A/N: Hope everyone had a great week last week, and a wonderful Passover or Easter or Spring Break, or anything else you may have celebrated in the past few days.

Let's continue, shall we? Less than a couple of handful of chapters left (I think, LOL).

Betad by the wonderful Michelle Renker Rhodes.

Most characters belong to S. Meyer.

Chapter 31 – Spread Eagle

EPOV

The next morning, Emmett picks me up so that I can leave the truck with Bella, so she can drive with Mel to my sister's house. Rose is pretty deep in Queens and I don't want Bella and Mel taking the train over there. Bella can drive, but she doesn't have a car - says it doesn't make sense to own one when there's all this public transportation in the city to get her from point A to point B, and besides, she doesn't want to deal with the hassle of searching for parking every night. Yeah, I get that. Sometimes I've got to circle the block about twenty times before I find a spot. But unlike her, I need my truck for work.

Right now, they're both still knocked out in Bella's bed. I stand just off the threshold of the bedroom, watching them while I pull up my pants and zip'em; then I throw on a t-shirt and a flannel hoodie. Bella is turned on her side, rolled all the way to the edge of the bed because Mel is spread eagle in the middle. I shake my head and walk over to adjust them, carefully nudging Mel a bit more to her side and then moving Bella over before she falls off. Then I kneel next to her and put my mouth on hers lightly, gently sucking on those sweet lips because I don't want to wake her up. It was less than a handful of hours ago that I took her quick and hard in the bathroom, and I know she's exhausted. If it was my choice, I wouldn't be up either.

But it's not my choice. I'm not the boss. Maybe someday…

Anyway, her eyes flutter and open. And with a long sigh, she smiles at me.

"You're leaving?" she whispers.

"Yeah. I'll meet you at Rose's as soon as we're done. I packed a bag to change over there."

She nods, her warm, brown eyes gazing sleepily into mine. "Happy Thanksgiving."

I chuckle quietly, stroking her long hair out of her face. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"I'm thankful for you," she breathes.

I drop my head and close my eyes, swallowing thickly while I nuzzle her honey face with my nose. "Oh Baby, you have no idea…"

When I pick up my head, she locks my in her eyes. "Edward…this morning…" She trails off, but I see the rest of it in her eyes.

"I'll be at Rose's before you know it. I'll probably beat you over there," I grin. "Drive carefully."

And my mouth finds hers again, tugging on that pouty bottom lip that drives me crazy. Sighing, I pull away with that lip still carefully nudged between mine. We break contact, but her eyes remain on me while I reach over her to ruffle Mel's hair, and then I turn and leave.

OOOOOOOOOO

"I thought you were quitting," Emmett smirks my way while I light a smoke. It's the end of November, and the cold air that blasts in from the open windows mingles with our smoke and saturates the inside of the car.

"I'm cutting down. I'll quit eventually, but not today."

He laughs heartily, but then sighs just as big.

"Look, Man, I'm sorry to take you away from your girl and kid today, but you know we're working on making you officially my foreman for the upcoming jobs. I need you involved in this."

"Don't apologize," I shake my head, staring out the front windshield while I flick the ashes out of the passenger window. "You think I'm going to complain about that, about you including me? I'm not pissed at you, Em. If anything, I'm grateful."

"Alright then, cuz you just seem a bit…moody this morning. More like the old Edward than the one you've become since you got with Bella," he snickers.

I snort. "It's not you," I assure him again, and he leaves it at that.

We talk about some other stuff, but in the back of my mind, I'm wondering how I'm going to tell Emmett about Eli.

Emmett knows that Mr. S is Bella's father; I explained that to him the day that Bella showed up at the work site and wrapped herself around S. I had to tell him who the girl I kissed was, and why she was hanging all over another guy a few minutes before, but I didn't say shit about Eli. Now that the prick is definitely going to be at that meeting this morning, I've got to tell him – give him a reason for why I might put the fucker through a wall.

