Chapter Three - Moving On
Three months later
Edward stood in the VIP room in yet another club; music thumped and thrummed, vibrating the floor beneath his feet. He was aware he was wasting time, which he'd had very little of for the last several weeks. Or had it been months since that fateful meeting that changed his future?
"I'm not sure what you're looking for, Edward." Emmett passed him a glass of his favorite scotch. "I do know you're not going to find it here."
Edward nodded. He agreed with his brother's observation, though probably not for the same reason.
"You want pussy? There're a handful of women in the room who would love to spend the night with you. If you're looking for your wife, someone you can take home to Mom, then you're in the wrong place for that, Bro."
"You surprise me, Emmett. Aren't all women the same to you?" It was no secret Edward's baby brother got around. Just a sweep of the dance floor and Edward could pick out more than a dozen he knew Emmett fucked around with for a night or two.
"Not anymore." Emmett shrugged and looked away from the dance floor, leaning against the railing. "After what happened with Jasper and Maria and Dad's warning? Hell no."
Edward did his best to keep his face neutral. It pained him to know he was one of the reasons his brother was still in rehab, falling off the wagon two weeks after his release. If Edward hadn't had his suspicions about Maria's infidelity, where would they be? In prison? Dead? Worse—at the mercy of their enemies.
"I warned him." Edward shook his head. "She'd been around the club a lot before she finally caught his eye."
"Still, you were damn sure she only wanted Jasper for the money and power our family represents. Why is that?"
Did it matter if Emmett knew the truth now? Edward had always known Maria would never remain faithful.
"She threw herself at me weeks before she made a move on Jasper. And again, days before the wedding."
"Ah, fuck, please tell me you didn't sleep with her?"
Edward cocked an eyebrow, glaring at his brother. "Have I ever left with one of these ladies before?"
"Now that you mention it? No." Emmett looked thoroughly confused, as if taking advantage of all the women at their disposal was normal. "So why not?"
Edward shook his head. He gestured toward one of the women in the VIP room. "Larissa—she's fucked Marcus, you, Jasper, Felix, and Demetri."
Emmett grimaced. "Okay, but that's just her."
"Point anyone out, and I can connect them to at least one member of our family or one of our men."
For twenty minutes, Emmett played along, pointing at random women, understanding finally reaching his eyes. "Okay, I get it. If you're not taking home a woman from one of the clubs, then where?"
"Lately, nowhere. Before all this shit went down, usually, from the office building." Edward owned an office building for his small tech company, leasing the rest of the spaces. It was one of the rare legitimate businesses he owned. "Sometimes a party, benefit, or at a gallery opening. I don't have to worry about them having been with any of you. Still, most of those women are aware how much I'm worth, just as Maria knew about Jasper. I don't want a woman who merely sees me as an ATM or wants me because of my connections."
"Well, the only way that's going to happen is if you're in another city and somebody else." Emmett punched Edward's shoulder, laughing at his own joke. His brother's face paled when he noticed how serious Edward had become. "I was kidding, Edward."
Edward loved when his plans came together, and Emmett played right into his hands. Emmett would think he put the idea in Edward's head.
"Even if you were, what you said makes sense." Edward ran a hand through his hair, longer than usual, having missed his last appointment. He rubbed a hand on his stubbly jaw and wondered, not for the first time, how much different he'd look with a beard.
"Dad will never go for it, man." Emmett looked about ready to hurl.
Edward handed his brother a drink, feeling a hint of guilt for manipulating his brother. "If he wants me to find a woman worthy of the Cullen name, then he will."
"Speaking of Dad." Emmett turned at the sound of their father's voice.
It wasn't often their father visited a club, having almost landed himself in the doghouse years earlier when one of the women that frequented the VIP room wouldn't take no for an answer. Their mother caught him in a near compromising position when she came looking for him.
"Doesn't look as though he brings good news." Edward's hands clenched into fists, containing his anger over the horrible situation.
Alec Rossi seemed to have disappeared after the discovery of the bodies of the two girls who worked at one of their strip clubs. The fucker knew how to hide; not even their contractors had been able to locate him. Other than specializing in torture and murder, they also had a knack for finding people. But the contractor couldn't create the "accident" so soon after their girls' bodies were discovered; the Rossi Family would find it suspicious. They had planned to keep an eye on Alec until an opportunity presented itself. Yet, they couldn't do anything until the asshole was found.
