A/N… I sort of lied, or spoke too soon or some shit, because this isn't the last regular chapter. There will be one more and then the epi. But I'll let you get to this one…
~o~H&E~o~
Chapter 33
BELLA
Glaring out over Aunt Kate's front yard, I shook my head. As much as it was ingrained in me to put together information for a legal arrest, it simply hadn't worked out this time. Cho and his family would walk away from this shit. They'd go back to Seoul, back to their lives, and not one of us trusted that he wouldn't pull another stunt like this in the future.
That, and the fact that he'd betrayed Carlisle by trying to kill us all was just about to set me on fire.
Nothing on Kim Min-Jun's thumb drive could be connected to Cho. The money was untraceable, the accounts were in names that only existed on paper, and all transactions were scattered all over the globe. Alice and I had followed every false name and account, but the aliases proved to be anonymous dead ends.
The only thing connecting Cho to Kim, aside from Kim's violently coerced confession, was the security videos from Cho's office building in Seoul. While Kim's men raided and destroyed Cho's lobby approximately two years ago, the two men were upstairs chatting like old fucking friends.
"Sweetheart?" Carlisle called from behind me.
I turned to face him, and my anger and frustration must've been all over my face.
His nose wrinkled a little. "Oh, boy. You didn't find a connection."
I shook my head, limping a little to the front steps and sitting down. The sounds of hammers and drills and kids' squeals of laughter met my ears as Carlisle took a seat beside me. The clean-up of Kate's property was well underway; they'd started a few days ago with Edward's trip to Anchorage. And while the girls and I had tracked every dime, every message, and every account, Edward had started to put Aunt Kate's poor property back together.
The front windows were currently being reinstalled, along with a new porch swing. We were damned lucky that the grenade that had exploded in the front yard hadn't caught the house on fire, instead of just some shattered windows and the loss of the swing. In all honesty, so much more could've happened during the fight, but I was grateful for what we had.
However, it was the barnyard that was filled with the most activity.
My husband was doing his best to at least get the foundation cleared from all the burned debris so he could start the framework for a new barn. Everyone not injured or working in the computer room was pitching in. Kids too, in their own way.
I chuckled at Sammy's sooty hands chasing after Bethy, who was threatening him with a broom. Edward's face was highly amused as Emmett simply egged my son on. Ned and Harry, not to mention their sons, Junior and Austin, were also pitching in by loading up the garbage onto the trailers of the ATVs and unloading at the construction dumpster.
Carlisle said my name to get my attention.
Leaning against him, I shook my head again. "Nope. I can't prove a damn thing. Whoever set it up was very careful. Cho's name doesn't appear on a single piece of paper, bank account, or any wire transfer. What names do appear are simply no one – pretty much like your safe houses."
"Well, do you still want to talk to him?" he asked me, but he was so much like his son that I could read his face like a book.
Chuckling, I shrugged. "Would it make a difference? I mean, your son seems to think we'll be traveling to Seoul in the future if Cho walks away."
"My son is correct."
I didn't even flinch at the finality of that statement, but I gazed over at him. "Okay, then I think you should let Cho think he duped us. It'll give him the balls to continue his life like he's smarter than us. Pin everything on Kim Min-Jun to give the masses a face to the enemy. Eleazar looks like a hero for stopping a terrorist, and we'll follow Cho back to Seoul. Is that about right?"
Carlisle grinned. "Yeah, smart-ass."
Laughing, I shrugged a shoulder. "Maybe Edward's right. Maybe you are a bad influence."
"Maybe." He smirked at my laugh. "We'll let him go. We'll finish here and at Twi Tower, and then we'll plan for Seoul."
"Okay," I said through a deep sigh and a nod.
"Bella, I'm gonna need you guys in Seattle," Carlisle admitted softly, meeting my gaze. "The whole team. I'll need intel and security."
"You want my info team inside Twi Tower? Or online and accessible here?" I asked him.
"I'm not sure it matters, but as soon as everyone's healed, rested, and able to travel, I'd prefer my regular team," he replied softly. "Twi Tech is closed during the investigations and reconstruction, so we have the time."
