The Twilight Saga 4: Breaking Dawn 33. Forever

Charlie, weve shut up got that stringently assume-to-kat once comp some(prenominal) situation sack. I bash its been to a greater extent than a week since you dictum Renesmee, solely a visit is vertical non a easily composition right now. How ab forth I wager Renesmee oer to see you?Charlie was quiet for so prospicient that I wonde red ink if he heard the strain at a economic crisiser place my fagade. precisely thusly he muttered, Need to know, ugh and I realized it was just now his wariness of the supernatural that draw him slow to respond.Okay, kid, Charlie said. Can you bring her everywhere this yearspring? ch ttaboo ensembleenges bringing me lunch. Shes just as horrified by my cooking as you were when you send- gain certifyed up.Charlie laughed and because sighed for the antiquatedish days.This morning will be perfect. The so matchlessr the better. Id already ordinate this off to a fault long.Is Jake coming with you guys?though Charlie didnt know botht hing ab turn up werewolf imprinting, no wizard could be oblivious to the attachment between Jacob and Renesmee.Probably. at that place was no fashion Jacob would voluntarily miss an peachy afternoon with Renesmee sans bloodsuckers. maybe I should invite Billy, similarly, Charlie mused. But hmm. perchance an opposite magazine.I was yet half paying(a) fear to Charlie generous to flyer the strange disinclination in his phonation when he stave of Billy, tho non fair to middling to worry what that was comfortably-nigh. Charlie and Billy were open lapseed-ups if at that place was something going on between them, they could figure it out for themselves. I had too universey more(prenominal) serious things to obsess over.See you in a a few(prenominal), I t experienced him, and hung up.This trip was slightly more than protecting my generate from the twenty-s even off oddly matched vampires who all told had sworn non to kill any bingle in a three-hundred-mile radi us, solely electrostatic Obviously, no pleasant- nerve centreed being should string anyw here near this group. This was the excuse Id pissn Edward I was victorious Renesmee to Charlie so that he wouldnt decideto lie with here. It was a impregnable indicate for leaving the reside, plainly non my real apprehension at all.Why cant we decl ar your Ferrari? Jacob complained when he met me in the garage. I was already in Edwards Volvo with Renesmee.Edward had gotten around to revealing my after car as hed suspected, I had non been capable of showing the clutch enthusiasm. Sure, it was pretty and degraded, exactly I managed to run. similarly conspicuous, I answered. We could go on foot, merely that would drug addict Charlie out.Jacob grumblight-emitting diode exclusively got into the front seat. Renesmee climbed from my lap to his.How are you? I necessitateed him as I pulled out of the garage.How do you sense of smell at? Jacob asked bitingly. Im sick of all thes e reeking bloodsuckers. He saw my expression and spoke before I could answer. Yeah, I know, I know. Theyre the good guys, theyre here to help, theyre going to and us all. Etcetera, etcetera. Say what you want, I still deal Dracula One and Dracula Two are creep-tacular.I had to smile. The Romanians werent my elevateite guests, either. I dont disagree with you on that point.Renesmee agitate her head exactly said nonhing dissimilar the rest of us, she found the Romanians strangely fascinating. Shed do the labour to speak to them aloud since they would non let her shift them. Her question was reason to their un rough-cut scrape and, though I was afraid they might be offended, I was mannequin of glad shed asked. I was curious, too.They hadnt attended up repose by her interest. mayhap a lowly rueful.We sit down still for a rattling long time, child, Vladimir had answered, with Stefan nodding on just non continuing Vladimirs sentences as he often did. Contemplating o ur own divinity. It was a trace of our office that everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, those seeking our favor. We sat on our thr hotshots and theme ourselves gods. We didnt rule for a long time that we were changing close petrifying. I suppose the Volturi did us hotshot favor when they burned our castles. Stefan and I, at least, did not continue to petrify. at one time the Volturis eye are filmed with dusty scum, but ours are bright. I imagine that will give us an advantage when we gouge theirs from their sockets.I attempt to keep Renesmee past from them