THANK YOU SO MUCH HAPAKIDS FOR BETAING, AND TEAMHOTMEN AND FLAMINGPEN18 FOR PREREADING! YOU LADIES ARE AWESOME AND I APPRICIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE REVIEWS, FAVS, AND FOLLOWS...THEY MEAN MORE THAN I CAN POSSSIBLY EXPRESS!
EPOV
The morning after our date, I decided to give Bella a tour of our apartment building. I wasn't sure if she realized it or not, but only family my lives here on a permanent basis. I also took her into the security office, so that she had an all access keycard and passcode for the elevator. This way, she could come and go as she pleased. The only floor that the ladies were restricted from is the second floor, where the conference room and offices are located. This is where we meet with our captains and the top guys from other families. Our associates, usually, just meet as at the club, because they have not taken the oath yet.
The third floor consists of a game and recreation room, as well as a three bedroom, guest apartment. The game and recreation room, was complete with a wet bar, movie room with theater seating, video games, and a pool table amongst the other games and toys. The top four floors housed the family apartments.
We also have a secured underground parking level, an Olympic-sized indoor pool, and a full gym in the basement. There is also an all-weather patio with a hot tub on the roof.
In the sub-basement, below the pool, there are storage units, that we used to store all our drugs, guns, and pallets of cash. We would rather 'Uncle Sam' didn't know about them. These units weren't on any blueprints and only immediate family knew they existed, and how to access them.
In the security office, my head of security, Tiny, (who happened to be built, like a brick shithouse) asked Bella for a six digit passcode. "071412" she replied, her face turning red. She turned her head into my chest and whispered. "That was the date of our first kiss." Tiny also let her know the emergency code, 505911. It sounds a silent alarm and stops the elevator from being manually shut down, just in case of a security breach.
Jazz called me shortly after we returned to our apartment. "Seth called me back. He's on his way here, and he says that he needs protection. Apparently, Leah overheard him on the phone yesterday. She told Billy, what she had heard and they went after him. He says he's pretty beaten up, and had to put a bullet in Sam's shoulder to get away. I told him to get here safely, and that he could stay here for the time being."
"Are you sure about that? I mean, we trust him, but come on." He's been feeding us info for a few years, but it could still be a set up.
"Yeah, man, I trust him. Don't you remember? He's the one who got Em out when Jacob shot him? He put his life on for us the line with that one. If they knew about that, they would have killed him on the spot…wouldn't have mattered if he was playing both sides…he still helped one of us get away. That took balls, man."
"Yeah, your right. But, he'll be restricted to the third floor apartment unless one of us is with him." I wasn't going to allow him to roam the building freely.
"That's cool, man. He should be here soon. He said he had some more info too. Listen, I'll catch you, after Seth gets here, and we'll all sit down with him." He hung up the phone.
"Hey, Bella, do you know a Seth Clearwater?"
"Yes, he's a good friend of mine. I haven't seen him since Jacob and I broke-up, though. Why?"
"He's been feeding us information on the Black's for a few years. Jazz talked to him yesterday, and apparently, Leah overheard him. He got roughed up and is on his way here. He'll be staying in the third floor apartment. How well do you know him? I mean, do you trust him?" She's a good judge of character, so I was curious of her opinion.
"I trust Seth, with my life. He distracted Jacob a few times when he'd get too rough with me. Seth's also the one that convinced me to leave Forks, after I lost my home. Billy had been pushing for me to go live with him and Jacob at the time. Thinking back, Seth told me not to tell anyone, including him, where I was headed. Including him. I really think he saved my life, by telling me that." Maybe Seth can be completely trusted. He has certainly earned my respect.
My brothers and I were in the conference room a little over an hour later. Security had called to let us know that Seth was here, but he was in bad shape. Dad and Mom had went to the security office, so that Mom could look him over. Tiny said that he had a black-eye, with a gouge under it, and a busted lip. He was also covered dried blood.
The elevator opened, and Dad and Seth came into the room. Damn! He was in pretty bad shape. He was limping so badly, that Dad had his arm around him for support and I could tell, by the way he had his arms wrapped around his torso, he had at least one cracked rib.
