A/N: Well here is another chapter, thank you for your reviews favs and follows. I hope this is worth the wait and the best is still coming, thank you all for being so patient. Thank you to all my girls on Facebook. You are all such an amazing support group!
Thank you SarcasticBimbo for your amazing Beta work.
EsPOV
I stepped off the plane and immediately covered my eyes with my sunglasses. The press, being vultures as usual, clambered over each other for a glimpse of the wife of the alleged cold-hearted killer mobster exiting their private jet.
"Esme, where have you been?" one of them shouted.
"Esme, is it true all the trafficking charges against your son have been dropped?"
"Where is Edward, has he been released from prison?"
At that question I had to smile. Yes, my baby was released yesterday, and already in Arizona with my future daughter-in-law. I had no doubt in my mind that Edward and Bella were a perfect match. Rosalie and Emmett had gone along to help the two of them with any awkwardness. Rosalie felt as if Bella was a little sister to her and wanted to protect her from the foolish tramps she worked with.
The thought of those three made me seethe which brought me to my next thought as I was ushered into the back of the blacked out Escalade my husband had sent to pick me up from our hangar.
Completely blacked out and bulletproof, the Escalade was especially designed for and given to Carlisle by one of the executives of Cadillac. Carlisle has held a very large quantity of stock in them for a very long time. He was loyal and only drove Cadillac. My boys not so much, which drove their father crazy. But with those three, what are you gonna do?
"Welcome home, how was Arizona, did you have a good time?" Liam my driver and assistant asked.
"It was wonderful; Bella is an amazing girl. She is going to make Edward very happy," I gushed.
"That's good, he needs a good girl. A reason to come home, someone to balance him out," he remarked, shaking his head. Liam has been with the family for years and held many roles, including investigation and disposal.
"Ain't that the truth? Speaking of which, I was wondering if you could do me a favor. She has a step-father who is doing a piss poor job of supporting her. I was wondering if you could look into that for me, something about it feels wrong to me," I said.
My phone beeped to signal a new text. I opened it to see a few messages from Rosalie. I opened them and they were pictures of Bella and Edward and I had to hold in my squeal.
They were an absolutely stunning couple and they looked like they were truly in love. Bella was sitting in Edward's lap laughing, his lips were against her temple.
I could finally relax. All my boys had strong, good women by their side. All my babies had grown up. Now I could focus on my husband, the man who had given up everything to give us all this amazing life.
"Yeah, Ms. Esme, give me a name and a last known address and I'll see what I can figure out. So, she a good girl, this one that got to Eddie-boy?" he asked with a smile as he looked at me in the rearview mirror.
"Liam, you will love her the second you meet her. She's beautiful and smart, a little sassy. She appreciates the little things in life. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was her age, only she is used to settling for less, used to toughing things out on her own. People taking up for her is a shock, I took her shopping and she damn near fainted, that was when I knew she was genuine."
"Mr. C met her yet?" he asked.
"Not personally, but he has heard all about her from me and from Rosalie. Rosalie just adores her, thinks of her as a little sister. I mean it was shocking how fast Rose took to her, she usually hates everyone at first, but with her and Bella, it was just there," I said shaking my head.
"Well that is something! Miss Rosalie usually puts newcomers through the ringer, so if she has Rosalie on her side, I can't do anything but believe she is a keeper. But I'm gonna run a check anyway, you know Edward is my godson and I just want to make sure this girl won't do any damage to him or the family. Mr. C would want it that way, you know how he gets about the boys," Liam said with a small chuckle.
If you didn't know it, you would think that my Carlisle was the biological father of all three of my boys. He didn't treat any of them any different. He was super protective of all of them and was selective about who he let around the boys, around our family in general.
"You're right Liam, but you know I get a feeling about people, and with her, it all just fits. Except this step-father. Her mother died of breast cancer and according to Bella, since she died her step-father has treated her horribly and she has no idea who her real father is. She says he pays her bills but tells her to stay away and it just- there is something more to the story," I said, settling back into my seat.
"Leave it to me, Ms. Esme. I will have something for you tonight. The boss is waiting for you, you know he misses you when you're away from him," he said as we slowed in front of the gates that sealed our compound from the outside world.
"He knows that I miss him, too. That man will be the death of me, I swear, Liam," I said, getting ready to get out.
When the car stopped, my door was immediately opened and there stood the man of my dreams. From the moment I met Carlisle, I was attracted to him, those ice blue eyes and the blond hair. He makes my knees weak, but as my husband ages, the grey at his temple makes him more distinguished, and, in my eyes, sexier than ever.
"Welcome home, Petal. How was your trip, how was little Bella?" he asked, helping me out of the car.
"She is amazing, Carl. Really, you will love her. She is amazing and she will be great for Edward," I gushed, holding his hand as we walked into the house.
"I just got a few pictures from Rosalie, it's nice to see him happy for a change, it's quite amazing, actually. He's never smiled that much, even when he was little," Carlisle said.
