-time as a cashier at a grocery store to help support Little Susie. According to Joe Cameron, she wanted to set an example for her child by proving to her that she could overcome any adversity. He was proud of his daughter, as was Jane, and they both gave her as much support as they could.
Tonight, I was hanging out with Sam and Jared—my oldest buddies from the pack. Bella was in Tucson overnight because she was taking a two-day medical course to keep her skills up-to-date. I really hated having her away from me overnight. I worried about her, even though I knew she was safe.
"Stop checking your fucking phone." Jared crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at me. "Bella is fine."
"We don't know that. What if she…"
"Paul, she's in Tucson, in Arizona, the same state where we live. She's not out of state; she's only two hours away." He took a sip of his beer. "Besides, you've been away from here plenty of times, and you've been okay. What gives?"
"This time, it's the other way around. She's away from me. The only time she's been away from me was when she flew to Forks ahead of me the day Jake's divorce went through, and I followed right after."
"Oh, yeah. You found your wife in Vegas, living it up with Jake then. No wonder you're worried," Jared chortled.
"I'm not worried. I just hate being without Bella."
"Trust me. I know how you feel. I used to hate it when Emily would go to Neah Bay to visit her parents," Sam mentioned.
"Hey, I remember that from when we were phased as teenagers. You were in agony without her and drove us nuts, worrying about whether or not she was safe. In fact, you made us all run to the Makah Reservation to check on her."
"Exactly, but it gets better. I promise. You and Bella are still relatively new imprints. Trust me, once you start having kids, you'll want to get away."
"Ain't that the truth," Jared agreed, raising his bottle of beer and toasting Sam. "Speaking of which, when is Bella going to start popping out the wolf pups."
"Dude, we haven't even been on a honeymoon yet. We're not ready for that step. Anyway, we're too young."
My buddies both sighed and shook their heads in exasperation.
"It's hopeless, Jared," Sam stated with a forlorn expression on his face. "Our kids will never get to grow up together."
"Are you kidding me? It wasn't going to happen anyway. Kim told me the other day that her 'womb was closed for further production.' She's taking birth control pills, and she refuses to even consider any more kids."
"Do you blame her? Come on, Jared. You have six kids already. Do you really want more?"
"Hell, yeah. I love my kids. It's great having a big family, but Kim is right. We need to be able to take care of the ones we have."
"Good. I'm glad your imprint knocked some sense into you."
"Yeah, but Paul. She thinks you need to start having babies, too. She claims you'll be a great dad."
I refused to give a response. I had no idea why everyone was so hellbent on Bella and me having kids. Granted, it was just the guys from the wolfpack, with the exception of Embry. The coyotes were a bit different. Hell, Jeff, Randy, Embry, and I were planning a trip to Europe together while we had no kids. Poor Crispy missed the boat by knocking up his mate, who was complaining about the unfairness of it all. Apparently, Babs thought she had a few more years of freedom left before their accident.
"Is there anything else I can get you, gentlemen?" The waitress, a twenty-something blonde, batted her eyelashes and tipped her head to the side.
"Yeah, you can send his wife home to him," Sam joked.
"Oh, did your wife leave you?" She laid a hand on my arm with an expression of concern on her face as she tried to get closer to me.
I turned to her with a forlorn expression on her face. "No, she's just on a business trip. I miss her when she's gone."
"He's in total agony. He's helpless without her." Jared nodded.
The waitress abruptly removed her hand from my arm. "Oh, well, do you need anything else?"
"No, we'll just take the check."
"Sure. Take your time." She put the check down and left with a grim expression on her face. We heard her chatting with a co-worker. "No, he's married, and he's one of those needy ones who can't live without his wife."
"One of those, huh?" the co-worker asked.
"Yep. I feel sorry for his wife. She must be a slave to him."
Jared, Sam, and I had a good laugh overhearing that one. We left the restaurant soon after and headed to Embry's house because it was nearby and we were still hungry.
"What the hell are you guys doing here? It's nine o'clock."
"We're hungry. Feed us," Jared demanded. "Besides, we don't have work tomorrow, and Paul is lonely."
"Missing Bella, eh?" Embry smirked and arched an eyebrow. "Get inside, all of you. I'll grill some steaks up for us."
"Where's Jess?" I asked.
"She's at a workshop for teachers in Sedona with Rachel."
"Sedona? That's a resort town. They only have artists, and New Age quacks there."
"Yeah, well, the workshop is called 'Incorporating Art in the Mainstream Classroom.' According to them, Sedona is the perfect place to hold such a class."
"So, if they wanted to have a conference in Las Vegas, would they call it 'It's Not Gambling, It's Really Math'?" I asked.
"Probably." We all got a good chuckle at that before heading to Embry's kitchen, where he grilled up some incredible steaks for us.