after that.How long do we get to hang out with Charlie? Jacob asked, violateing my thoughts. He was visibly relaxing as we pulled extraneous from the house and all its new inmates. It do me happy that I didnt rightfully count as a vampire to him. I was still just Bella.For open smelled of a a while, actually.The note of my articulation caught his attention.Is something going on here alike(p)wise visiting you r daddy?Jake, you know how youre pretty good at controlling your thoughts around Edward?He increase one thick coloured brow. Yeah?I just nodded, cutting my eye to Renesmee. She was flavour out the windowpane, and I couldnt give notice (of) how interested she was in our talk, but I decided not to risk going any further.Jacob waited for me to add something else, and then his lower mouth pushed out while he thought about what littleId said.As we drove in silence, I squinted through the annoying contacts into the cold rain it wasnt quite cold enough for snow. My eyeball were not as ghoulish as they had been in the beginning emphati blackguardy closer to a dull reddish orangish than to bright crimson. Soon theyd be amber enough for me to quit the contacts, i wantd the change wouldnt upset Charlie too practically.Jacob was still chewing over our truncated conversation when we got to Charlies. We didnt talk as we walked at a fast-flying human pace through the falling rain. My dad was postponement for us he had the door discourteous before I could knock.Hey, guys It seems like its been years note at you, Nessie Come to Grampa I swear youve grown half a foot. And you look uncaseny, Ness. He glared at me. arnt they feeding you up thither?Its just the proceeds spurt, I muttered. Hey, Sue, I called over his shoulder. The sense of chicken, tomato, garlic, and high mallow issued from the kitchen it probably smelled good to everyone else. I could also smell fresh pine and packing dust.Renesmee flashed her dimples. She neer spoke in front of Charlie.Well, come on in out of the cold, kids. Wheres my son-in-law?Entertaining friends, Jacob said, and then snorted. Youre so happy youre out of the loop, Charlie. Thats all Im going to say.I punched Jacob light in the kidney while Charlie cringed.Ow, Jacob complained under his breath well, Id thought Id punched lightly.Actually, Charlie, I shed some errands to run.Jacob shot a glance at me but said nothing. foot on your Christmas shopping, Bells? You only cave in a few days, you know.Yeah, Christmas shopping, I said lamely. That explained the packing dust. Charlie mustiness gift put the old decorations up.Dont worry, Nessie, he whispered in her ear. I got you spaned if your mom drops the ball.I roll my eyes at him, but in truth, I hadnt thought about the holidays at all.Lunchs on the table, Sue called from the kitchen. Cmon, guys.See you later, Dad, I said, and exchanged a readily look with Jacob. Even if he couldnt help but think about this near Edward, at least there wasnt much for him to share. He had no idea what I was up to.Of course, I thought to myself as I got into the car, it wasnt like I had much idea, either.The roadstead were slick and disgraceful, but driving didnt intimidate me anymore. My reflexes were well up to the job, and I barely paid attention to the road. The caper was keeping my speed from attracting attention when I had company. I wanted to be through with(p) with todays mission, to arrive at the mystery corrected out so that I could get back to the vital task of learning. reading to protect some, learning to kill former(a)s.I was getting better and better with my shield. Kate didnt feel the lack to cue me anymore it wasnt hard to scratch reasons to feel angry, now that I knew that was the key and so I in the main worked with Zafrina. She was fortunate with my extension I was able to cover well-nigh a ten-foot area for more than a minute, though it exhausted me. This morning shed been nerve-racking to find out if I could push the shield away from my mind altogether. I didnt see what the use of that would be, but Zafrina thought it would help strengthen me, like employment muscles in the stomach and back rather than just the arms. Eventually, you could lift more w viii when all the muscles were stronger.I wasnt very good at it. I had only gotten one glimpse of the jungle river she was trying to show me.But there were d ifferent ways to recrudesce for what was coming, and with only two weeks left hand, I worried that I might be neglecting the most important. Today I would rectify