A/N: Well, my finals are graded, my semester is finished, and I have two weeks off. I might post a few times a week! I want to get to the good stuff!
Enjoy!
"He's doing just fine, guys. The doctor said he'll be down for at least six weeks, but he's going to be just fine." Quil and Embry both looked very relieved.
"Well, we're headed back up there later this afternoon. I'm sorry, man, they got the property and we have to regroup," Embry said.
"I still can't fucking believe it!" Quil seethed. "They bribed Fred in the county office. Just wait until I get my hands on him!"
"No!" I said sternly. Their shocked looks side by side on my computer screen would have made me laugh if it were a different situation. "I know Fred. I got him out of a DWI a few years ago. I bet they blackmailed him. Dude's got some issues, but he wouldn't have done this to me if he had a choice. Don't do anything to him. I'll go talk to him later and get to the bottom of it. What were you telling me about the other depositions you got?"
"Well," Embry said, "they were reluctant to talk until we opened up about why we were really there. Seems like Volturi and Sons was a respectable company for a long while, but then they got involved in some really shady deals in the late eighties and it's been downhill ever since. They're telling similar stories you just conjectured about Fred."
"And you got video, names, dates, and addresses?" I said, scribbling on my notepad.
"Yeah," Quil muttered. They were both on the same screen because they were together. Sometimes I was jealous of those two because they saw one another more than I got to see anyone outside my family. But I'd had another great night with Bella last night. Not as good as the night before. I mean, she didn't sleep in my arms again, but it was Jake and Bells again.
"Jaaa-aake?" Embry called.
"What?" I said, a little irritated.
"Where did you go? Your eyes got all unfocused and shiny," he said with a big grin.
"I'm just thinking, retard! I've got a lot to do today," I replied. Sometimes I really hated how well Embry knew me and his complete inability to keep his fucking mouth shut. I saw him flash a smirk at Quil whose surliness broke for a sly grin.
"What or who?" Quil asked.
"Can you two focus, please?" I asked, finishing up my to-do list for the day. I had to add Fred to the list.
"We are focusing. It just happens to be on your fucked up love life," Embry said. "Jay told us what you had him do last night," he said, that shit-eating grin still plastered on his face. I didn't have a comment for that. I never told Jay not to tell them. And they would have called him to check up on more names to visit.
"Looks like he's at a loss for words, Em," Quil said quirking an eyebrow.
"Well?" Embry asked.
"Well what?" I fired back. "I need to know whether or not the mother fucker is cheating on her! You should see her! She's so fucking confused. She has no ability to hide what she feeling or thinking. I see her get disgusted with him and how he's treating her, but then I see her loyalty kick in and her resolve to stay with hardens. And I can't do anything to persuade her to leave him because then I'm the fucking bad guy. So I just have to sit back and watch her struggle?" My voice squeaked. I hadn't done that in a decade. "This is fucking harder than coming back for her wedding!"
"Fuck, dude," Quil breathed out. He wasn't smiling anymore. They were the only two who knew I'd come back and watched from afar.
"Jake, if Jenks comes back with proof, what are you going to do with it?" Embry asked. I looked up at the screen.
"I don't know," I admitted. He knew what I was thinking.
"What do you mean?" Quil asked, looking confused.
"If Jenks finds something, Jake can't just go tell Bella. Then it looks like he was just trying to get her back and that's not what Jake wants," Embry explained. I just sat there because he was spot on. I didn't want to get her by default.
"Then what does he want?" Quil asked, still confused. He is so lucky he found Claire. She was really good for him.
"He wants Bella on her terms. He doesn't want to be the reason her marriage ends. So he has to wait," Embry answered.
"Fuuuuck," Quil said again, finally understanding.
"So back to my original question, what are you going to do with any evidence that Jenks may dig up?" Embry asked. Quil looked from Embry to the screen.
"Back to my original answer. I. Don't. Know." Because I didn't. "I can't think about that right now, because it's just a what-if. I have to think about what I can control. I've got a list of things I have to get done today. I'll think about any 'evidence' if and when it comes to light," I finished.
"Jake!" my sister called from the other room.
"What?" I yelled back.
"You're luggage finally made it here. I tipped the guy like I was you which means way too much," she called back.