Nodding, I understood exactly what he meant. He'd want Edward, Emmett, and Jasper, not to mention Alec, Mickey, and me. He'd want the team who could be relied upon without even thinking about it. He'd want Alice, Mack, and Rose online and in our ears.
"And just when are you announcing your retirement?" I teased him, leaning into the chuckling kiss to my head.
"I'm not. At least not just yet." When I glanced his way, there was no humor in his expression. "I can't retire yet, sweetheart. My position at Twi Tech gives me access to this type of bullshit. Your dad and I have more shit out there that could come back on us, Bella. Can you imagine what would've happened had we not been involved from the get-go? The level of destruction that would've hit Seattle keeps me up at night."
Wrinkling my nose, I added, "Not to mention they would've gotten access to the weapons they came for, right?"
"Exactly. I can't in good conscience just turn Twi Tech over to the board to run it. Not right now," he stated firmly. "And I'm not sure that Charlie would've wanted me to."
Despite the length of time since my dad's death, Carlisle's statement caused a lump in my throat and tears to well up. I remembered with perfect clarity the day the man next to me took a bullet in order to try to save Charlie. So much had happened since then, and some days I looked around me and wondered what my dad would've thought about it all – my husband, my children, my job, my life.
Edward and I spoke of our mothers often because Elizabeth and Renee had wanted us to know each other, and now that we were together, it meant something to us that they'd been good friends. But Charlie wasn't always a topic of conversation. He and I had unfortunately had a rocky relationship toward the end, and I knew that Carlisle carried a touch of guilt about the loss of my father – his best friend – along with the guilt of all that I'd been through as a result of my father's deeds – my kidnapping, torture, and now PTSD.
Leaning over, I kissed my father-in-law/godfather on the cheek, saying, "You might be right about that. Though, I can't imagine he'd want you to do it until you're too old to enjoy being retired."
Carlisle smiled. "True. But not right now."
"Then you have my full support against the rest of these crazy people."
He laughed, his head falling back. It was so similar to his son that I chuckled with him. When I started to stand, he held a hand out to help me.
"Okay, you let Edward and Eleazar know that we have to let Cho go. I'll get with the girls and Alec to prep for Twi Tower," I told him. "We'll go on your say."
~o~H&E~o~
I'd needed fresh air, so I'd set out on a walk. I gazed over the three graves at the corner of Aunt Kate's property. I'd never met Garrett, but the other two… The other two were heroes in my book. Boris had taken a bullet meant for me the night Kim attacked this place. He'd moved way faster than an older gentleman with a heart condition should by pulling me back and stepping forward. We'd all decided that Boris would've wanted to stay here, to stay around the people he'd come to love and protect.
And then there was Sam buried next to him. Tears welled up at the thought of the gentle giant I'd loved who'd made it his sole mission to make sure Edward came home to me. The man whose scars had made me feel not so alone in a time where I felt like I was a freak, like I was falling apart at the seams.
"Mom?" I heard behind me.
I turned to see my son jogging my way. "Hey, Sammy," I said, catching him and burying my nose in his hair.
My son was all things gentle and sweet as he reached up to brush my tears away. And really, he was his father made over. Edward used to think he wasn't those things, but he was. Sammy reminded me of his father when Edward was thirteen – that shy, stuttering, quiet boy I'd been crushing on by the end of an afternoon.
"I'm sorry about Mr. Boris," Sammy whispered, giving the grave a quick glance.
"Me, too."
"Who're the other ones?"
"Garrett is on the end. That's Aunt Kate's husband. And then Sam is in the middle," I told him, eyeing his reaction.
"That's the one who saved Dad. The one I'm named after, huh?" He pulled back a little, rubbing a hand over his head.
"Yup," I said, raking my fingers through his hair. "He was this great big guy with all these scars, and he kinda scared people, but I never saw that part of Sam. He was a good friend, and every day I look at you and your dad… And I am so very grateful to him."
I cupped my boy's face and pressed a long, heavy kiss to his forehead.
"Bethy says you guys are leaving soon," he muttered softly, wrinkling his nose.
"Is she eavesdropping again?" I asked, taking his hand and leading us back toward the house.
"No, I don't think so," he said through a laugh. "She said she saw Dad and Uncle Alec getting stuff ready."