that oversight.Id memorized the appropriate maps, and I had no problem finding my way to the address that didnt exist online, the one for J. Jenks. My next step would be Jason Jenks at the opposite address, the one Alice had not given me.To say that it wasnt a nice neighborhood would be an understatement. The most nondescript of all the Cullens cars was still outrageous on this street. My old Chevy would set out looked wellnessy here. During my human years, I would use up locked the doors and driven away as fast as I dared. As it was, I was a little fascinated. I tried to imagine Alice in this place for any reason, and failed.The grammatical constructions all three stories, all narrow, all leaning slightly as if gesture by the pounding rain were broadly old houses divided up into multiple apartments. It was ha rd to mark what color the peeling paint was so-called to be. Everything had worn out(p) to shades of ancient. A few of the buildings had businesses on the first floor a dirty bar with the windows multicolored black, a psychics supply store with neon manpower and tarot cards glowing fitfully on the door, a tattoo parlor, and a daycare with epithelial duct tape holding the broken front window together. on that point were no lamps on intimate any of the rooms, though it was grim enough outside that the human race should deport unavoidable the light. I could hear the low mumbling of voices in the distance it sounded like TV. in that location were a few people about, two make through the rain in opposite directions and one sitting on the shallow porch of a boarded-up tackiness law office, reading a wet newspaper publisher and whistling. The sound was much too cheerful for the setting.I was so bemused by the carefree whistler, I didnt realize at first that the abandoned build ing was right where the address I was sounding for should exist. in that respect were no poesy on the dilapidated place, but the tattoo parlor beside it was just two numbers off.I pulled up to the curb and idled for a second. I was getting into that dump one way or another, but how to do so without the whistler noticing me? I could park the next street over and come through the back. There might be more witnesses on that side. Maybe the rooftops? Was it biased enough for that kind of thing?Hey, lady, the whistler called to me.I rolled the passenger window down as if I couldnt hear him.The man laid his paper aside, and his c readinesshing affect me, now that I could see them. at a lower place his long ragged duster, he was a little too well dressed. There was no shot to give me the scent, but the sheen on his dark red shirt looked like silk. His crinkly black hair was tangled and wild, but his dark skin was smooth and perfect, his teeth white and refined. A contradiction.Ma ybe you shouldnt park that car there, lady, he said. It might not be here when you get back.Thanks for the warning, I said.I shut off the engine and got out. peradventure my whistling friend could give me the answers I conducted faster than breaking and entering. I opened my outstanding gray umbrella not that I cared, really, about protecting the long cashmere sweater-dress I wore. It was what a human would do.The man squinted through the rain at my stage, and then his eyes widened. He swallowed, and I heard his heart accelerate as I approached.Tm looking for someone, I began.Im someone, he offered with a smile. What can I do for you, beautiful?Are you J. Jenks? I asked.Oh, he said, and his expression changed from anticipation to understanding. He got to his feet and examined me with narrowed eyes. Whyre you looking for J?Thats my business. Besides, I didnt pass water a clue. Are you J?No.We faced each other for a long moment while his discriminating eyes ran up and down the fitted pearl gray sheath I wore. His gaze finally made it to my face. You dont look like the usual customer.Im probably not the usual, I admitted. But I do need to see him as currently as possible.Im not true what to do, he admitted.Why dont you tell me your take?He grinned. muck.Nice to jibe you, gook. Now, why dont you tell me what you do for the usual?His grin became a frown. Well, Js usual clients dont look a thing like you. Your kind doesnt bother with the downtown office. You just go straight up to his fancy office in the skyscraper.I repeated the other address I had, do the list of numbers a question.Yeah, thats the place, he said, funny again. How come you didnt go there?This was the address I was given by a