No.

No, I promised Bella I'd be a good man for her…and for Mel. But Emmett's gotta know what's going on.

The site is quiet when we arrive; cranes and cement mixers and all machinery and tools are still and silent for what was supposed to be a whole day off. The ground is a muddy disaster from last night's rain: brown puddles swallow up our boots so we've got to march one leg up and then the other to get through. But we're used to this; we work in this. We make it work.

Emmett is walking in front of me towards S&D's trailer; the mud he kicks up with his boots splatters back onto the front of my boots, and I stare at brown and black stains. When we're still about fifteen feet away, I reach out and grab his arm.

"Before we go in there, there's something I might need to tell you."

Emmett crosses his arms against his chest, planting his feet deep in the mud.

My eyes move past him towards the trailer. Parked next to it is a shiny, black truck with 'S&D Contractors' imprinted on the side door along with the office address and phone number, and next to that is a sleek, silver convertible with the black top up.

My face instinctively twists into a snarl. "You know that guy, Eli…one of the owners…"

"The prick who had us change the piping. Yeah." He shifts his wait from one leg to the other. "What about him?"

I exhale heavily. "He's Bella's ex."

Emmett jerks his head back and quirks a brow. "Get the fuck out of here," he says lowly. "Shit." He holds my gaze. "Alright…so…he's her ex. So fucking what? You understand that can't affect our working relationship with these dudes in any way, don't you?"

"I understand that, yeah, but…it's a bit…complicated," I say, unable to control the way my nostrils flare.

Emmett narrows his eyes speculatively, studying me close for a few seconds.

"Alright," he sighs. "Look…just…we're there for business, Edward. As the head of McCarty Construction, I'll handle most of it, but I need you to step up when you need to."

"Yeah, yeah," I say quickly. "I'm there. I just…wanted to let you know, Man. You don't have to worry."

"I'm not. Look, I feel you, Edward," he assures me, clapping my shoulder. "We'll take this meeting one minute at a time, yeah?"

"Yeah. Yeah," I repeat.

"Alright." He sighs. "Alright, come on."

OOOOOOOOOO

The owners and Mr. S are already there; Eli and his partners are seated side by side at an oval shaped, wooden table in the middle of the trailer while Mr. S sits opposite them with the head architect, Riley. There are a couple of other crews working this job, but whatever it is the owners want deals with our part of the project, so we're the only ones here.

As soon as we walk in to that tight, cramped space, I feel my entire body tense, but I try my damnedest to control it. When all eyes look up and give us a cursory nod, I can barely spare them a glance, not even Mr. S because my eyes immediately land on the cocksucker, and it takes all I've got not to lunge.

He's wearing a black dress shirt with a thin, silky grey tie while the rest of us are all in work clothes. But he doesn't meet my gaze. I stalk behind Emmett while he takes a seat to the left of everyone, and I take a seat next to him. The entire time I'm thinking that maybe if he doesn't make eye-contact, and if I don't look at him directly…maybe if he doesn't look my way, I can stop thinking about all the different ways he hurt Bella just long enough to get through this.

Emmett leans forward and rests his elbows on the table, knitting his hands together over the dark wood while I lean back and cross my arms against my chest, swallowing hard, directing my eyes front and center and staring at the corkboard S has hanging on the wall.

Don't look at him. Don't look at him.

God grant me the serenity…

"Alright, Happy Thanksgiving everyone," S begins, "and being it is Thanksgiving, how about letting us know what's going on that couldn't wait 'til tomorrow?"

I keep my eyes front and center on that message board, but I can hear the ass-kissing smile in that cock-sucker's voice.

"Sorry, Charlie. You know I'd never try to ruin your Thanksgiving. I know how important the holidays are to your family. We've spent enough holidays together for me to know how Sue prides herself on that delicious home-cooked meal of hers. Am I right?" he chuckles.