"We're still trying to get all the bad guys. Most were here, and they've been taken away. But there are a few more, and they're not so easy to catch. Not to mention, Poppy has to get back to work in Seattle."
"And you're going as his security." When I nodded, his brow furrowed. "I don't want you to go. I don't want any of you to go!"
Tears welled up in his eyes, and I scooped him up, wrapping his arms and legs around me. I carried him up the porch steps and into the house. Edward was stepping out of the computer room when I met his gaze.
"What happened?" he asked, placing a hand on his son's head.
"I think we need a family meeting, baby. Go get Bethy and come to our room," I told him.
His eyebrows shot up, but he nodded, kissing us both. "Ten-four, sweetness."
I made my way down the long hallway to the suite that had originally been added for Elizabeth, Carlisle, and Edward. Now it was mine and Edward's. There was a living room and two bedrooms, but the kids preferred the rather large room off the main living room Aunt Kate had built specifically for all the Gravity kids.
I sat down on the sofa, keeping Sammy on my lap. Bethy walked in with Edward right behind her, and my husband was a lot of things, but stupid wasn't one of them. He sat down on the edge of the chair, resting his elbows on his knees and waiting patiently to hear about whatever had caused Sammy to be upset.
Bethy plopped down next to me. "What happened?" she asked, just like Edward had.
I smiled, kissing her forehead, but pulled Sammy back from my shoulder, wiping his tears.
"I need you two to listen, but we're gonna talk about some things, too, okay?" I asked them, making sure that both nodded before I went on. "Your dad and I still have some work to do," I started, holding up my hand before Bethy could say something. "And I know it's summer break. And I know that it's all sorts of inconvenient. I also know that we promised you time. Please believe us that we'd rather be here with you, but sometimes, doing the right thing means putting the things you want to do aside for a bit."
"I don't want you to go," Sammy said again, this time looking to his dad.
"C'mere, pal," Edward called him, opening his arms. Once Sammy was sitting sideways on his lap, Edward pressed a kiss to his head. "Talk to us, Sam. Tell us what you're thinking."
"You could get hurt…or…or…" He trailed off, shaking his head.
"That's true," Edward agreed truthfully, and he wasn't placating our son. "But I'm gonna be honest with the both of you. The worst part? It's over. We had some close calls, and some of them you don't even know about. But we caught one bad guy."
"There's more bad guys?" Bethy asked, but she looked like she'd already put that together herself.
"Yeah, but there's a difference between the one who started all this at Poppy's building and the one still out there. The second one is a coward. He hides behind money and expensive things," I explained as best I could.
Edward nodded, looking to Sammy. "Mom's right. Guys, I know the things that happened at Poppy's building and here scared you. And that's okay. We were scared too. But we're not finished."
"What's next?" Bethy asked.
"Your Poppy has to go back to work, but he needs us to go with him, to help him with all the things that happened in his building," I answered her, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"And then he has a business trip to take," Edward stated, and I kept my expression neutral with the bit of temper that he allowed to lace his words. "We're needed for that, too."
"When?" Sammy finally asked, his brow furrowed.
"Soon," Edward answered him. "Poppy wanted to wait until Uncle Jasper and Uncle Alec were healed a bit before we go back to Twi Tower. Both are getting there. Until then, I'm still rebuilding Aunt Kate's barn. I also haven't forgotten the promise I made you, Sammy."
Sammy's curious expression was just about the most adorable thing I'd ever seen, and I hid my smile in Bethy's hair.
"Well, you two wanted those tiny little fluff balls, right?" he asked, nodding once when the kids answered him. "You also wanted one of those cat tower things too, but I told you that you'd have to help me."
Bethy giggled. "Heck, yeah!"
Edward smirked her way but then looked to Sammy. "By the time we go home, those fur-balls will be ready to come with us."
I was a lucky woman, because Edward couldn't be a better father. He was patient and calm, always willing to give his time, heart, and ear to them. He was firm when it was needed, and easygoing the rest of the time. He also wasn't afraid to be honest, even if it was to tell his kids that he'd been scared, too. He'd worried at one time because he didn't want to do to Sammy and Bethy what Carlisle had done to him when Edward was their age, which was make them feel like their feelings were invalid or unnecessary. It was okay to be scared, sad, or confused. Hell, adults could be those things.