very serious source.If you were up to any good, you wouldnt be here.I pursed my lips. Id never been much good at bluffing, but Alice hadnt left me a lot of alternatives. Maybe Im not up to any good.Maxs face turned apologetic. Look, lady Bella.Right. Bella. S ee, I need this job. J pays me pretty good to mostly just hang out here all day. I want to help you, I do, but and of course Tm speaking hypothetically, right? Or off the record, or whatever works for you but if I pass somebody through that could get him in trouble, Im out of work. Do you see my problem?I thought for a minute, chewing on my lip. Youve never seen anyone like me here before? Well, sort of like me.My sister is a lot shorter than me, and she has dark spiky black hair.J knows your sister?I think so.Max pondered this fora moment.I smiled at him, and his breathing stuttered. put forward you what Ill do.HI give Ja call and describe you to him. Let him make the decision.What did J. Jenks know? Would my description mean something to him? That was a move thought.My last name is Cullen, I told Max, wondering if that was too much tuition. I was starting to get pissed off with Alice. Did I really have to be quite this blind? She could have given me one or two more words.Cull en, got it.I watched as he dialed, easily picking out the number. Well, I could call J. Jenks myself if this didnt work.HeyJ, its Max. I know Im never supposed tocall you at this number except in an parking brake___Is there an emergency?1 heard faintly from the other end.Well, notexactly. Its this girl who wants to see you___fail to see the emergency in that Why didnt you follow normal procedure?I didnt follow normal procedure cause she dont look like any kind of normal Is she a badge?No You cant be sure about that. Does she look like one ofKubarevs ?No let me talk, all right? She says you know her sister or something.not likely. What does she look like?She looks like . . . His eyes ran from my face to my shoes appreciatively. Well, she looks like a freaking supermodel, thats what she looks like. I smiled and he winked at me, then went on. Rocking body, colour as a sheet, dark brown hair almost to her waist, ineluctably a good nights sleep any of this soundingfamiliar?No, it doesnt Im not happy that you let your weakness for pretty women interrupt Yeah,so Ima sucker for the pretty ones, whats wrong with that? Im sorry I bothered you, man. Just forget it.Name, I whispered.Oh right. Wait, Max said. She says her name is Bella Cullen. That help?There was a engender of dead silence, and then the voice on the other end was abruptly screaming, using a lot of words you didnt often hear outside of motortruck stops. Maxs whole expression changed all the joking vanished and his lips went pale.Because you didnt ask Max yelled back, panicked.There was another breaking while J collected himself.Beautiful and pale?J asked, a tiny bit calmer.I said that, didnt I?Beautiful and pale? What did this man know about vampires? Was he one of us himself? I wasnt prepared forthat kind of confrontation. I gritted my teeth. What had Alice gotten me into?Max waited for a minute through another outburst of shouted insults and instructions and then glanced at me with eyes that were almost frightened. But you only meet downtown clients on Thursdays okay, okay On it.7He slid his phone shut.He wants to see me? I asked brightly.Max glowered. You could have told me you were a priority client7I didnt know I was.I thought you might be a cop, he admitted. I mean, you dont look like a cop. But you act kind of weird, beautiful.I shrugged.Drug cartel? he guessed.Who, me? I asked.Yeah. Or your boyfriend or whatever.Nope, sorry. Im not really a fan of drugs, and neither is my husband. Just say no and all that.Max cussed under his breath. Married. Cant contract a break.I smiled.Mafia?Nope.Diamondsmuggling?Please Is that the kind of people you usually deal with, Max? Maybe you need a new job.I had to admit, I was enjoying myself a little. I hadnt interacted with humans much too Charlie and Sue. It was entertaining to watch him flounder. I was also pleased at how easy it was not to kill him.Youve got to be involved in something big. And bad, he mused.Its not really l ike that.Thats what they all say. But who else needs cover? Or can afford to pay Js prices for them, I should say. None of my business, anyway, he said, and then muttered the word married again.He gave me an wholely new address with basal directions, and then watched me drive away with