Edward
"You doin' okay over there?" Emmett's voice isn't much louder than the hum of the engine.
I only shrug. No words seem fitting right now. The thump thump of the tires against the asphalt is the only sound for several miles as we drive out of town and toward our parents' house.
"What a fuckin' mess."
The silence stretches between us until I finally respond. "Yeah."
Neither of us really know what to say. So much was said, learned, in the last twenty-four hours, and my brain is still processing it all. What I do know is my priority is my family. Now that the identity of Jasper's biological parents has been confirmed, the safety of my girls and my unborn child are all that matter. And to keep them safe, I know I need to make our family official before I make any move to rectify things.
Though, I think I could have approached things a little better. Not long after Emmett left to check in at home, I decided to dive headlong into my plan, and needless to say, Bella wasn't thrilled at first.
"What?" Bella's narrowed eyes make me stand a little taller, squaring my shoulders and preparing to battle this out if I need to. I can't let her stubborn need for independence put her in danger.
"You heard me, Bella. You need to hand in your resignation."
"I heard you, Edward, but I'm not grasping why I need to go in and resign today. Why the urgency? What happened between a few days ago and now? Something had to have happened. What aren't you telling me?"
Our stare off is intense as I weigh my options. Telling her about the extent of Jasper's involvement with the Voltolinis, him being responsible for her father's murder... I'm not sure she can handle it at the moment. So I give her what I hope is enough to answer her questions.
"Jasper was meeting with Caius Voltolini. He was the leak." I watch as the penny drops.
"And now he's dead," she whispers.
I nod. "He's dead. When they figure out he isn't here, isn't reporting back to them, there's no telling how they'll react. And now that we know he was one of them ... Bella, it could start a battle I'm not ready to fight. The only way I can think to make sure you and Kaitlin are safe is to make you both safe by marrying you. If there's one thing I know about the Italians, it's that they honor their code. Women are off limits when it comes to retaliation; wives and children are untouchable." When I'm finally done rambling, I notice Bella is staring at me, her mouth gaping.
"You want to get married? Now?" she asks disbelief in her tone.
I step closer to her, close enough to reach out and pull her to me. "I've wanted to marry you since the day I told you I loved you," I say softly. "The only reason we didn't is that you being married to me might have caused a little problem with that whole 'you wanting to be a cop' thing," I tease, making her snort out a laugh.
"But ... Now?"
I nod before placing a kiss on her forehead. "You know I can't wait for you to be my wife. I'm sorry I can't give you the wedding of your dreams, but the sooner you're officially a Cullen, the better."
"No, I understand. And besides, a huge to-do wasn't in my plans anyway," she says with a shrug.
"Really?"
"Really. Just something small. You, me, Kaitlin, and a minister if we could get away with it. But I'm sure your mother would want to be there. And I'd like to have Emmett and Rose there, too."
I smile and kiss her gently. "I'm sure it can all be arranged."
"What about a destination wedding?" she asks cautiously.
"What did you have in mind? Because I think I might have an idea."
In the end, what was supposed to be my eventual wedding gift to her became the center of our planning. We plan to marry on the beach outside the house where we spent Valentine's Day; the same house I purchased without her knowledge just days after we arrived home. Her eyes just about popped out of her head when I told her it was ours. Once she got over the initial shock, we put plans into motion and made a short list of things to do so we could leave at the end of the week. At the top of the list was her reporting to her supervisor to hand in her immediate resignation.
Emmett's voice breaks me from my thoughts.
"Are we sure we want to just barge in on him and start pointing fingers? What the hell are we doing, Ed?"
"No." I shake my head adamantly. "I'm not sure what the fuck we should do." I lean back against the headrest and close my eyes.
"Still to Da's, though?"
"Yeah, he's expecting to hear about the shipment anyway." The old man still has his hands in things, retirement or not.
"So I'm following your lead?"
At his question, I outright laugh, humorless though it is. at his question. "Emmett, if there was ever a time when I didn't think I could handle shit, this is it." I turn and look out the car window, watching the city give way to the suburbs, as we get ever closer to the house. "But sure, follow me anyway."
The house is quiet when we walk through the door, only the low murmur of Da's voice echoing through the halls. His is the only one we hear, so it must be a call. My thoughts are confirmed when we reach his study.
"Of course, of course, Senator Brandon. I understand," he says into the receiver as he waves us in. "No, as soon as I hear from him, I'll be in touch." He nods as he listens. "Yes, yes, you, too." After placing the phone back in its cradle, he looks up at us. "Have either of you heard from your brother lately?"
Em and I exchange a look, not expecting to answer questions about Jasper so soon. We settle into the leather chairs before Da's desk before I respond. "No. Why?"
He sighs, exasperation clear in the set of his shoulders. "Alice thinks something is wrong. She's been calling her father all day insisting something's happened to him."
"Why would she think that?" I ask.