Considering my past, I knew it was okay to voice those things now. We wanted our kids to be open and honest.
"Guys," I said through a deep sigh. "Dad and I will tell you when we're going, and we promise to keep each other safe, but we need to finish this so that this last bad guy never has a chance to hurt anyone else."
"Hmm," Edward hummed with a nod. "And you'll be able to hear from us, see us on Alice's monitors."
"Can I have a com-link?" Bethy asked, wearing a devilish expression that was her dad made over.
Laughing, I looked to Edward, who raised a dangerous eyebrow at me not to say a damn word.
"Maybe," he conceded a little. "Let me think about it, but if we let you, I want immunity from the swear jar."
Bethy grinned at his bargain. "Maybe. Let me think about it."
Sammy giggled, glancing between his sister and dad. "Uncle Alec's swear jar total is way high," he stated out of the blue.
"Oh, I just bet it is," Edward sang sarcastically, laughing with his kids, but he sobered quickly. "Trust me when I tell you guys… I'd rather do anything other than what we have to do, but like Mom said, it's the right thing – however inconvenient it is."
Sammy looked to me and then his dad. "Take Lock and Load with you to Poppy's building."
"Why, Sammy?" I asked, tilting my head a little.
"Because they kept us safe. They kept Dad safe," Bethy answered before her brother could, and he nodded, pointing to her.
"Would that make you guys feel a little better?" Edward asked them.
"Yeah," they both answered.
"Done deal," Edward replied firmly. "Lock and Load can come with us to Poppy's work. Anything else?" When both kids shook their heads, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I understand you're worried, but this next part is simply a security job. Okay?"
"Okay, Daddy," Bethy said, getting up to kiss Edward's cheek. "C'mon, Sammy. I think Gamma was makin' cookies. And if she's not, maybe we can get her to start." She said that last part in a whisper, which made Edward snort into a laugh.
Once they closed the door behind them, I fell over on the couch, feeling wrung out and tired. I smiled when the couch shifted, and suddenly Edward was looming over and then settling on top of me.
I cupped his face in both hands, bringing him in for a kiss. "This adulting thing is fucking hard."
He laughed, rolling his eyes. "No shit. I feel like my own summer vacation has been all sorts of cock-blocked."
"Edward, I swear." I laughed, my head falling back to the throw pillow behind me.
"All the fuckin' time," he breathed against the skin of my throat. "It's been entirely way too damn long since I was inside you, sweetness."
I groaned because that sounded simply delicious. And he was right; after everything that happened here at Aunt Kate's, which was going on a week now, we hadn't been intimate. We were both tired and sore and busy. He'd been working on the barn, and I'd been in the computer room.
Pulling at his shirt, I simply gave in. Edward reached back to grasp a fistful and yanked it off over his head. I cupped his face when he settled back between my legs, smiling up at him.
"What do you think our time limit is?" I asked him, brushing light kisses across his lips and chin and then a few more across the ink on his chest.
"Oh, it's cookies, so twenty or thirty minutes max." He grinned down at me when I laughed softly.
"Mm, we've done all sorts of twisted stuff in less time than that," I told him with a grin.
"Amen, love. C'mon, I want you in bed for this," he said, getting up off the couch and offering me a hand.
Once we were in the bedroom, Edward turned the lock on the door. We were simultaneously kicking out of shoes and socks and jeans. With each item of clothing removed, Edward's eyes got darker and darker, and he stalked forward as I stepped back. My legs met the end of the bed, and I pulled him with me by the back of his neck.
"Easy, sweetness. I promise to take care of you."
"I know. I need it."
He smiled as he braced himself over me, slipping an arm beneath me in order to drag me to the middle of the bed. I knew as soon as we truly kissed it would be over, that it would cause us both to lose any sort of control. And it seemed Edward knew that, so he slowed us both down by doing that thing he had always done since the very beginning of our relationship.
He kissed my scars. All of them.
He started with the newest, which was on my upper arm. The shrapnel had caught me when the boat in the harbor exploded. I knew it wasn't the scar that had scared him that day, but the fact that I'd almost drowned.