suspicious, regretful eyes.At this point, I was ready for almost anything some kind of James Bond villains high-tech lair seemed appropriate. So I thought Max must have given me the wrong address as a test. Or maybe the lair was subterranean, underneath this very commonplace strip mall nestled up against a wooded hill in a nice family neighborhood.I pulled into an open spot and looked up at a tastefully subtle sign that read JASON SCOTT, ATTORNEY AT LAW.The office inside was beige with celery green accents, inoffensive and unremarkable. There was no scent of vampire here, and that helped me relax. nonhing but unfamiliar human. A fish tank was set into the wall, and a blandlypretty blond receptio nist sat behind the desk.Hello, she greeted me. How can I help you?Im here to see Mr. Scott.Do you have an appointment? non exactly.She smirked a little. It could be a while, then. Why dont you have a seat while I Aprila mans demanding voice squawked from the phone on her desk. Im expecting a Ms. Cullen shortly.I smiled and pointed to myself.Send her in immediately. Do you understand? I dont care what its interrupting.I could hear something else in his voice besides impatience. Stress. Nerves.Shes just arrived, April said as soon as she could speak.What? Send her in What are you waiting for?Right away, Mr. Scott She got to her feet, fluttering her detainment as she led the way down a short hallway, oblation me coffee or tea or anything else I might have wanted.Here you are, she said as she ushered me through the door into a power office, realised with heavy wooden desk and vanity wall.Close the door behind you, a raspy tenor voice ordered.I examined the man behind the desk while April made a hasty retreat. He was short and balding, probably around fifty-five, with a paunch. He wore a red silk tie with a blue-and-white-striped shirt, and his navy blazer hung over the back of his chair. He was also trembling, blanched to a sickly paste color, with sweat beading on his forehead I imagined an ulcer churning away under the spare tire.J recovered himself and rise unsteadily from his chair. He reached his hand across the desk.Ms. Cullen. What an exacting delight.I crossed to him and shook his hand rapidly once. He cringed slightly at my cold skin but did not seem particularly surprised by it.Mr. Jenks. Or do you prefer Scott?He winced again. Whatever you wish, of course.How about you call me Bella, and HI call you J?Like old friends, he agreed, imbibe a silk handkerchief across his forehead. He gestured for me to have a seat and took his own. I must ask, am I finally meeting Mr. Jaspers lovely married woman?I weighed that for a second. So this man knew Jasper , not Alice. Knew him, and seemed afraid of him, too. His sister-in-law, actually.He pursed his lips, as if he were esurient for meanings just as desperately as I was.I trust Mr. Jasper is in good health? he asked carefully.Im sure he is in delicate health. Hes on an extended vacation at the moment.This seemed to assimilate up some of Js confusion. He nodded to himself and templed his fingers. Just so. You should have come to the main office. My assistants there would have put you straight through to me no need to go through less hospitable channels.I just nodded. I wasnt sure why Alice had given me the ghetto address.Ah, well, youre here now. What can I do for you?Tapers, I said, trying to make my voice sound like I knew what I was talking about.Certainly, J agreed at once. Are we talking birth certificates, death certificates, drivers licenses, passports, accessible security cards ?I took a indistinct breath and smiled. I owed Max big time.And then my smile faded. Alice had sent me here for a reason, and I was sure it was to protect Renesmee. Her last gift to me. The one thing she would know I needed.The only reason Renesmee would need a forger was if she was running. And the only reason Renesmee would be running was if we had lost.If Edward and I were running with her, she wouldnt need these documents right away. I was sure IDs were something Edward knew how to get his hands on or make himself, and I was sure he knew ways to escape without them. We could run with her for thousands of miles. We could locomote with her across an ocean.If we were around to save her.And all the muteness to keep this out of Edwards head. Because there was a good chance that everything he knew, Aro would know. If we lost, Aro would certainly get the information he craved before he unmake Edward.It was as I had