"Where did you get this meat?" Jared asked.
"From a farm over in Mesa." Embry cracked open a bottle of wine and poured us each a glass. "I got this from a winery while I was there, too. It's the last bottle."
"This is smooth."
"Isn't it? It's a Pinot Noir. I bought a whole case when I went to pick up our beef."
"How the hell do you afford all of that?" Jared asked.
"Double income, no kids—that's how," Sam replied. "While we're feeding, clothing, and housing our kids—these two are enjoying their freedom." The former alpha turned to both Embry and me. "Don't rush the kids. Enjoy life while you can."
"Yeah, no kidding," Jared concurred. "As long as you keep feeding us the good stuff, we won't say anything."
The next day…
On Saturday, Embry woke me up at eight am by knocking on my hotel suite door. "Dude, I was going to sleep in? What's up?"
"Get dressed. You and I are going to Mesa."
"Why are we going to Mesa?"
"Are you kidding me, Paul? After you left last night, it occurred to me that our wives are out of town, and we have farms, wineries, breweries, mills, you name it—only a half-hour away. They even have an olive farm where they cold press extra virgin olive oil. Mesa is a foodie's paradise."
"Embry, I'm living in a hotel because my house is being renovated."
"Not for much longer. Besides, the fridge and freezer in Bella's garage are still operational. We can store stuff there, and the girls won't be any wiser. Imagine the steaks we'll have for dinner tonight—grilled a perfect medium-rare and drizzled with a bit of olive oil straight from the farm along with a pat of freshly churned butter, some minced garlic—also from the farm."
"Aww, man! Bella is going to kill me!"
"I'll take the hit with you, Paul." Embry patted me on the back. "Now, hurry up. I told the valet I'll be right down. I don't want to pay for parking."
I quickly threw some clothes on, grabbed my wallet, and headed downstairs to meet Embry, who was waiting in his truck for me with some coffee. "We're going to eat breakfast there. Trust me, man. There are a ton of restaurants we have to try."
By the time we got there, thirty minutes later, the town was packed with visitors. We arrived smack dab in the middle of a bacon, brews, and blues festival.
"Damn! I hope you cleared the bed of your truck, Embry because I don't think we're going home empty-handed."
"Worse comes to worst; we'll hitch a Uhaul trailer to my truck."
I high-fived my buddy as we went in search of parking.
Ten hours later…
We parked in the garage at my house and took in the overloaded bed of his truck. Embry shook his head. "We're up shit creek, man. Our wives will never forgive us. On top of that, we have that beef delivery coming next month."
"What the hell happened? I didn't think we purchased that much. We're never going to fit this all into my garage and your kitchen."
"I didn't think it mattered what kind of olive oil we used until we went to the olive farm," Embry commented.
"Neither did I. But maybe I went overboard when I bought a fifty-five-gallon drum."
"I think you did. You should have stuck with two cases like I did."
"Yeah, probably, but I did purchase that nice, refillable ceramic bottle with a spout."
"I bought one, too. It'll look nice on the kitchen counter."
"What are we going to tell our wives about the beer and wine? You know how they're always going on about only buying what we need… yada-yada. Bella is angry enough about the beer fridge and the meat freezer in the garage."
"Paul, how many times do I have to tell you. She created this pink monstrosity. The least she can do is let you keep your beer fridge." Embry pursed his lips and nodded. "You're right, though. Bella and Jess are not going to be happy."
Embry's truck was loaded with cases of craft beer and local wine that we had purchased at each tasting we went to—sadly, this was only the bottom layer. One, or both, of us, had bought something at every business, be it a brewery, farm, mill, winery, etc. It didn't help that a festival featuring bacon and beer was held because there were extra vendors from all over Arizona there.
We stored the bacon and other perishable items away in the extra freezer in the garage. We'd have to make space before the beef delivery came in or possibly purchase an additional freezer. I glanced around the garage. It would be a tight fit, but I was pretty sure we could manage an extra freezer.
"Don't buy an extra freezer whatever you do," Embry suggested. "Bella will kill us both."
"Good point." The bed of the truck was still loaded with purchases. "We'll tuck the drum of olive oil in the corner there. We'll set the spigot for it up later." Maybe my wife won't notice it.
"Good plan, but since we can't use the kitchen yet, we have to figure out what to do with the rest of the stuff." Embry crossed his arms in front of his chest. "When the hell is our kitchen going to be done?"
"What do you mean our kitchen? It's going to be Bella's and my kitchen."
"That's semantics, man. I'm the one who grills the better steaks. Anyway, you're getting the smoker put into the outdoor kitchen this time, right?"
"Yep, that and a woodfire pizza oven. It's going to be a man kitchen."
"Does Bella know?"
