My hands turned ice cold, and there was a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t know what to think or say. My mouth just flapped open and closed like a beached fish. I was utterly stunned. When a couple of guys entered the men’s room, I pushed by them and ran out the back door of the café.
“I’m so sorry, Tyler. Do you see now? This is why I don’t want you to come after me. You were right all along. I just get in the way. And that’s just the half of it. You don’t know, Ty. You just don’t know. You’re better off without me.”
I felt like the earth had been blown out from underneath me. I leaned against the back wall of the café and slid down to the ground, running my hand over my head again and again as I tried to clear out the confusion of Nick’s confession. I couldn’t respond. I could only sit there listening to Nick sob and apologize.
“I’m so sorry, Tyler. Please don’t hate me. I couldn’t stand it if you hated me.”
I couldn’t find my voice to reassure him. I remained still and silent.
“Are you still there?” he asked. “Tyler?”
I suddenly realized I didn’t care what he’d told me. It didn’t matter to me one way or the other what he’d done or why. He was my brother, and I needed to get him back alive.
“Nick, where are you? Please, just tell me so I can come get you.”
He was perfectly calm now. “No, I don’t want you to, Ty. It doesn’t matter now. I don’t need your help anymore.”
“Don’t be stupid. We can work this out, you’ll see. Just tell me where you are.”
But he said nothing.
“Nick, I’m not angry, I swear. You’re my brother. I could never hate you. I understand how you must have felt, and I’m sorry. I love you. I need you to let me help you, please, just one more time. Like the old days. I can fix this. Haven’t I always? Just tell me where you are.”
“No, not this time, Tyler. You can’t fix this. Not this time. It’s gone way beyond you and me now.”
“Nick, godammit, tell me! Where the fuck are you?”
I heard a lot of rustling noises and then what sounded like the phone being dropped on the floor. I could make out Nick yelling. He was angry and scared. And there were other voices taunting him, laughing at him. I didn’t know what was happening, but it didn’t sound good, and I feared Nick’s life was in serious jeopardy. I yelled his name into the phone over and over to no avail. He was gone, though the line remained open.
Suddenly, another voice broke over the line. “Tyler, I think it is time you brought the girl in, don’t you?”
It was Alexi. The mere sound of his voice made me shake with impotent rage.
“Alexi, you fuck. If you’ve hurt him, I swear, I will hunt you down and fucking kill you.”
Alexi chuckled softly. “Well, Tyler, I am not hiding so there is really no need to hunt me down, as you say,” he explained, sounding oddly light-hearted. “Feel free to come see me anytime. I welcome an end to this most tiresome affair, as I am sure your brother does. Just bring me the girl and all will be settled. No hard feelings. I promise.”
It sickened me the way he behaved, like this was just some simple act of bartering, one human life for another.
“Alexi, please. I know Nick must have told you. I have the wrong girl. She’s not just merchandise to be traded.”
“Ah, but you did not feel this way some weeks ago. Did you, my friend? No, you sought revenge. So you shall have it.” I could almost see the grin on his face as he spoke.
“There’s no revenge to be had, Alexi. I’m telling you, I have the wrong girl. You must understand. I can’t turn her over to you.”
He laughed again. “Well then, you have a significant problem, as does Nick, so I suggest you either find the right girl or bring the one you have, because your brother is running out of time. Tick-tock.”
“Alexi, please. What does Nick have to do with any of this? This is between you and me. He can’t make up for my mistake.”
“Perhaps not, but you chose to involve him in what should have been a simple transaction. And now you have gone rogue and left your beloved brother out to dry. No matter. I cannot have dogs like the two of you make fools out of me and Mr. Chernov, now can I? No, I think not. So you have until tomorrow to decide which it will be, the girl or your brother. Now, I like your brother. I really do. So for his sake, I hope you make the right decision.”
That was it. I was trapped. I couldn’t just let Nick die, but neither could I turn Hannah over to Alexi. Once Hannah and I got down into The City, I would make arrangements for her to return home, and I would meet Alexi alone. If I had to trade myself for my brother, I would, gladly. No one else would pay for my sins ever again.
I sighed, my defeat all too bitter. “Where do you want to meet?” I asked.
“Very good.” His tone was smug and satisfied. “Come to Dmitri’s Tea House on Geary near 25th. You know it?”
“Yes, I know it. I should be there tomorrow morning.”
“Make sure that you are, my friend.” And the line went dead.
I fell back against the building and slid to the asphalt, my elbows on my knees and my head in my hands. That was it. I’d played my hand and lost. Alexi knew it and was no doubt enjoying his victory while awaiting his spoils. He had us both now, me and Nick. I just prayed Dmitri would accept me in my brother’s place, that I, alone, would be enough. I would turn over everything I had to appease him, but I wasn’t sure, even with all my savings and insurance money, that it would be enough. He wanted the girl, any girl. He expected one, demanded one. What would they do to us when I returned empty-handed? The walls were closing in. I could see no way to escape.
I stared blindly at the pavement between my feet, trying to come up with a plan when my hands were pulled out from beneath my head. Hannah was kneeling in front of me with her brow puckered in distress. I hadn’t even felt her wrap her fingers around my wrists and pull.
“Ty, what are you doing out here?” she asked. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Didn’t you hear me calling?”
I gazed back at her with a blank stare, my jaw slack.
