Sorry for the delay, I have already failed at my posting schedule! I have had a migraine most of the weekend and am still feeling like death, so any mistakes below, I blame on that!
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"Whatever you want Cullen. I'll do it… Name your fucking price."
The end of my sentence was drowned out by Isabella's agonised streaming from below as the smell of burning flesh wafted up to us.
"You're too late Masen…", Carlisle's words barely broke through the screams.
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Too late? After all this, I offer him whatever he wants and I'm too late? What the fuck?
Cullen turns to walk away from the horror show going on below us. I see James Volturi and his fucked up family leaning over the railings, laughing and jeering. Isabella has quieted now, probably passed out from the pain but I cant muster up the courage to look over and find out. Instead, in a final act of desperation I follow after Carlisle Cullen, willing to get on my knees and beg… or other things… to get Isabella for my own. I have to jog to catch up to him as he is nearly at the doors leading out of the function room.
"Wait, Mr Cullen… Please, wait".
He pauses with his hand on the doorknob but doesn't turn.
"Please Mr Cullen, it cant be too late. I want Isabella. I will pay what you're asking. Fifteen thousand. I will have it to you tomorrow I promise."
He turns to look at me and sighs heavily.
"How?"
"How… What?"
"How do you intend to come up with fifteen thousand dollars by tomorrow Masen? I know what you earn and I know you don't have that sort of money lying around. I also know that if you were planning to ask your parents for the money then you would have by now so, how Mr Masen, are you going to come up with that sort of money?"
He had a point. I searched my brain for any possible solution.
"I don't know.. But, I promise you I will.. I'll… I can… take a loan, sell my car… I will come up with the money Mr Cullen I promise. Please, you cant let Isabella go to James Volturi, she belongs with me Mr Cullen. You know that, I know you do….".
He sighed again. His whole body language screamed "defeated" and I couldn't understand why….
"Well, I don't know about that Masen. But I do know that going to James would be a living hell for her, not least because of what he did…." He sighed again, running his hand aggressively through his hair, "I doubt she'd even last the year with him… Fuck!"
He stared at me then, almost as though he was looking right through me. I held eye contact with him, not wanting to appear weak. After a long minute he finally broke contact and pulled the door open, stepping through and then pausing.
"Bring the money to my office tomorrow morning at 9am Masen. If we can come to a suitable agreement, we can see what can be done… Otherwise Isabella will go to James Volturi as agreed".
He pulled the door shut behind him with no further word. How the fuck was I going to raise fifteen thousand dollars in less than 9 hours?
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I entered Volterra promptly at 9am the next morning after several stop-offs enroute. I was now minus one car and barely had a penny to my name, my loan refused by the bank… I just prayed it would be enough. I wanted Isabella so badly.
I was led to Cullen's office by a furious looking Emmett. He didn't say a word to me when I arrived, just jerked his head in a gesture to follow him then started up the stairs. He didn't knock on the door when we arrived at Carlisle's office, merely shouted "Masen's for you" and walked off, leaving me staring after him not knowing what the fuck to do. Was I supposed to just walk in? Wait for Cullen to open the door? Knock? Fucking hell…
Thankfully my panic was ended swiftly as the door opened to reveal a dishevelled looking Carlisle Cullen, creased shirt (the same as last night I noticed) and crazy hair like he'd been tugging on it all night. He looked like shit. He gestured me inside and went back to his huge desk chair. I shut the door and followed him, taking a seat the other side of the desk. He poured himself a whiskey, clearly not the first of the day, then held the bottle up to ask if I wanted any.
"Umm… no… thank you…. A bit early for me still" Cullen grunted in response but said nothing, "So…. Emmett doesn't seem too happy this morning…." I was trying to make conversation.
"Fuck Emmett. Self righteous asshole. Lets get down to business…." He held his hand out to me, "how much do you have Masen?"
I handed him the envelope, suddenly nervous. It was everything I had, the car, my savings, I even sold my flatscreen to the guy who bought the car this morning – a package deal. But, not enough…. I watched as Cullen pulled out the checks inside, and my hopes died as he gave another heavy sigh.