"'bout fucking time!" I said. It was the first thing I had to smile about all day.
"There, he's back!" Embry said. I grinned back at him. "You've got your duds, now go do your list. We'll be up there this afternoon. Should we meet there or at the hospital?"
"I don't know what time I'm going to finish up, so why don't you just go straight to the hospital and see the old man. He'll be happy to see you two. Okay, twatwaffles, I gotta go!" I scooted the chair back.
"Okay, we'll see you soon," Embry said.
"Bye, Jake," Quil added. The screen went black and I closed the lid. I sat there thinking for a minute while I looked at my list. I prioritized it. Fred first, but I needed to look the part.
I walked into the front room and saw a large standing suitcase and a garment back propped up by the door. I smiled and wondered what Ruby had packed for me. It was always a fun surprise to see what she wanted me to wear.
In my bedroom I unpacked the clothes and put them away keeping out what I'd chosen for the day. Taking one last look in the mirror I marveled at the change well-tailored clothes could make in one's appearance.
"Rach, I'm out. Will I see you at the hospital later?" I yelled from the front door.
"Maybe! Don't steal anyone's wife today!" she called back.
"Fuck you!" I called. Dad drank a few too many beers last night and mouthed off about the unspoken feelings between Bella and me. I went to bed and let them talk it out. I was feeling bad enough about it as it was. And he was going to be here today. I did not want to be anywhere near Bella when he arrived. I was too angry about his skiving off with our land and I was more in love with Bella than ever before.
I pulled into the Clallam County's office building a little after nine. The drive to Port Angeles was nostalgic to say the least as my mind ran over all the memories of trips to the movies and decent fast food. I knew Fred would be in and if my hunch was correct, he wouldn't be happy to see me.
"May I help you?" a cheery receptionist asked. The room was open, but divided into cubicles. I was tall enough to make eye contact with Fred who quickly looked down at his desk.
"No, I see Fred. I just need to speak with him for a few moments." I flashed her my most winning smile and winked. I was laying it on a little thick, but I didn't have time for hassles. She looked me up and down, smiled back, and nodded. I knew wearing this suit was a good choice. I wasted no time getting to Fred's desk. I didn't want to give him a chance to get away. I stood at his cube and he pretended he didn't see me.
"Fred?" I said.
"I'm really busy," he said. I walked into his cube and sat in front of him.
"Then I won't waste your time. You know why I'm here. Talk to me. What do they have on you?" I asked, getting right to the point. His head jerked up.
"What do you mean?" he asked in a whisper.
"I mean, you wouldn't have pushed that land claim review—you know the one with my last name on it—ahead without some really compelling reason. They have something on you and I want to know what it is. If it's nothing, I'm going to make me real sorry I helped you out," I responded.
"Is that a threat?" he asked, still not making eye contact.
"No, man! I just want to know why you screwed me. If it's for a good reason, tell me. I'd like to assume you have a good reason." He looked up at me finally. He exhaled heavily and looked around.
"They found the arrest record," he whispered and looked around furtively.
"How?" I asked. "It was expunged last year. I filed the paperwork myself."
"I guess they have a guy at the police station who dug up the original arrest report. They even had the mug shot." I sat back in the chair thinking. A phone rang in the background and the secretary at the front answered it. "I got a new supervisor, man. He is not as understanding as the last one. His wife was killed by a drunk driver."
"You're still in the program, aren't you? You just got your two year chip," I reminded him.
"Yeah, but I'm scared. My daughter just got into college and we have to pay for that and if I lose my job now, we could lose the house," he said.
"Did they threaten you?" I asked, seeing the picture. They had access to his financials. Another nail in coffin of Bella's marriage if she ever found out. I really couldn't be the one who told her all this. Even if I warned her I was going to dig.
"Not overtly but the man made his point clear enough. God, Mr. Black. I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. You did all that for me and this is how I repay you." He put his head in his hands.
"For eight hundredth time, call me Jake and you didn't do anything wrong. You did what you needed to do. They're the douche bags, not you. Thank you for telling me," I said sitting forward in the chair. He looked up at me again with a pained expression.
"You're not angry?" he asked.