Sliding down my body, he worshipped every old burn, small cut, and scar left by Miller so long ago. He dragged tongue and teeth across the scar that gave him our beautiful kids. And finally, he inhaled the length of the ugliest scar up my thigh.
That one meant the most to us. It was the last scar Miller gave me, because Edward and Carlisle had arrived just in time to save me. It was also that scar that Edward touched the first time he'd ever told me he loved me. A lifetime of pushing people away, and he gave me his heart on a rainy afternoon at the mountain cabin in Trinity. And since then, he'd never stopped saying "I love you." He said it all day to me and the kids, and he never meant it any less than that first time. He meant it more every damn time.
"I love you, sweetness," he whispered against my thigh, almost as if our memories were meshing.
Before I could even say it back, his mouth was on mine, and I felt it everywhere. Edward's kisses were addictive and deep. They caused all thought processes to completely cease to function. Hell, our very first kiss was smack-dab in the middle of a chase for our lives, and I honestly couldn't have told you why we were even running after he'd kissed me just shy of an orgasm in the middle of a stairwell.
Even more deadly were his hands and fingers, which were in my hair and between us. He was slowly teasing my entrance and my clit, as if I wasn't already throbbing for him.
"That won't take long, Edward," I breathed, my head falling back to the pillows.
"Good." His voice was raspy and needy. "Then come hard, baby."
The coil in my stomach wound tighter and tighter, and soon I fell over the edge. Before I even had a chance to come down from my high, he slid languidly inside me.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he whispered, squeezing his eyes closed. "Apparently this won't take long either."
"That's okay," I soothed him, pulling him down for another searing kiss.
This would be fast and heavy, but considering where we were and our limited time, we were going to take as much as we could get.
~o~H&E~o~
EDWARD
I called in my landing on Twi Tower, my clearance coming from Benny. My chopper was pretty fucking full. I had the dogs, Alec, Jasper, Emmett, Mickey, Bella, my dad, and Mack. The latter was going to connect to Alice in Alaska once she was set up in my dad's office.
Leaving the kids had been hard, but they'd taken it better than I'd expected. They'd sat in on a few of our meetings, so they knew we were just going in to check on the cleanup of the building, not to mention be there for the memorial service for the people we'd lost that day.
Benny was on the rooftop when I set down. Per my dad's request, we'd dressed as security again, including the dogs, who had their vests on. Flashes of all the shit I'd gone through in this fucking building came flying through my mind, and I shook my head. Maybe it was a good thing that Kim Min-Jun was sitting in a military cell on McChord AFB, because seeing the destruction around us just made me pissed off all over again.
But it was Cho I couldn't wait to get my fucking hands on.
That motherfucker was going to pay for everything he'd set into motion. He'd betrayed his friendship with my dad, he'd hired a global terrorist to try to kill us all, and he'd not only wrapped my crew up in it, but he'd dragged innocent men, women, and children into it as well.
I wanted fucking blood.
I shut down the chopper, nodding once to Benny as I slid open the side door, helping Bella, Mack, and Mickey down to the rooftop. The dogs were next, and Emmett was already unloading our gear.
"Benny," I greeted, shaking his hand. "How's Angela?"
"She's good, and I fucking owe you one, Ed. Not even kidding about that shit. Mom and baby look fine according to the doc," he stated, smiling in pride.
Bella leaned in to hug him. "You need a boy," she told him with a grin.
"Yeah, well… At this point, I'd take a flock of little girls as long as they were safe and healthy."
"True that, brother," Emmett agreed, quickly telling Benny that he had a new little one on the way, too.
Benny led us down the stairs to my father's office. The lobby area was empty, but it was a fucking mess. Even worse was the sight of the office itself.
The carpet had bloodstains everywhere, from the doorway to the desk. One of the chairs was overturned, the coffee table glass was cracked, and then there was the missing window where my wife had sent one of Kim's men down to the front fucking steps with my knife sticking out of his chest. There was more blood behind the desk, and the chair had a bullet hole in it.
I hadn't been in this room since the afternoon of Kim's attack on the building. Now that I was looking at it, I wanted to shatter something. My father, my crew, and my wife had been held up here for almost twelve hours at gunpoint – no food and hands bound. My kids and Esme had been just on the other side of the bookcase across the room.