"Fuck Masen…. Fifteen thousand you told me. Fifteen… this is… a check for £8000 and another for… £1500" he read off as he looked through the checks, "forgive me here Masen, but im struggling to get that to add up to Fifteen thousand…"
"I know Mr Cullen, its all I have, im sorry, I really did try… I sold my fucking TV… Please… is it enough?"
"No Masen. It is not enough…."
"fuck…" I dropped my head in my hands, that shit James Volturi was going to get his filthy hands on my Isabella and there was nothing I could do about it, I'd blown it. I heard Cullen huffing again.
"I like you Masen…" my head snapped up to look at him, "I do.. I cant help it. You're like the son I never had", he chuckled at my scowl. "ok, so, you're short here. By a lot. So, we needed to sweeten the deal".
"Ok… How?"
He leaned forward, elbows on the table as he regarded me for a moment before answering.
"Isabella. I want access to her, for the play parties. 6 months."
"What the fuck? You think im going to let her be tortured like that again?"
"Just the play Masen, not the stuff you saw last night. That…. Got out of hand. Just the sex, a bit of light BDSM stuff. No permanent scarring or damage. That's always been my rule with Isabella and I would honour that for you".
That didn't sound so bad… The thought of those fucked up perverts touching my property made me sick but… I had to compromise here.
"How often would you want her for these parties…?"
"I hold them weekly, on Wednesdays… But, I wouldn't expect to use her every week…. How about, I get to use her every other week, for 6 months?"
"Ok, 6 months. That sounds fair. Then she's mine and you will relinquish all rights to use her?"
"Of course Masen…. And… one other thing and we have ourselves a deal".
His smirk put me on edge right away.
"Lets hear it Cullen" I almost snapped at him.
"Its no secret that I want you Masen…. I want your sweet mouth on my cock and I could think of a hundred other things I'd like to do to you right now", I scowled and he laughed, "so I propose one last deal, then Isabella is yours to take away with you now".
"What is this deal?" I was wary, knowing where this shit was going but the temptation of Isabella was too much.
"I would like for you, and my Isabella, to attend a private play party with me Masen. Not like last night, just you, me, Isabella and maybe one or two specially invited personal friends of mine… Just one night Masen, where both you and Isabella are mine. Then she is yours forever".
I sat back in my chair as I pondered his proposal. After what I'd seen last night I knew what sort of fucked up shit I could be getting myself into…
"What exactly would this night entail Cullen, 'cause last night, that was just fucking barbaric…"
"Nothing like that Edward", he cut me off, the use of my first name taking me by surprise, "like I said, that wasn't the usual for me, I have no interest in torturing you Masen, what would be the fun in that? I promise, just like Isabella… I wont cause you any harm. Just some playful fun is all…"
I sat back again, mulling over the decision for a couple of minutes. Cullen regarded me silently with a slight smirk on his face. I finally sat forward, decision made.
"Ok… I agree. The money, Isabella every other week at your parties, and your… night… with both of us. I want this shit in writing though."
Cullen grinned as he pulled a large, thick envelope out of his desk drawer.
"Of course Mr Masen, I will have my lawyer draw up the papers for our agreement today and you can come by tomorrow to sign them and have everything official…" I nodded my agreement, "and here, this is everything you need for Isabella…"
"What do you mean?" I frowned as I looked down at the pile of papers he pushed towards me.
"Well, theres the original contract of sale from the Volturi brothers, I will notify them of her change of ownership and a new contract will be sent out to you so she is officially yours. And she is fitted with a GPS tracking device, should she ever try to escape she would be traceable at all times. The details of that are in there with all the online log-in details you need and contact numbers in case of any problem with the chip. And the rest is all of Isabella's information – training history, diet, sleeping arrangements, education, daily routine…. I suggest you read that well so you know how best to adjust her to your requirements…"
I briefly glanced over the printed document, but stopped at the point where it mentioned that Isabella is never allowed to sit and eat a meal and she slept on the floor like a fucking dog … What the fuck? I stuffed all of the paper back into the envelope.
"That's great, thanks Mr Cullen… So, if I could just take Isabella…?
He grinned at me before rising from the table, drink in hand.
"Follow me Masen…"