A flash of rage races up my spine, straightens it like an arrow, flares my nostrils because my first instinct is that that shit wasn't a random comment. He planned those words – to remind me how Charlie welcomed him into the fold. Or maybe to remind Charlie that Bella's not spending Thanksgiving with him.

And how does he know this anyway?

Or am I just being fucking paranoid?

I don't know. I don't fucking know.

But I press my lips together in a tight line because Emmett didn't even ask me to keep my cool, but he's depending on me to keep it. And I promised Bella, and I'm going to get through this fucking meeting because no matter what, I'm the one going home to Bella, not either one of these assholes so fuck you all.

"That she does," Mr. S responds. "So tell us what's going on, Eli, so that we can all get back to our loved ones."

The cocksucker's voice drones about the shit they want; they've discussed it with the architect, and it's doable, he says.

"It's doable, but it will take time," are Riley's exact words, after which there's silence all around the table.

"Gentleman," S eventually says addressing Eli and his partners, "I get that it's doable in the time-frame, but this project is almost complete; we're in the wrap-up stages, not in the start-something-new stages."

"But it can be done," Cocksucker counters, while I study the ever living hell out of that damn corkboard.

"Yeah, but it's the holidays," Emmett adds. "Ordering the materials, manpower…"

"All doable."

"Doable, but what that means is longer hours and overtime pay for our crew because we're not doing this for free," I state in terms they can all understand: No free labor this time, motherfuckers.

"Exactly," Emmett agrees.

More silence, but I feel his eyes on me, and I turn my glare away from the board.

He stares at me hard.

"We realize this means more hours, but as you said, you will get paid for this. We're not asking you to work for free."

"Just clearing it up, my man," Emmett cuts in. "We're not just talking more hours, we're talking overtime pay."

Slowly, Cocksucker trails his black eyes away from me to Emmett. "I don't understand what the problem is here. You all should be grateful for more hours. As for overtime pay…we'll discuss it, but either way, we hired you all to do a job. If you can't finish it the way we want it, let us know, and we can end this agreement right now and hire someone else to finish it the way we want it done. Just remember, it'll reflect on you."

My hands clench to fists against my biceps. "It will reflect on us."

After we did all the work? You're going to threaten to get another crew to finish our job?" Emmett asks, his tone just on this side of furious.

"But you're not finishing it the way we want it," one of the other partners chimes in.

"Because you're all being-"

"Hold on here," Charlie says, one palm up. "Now Eleazar, no one here is refusing to do any work. We're just making sure that you and your partners have thought this through and that you realize that if this is the way you want to proceed, these men will get paid properly for this, and that means more than just longer hours. Now I understand that it's yours and your partners prerogatives to make changes to the plan, and I get that there's still time to get this done, but it will be tight, and it's your project, but is it really necessary?"

Cocksucker grins at Charlie. "You know I always do my research, Charlie. This'll increase the value of each loft by a pretty decent percentage."

Charlie stares at Cocksucker, then he takes a deep breath, raking a hand down his face.

"Look, if they don't want to do it, that's fine," Cocksucker smiles. "Like I said, we can end this contract now, no problem. They're only under contract for another month anyway. They'll get their pay. You know I'm always ready, Charlie. We've got another crew able and willing to go with this. Of course, you'll still remain project manager. This has nothing to do with you."

I don't know what I'm about to say exactly, but I feel it bubbling up in my chest before Emmett lays a hand on my shoulder.

"Now hold on. No one said-"

"Then what does this have to do with?" Charlie asks coolly, cutting off Emmett.

I look at Emmett, and he looks at me, and I know we both see what's going on here: if we don't finish this job the way he wants it, kiss a recommendation goodbye because we can't include this job for the office bid or any bid after that.

"It's business, Charlie," Cocksucker says calmly, still smiling. "This isn't the first project you and I work together. You and I…we're the same: we like things done to exact specifications."