How Bella hadn't lost her shit was simply a testament as to just how fucking strong my girl was.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. A warm hand landed on my shoulder, and I glanced over to my dad.
"It looks worse than it actually was," he stated softly, his gaze drifting to my Bella, who was opening the secret apartment door.
"She buried my knife into a man's chest and sent him down like seventy stories," I stated without much inflection.
"Hell, yeah, she did," Mickey said with a chuckle. "Fucker had it comin' too."
Alec snorted, looking to my dad. "What's up first, Carlisle?"
"Me," Mack stated, taking a seat at the desk and turning on the computer. Once it was up, she stated, "IGOR, connect to Alaska via video call."
Yes, Miss Makenna.
"Ali's Mortuary. You stab 'em, we slab 'em" was the answer through the speakers.
Grinning at the sound of Caleb's and Bethy's voices, I walked around to stand behind Mack.
"Hey, Daddy," Bethy added with a giggle – a sound I lived to hear.
"Okay, little sweetness. Get your com-link, and lock up the swear jar," I told her.
"Aw, yeah," she sang with a silly, wiggly dance.
I turned to my dad, muttering, "I swear, I'll have to put them both on the damn payroll before the summer is out."
Alec cracked the fuck up, as did my dad.
Jasper added, "Knowing them, they'll start a union on our asses."
Emmett laughed. "No shit."
My dad grinned, shaking his head. "Honestly, son… Look at their parents. Did you expect ballet and baseball?"
Bella's laugh made us all smile. "No, I expected schoolyard fights and flying lessons. We've dealt with the first thing, but we have time for the second."
"Six years will fly by, sweetheart," Dad told her.
"Shh! I'm not listening to you," she snapped, waving him away. "Now, let's get started. You don't have Angela to assist you, but Rose is going to do it remotely. Let her know what you need."
"I need everyone on alert and to settle in. Set yourselves a schedule for a safe house–type routine," Dad stated in a tone that meant he was expecting trouble as he sat down to his desk.
~o~H&E~o~
By day two, we'd started patrolling the whole building, put Twi Tech's security team back to work, and the girls were monitoring everything from construction people to Cho and his family being flown back to Seoul. My dad contacted his employees to let them know that they still had jobs, when they could return to the building, and where the memorial would be, which was the auditorium off the lobby.
The destruction on the first floor, the fifteen floors of the parking garage, not to mention the forty-fifth, -sixth, and -seventh floors had been cleaned up and made secure, but the reconstruction could be done with people in the building.
Once Alice had access to Twi Tower's security cameras and computer servers, she let IGOR scan everything. Not only was she looking for any stragglers of Kim's men, but she was watching the company that was supposedly moving into those three floors.
Bella and I were in the park across the street from the building with Lock and Load when Alice called us on my cell, not through the com-links.
"Hey, Alice," I answered on speaker.
"I know Bells is with you. I need you to listen to me but stay fucking calm."
"Ah, hell," I groaned, looking to my wife.
"Go ahead, pixie," she said, tugging Lock closer.
"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," Alice chanted in her usual manner. "So I've been going through the servers, sifting through for communications to Cho about that business that was supposed to move in. It really was a division of Cho's company, but guess who was going to run it here?"
My eyes locked with Bella's, and I shrugged, because at this point in the game, it could've been Darth fucking Vader, and it wouldn't have shocked me one damn bit.
"Alice, just tell us."
"Jacob Black."
That name dropped like a lead balloon, and my nostrils flared with my temper as I snapped, "You're fucking kidding me."
"I really, really, really wish I was, but I'm not. I found several emails to Jake's Twi Tech account…and his personal one, not to mention his cell phone," Alice stated, kind of mumbling the last bit, because Alice just did shit; fuck the consequences.
I grinned because she'd basically just broken all sorts of laws to root out this motherfucker's betrayal.
"Ah, you're beautiful, Alice. Have I told you lately?" I asked her.
"No, my heart was starting to break," Alice answered through a soft giggle.
Her laugh made Bella snort and shake her head, but her question was serious. "Ali, where is Jake now?" she asked.
"He's staying at his father's house with JW." Alice paused for a moment. "I haven't told Carlisle yet. I wanted you two to know first, because if he was planning to quit Twi Tech, that means he knew Cho wasn't exactly loyal to Carlisle."