"Oh, I'm pissed, just not at you. We're building a case against these people. Would you be willing to give a deposition when the time comes?" I asked. He looked uncomfortable and glanced at his supervisor's door.
"Your boss would rather run an office that can't be bullied by big money than one that employs a man with an expunged DWI on his record. And I guarantee that if anything happens with your job, I'll find you a place with my company. You just have to trust me. Do you think you can trust me?" I asked.
"What do I have to do?" he asked hesitantly.
"Just participate in a recorded deposition in the next few weeks," I answered.
"No, I mean around here in the office," he said, looking around again.
"Nothing, Fred! Just do your job the best that you can. Keep going to meetings, and take care of your family. I don't want or need you to do anything else." He just sat there looking relieved—almost like he didn't believe me. "Why would you ask that?" I added.
He shifted a little so I knew there was more. I let him mull things over for a few moments. I could tell he was deciding where to place his trust and loyalty. I'd played this game before and I knew not to push. Fred was basically a good guy with a drinking problem. I needed him to come to his own conclusion.
"Okay. Part of the deal I made with Mr. Whitlock was that I would inform them if anyone came and asked me about the property," he replied, looking miserable again.
"Well, then do that," I said happily. "You call Mr. Whitlock right now and tell him that I came personally to ask you about it and you said there was nothing you could do to help me. Tell him I am pissed."
"Really?" he asked, looking confused. He reminded me so much of Quil in that moment it made me chuckle.
"Yep. Let them think they won. But then you have to call me if they ask you to do anything else. And they will. They're going to keep holding this over your head now that they know they can." He nodded, sadly.
"Will I ever be free of this?" he asked miserably.
"Yes, you will. You trusted me once before I need you to do it again. I haven't asked you to lie or not do anything they asked you to. All I need you to do is call me next time they ask. Will you?" I asked. He nodded looking genuinely relieved.
"Call him," I said. "I'm going to go have a talk with your boss." He'd reached over to pick up the phone but his head shot up. "Don't worry. It's about something I needed to check out and wholly unrelated to you. I promise."
"Okay, Jake. Thanks. You're sure I have nothing to worry about?" he asked again.
"Fred, if they find out and something happens, I will personally ensure you have what you need. You're doing me a solid and I won't forget it. Hey, what's Mr. Whitlock's first name?" I added.
"Jasper," he said.
"Thanks. Now, call him and tell him you saw me and I'm pissed and I'm off talking to your boss," I said and smiled. He shook his head one more time in disbelief and dialed the number.
I spoke with Fred's boss, Mr. Douglas, for about a half hour about the permits I would need to expand Emily's restaurant. He assured me the building permits would be no problem and since we weren't going to serve alcohol we could begin in a matter of weeks. I thanked him for his time and opened to office door to see Edward standing at Fred's desk. That was interesting.
My first thought was to hide, but I thought it might be interesting to be seen. I shook Mr. Douglas's hand and told him I'd be back by in a few days with the finished paperwork. Edward looked very happy as he was standing at Fred's desk and he didn't even notice as I went by.
"See ya, Fred!" I called and winked and waved at him when he looked up. Edward turned his head just as I rounded the corner so all he caught was my back. I looked different enough today to know that Edward would never even consider it was me if he didn't see my face. I'd learned enough about him in the little time I'd spent with him and from what I saw from Bella's behavior to know. He didn't realize what I did yet, he only knew it was my property.
"Bye!" I heard Fred call back. I didn't turn around, I just went to my car. The stupid mother fucker wouldn't even notice it was out here because he didn't know what a Volkswagen Rabbit was. He was going to lose everything because he underestimated everyone and everything.
Good.
So, the slimy mother fucker was driving back up to Forks. I looked around the parking lot to see if I could pick out which car he drove. It had to be the Volvo. Good Lord, it had to be the Volvo.
I made some phone calls on the way back to La Push, stopped by the hotel and told Emily the good news. Bella had asked me to be at the hospital during the afternoon because she was going to take Edward down to First Beach and show him places from her past. She wanted to make sure someone was with Charlie while she was gone. She didn't look too happy about going.
To kill some time I went back to the house and ate some left over lasagna and filled out the paperwork for the restaurant. My cell phone buzzed and it Ruby calling.
"Hey gorgeous!" I said into the phone.