He looks directly at me, his expression pointed. "She says he had his bags packed but stepped out for a while without them but never came back."
I try and school the emotion on my face, knowing Alice couldn't possibly have known he was leaving with us, even if she wasn't drunk off her ass that night. Having never made it through their door, Emmett and I weren't seen by Alice. "Well, maybe he didn't think it was worth going home for his shit." I shrug. "I'm sure he'll turn up eventually."
"I'm sure. But if that idiot decided to run off again to have a bender with that whore of his..." He shakes his head and huffs out a breath, clearly ready to change the subject. "So, how did things go last night?"
"Fine. Just needed to rearrange the drop-off," I say with a nonchalant shrug. "Liam was more put out than I was."
"So, Emmett, you did the actual exchange?" he asks my brother.
Em's eyes flash to mine before answering Da. "Yeah, and there weren't any problems."
"Good, good. See, I knew you boys could handle things. Seems like I made a good choice in my early retirement," he says with a smug grin.
"Seems so." I study the man before me, really look at him for the first time since the facts of his twisted past have come to light. It makes me wonder how much of our lives were a farce. It also makes me question my own parentage. If he can lie to us about our other brother for all of our lives, who's to say he isn't keeping more from Emmett and me.
"And when is the next shipment due to come in?" he asks, his fingers crossed on his desk.
"I thought we'd take some time off. Maybe a couple of weeks, anyway."
"And why's that? Edward, you know this is a good time of year to move product. We can't afford to lose any business right now."
"I know," I say with a nod. "But I have a prior commitment I need to fulfill."
Da's brow furrows in confusion. "What commitment?"
"Bella and I have a wedding to plan."
He looks startled for a brief moment before schooling his features. "When is the big day?"
"We're leaving to fly into St. Lucia tomorrow. It takes three days for them to issue a marriage license, so should be in a week or so," I say with a shrug. "We'll see how long it takes her to plan the details."
"And what's the rush?" he asks, skepticism in his tone.
"No rush. It's just time." There's no way in hell I'm telling him my reasons for moving up the ceremony, or the existence of our unborn child.
"And were you going to tell the rest of your family? Your mother would be devastated if she couldn't be there."
"I was planning on telling her today. I didn't plan on her being gone."
"She had some charity fundraiser lunch or something today," he says dismissively. "But she'll want to get down there to help Bella, I'm sure."
"We'll send the jet back once we get settled to bring you to the island." I glance over at Emmett, his nod confirming what we spoke about earlier, before looking back to Da. "Emmett, Rose, and the kids will be coming down with us, so we have some help with the planning. Not much to do besides find a minister and file the paperwork." I shrug my shoulders. "Bella doesn't want anything fancy. She said she'd have a courthouse wedding if that made it easier. But I was able to convince her that simple didn't have to be that simple. So, there won't be many details to contend with."
Da studies me for a moment before glancing at the clock ticking over the mantle. "Your Mother should be home anytime, and I'm sure she'd rather hear this from you. You at least owe her that."
"Of course."
Saying Ma was excited would be like saying nor'easters dropped a little snow. Her enthusiasm was infectious, though, and I left my parents' home with a smile on my face and some determination in my step to make sure Bella had the wedding she wanted, even if we only had days to plan it. Ma had given me some suggestions I couldn't wait to share with her.
But even Esme Cullen's excitement was unmatched by the frenzied eagerness of my princess. Walking into our apartment, I could hear her excited chatter from my spot near the door.
"But, Mommy, we need to take them all!"
"Kaitlin." Bella's sigh can be heard as I walk closer to her room. "I said two pool floaties. Chances are there are more at the beach house. If not, and you absolutely require more, I'm sure we can find some on the island. But you're not bringing all of those."
As I round the corner and peek into her room, it looks like a tornado tore through the space. Clothes are strewn all over; her toy box nearly emptied, no surface or spot was left unscathed.
"What is going on in here?" I ask. Both my girls' heads turn to me, smiles lighting both their faces.
"Daddy!" Kaitlin flies off her bed, abandoning her pile of inflatable pool toys, and leaps into my arms. "Are we really going on an adventure? We're going on your airplane?" Her blue eyes are bright with excitement.
"We are." I look over to Bella, asking with just a look if she told our girl about the wedding part of our adventure, my plan to whisk them away for a little while afterward. Smiling with a shake of her head confirms what we spoke about before I left earlier in the day; we will tell her, together.
"Actually, Princess, we have some big plans for this trip."
Wiggling from my arms, she's back on her feet and staring up at me in a flash. With her hands on her tiny hips and her head tilted to the side, she looks just like her mother, narrowed eyes and all.
"What kind of plans?" She spits out the last word like it tastes bad on her tongue, which only makes me laugh. "I thought this was an adventure, Daddy. Adventures don't include plans."
"Oh, but your mom and I think you'll like these plans." I shove the things on her bed to the side and sit amongst the chaos of clothes and toys, pulling her onto my lap. I reach out my hand toward Bella, and she willingly comes close enough so I can snake my hand around her waist, holding what's most dear to me in my arms.