"I'm equally shocked as to how well and how quickly Rose took to her. She usually hates everyone, for a very long time. Remember when Jasper met Alice?" we both shuddered.
Rosalie and Alice were like oil and water from the moment they met. There were knock down drag out fights, with vases which were broken when the girls launched them at one another from across the room. Carlisle's had to physically restrain Rosalie from going after Alice with a knife.
Rosalie is fiercely protective of her family and if she gets the wrong sense about you, she feels as she has no choice but to eliminate you from the equation. Rosalie also has quite the jealous streak to her. For the longest time she was the only lady in house besides me. She was the princess and loved the attention and affection showered on her, not only by my son Emmett, who loved her beyond stupidity from the moment he laid eyes on her, but Rosalie quickly became the daughter that Carlisle never had, and she was daddy's princess in every sense of the word, and the baby sister to Edward and Jasper. Anyone who attempted to take that attention away from her was a threat that needed to be eliminated immediately.
"Carlisle, I have Liam working on something for me. Isabella's step-father; something about her situation feels wrong to me. The way she explained it," I said.
"Well, tell me about it, my love" he said as he led me to the couch. We sat down and he began to slowly massage my shoulders.
"Well, she was never told about any insurance or an estate for her mother, and her stepfather pays her rent and tuition, still lives in her mother's home but tells her to stay away! That makes no sense to me!" I said.
"Do you have a name?" he asked.
"All she said was his name was Phil and he lives in Jacksonville where she grew up."
"Hmm, we'll figure it out. Don't let it worry you, Edward will take care of her. Now, how long do I have-"
"Ms. Esme, I have something on Phil Dwyer. Your feeling was right. He's sucking that poor girl's inheritance dry, and the house her mother left to her is about to be foreclosed on," Liam said, bursting into the study.
"Wait, did you say Phil Dwyer?" Carlisle asked.
"Uh, yes sir, Mr. Carlisle, I'm so sorry to interrupt, but-"
"Liam, don't worry about it, but the name Phil Dwyer, from Jacksonville...I hate to say this, but I think I have taken a majority of little Bella's inheritance," Carlisle said sadly.
"Wait, what, how could you" I stuttered, not even knowing how my husband could do such a thing.
"I didn't know, Petal. Phil is a degenerate gambler and a coke addict. He was dealing for me, and started using his own supply. Before I knew it, he had smoked up over a quarter of a mil in coke and heroin, and I tried to work with him. He said he was coming into some money; I didn't know how. He was just making payments and so I let it go, and then he started going to some poker games Eleazar was running and he was doing good, and then it all went to shit," Carlisle said.
"I don't know what do, she is depending on him to pay for her education," I cried.
"Well, he didn't do that. Bella is about to be evicted from her apartment, and I hate to say this but when she goes to register for fall classes, they will let her know she owes for the last two semesters," Liam said, shaking his head.
"Liam, get me the number to the school. I will make this right. Also, contact her landlord and make whatever payment she is behind, but I still want her evicted. From what I've heard she doesn't belong there, it isn't safe," Carlisle said.
"What are we going to do about Phil? That house, it's all Bella has left of her mother, I would hate for her memories to be scattered to the wind," I pleaded with my husband.
"I won't let that happen, love. That little girl has been through enough, and that bastard, he's going to answer for all he's done to her, and for stealing. I don't allow thievery," Carlisle hissed.
"Liam, call Felix, tell him to get the jet ready and set a flight plan to Jacksonville. Tell him to assemble a few men, and that we have some trash to take out," Carlisle said, standing.
"I want to go with you, Carlisle. I want to make sure her house is safe, to make it livable for her...and maybe Edward?"
"Look at you, always trying to force Cupid's hand," he said, kissing my temple.
"When you know, you just know," I said, turning my head and pressing my lips to his.
"Yeah, you said something similar the night we met," he whispered.
"I saw you, and my heart just, I still can't describe the feeling but I get the same feeling every time you look at me."
"I swear, woman, you know how to work me. I swear you are the queen of shakedowns, but yes, you can come with me, you little minx. Go get packed, we leave in an hour. I have some calls to make, pack me a suit, there is a place I want to take you," he said with a wink and got up from the couch.
~~~~~~Inside & Out~~~~~~~
"Bella, you're staring again," Rosalie said with a giggle. Emmett and Edward were standing at the grill outside of the bungalow Edward had rented. They were grilling steaks and Rosalie and I were making a Greek pasta salad.
"I can't help it, he's so amazing, these last twenty-four hours have been the best of my life," I gushed.
"So what did you guys do last night while Emmett and I went to dinner?" she asked with a wiggle of her eyebrows.
"Nothing, mostly just talked and snuggled and made out but he stopped us before we went too far. He said he didn't think I was ready to take that step yet," I said and bit my lip.
"At the core of all the Cullen men are old-fashioned gentleman, I mean, I know what Emmett does, and parts of me really have to turn a blind eye, because with me, he's different. He brings me flowers, he rubs my feet, he tucks me into bed at night," she said with a smile.