"Child, why didn't you call me and tell me whether or not your luggage made it there?" she chided me through the phone.
"Because I've been working my ass off and worried about my dad's friend," I replied back.
"Don't you use that tone with me. Did that package I sent make it there?" she asked. "You gotta tell people when their stuff get places!"
I looked around the kitchen and there was a box on the counter so I went to look inside it. "Well, Sweets, it looks like someone really likes your cookies, but the bread is still intact. I hope it's not my diabetic father who attacked these," I said.
"It was me and tell whoever you're talking to that they are fucking good!" Rachel said from behind me chewing on a cookie.
"My pregnant sister says they're wonderful, Ruby," I said into the phone. "I'm switching you to speaker."
"Rachel is pregnant! Oh, praise the Lord! Congratulations, sweet pea! I'm going to need to meet you soon!" she said.
"I'm looking forward to that, too. Anyone who can keep my brother put together from the other side of the continent is good in my book," she said.
"What's he wearing?" she asked Rachel. My sister ran her eyes over me and nodded approvingly.
"Blue suit, cream shirt open to two buttons, no tie, but those really nice wing tipped shoes. Nice tailoring job on the trousers. They're taper legged, but not stupid looking like skinny jeans."
"Well good," Ruby approved, "I'll send some more cookies your way, momma! You take care. I gotta talk to Jake about some business now. Take me off speaker phone." I did as she instructed and Rachel and I exchanged smiles.
"Child, I got something to tell you. I didn't just call to see if you're dressed nice. I was cleaning the offices in the Casino 'cause you know I do them all personally to make sure they done right. And I heard that VP you put in charge, Mr. Jared—I cain't remember his last name—talking on the phone. Someone was tryin' to get all kinds of information about who owned the place and that Mr. Jared is like Fort Knox. He tol' whoever was on the phone that if they want any information they needed to call the main offices and he gave them that number. Now, you know I normally min' my own binness, but this sounded like you needed to know. Mr. Jared, he looked real concerned. So I got outta there and called you directly."
"Thank you, Ruby. I appreciate the call. Did you happen to hear the name of who was on the phone?" I asked. She was terrible with names. She called me Job for the first six months I knew her.
"Mr. Hemlock? No, how about Wilcox?" she said, trying to remember.
"Whitlock? Was it Jasper Whitlock?" I tried the name that Fred gave me.
"Yeah! Dat's it! You ain't gonna get Mr. Jared in no trouble, now. He done good and kept his mouth shut."
"Ruby, he did just fine and you are a true gem! How about we schedule a time for you and your people to come out here and stay with us sometime. We have a hotel out here and you can meet Rachel."
"Well, now, doesn't that sound nice," she gushed. "You'd do that for little ole Ruby?"
"I'm trying to set you up with my dad," I told her. She giggled. There was something funny about hearing an older woman giggle. "Don't tell him, though. He'll get all bashful."
"Jake, knock it off," Rachel said and rolled her eyes.
"I'll let you go, Child. Don't forget about what you jus' promised. Ya hear? Don't get these old hopes up and then dash 'em, now," she said.
"I won't. I'll have my assistant set it up, okay? I'm emailing her right now. I've even cc'd you on it so you know I'm telling the truth," I replied.
"You know I don' check my email!" she giggled again.
"But if you ever do, it's there. See you soon, Ruby."
"Okay, now. Bye!"
I finished up the email to Angela and hit send. "What?" I said, looking at Rachel.
"You really are a sweet man. What did she tell you?" she asked.
"Nothing I didn't already know. Edward's henchmen are checking me out and Ruby is my best guard dog," I replied. I got a text then, from Jared confirming what Ruby had just said.
"Well, I mean it. You're a great guy. I hope Bella realizes that soon," she said. I didn't respond. I'd managed not to think about it for that past few hours.
"I gotta get to the hospital," I said.
"I might go take a walk on First Beach," she said with a sly smirk. She knew why Bella asked me to be there this afternoon.
"Don't stir the shit, please," I said.
"I won't, baby brother. I like Bella, too. I just want to get a gander at the loser." She winked, turned, and then looked back at me. "He will lose. He picked a fight with the wrong fucking family.
Thoughts?