"Exact specifications," Charlie repeats, nodding his head slowly.

"And this will make these lofts perfect. Look, I'll admit it's more work right at the end of this project, but the architect agrees that it can be done, and we're willing to pay a premium to get it done! I honestly don't see what the issue is here," he chuckles. "We're putting more money in everyone's pockets for the holidays! I would've thought they would've been thrilled!"

I close my eyes for a moment and swallow thickly, picturing Bella in her bed this morning, her dark hair splayed out against her pillow, smiling up at me with all that love and trust. Her mouth so warm on mine. Then I picture Mel curled up next to her, and I swallow back the bile in my throat, the words just itching to pour out. My throat aches, and my head pounds, but I keep my mouth shut.

"It's not always about more money though, Eleazar," Charlie says. "These men have other commitments…families they'd like to spend time with for the holidays."

For a split second, Cocksucker's face hardens, and I see the hate. It's there. This'll increase the value, but it's more than that; and we can take it or not, he doesn't care; he knows exactly what he's doing.

Charlie sighs. "Alright. Alright, but overtime hours will mean overtime pay."

A wide grin spreads across Eli's face because it's a win-win for him, and I swallow through an arid throat, glaring at the corkboard. My fists clench so tightly my knuckles might burst; my fucking brain might burst from the blood pounding through it.

"We'll get started on it tomorrow morning," Charlie continues. "Emmett, I think your crew can-"

"You said something, Bro?" Cocksucker says. I look at him, and he's looking at me, and yeah, I guess I did say something.

"Bullshit," I repeat. "I said this is bullshit. Bro."

No one speaks.

Cocksucker grins because like I said, it's win-win. "You got a problem, the door's right there, Bro," he sneers. "Let your boss man there put you on another project - if you guys have one. If not, maybe he can bench you for a month or so. I mean if the both of you can afford it, that's between you and your boss man." Half his upper lip twisted, he turns his head sideways to his partners. "I know I can't be sitting on my ass all day doing nothing." It's mumbled, but we're in a fucking trailer, and they all snicker, and besides, he looks back at me, eyes like the pits of hell.

"Edward, why don't you give me a hand outside?" Mr. S says urgently. Only when I look at him do I realize that I'm already halfway out of my chair.

So I finish standing, my eyes back on Cocksucker who glares at me with open hatred; the phony smile wiped from his face. When he smirks at me, S curves his hand around my shoulder blade, digs his fingers in and turns me towards the trailer door.

"Emmett, you finish working out the details here. Edward and I are just going to circle the site to plan for the next few days. We'll be right back."

It's raining hard now, mud more like a dirty pond, and it's gonna be a bitch here tomorrow and for the next few days. I try to focus on that while S grips my shoulder hard and guides me around one of the almost-finished structures, behind the fence where no one can see. By this point, my chest heaves, my shoulders rise and fall with each heavy breath.

When we stop I shake off his hand and fist my hair, turning in a semi-circle while the rain pounds over me, dripping down the middle of my forehead and onto my mouth.

"Calm down, Son. You need to calm down."

I stop circling and glare at him, at this blind-ass man, who would invite that piece of garbage into his home, allow him next to his daughter because they both like things to exact specifications.

"I need to calm down?" I hiss, jabbing a finger hard into my chest. "Your boy there's lucky…so fucking goddamn lucky…" I stop myself and throw my head back, chuckling wildly while the grey skies open even more, huge drops pummeling my face. "I need to calm down," I snort.

"Yeah, you need to calm down," Mr. S growls. "He's asking for a change; they're asking for a change, and it's within the scope of work, and your boss agreed that it can be done within the required time-frame, so you need to calm the fuck down and deal with it whether you like it or not!"

I openly scowl at him.

"You think I don't see?"

"You don't see!" I howl.

"I told you the other day," he yells back, "you don't know what I see! You think I didn't hear him fucking with you?"

I glare at him.

"But he's got a reason!"