"Your dad and I have some special news to tell you, K." Bella sounds hesitant, almost nervous.
"You do? What is it?" Kaitlin asks with excitement in her eyes.
"Princess, you know I asked your mom to marry me a few months ago, right?" I ask her.
"Yeah, I know. But you said it would be a while before there would be a wedding. Because of Mommy's work." Her eyes jump from mine to her mother's and back again. "Right?"
"Yes, that was the original plan," Bella clarifies. "But, we've decided to get married now. That's why we're flying to the new beach house, for the wedding."
"Really?" Kaitlin is off my lap and has her arms wrapped around both of us as far as she can reach, jumping with excitement. "There's gonna be a wedding!" Her smile is ear to ear, nearly splitting her face in two. "And on the beach!"
"Yes, on the beach. And we'll probably stay for a while, Princess."
"How long?"
I look to Bella, remembering our conversation, before looking back to Kaitlin. "A while, K. Maybe most of the summer."
Her eyes widen in surprise before they turn to her mother. "What about your work? Won't they be mad you aren't there?"
Bella glances at me before turning to Kaitlin. "Well, I actually went in to see my boss today while Daddy was working."
"That's why Carmen had to stay with me for a little bit this morning?"
"Yes."
"Why did you have to go talk to your boss?"
I feel like shit when Bella gives her a sad smile, knowing that even though she had planned on resigning soon, this wasn't on her own terms. "Because I had to tell him I wouldn't be working there anymore."
Our daughter's eyes grow wide. "But, Mommy, I thought you worked there so you could catch the bad guys."
"Well," she says, turning to face me. "I think it's time I let someone else chase the bad guys."
"Look at the trees, Daddy!" Kaitlin hasn't stopped squealing about the scenery since we landed. "The leaves look ... sharp. They're so different from the trees we have at home."
"That's because they are different. They're palm trees, and the leaves are called fronds. They only grow where it's warm."
"Oooh."
Clearly not one to be silenced, she spends the rest of the drive to the beach house chattering about all the new sights. The bright blue sky, the turquoise blue water she can see as we drive along the coast, the variety of birds flying overhead and perched in the trees we pass, and especially the fields of banana trees, all of it grabs her attention, eliciting question after question from her.
Emmett and Rosalie, in their own vehicle, eventually take a turn toward the villa they've rented for the week. Ours isn't a shack by any means, but the space would be crowded with all of us staying there.
When we finally pull off the main road and toward the house, Kaitlin is almost vibrating with excitement.
"This is our house? Like ours, ours? We can live here?" She doesn't even wait for an answer before bolting from the car and tearing a path for the front door.
"I think she's a little excited," I say softly into Bella's ear once I've helped her from the car.
"I think so, too."
"So the marriage license and all the technical details are all taken care of?" Emmett asks. He and I are on the back deck, overlooking the ocean while the ladies are somewhere on the island at Bella's dress fitting.
"All done," I say with a nod before taking another swig of my beer.
"And Ma and Da get here tomorrow?"
"Yeah. They rented a place a few miles out, so they won't be breathing down our necks."
The waves crashing on the shore is the only sound for a while until Emmett breaks the silence.
"You decide how to handle things yet?"
"I think so." I turn to look at him. My brother, the one who's stood by my side for as long as I can remember, has put his complete faith in me. It isn't something I take lightly. "You still okay with Rose and the kids staying here for a while?"
"If what I think is gonna happen actually pops off, it's gonna be a shit storm. So, yeah, I'm good with them being here." He leans back in his chair, closing his eyes. "Besides, you said Jimmy would be hanging around for a while?"
"That's the plan. As soon as the wedding is over, I'm sure Ma and Da will pack it up and head back to Boston. You give them some bullshit excuse about not going back right away, needing to take a vacation, and you and I will take off. Jimmy's sticking around after we're gone."
"You trust him with all of them?"
"I do. Almost as much as I trust you," I say with a smirk. "Besides, Bella's actually got some training from her time at the academy, so I'm not as freaked out as I should be. Doesn't mean I have to like the fact that I'm leaving my girls here without me to protect them myself."
"Not to mention your pregnant wife will be spending her honeymoon with her sister-in-law," he teases.
"Shut the fuck up," I say with a laugh as I reach over to backhand him on the shoulder. "But you're right." I look back out over the waves. "She deserves better, but right now, this is the best I can do. Their safety is more important. And the only way I can ensure that is getting her down the damn aisle."
"How long after the ceremony do you want to leave?"
"I don't want to at all, but ..." I sigh, wishing things were different. "Give me a couple days. At least let me give her that."
A/N: Thanks to Fyrebyrd, Gabby1017, 2brown-eyes, and TheMetroDad for pre-reading, and to my beta, SunflowerFran. Please remember, all mistakes are mine.
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