"Are you sure you're up for this? You could get a shower and some rest. We can do this later." I asked him. He looked like he could use it.
"No, I'll be fine. Your Mom gave me an Oxy, and it's starting to kick in." We took seats around the conference table. "As you know, Billy found out about our conversation yesterday. I still can't believe my own sister ratted me out to him. Anyway, at the time, I didn't realize that Bella was with you guys. I guess someone informed Billy that a girl fitting her description has been seen with your Mom and Sisters. I couldn't tell you who the informant was. I overheard that, just before Leah lost her right to call herself my sister." He was pissed! This is not good. I'm glad that Garrett got here overnight. He's also staying on the third floor. "Sam caught me outside Billy's office, and well, you can see what happened from there."
"Go get a shower and crash for a few hours. Jazz, take him up and introduce him to Garrett. Seth, just so you know, your keycard and passcode are restricted to the third floor."
"Yeah, that huge dude downstairs made sure I knew."
Bella was cooking dinner when I got back upstairs. "God, what smells so good?" It smelled like marinara sauce, but not like my Mom's.
"I made some sauce, I hope you like it." I grabbed a spoon to taste it. I couldn't have stopped the moan coming out of my mouth, if my life depended on it.
"Please don't tell my Mother, but this is even better than hers! I wouldn't have thought that would be at all possible." That was the truth too. My Mother makes her family's recipe that goes back for generations.
"Well, I'm making lasagna with garlic bread and a salad. It won't be ready for, about, another hour."
"Good, that gives me time to introduce you to Garrett. He's going to be your shadow. I don't like how this might play out, and as much as I would like to be, I can't be with you 24/7."
"If you really think its necessary, I promise not to argue."
"Good, because, I don't mean to scare you. Seth told us that Billy found out you're with us in Seattle. I can't stomach the thought of anyone getting to you. Garrett will be driving you in one of the SUV's."
"But, what about my truck?"
"Sweetheart, I spoke to Rose. She's a miracle worker with all things automotive. I'm quoting her here. 'That thing would take an act of God, Himself to get moving. Em and I had to have it towed over here, and I'm surprised it didn't fall apart on the way!' I'm sorry, but I think you should let me tow it to the dump." I looked over at her and she had tears running down her cheeks. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, it's just that it was my dad's truck. He'd had it for years, and gave it to me when I got my license. He told me it would keep me safe. And it did, just not in the way he meant."
"Oh, baby, I'm sorry! If I had known, I wouldn't have been so insensitive." I felt like an asshole!
"You weren't being insensitive. You had no way of knowing. But, you've given me so much already. You have to stop giving me so much, Edward. I know that you said you want to take care of me, and that money was no object. But, I need to do something to pay you back. I need to feel useful! I need to feel that I am pulling my own weight. Is there anything that I can help you with? I'm really good at organizing and with math. There has to be something."
"Let me think about it. I'll come up with something. As far as the money goes, the amount you've spent, well to be honest, it's not even a drop in the ocean. Alice's wedding dress, alone, was over a quarter of a million dollars. Rose's was damn near that also. So, don't worry about it, ok?"
I think that was what, finally, put her into shock. She stood, frozen, with her mouth wide open. I put my fingers under her jaw and closed her mouth, sealing it with a light kiss to her lips.
"So, please do not worry about it!" I rang down and asked Garrett to come up to out apartment.
A minute or so later, Garrett was knocking at our door. I went to let him in, with Bella following behind me.
"Garrett, I'd like you to meet Bella Swan. My girlfriend and your newest responsibility. Bella, this is Garrett. Your new shadow. Please, promise me, you won't go out without one of us with you." I wasn't joking about this. "Garrett, just so we're clear, if so much as a hair is out of place on her head, you better be dead already. If not be aware, I WILL MAKE SURE TO KILL YOU MYSELF!"
"You made it crystal, Boss."
The timer for the oven sounded, and I asked Garrett if he would like to stay for dinner. He declined, saying that he wanted to go over the details security with Tiny.
Bella wanted to catch up with Seth and asked if he could join us for dinner. I told her that was fine, since I was interested in finding out more about why he had insisted she leave Forks. So, I went downstairs to get him.