Chapter Twenty-four Evan Sterling’s POV (Present Time)

After the night I just had and the blow I was dealt, it was hard moving from that spot, where I sat on the edge of the bed, still clutching the piece of paper in my hand. I continued to breathe, concentrating on the sound, trying to stay in the bubble I had been in for the past hours. And with her sweet scent lingering on my skin, swirling in the air, and filling my nostrils it was quite easy.
The thought of staying curled up on the bed, just inhaling her scent was tempting. A smile tugged at the corners of my lips when the scene of her laughing in the bathroom a few hours before played in my head. My heart tightened painfully. I reached for my phone, flicked my thumb over the screen, and dialed Jacob. He answered on the second ring.
“Evan?”
“Yup,” I responded.
“You finally decided to join the real world, huh?” he said and chuckled. If only he knew how astute that statement was.
“Thank you for inviting me, and sorry I bailed on you,” I found myself conversing as if my inside wasn’t in shreds — Practice, I suppose, years and years of practice.
“I hope you finally let the poor girl go. I hate to get a call from the cops, man. Her friends were pretty freaked out.”
“Sorry you had to deal with that. And yes, she is gone. I would like to know if you know how to contact her though. With the drinks and … you know. I forgot to get her contact,” I said, trying to be carefree about it.
“Christ, Evan, one night is not enough? She must be quite a catch,” Jacob replied in jest.
“You have no idea,” I murmured.
“I don’t have their contacts though. They were brought in by a guy named Bobby, he owns a strip club somewhere on the upper east side. I have a feeling those particular girls are not regulars. Do you remember back in school when girls would do stuff like that for quick cash? I’m guessing it was that kind of scenario. The girls sounded too cultured. There was something about their voices not to mention they totally refused to lose their masks,” Jacob explained.
I groaned mentally, remembering what Estera said about doing the gig for a friend.
“Can we arrange a meeting with this Bobby guy, Jacob?”
“Evan… did something happen? Did she take something from you?!”
“No, nothing of sort,” I quickly replied, understanding why he would think that. I was acting out of character, and somewhat knew the only way to have Jacob help me find Estera was to let him in on who she was. The thing was. My reply to his query was a lie though. Although he meant physical valuables, what that goddess took from me was much more than all my assets put together. Yes, she did take something from me, and for years now she had held on to it. I couldn’t say that to Jacob though. “I know the girl, Jacob,” I finally confessed.
“Hmm… I must say I thought that was really fast even for you. You were the type who likes to talk before doing the do… I never had that problem,” he said, laughing.
“You are sick, Jacob,” I replied. He laughed.
“This girl must be something—”
“Yeah, she means a lot to me… scratch that, she means the world to me.”
Jacob went quiet for a while on the other end and then he said, “Should I be worried you have finally gone off the deep end? I know your marriage is just on paper but ... you know … getting this intense over a stripper is worrisome. Or was my perception correct? She is not a stripper, is she?”
“No,” I sighed, dragging my palm over my face. I felt old and tired. “She is a doctor.”
“A doctor?! Wow! Was the gig like some kink? Or does she need money or in some kind of trouble?”
“According to her, she did that for a friend. I’m guessing it is the friend that is in trouble—”
“--And you believe her?”
“I know her, Jacob. I really know her. I offered to help and she literally asked me to back off.”
“I see… I’m going to send a driver to pick you up so you can come over to my place. Isabella is here though,” he replied, saying the last part in almost a whispered warning.
“I suppose it is high time I meet the woman who is brave enough to want to marry you.”
But umm… Evan—”
“Yeah?”
“We can’t talk about yesterday here … you know, it was umm…”
“Oh, boy. What madness did you get into Jacob,” I said, chuckling despite my mood.
“Well, it was supposed to be the final fling of bachelorhood, right?” he replied, sounding sheepish. I laughed.
“As long as you are happy, and sure Isabella is it for you, my friend, that’s all that matters. Send the driver so we can talk more, but I need to go back to Charlestown later today.”
“You plan to leave today?”
“Yes, there’s someone I need to get some answers from, and you can be certain I would be coming back for your wedding and to find my girl,” I replied with determination.
When I dropped the phone, I somewhat found the strength to get up. There was a wave of simmering anger inside me now. Searing anger directed at Edward Sterling, and Estera as well. I knew he must have done something to her. And whatever it was made her leave me again without an explanation. If I knew the bastard pretty well it would be something as damning as him showing me a sex tape of him fucking her. My blood boiled at the thought that I was played. And I wonder at the kind of hold he had on Estera as well.
Whatever it was, I wished she had at least trusted me -- even if it is a little. Trust me enough to know I would shield and protect her. That is why I am mad at her. And I intended to let her know when I see her again.
I remembered her tattoo of the bird, and my chest heaved. Estera was never a fan of body modification, and now she has one on her body? My jaw clenched and I gently folded the paper, picked up my wallet, and slotted it behind the candid picture of the two of us at a carnival in Charlestown.
Her beautiful, animated smile flashed in my head again, making my heart ache.
'I am going to find out the truth, Estera, then I will leave no stone unturned looking for you,’ I thought grimly.
Matching to the bathroom to clean up, my eyes went to the sofa where I had thrown my shirt yesterday and found my denim pants neatly laid over the armrest. I recalled that it was on the floor by the door. I even saw it there and ignored it when I left Estera in the bathroom to change the bedspread.
The recollection that I am her first made me halt my strides, I felt warm inside and my heart tightened with emotions that she had indeed held back for so long just so she could fulfill her promises to me and for us to share such an amazing experience.
“I need to know what he did to her… the truth this time,” I muttered in anger. I tried looking for the shirt, but couldn’t find it, and then I thought maybe she had taken it as a keepsake. It sure seems like something she would do — something of mine to take with her. My chest quivered. “Damn it, Estie. I told you I can fix this!” I said aloud in frustration.
I hurriedly went to shave and took a bath, and with a white towel wrapped around my waist, I went to get my traveling bag and picked a casual shirt and denim pants to wear.
My phone rang and Jacob informed me that his driver was waiting downstairs. I thanked him and ended the call. I was about to slot the device in my pocket when an email notification came in. I paused and opened it with a frown pulling the skin on my forehead together.
It was a bank alert of a huge payment I wasn’t expecting. I opened the mail and my frown deepened with the amount stipulated, then my eyes settled on the name of the person who paid in the money, and it simply said, ‘the wingless bird found a mechanical arm’. My heart almost stopped.
A profound dread filled me up inside. I swallowed hard, took a deep calming breath, and dialed Jacob’s number. My hand was shaking badly from rage. A few minutes later, I was on my way to the airport, clutching my phone in my hand like a stress ball.
‘I swear to God, if he doesn’t tell me the entire truth, I am going to kill him!’ I thought with an ominous intensity.