"Of course not! She'll throw a snit about how it's unnecessary, and then she'd try to have some input on it. Anyway, I hired a primo architect to work on the outdoor kitchen. Trust me when I say I hooked us up, Embry."
We fist-bumped each other. "I trust you. Now, what are we going to do with the rest of the stuff? Do you think we should rent a storage facility?"
"A storage facility? Nah, our wives would never forgive us if we did that. Let me think." As soon as the words left my mouth, an idea popped into my brain. "Let me just make a phone call."
One hour later…
"Thanks for letting us use your refrigerator and freezer, Carlisle." I shook the vampire's hand.
"And your kitchen pantry, too," Embry added.
"It's not a problem. I don't use the kitchen except to wash my hands anyway. Besides, it makes my house look lived in, so you're actually helping me."
I looked around at the reservation home Carlisle lived in. It was very sparse. There was only a living room set, a television, and books—lots and lots of books.
"Hey, Carlisle. What do you all day when you're not working?"
"Ah, well. It's sunny in Arizona, so, generally, I'm at home reading, surfing the Internet, or watching TV. I'm also beginning an online degree in January."
"Oh, yeah? In what?"
"Native American Studies. When I traveled with Taha Aki, he took the time to learn as much as he could about the history of other cultures. He took a particular interest in British Studies. I figured I could do the same and learn about the wonderful cultures native to the Americas."
"You should talk to Jared. He's a fountain of information on the tribes in the Pacific Northwest. Of course, having traveled with Taha Aki, I bet your knowledge is greater."
"Absolutely. I'd be interested in getting together with Jared. I'm still stunned by how much he looks like Taha Aki."
"We can arrange that easily." Embry chuckled. "Besides, Jared has been a fanboy of Taha Aki since the time he first heard the legends."
"Now, have a seat. Would you like some beer? I went to the store when you told me you were coming. This is apparently a beer from Belgium made by Trappist monks. I asked the man at the liquor store for the best."
"Sure, thanks." Of course, Carlisle was also storing most of our beer and wine for us because we didn't have the guts to face our wives with our spur-of-the-moment purchases.
Carlisle handed us a bottle of beer each. "Hey, this is great!" Embry remarked. "What is this called?" He snapped a photo of the bottle with his phone. "We should go to Belgium when we go on vacay in Europe. Can you imagine the beer?"
"I'm glad you like it. I haven't had ale in centuries."
"Centuries? How old are you?" Embry asked.
"I was born in London in 1640. I was changed when I was twenty-three years old in 1663."
"You're ancient."
"But I look young."
"That you do," Embry agreed.
"In any case, Paul, Embry—I'm glad you're here. I realized after living alone for the first time in What do people do for a good time these days?"
"You're asking Paul and me? We're the two most boring guys on the planet. Our idea of a good time is going to an appliance store and purchasing a new grill. If you want to have a good time, you want to ask Bella. According to my wife, the woman knows how to have a good time. She went missing once, and Paul found her and Jacob Black partying in Vegas."
"In Las Vegas with another man? You're very progressive, Paul."
"Nah, Bella and Jake have been best friends from the time they were infants. They were celebrating his divorce."
"Ah, Bella is a very supportive young lady and an excellent friend to Mr. Jacob Black. I believe they were friends when we lived in Forks, too. I recall Edward being insanely jealous of him."
It was so odd hearing Carlisle Cullen, who looked like he was in his twenties, call Bella a young lady. It was easy to forget that he was a centuries-old vampire.
The vampire continued speaking. "What I am wondering is if you and your friends could perhaps show me a good time. It occurred to me that I lack camaraderie. I was struck down in my prime, and while I was human, my career path was set for the church by my family. I spent the majority of the time as a vampire trying to find a path for myself, and then, after Taha Aki died, I was stuck pretending to be a family man and a father to grown adults for almost a century. After doing some serious introspection, I realized I've never actually had fun going out with friends."
Aw, man! He's tugging at my heartstrings. He's never had fun. Poor guy. "I'll tell you what. My pack and I always get together. Once my house is rebuilt, you are welcome to stop by anytime."
"Paul's house is like Grand Central Station. We all stop by at least once a week, and there's usually a party every other weekend," Embry added. "Anyway, Paul and I were going to Scottsdale right now for dinner. I know you don't eat, but why don't you join us? They have live music where we're going. We have to eat the unhealthy stuff while the wives are away."
What the hell happened to the steak Embry was going to make for us? We had two perfect ribeye steaks sitting on ice in the bed of his truck, ready to be taken to his house and grilled over charcoal. But my buddy was right. Our friend's needs come first.