"What?" I spit incredulously, stepping up. "What? He's got a reason? What the-"

"Yeah," he says, one hand on my shoulder, the other jabbing his own finger into my chest now. "Listen to me you hardheaded-" He presses his lips tightly together. "You're the one my daughter's with now, and it pisses him off! I am not blind, Edward! What I don't see is why you're getting so worked up! She's with you! Right or wrong, he's got a reason to hate you, but what the hell is your problem with him?"

"You want to know my problem?" I ask through gritted teeth. "You really want to know what my problem is with that fucking piece of garbage?"

Charlie swallows thickly, and for a couple of seconds, he looks like he's not sure he wants to know.

"Yeah, I do," he says, his voice suddenly laced with fury.

And I'm about to tell him, I really am, before I remember that Bella, my perfect Bella hasn't even told Angie, her best friend, about my drinking problem, and I really don't give a damn one way or the other whether Angie knows, and I know Bella hasn't held it back because she's ashamed, but because she's leaving it up to me to determine who to tell and when.

And this…this isn't mine to tell.

So despite how much I'd love to take the blinders off of S regarding what a low-life piece of scum his little buddy Eli is, I shake my head.

His eyes narrow, and when he realizes I'm not going to tell him anything, his mouth curves into a scowl before huffing angrily.

But I've stopped long enough to think, and the rain and the passing moments are abating the fury, so I turn around and start walking back.

"What did he do to my daughter?" he yells over the rain.

My feet stop moving, but I keep my back to him.

"I'm her father. I have a right to know."

I draw in a deep breath, and resume my walk back to the trailer, splashing up puddles under my boots, but I'm ready now, ready to finish up this goddamn meeting so that I can get back to Bella and Mel.

When I turn the corner to the trailer, Emmett and the rest are filing out. Though he looks anything but happy, Em shakes hands with each partner before they get into their cars. Eli is last, but they do the handshake thing, and as they release, Eli's eyes trail to me, and a small sneer forms on his face.

But I'm the one going home to Bella, so I hold his gaze…and grin back.

The sneer drops from his face, and he glowers my way while Emmett walks over to me.

"Everything okay?" he asks.

My eyes are still on Eli until the cocksucker gives me a look of disgust and turns away.

"Yeah," I snort. "Everything's fine."

Emmett turns around and follows my gaze.

"Man, that is one fucking asshole," he mutters, turning back to me and clapping my shoulder. "Come on. Let's get the fuck out of here before one of us does something stupid we'll regret."

We start walking back to Emmett's truck. "So what are you doing today, Em?" I ask more to distract myself than anything.

"Just hanging out at home. My family is back in Washington State, remember? And it was too expensive to fly out there for just a couple of days this year."

"Want to come over later and eat some turkey with Bella, Mel and me? She got a huge one. Left it cooking overnight and it smells fucking incredible."

I'm only half listening to myself and kind of regret it as soon as the words are out because Emmett asks if Bella would mind, like he's really considering it, and I'm not sure if she would. Yet I can't picture her having a problem with Emmett coming though it was supposed to be just the three of us. But Mel and I are staying over again, and once he leaves, it'll be just the three of us once more, and tomorrow evening, after Mel's grandparents pick her up, it'll just be my Bella and me any-

Before I can finish my thought or assure Emmett that Bella wouldn't mind, a loud splash and then an "Oomph!" and a low oath, like someone just fell in the mud, breaks me out of my musings. Emmett and I both turn instinctively towards the commotion.

Mr. S has Cocksucker spread eagle over the wet, muddy ground, his fists curled into the prick's jacket collar while he leans over him and glares with pure murder in his expression.

"Tell me what the fuck you did to her!"

"Ah shit," Emmett breathes, but I'm already running, and I mouth "Oh fuck" to myself just as Charlie Swan's right fist swings high up into the air.

A/N: Thoughts?

See you all Thursday.

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