"We slept in the same bed last night and we seriously just slept. We snuggled and kissed, but sleeping in his arms, I can't explain how amazing it felt," I said.
"See, didn't I tell you falling in love with him wouldn't be so bad?" she said with a nudge of her shoulder to mine.
"Yeah, so much so I'm, umm, thinking about coming to Florida with him, he asked me last night. Asked me not to make him go home alone," I said, looking down.
Rosalie jumped and squealed. "Oh my god, that is so awesome! We're going to be neighbors, Emmett and I live next door. Oh my god, this is going to be amazing. You're going to love Florida, you can transfer to FSU," she rambled.
"You don't think I'm crazy for even considering it? I mean, you don't think it's too soon?" I asked.
"Umm, I would be a hypocrite if I said yes. I moved in with Emmett two weeks after I met him. It's kind of a fate thing with them. They all have this thing; when they meet the right one it's fast and hard, but it's amazing. I mean, the night I met Emmett, I was working in a grocery store, two days away from being homeless. When he walked in I was seriously having a panic attack, worrying about all the bills and stuff I was drowning in, and he walks up to me, and says, 'Hey, you're too beautiful to be doing anything but smiling all the time. I swear, if you'll just smile for me, I will fix whatever's wrong,' and that was it. I smiled and the rest is history. Emmett is my monkey man, my knight on the white horse. I mean, when I found out about everything, I was shocked and disgusted. I mean, for all intents and purposes, Emmett is a pimp, but he is just amazing and he's my husband, so that makes it easy for me to overlook the not-so-pretty parts," she said and shrugged as she started to cut the olives we had drained.
"I don't care about any of that, I just want Edward to be safe and happy. I just want him to come home to me. I never want him to go back to prison, he is who he is," I shrugged.
"I swear, every time we talk I think more and more you were like, created for him." She shook her head.
"Honestly, I think I'm the lucky one. I mean, I never thought I would meet anyone anything like him. He is like, the one I saw when I dreamt about a perfect man."
"Gun slinging and drugs aside, right?" she said with a laugh.
"Nope, that's a part of who he is. He is amazing because of what he does and what he's been through. I would never want to change those parts of him. I don't want him to change, period," I said.
"This life isn't easy, Bella. It's not all glamour and money. I mean, there are times where you'll be followed by the police. They will raid your house. There will be times he won't come home at night, the places where they conduct business... I mean, sometimes they're at strip clubs, and there are the women, but you can't be self-conscious. You have to be assured that Edward would never do you dirty," she said.
"I can't say I won't ever have doubts. I mean, this morning when I woke up next to him, I had to remind myself I wasn't dreaming and this was real. And then I had to think... what the hell would he want with me?" I shook my head.
"Bella, I'm telling you, this is gonna be good for you. I can't wait for you to come to Florida. Alice is going to love you, she's our other sister-in-law. She is super fun and chill. You'll love her."
"You ladies ready to eat the best fucking steaks ever made?" Emmett announced as he walked into the kitchen.
"Only if you're ready to cream over this amazing pasta Bella made, and I helped," Rosalie said with a proud smile.
"I was gonna say, if you cooked throw that shit away or else we'll all die," Edward said with a laugh.
"Fuck you, Ed, like you're any better," Rosalie threw a towel at him, which he dodged.
"Hey, I'll have you know that during my rehabilitation, I learned how to make scrambled eggs and a pretty kick ass chocolate cake, so bite me, Blondie," Edward says, flipping her the bird.
"Are they always like this?" I asked Emmett, pointing at them.
"Man, this ain't shit. They're playing nice for your benefit, Bella-bean. Wait until they draw guns on each other, that's when shit gets fun," he said with a snort.
"Wait, they've pulled guns on each other?" I asked with a look of horror on my face.
"Yeah, the bitch actually shot me," Edward said, narrowing his eyes at Rosalie.
"Oh, stop being a pussy, it was a fucking flesh wound, a graze, ya big baby," Rosalie said and they started laughing.
"Now this is what ya call family fucking togetherness, bitches. Now let's feed my ass," Emmett said and we all sat down.
I sat next to Edward and loaded his plate with pasta salad.
"Is that enough or do you want more?" I ask shyly.
He leaned over and kissed me and it took my breath away. "You will always be more than enough, but I'll always want more."
"Edward, god, such a sweet talker, I'll always want more, too," I whisper.
"What I want more of is that fucking pasta, now give it up and get a fucking room," Emmett boomed.
"God, did you have to ruin their fucking moment, you dipshit?" Rosalie said smacking the back of his head.
"Bella, I want-"
"I want to come back to Florida with you Edward," I said in a rush before I could think anymore or change my mind.
"You just made me the happiest man alive. You're my life now, Bella."
I couldn't even respond, I could only smile.
A/N: Thank you all so much for your patience. I know it has been a long time since I updated, but life is crazy. I hope you guys like this chapter. I will get more out sooner than later. I can't wait to hear what you think.