XOXO
We ended up taking Carlisle to a bar and grill in Scottsdale that served some of the best ribs on the planet. It was the perfect place because there was a live band performing, and we could also play air hockey, darts, foosball, and pool. There were also two ping-pong tables, but everyone was playing beer pong on them. We actually challenged three other guys and blew them out of the water, possibly because they were drunk humans and we were supernatural beings, unaffected by alcohol.
Carlisle Cullen had been like a kid in a candy store. He tried every single game table in the establishment and even given whisky a shot. Apparently, vampires were able to consume hard liquor, but he had never tried it. While Embry and I devoured our ribs, we saw him join in on the line dancing.
It was now almost one am, and we were heading back to Carlisle's house to drop him off at his place. "I had such a fabulous time!" Carlisle exclaimed. "I've never had this much fun in my life. I had no idea that playing beer pong was so exciting! We must do this again."
"Sure. We can bring some of the other guys with us. It'll be fun," Embry said.
"I was thinking that we can try night golfing or midnight kayaking next time," I proposed.
"I've always wanted to try golfing."
"Hey, I've just started, so I can use the practice," Embry added. "And the kayaking sounds like a blast!"
We were almost to his house when Carlisle's cell phone rang.
I figured it was a medical emergency—after all, he was a physician. When Bella was working full time, she used to get tons of calls past midnight.
Carlisle took the call immediately.
"Mr. Cullen, sir, this is Jason Jenks. You asked me to call you as soon as I had information on Tony Fuller for you."
"Ah, Jenks. Perfect timing." Carlisle put the call on speakerphone so we could all listen in. Of course, it was unnecessary because, as wolves, we could hear the conversation loud and clear. "What can you tell me?"
"Your colleague was correct about Tony Fuller, sir. The company, La Push NPO., is registered to one owner only—Anthony James Fuller. It is not a non-profit organization at all, and he never registered it as such. He most likely added the NPO at the end to make it appear as if it was a non-profit organization."
"My goodness. So, I didn't sell my property to the Quileute Nation?"
"Not at all, sir. Fuller developed luxury townhomes on the property and is currently renting them out."
"Anything else?"
"Yes, Tony Fuller is attempting to offload all of his US assets, which includes—not only the townhomes he built on the former Cullen property but a home in Clyde Hill valued at just over two million dollars."
"How did the comptroller of a tribe manage to purchase that?" Carlisle asked the question which was at the forefront of my mind. Clyde Hill was one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Washington State. As a tribal government comptroller, it would be next to impossible to afford such property on his salary. There was also the question of why he needed a home in a suburb of Seattle. What business did he have there?
"I have no idea, but I will continue looking into it, sir."
"That will be fine. Thank you for your good work, as usual, Jenks."
"It's a pleasure, sir."
Carlisle turned to us. "You heard that I hope."
"You did have it on speakerphone."
"Yes, but I specifically wanted you to listen in. Jason Jenks is my attorney."
"Does your attorney always call you at one am?" I asked curiously.
"He is a special attorney, given the unusual circumstances of my condition, for example, not aging, he manages to arrange matters for me—for a fee. Because of this, he has precious connections. These contacts may not be acceptable in the mainstream, but for gathering information, they come in very handy."
"God damn! I feel like I'm embroiled in a mafia intrigue," Embry noted. "Carlisle, you're awesome, man."
"Well, thank you, Embry. I do want to assist with the matter of Tony Fuller. Besides, I do not enjoy being lied to, especially as he hurt Taha Aki's descendants in the process."
We arrived at Carlisle's house, and I offered my hand to shake as he got out to enter his home. "Thank you for doing this for us."
"Paul, it's as much for me as it is for you. I consider Taha Aki, my father. Any crime against the Quileute Nation is one against me."
I gave him a hug and a pat on his back. "Thank you, brother."
He nodded his head and smiled as we drove away.
"A part of me wants to phase into wolf form and destroy Fuller." Embry gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he drove. It was clear the conversation we had listened into had affected him as much as it had me. "I can't believe Brady, and I ended up with such a snake for a father. At least I was lucky enough not to have the creep in my life. Can you imagine having an asshole like him for a father? Poor Brady."
"Yeah, I can. My dad was a jerk. The fact is, any male can become a father, but it takes a man to become a good father. Tony Fuller and Johnny Lahote are not real men. They're both criminals." I shook my head. "At least one of them is in prison where he belongs."
Embry patted my shoulder. "But we turned out okay, didn't we, Paul?"
"That we did."
"You're spending the night in our guest room. I'm too wiped out to drive you back to your hotel. Besides, I figured we can have steak and eggs in the morning. We did, after all, purchase both at the festival."
"You know, Embry. You have the best ideas."
We gave each other a fist bump as he drove us to his house. There were times when we needed to be with our friends, and this was one of them. Thinking about my crappy father always brought the doldrums out in me, but I was pretty sure good company, and a breakfast platter of steak and eggs would put a smile on my face.