"This may be my key to finally killing this asshole," I stated, gritting my teeth and shaking my head.
"Hmm, maybe," Bella stated, gazing around us. "Alice, will you please email me what you have?"
"Already done. Let me know if I need to keep watch over Billy Black's house."
"Do that anyway," I told her, looking to my wife. "Sweetness, we need to tell him."
"I know. Let's go. Thank you, Ali."
We ended the call, let the dogs finish their walk, and made our way up to Dad's office. When we walked in, he was on the phone with Angela.
"Carlisle, I worked up until the week before Hannah was born. I can do it again," she stated, sounding like she was smiling into the phone. "I'm okay. I've been checked over. And don't you dare mess up my filing!"
Bella cracked up. "Busted," she sang, grinning at my dad. "If you tell her she's fragile, I hope she messes up your lunch order every day for a month."
Angela laughed. "Thank you, Bella. I'll be in tomorrow, Carlisle. I'll help you get the memorial organized."
Dad laughed, holding his hands up. "Fine. I can't fight you ladies. See you tomorrow, Ange." He smiled when she ended the call, and then he looked to us. "What happened?"
"Oh, you're gonna want to take a deep fucking breath for this shit," I told him wryly, sitting down in the chair in front of his desk. I pointed to Bella. "I'll let her tell you."
Bella was already on her laptop, setting it down in front of him. She didn't need to say a word, simply let him read the intel Alice had sent her.
"You know," he finally started, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "All the fucking times we've saved his fucking neck, and he pulls this shit?"
"Can I kill him now?" I asked, sounding a bit like my own kids when they wanted something.
"Edward," Bella said through a humorless laugh. "Maybe I should've shot him all those years ago at the beach safe house."
"Oh, damn, sweetness, that's the sexiest thing you've ever said," I sang, ignoring my dad's scoff.
"No, it's not. Hush, Edward," she scolded me, giving me a raised eyebrow.
Grinning at my dad, I waited for his say.
He rubbed his face and stood up from his desk. He started to pace, finally stopping in front of the window. Gazing out over the city, he stayed quiet for a moment.
"I'd say yes, but Billy's too old to care for JW alone," he said softly, not turning around yet. "And that little boy lost his mother on our watch. That's a…" He trailed off but turned to face us. "That's a shitty fact."
My temper snapped a little. "That's all very fucking noble, Dad, but he's been a nuisance his whole goddamn life. Let's start with the fact that he cheated on Bella and every other woman he's ever dated, manipulated Charlie, almost got you guys killed in this very fucking room, and now we find out he's been working against you before the Chos ever boarded the motherfucking plane in Seoul."
"Let me talk to him," Bella stated calmly, locking gazes with my dad. "He clearly doesn't respect you, Carlisle, and he's utterly terrified of Edward…as he should be."
"You scare the shit out of him too, sweetness."
"Yes, I'm aware. So if I come at him with all this information, knowing my relationship with the men he's betrayed, then he'll go make himself useful elsewhere. And I mean, like another state or country for all I care," she said, shrugging a shoulder. "At this point, I'll pay for him to move his dad and son to the seventh level of hell if it gets him away from us."
"Killing him would be more fun," I countered.
"No, it wouldn't, because the asshole can't fight," she argued. "Believe me, it was super easy to put his ass in the hospital after he cheated on me."
"God," I said wistfully, looking to Dad. "Don't you just wish that shit was on video some-fucking-where?"
"Can you fucking focus, son?" Dad said through a laugh.
Grinning at Bella's giggle, I nodded. "Okay, fine. Then this is my suggestion… Have the memorial, bring Black up here for a chat with Bella, and then we plan for Seoul."
Dad glanced between us, finally nodding once. "I like it, but we'll plan for Seoul back at Aunt Kate's."
With a nod, I said, "Roger that."
~o~H&E~o~
A/N… Okay, so you guys can figure out just where the last chapter is going. I have faith that you're a smart bunch. ;)
So Halestorm has a new song that seems to scream Mercward. Check out "The Steeple" if you haven't heard it already. I've been writing to it for about five days now.
Okay, so until next time… Mooches, Deb ;)