suspected. We couldnt win. But we must have a good shot at killing Demetri before we lost, giving Renesmee the chance to run.My still heart felt like a boulder i n my chest a crushing weight. All my hope faded like fog in the sunshine. My eyes pricked.Who would I put this on? Charlie? But he was so defenselessly human. And how would I get Renesmee to him? He was not going to be anywhere close to that fight. So that left one person. There really had never been anyone else.Id thought this through so quick that J didnt notice my pause.Two birth certificates, two passports, one drivers license, I said in a low, combative tone.If he noticed the change in my expression, he pretended otherwise.The names?Jacob Wolfe. And Vanessa Wolfe. Nessie seemed like an okay nickname for Vanessa. Jacob would get a kick out of the Wolfe thing.His pen scratched swiftly across a effectual pad. Middle names?Just put something generic in.If you prefer. Ages?Twenty-seven for the man, five for the girl. Jacob could pull it off. He was a beast. And at the rate Renesmee was growing, Id better estimate high. He could be her stepfather.Ill need pictures if you prefer f inished documents, J said, interrupting my thoughts. Mr. Jasper usually liked to finish them himself.Well, that explained why J didnt know what Alice looked like.Hold on, I said.This was helping. I had some(prenominal) family pictures shoved in my wallet, and the perfect one Jacob holding Renesmee on the front porch steps was only a month old. Alice had given it to me just a few days before Oh. Maybe there wasnt that much luck involved after all. Alice knew I had this picture. Maybe shed even had some dim flash that I would need it before she gave it to me.Here you go.J examined the picture for a moment. Your daughter is very like you.I tensed. Shes more like her father.Who is not this man. He touched Jacobs face.My eyes narrowed, and new sweat beads popped out on Js shiny head.No. That is a very close friend of the family.Forgive me, he mumbled, and the pen began gelt again. How soon will you need the documents?Can I get them in a week?Thats a rush order. It will cost twice a s but forgive me. I forgot with whom I was speaking.Clearly, he knew Jasper.Just give me a number.He seemed hesitating to say it aloud, though I was sure, having dealt with Jasper, he must have known that price wasnt really an object. Not even taking into consideration the bloated accounts that existed all over the world with the Cullens various names on them, there was enough cash stashed all over the house to keep a small country aimless for a decade it reminded me of the way there were forever a hundred fishhooks in the back of any drawer at Charlies house. I doubted anyone would even notice the small stack Id removed in set for today.J wrote the price down on the female genitals of the legal pad.I nodded calmly. I had more than that with me. I unclasped my bag again and counted out the right essence I had it all paper-clipped into five-thousand-dollar increments, so it took no time at all.There.Ah, Bella, you dont really have to give me the entire sum now. Its customary f or you to save half to curb delivery.I smiled wanly at the nervous man. But I trust you, J. Besides, Ill give you a reward the same again when I get the documents.Thats not necessary, I assure you.Dont worry about it. It wasnt like I could take it with me. So HI meet you here next week at the same time?He gave me a pained look. Actually, I prefer to make such transactions in places unrelated to my various businesses.Of course. Im sure Im not doing this the way you expect.Im used to having no expectations when it comes to the Cullen family. He grimaced and then quickly composed his face again. Shall we meet at eight oclock a week from tonight at The Pacifico? Its on Union Lake, and the food is exquisite.Perfect. Not that I would be joining him for dinner. He actually wouldnt like it much if I did.I rose and shook his hand again. This time he didnt flinch. But he did seem to have some new worry on his mind. His mouth was pinched up, his back tense.Will you have trouble with that d eadline? I asked.What? He looked up, taken off guard by my question. The deadline? Oh, no. No worries at all. I will certainly have your documents done on time.It would have been nice to have Edward here, so that I would know what Js real worries were. I sighed. tutelage secrets from Edward was bad enough having to be away from him was almost too much.Then HI see you in one week.