Alissa Swan

Part 60

Bella drove along the La Push cliffs. Jacob rode shotgun. He studied a grease-blackened motorcycle crankshaft.

"We got lucky at the dump," Jacob told me. "You know how much a new crankshaft goes for?"

"Sure, I spend all my free time on crankshaft-dot-com," I joked.

"I think that's a porn site," Jacob joked. "These bikes are gonna be rolling soon. Where should we ride first?"

"Someplace sunny," I immediately said.

"Like there's any place sunny around here," Jacob rolled his eyes.

"I know a place above the cloud line." I immediately regretted it.

I thought about Edward and I laying in the meadow.

"Where is it?"

My face fell. "Actually, it's... too hard to get to."

"So we'll find our sunny spot, right?"

I grinned, grateful. I looked out the window at the cliffs. Four men stood on the rocky ledge of the cliff (Sam, Jared, Paul, and a fourth). They wore nothing but cut-off shorts. They pushed each other, rough-housing.

"Isn't that... Sam Uley?" I asked.

"And his cult," Jacob replied bitterly.

Suddenly, two of the guys threw a struggling Jared over the cliff! I slammed on the brakes. I jumped out of the truck, and Jacob climbed out after me.

"Oh my God!" I yelled at Jacob. "Stop them!"

I ran toward them. But Jacob's laughter slowed me. "They're not really fighting, Bella. They're cliff diving."

"What, on purpose?"

"Scary as hell, but a total rush."

Paul took a running start and flung himself into the air, twisting and cartwheeling down. I watched intrigued, sees the potential for adrenaline - for Edward.

"Most of us jump from lower down," he told me.

"Think I could?"

"Man, first motorcycles, now cliff diving?"

"You said it was a rush."

"Maybe on a warmer day. And not from the top. We'll leave the showing off to Sam and his disciples."

There was that bitter edge again. I looked at him. "You don't like them."

"They think they run this place. Acting all bad ass, calling themselves 'protectors.'"

"What are they protecting?"

"The tribe, the land, their right to be jerks. Embry used to call them hall monitors on steroids; now look at him."

I looked closer, and saw that the fourth guy was Embry, hair now shorn, thin frame filled out, laid back expression gone. It pained Jacob to see him.

"That's Embry? I didn't recognize him. What happened to him?" I asked.

"He missed some school - then, out of nowhere, he's following Sam around. Same thing happened with Paul and Jared. They weren't even friends, now Sam owns them. Sam keeps giving me this look, like he's waiting for me or something; it's kinda freaking me out."

"Maybe you should just avoid them," I suggested.

"I try but..."

I saw that he was unnerved, and I instinctively hugged him reassuringly. "Hey. If it gets worse, we'll go to my Dad. Or you can come stay with us."

"Thanks." He held me. "If this is how you're going to react, I'll freak out more often."

I realized that I crossed a line and covered, playfully shoving him. As we headed to the truck, I looked back. Sam was looking directly at me. Then he turned and dived over the edge, cutting a clean line into the water.