"Edward." Carlisle nodded toward the bar, where they each had a drink. "Give us a few minutes, Emmett."
Emmett nodded, leaving to talk to a blonde Edward had seen around the club before. Their father kept his baby brother apprised of most business situations, but when it came down to blood, Emmett was on a need-to-know basis; at least for a couple more years.
Edward looked to Felix, who gave him a nod. The room was clear to speak freely. "Any word?"
Carlisle sipped his drink. "They found him in a hell hole, then tried to coax him out of hiding without notifying him of their presence. One of the contractors was hurt badly."
Edward knew the contractors were a team of six men and women, often working in groups of two except for their top contractor who preferred to work alone. It wasn't like the team to take a hit. The only other time he remembered was when they lost one the day they saved Edward from an enemy.
From the look on Carlisle's face, Edward had no doubt his father was also remembering those excruciating days.
"The other one said to give them a couple weeks—said if their finger were to slip while hunting, then we could have our deposit back."
Sounded like finding Alec had become personal to the contractor. "You did remind them if their finger were to slip that it would not be a good thing for our family?"
"They're aware."
The contractors were professionals and had served the Cullen Family for decades. Edward had to assume they would deliver as promised and not let their emotions rule over them.
"I'd like to speak to you about this outdated…"
"You must be engaged or married, Edward." Carlisle held up his hand to stop Edward from interrupting, glaring at his son. "Need I remind you of the period between your grandfather's and my positions as head of the family? Do you remember what your Uncle Caius was like without a companion by his side? We lost six family members because of him. Not to mention your kidnapping took place under his rule. Marcus hasn't been the same since his wife died; all because Caius refused to see reason."
Carlisle had to look away. The memories of those four years still plagued his nightmares. It was such a dark period in all their lives.
"All this comes with a heavy burden set on our shoulders, Edward. You will need to have that one person you can completely trust and confide in or have a soft place to land when everything else is hell."
"I'm not sure which one I want more." Edward wished it were possible to have both in one woman. "I do know I won't find that here, surrounded by all this madness, and where everyone knows who I am."
Carlisle's eyes narrowed. "What are you up to, Edward?"
Edward laid it out in black and white. He needed to assume another identity and move elsewhere to find his wife. In other words, he needed to leave Chicago without all the security that typically traveled with him. Or at the very least not have them be so obvious.
"No." Carlisle slammed back his drink, his head pounding as hard as his heart. The idea of sending another son away did not sit well with him. Jasper was in a facility with shitty security, and even with the presence of their own men to watch over him, their enemies were circling the area.
"I will not settle for a woman who knows what I'm worth; not after the bullshit with Maria." Edward went on to explain why he'd been so adamant of Maria's disloyalty and fidelity.
Carlisle's voice went flat. "If you had told us all of that in the first place, maybe this mess with Jasper could've been avoided."
"You think I'm not aware of that?" Edward's fist landed hard on the bar top, startling a waitress who was standing too close to him. "She was drunk off her ass each time. I thought it was the alcohol. Even if I had said anything, Jasper would've used that as an excuse for her behavior. He was so blinded by her beauty and . . ."
Carlisle laughed. "Oh Son, do you honestly think you won't be when you meet your match?"
Edward straightened his tie, adjusted his cufflink. "No. I know how to control myself." He'd gone without sex for months already; he could handle a couple more.
"Whatever you say, Son." Carlisle asked for another drink, acknowledging one of their lawyers at the end of the bar. "But you're still not leaving Chicago."
They argued for another twenty minutes, moving their discussion to a more private setting. When they continued at the Cullen Estate, Esme joined them, adding her opinion in the mix. She was all for it; if it meant her son would be truly happy.
In the end, Edward won, and within a few days, he was on his way to Seattle, Washington in hopes to find his future bride.
.
.
.
Edward had chosen a small community less than an hour away from Seattle for three reasons. It was close to his brother Jasper, who currently resided in a rehab center in the city. He also liked the area because there were amazing hiking trails nearby, and most of the inhabitants were in the middle-income range. The last reason was that there were three houses in the neighborhood for sale, which would allow him his own place, while his security teams remained in the other two.
He'd been in town for a few days, his first security team posing as longtime friends to help him move in to his temporary home. Already, several neighbors had introduced themselves, offering advice and food. He was not used to a welcoming committee of that kind, having only dealt with brownnosers and clingy women.
He woke up an hour earlier, deciding to run before he headed out to find coffee. The run felt considerably different from using a treadmill back home, but a refreshing and welcome change. It also gave him time to reflect on the last few days.
His family was driving him insane. Three days in Washington, and his mother and father had each called him at least a hundred times. He knew they were worried, and for good reason. But their faith in him seemed to have waned since Jasper fell from his position. As if his failure had become Edward's, which was wholly unfair.
Sweat beaded across his bare chest as he ran up the steps to his porch. His porch. Never in his life had he ever had a porch, having only lived in condos and extravagant mansions. He spared a look down the street, spotting some of his security team. Riley, the leader of both crews, was cutting his lawn a few houses down. He offered Edward a wave, going right back to work.
Edward flipped off the camera he knew his security team was watching him from; it was all so intrusive, but necessary for his safety. It didn't mean he enjoyed it.
He ran upstairs to the kitchen, opening his fridge for a bottle of water. The layout was so unusual to him. Most of the "public" places were on the top floor to take advantage of the beautiful forest view, while the bedrooms were downstairs. At least there were open spaces; he hated tight places. The fear was a remnant of his kidnapping at the tender age of ten.
Shaking away the horrors, he drank the bottle of water in one go, heading downstairs for a quick shower. He had a meeting with his security team before he went to see Jasper.
And he needed coffee.
.
.
.
Edward slipped on his sunglasses. The sun had decided to make an appearance for the first time since he moved into his new home. His Royal Oak watch caught the sunlight, forcing him to roll up his window of his Bugatti. He was sending the car back with one of his men, after the disastrous first trek out in it the day before.
The car turned heads, and completely worked against him for what he had in mind when it came to his bride-to-be. He'd been careless going out for some groceries in the car. One drive down the main street of the community had several women clamoring for the sudden need for some fruit or milk. By the end of his shopping experience, he'd been approached by two men and six women.
He'd taken Emmett's advice about changing his look. There was a couple days growth along his jaw, and he'd kept his hair longer. The top of it was in disarray and not the usual fresh cut style he worked hard to achieve. He'd swapped his three-piece suits for jeans, T-shirts, and a leather jacket. Despite all the changes, the vultures spotted him a mile away.
He wasn't sure why.
If he only had a day or two with his car, he was going to take it out for one last drive to visit his brother before he sent it back home. He turned onto the main street of the quaint community, noticing the signs and decorations for the upcoming Easter Egg Hunt in the local park. Pastel colors covered windows in various depictions of bunnies and spring. His mother would love it all, and the thought of her made him consider picking up a few gifts to take back to her when he returned home.
Edward found a colorful blackboard sign outside a cafe named Bella's Brew & Books. He'd spotted the place driving down the street when he first arrived in Washington. He laughed out loud at the quote of the day on the sign:
You don't need an inspirational quote. You need coffee.
He looked for a parking spot, not surprised to find there were only some down the street. The community wasn't large, but it brought in many tourists who wanted to do a little shopping in the unusual shops. He found one named Footsies, specializing in all things centering on feet. He pulled in just as a woman slammed the door to a black Audi parked two spaces from his.
He did a double take when she bent over to pick up something she dropped. And he wasn't the only one—a man in his late-forties stopped in the middle of the sidewalk to openly gawk as the woman's perfect ass. All snug and lush in a pair of fitted jeans. The woman the older man was with slapped his arm several times to catch his attention.
The young woman with the nice ass was completely oblivious, deciding to tie the shoelace of one of her boots. She stood up fully, shaking out her long, dark hair, offering a smile to the couple, unaware the man had been ogling her and his wife looked about ready to kill him.
She walked with her head held high, a perma-smile on her face, waving at people across the street, before entering the cafe Edward decided would definitely be his go-to place for coffee.
Things were looking up.
AN: I know you're all waiting for Bella, and I swear we'll get to hear from her in the next chapter. I just wanted to add all the little clues of Edward's past that eventually lead to his and Bella's future. Also, now you know Jasper is in Washington too, something very important later.