“What is it?” she asked. “What’s happened now?” Her face was creased with tension, worry pulling the outsides of her brow down
I stared at her for a long time, as if I could somehow find the solution in her eyes. I offered a feeble grin then turned my hands and grabbed hers, squeezing her fingers between my own. I released one hand and stood, helping her up with me. I smiled again, this one a little more encouraging than the last.
“Forgive my moodiness, Hannah.” I ran both hands over my face. “Ah, damn, I could really use a drink.” She was just about to rebuff me for the remark when I threw her a reassuring glance. “No worries,” I said. “I’ll be good, just for you.”
I touched her elbow and escorted her back to the door. She hesitated for a second, unsure of my change in mood. She knew something was wrong and that I was trying to hide it from her. I could see her anxiety growing into full-blown alarm.
I smiled once more and dipped my head. “Don’t worry, Hannah. Everything’s fine. I’m just tired. That’s all.”
I opened the door with a gesture for her to precede me. She shook her head and passed through.
“I’ll drive,” I said as she walked by.
With an exhausted sigh, I followed in after her.
Chapter Thirty
Tyler
Grateful now to have such a high-performance vehicle, I shifted the BMW into seventh gear and sped down the highway as fast as I dared, alert for the highway patrol. I tried to keep a casual smile plastered on my face. Hannah was too perceptive, and I didn’t want her to worry about what I was thinking, and especially what I was feeling. I fiddled with the radio, trying to find some music amid all the static.
“What kind of music do you like?” I asked.
“Hmm, well, alternative mostly, but I have an assortment on my playlist.”
“Your playlist?”
“What are you doing? Turn that off!” I commanded.
“Oh relax, it’s on airplane mode. There’s no signal, just power.” She made selections as she ran her finger over the colorfully lighted display. “See?” She held it up for my inspection. “I keep all my songs on here,” she explained as music filled the car.
It was soothing, if a bit melancholy, and I enjoyed it. Hannah tapped her foot and hummed along with the song.
“30 Seconds To Mars,” she announced.
“Thirty what?” I asked.
“30 Seconds To Mars,” she said again, like I should know what she was talking about. “This is Hurricane, my favorite song.”
I gave her a blank stare, not recognizing the group or the song.
“You know, the band…with Jared Leto, the movie star. Panic Room, Alexander, Requiem for a Dream. Any of those ring a bell?”
I shook my head.
“Never mind,” she said with a wave of her hand. She continued to sing along quietly for another minute, all the while peeking over at me with another one of her expressions I couldn’t quite read.
“So I don’t watch movies very often. Something wrong with that?” I asked.
“No, it’s just… This song, you know. It kind of got me thinking.”
“Yeah? About what?”
“Well, the lyrics,” she said with a shrug before reciting them. “’Tell me would you kill to save a life…would you kill to prove you’re right?’ They’ve often made me wonder, what would make a good man do something…you know, really awful, like kill or whatever. And well, now…I guess I have my answer, don’t I?” She peered at me like she’d just received all of God’s wisdom. As if she could read me through and through.
“Hannah.” I paused, unsure of what to say. “It doesn’t really matter. There’s no excuse for what I’ve done.”
“No, no. You misunderstand. I’m not looking for an apology. I’m just saying that… I think I get it, you know. I think I…understand. You, that is. I think I understand why. I mean, I’m not saying it’s right or anything, but…” She shrugged again. “I get it. That’s all.”
I couldn’t find an appropriate response, so I just nodded and returned my attention back to the road ahead, feeling both humbled and humiliated.
“Oh, and um…there is one other thing,” she added, her bottom lip pulling down like she was unsure whether to ask or not.
“What?”
“Well, while I was looking for you at the café, a couple of people said they saw you on your cell.” She said it like an accusation.
I arched an eyebrow, uncertain of her point. “So?”
“So, why is it all right for you to use your cell when you said it was unsafe for me to use mine?”
I sniggered. “Look, I don’t know if any of Alexi’s men are near or not. If they were and I called from a payphone, it would pinpoint our exact location.”
“Okay, but why isn’t it safe for me to use my cell?”
“Because I don’t want them to have a conduit directly back to your son,” I replied, wary of how she might respond.
As expected, Hannah sucked in her breath, instantly alert, panic spreading across her face. “Oh my God, is that really possible? Can my signal be traced back to Conner?”
“Possible, yes, but unlikely, I think. I’m just trying to cover all the bases. I don’t want to take any chances. Though they know I have the wrong person, I don’t think they actually know who you are. That’s the whole problem. Your identity and Erin’s are intertwined and confused because of your husband.”
“What about that man back at the motel? He probably saw my car. He might have given someone my plate numbers. Maybe they’ve traced the car to Beck. Now you’re telling me I shouldn’t be worried about Conner being with his father? They could both be in trouble.”
“Hannah, try to stay calm, all right? You just talked to Conner and he was fine. There’s no reason to suspect they would be interested in your son, or your husband, for that matter. We’ll just keep calling from time to time to make sure nothing has changed.”
My suggestion seemed to appease her as she thought it over.
“Okay, but in the meantime, what exactly is your plan?” she asked. “I need to know where we’re going, what we’re going to do.”
I couldn’t look her in the eye and lie, so I kept my eyes on the road. “I’m working on that and will let you know when I have it figured out.”
“That’s not good enough, Ty. This is my future in jeopardy, and maybe my family’s, as well. What are you hiding from me? I know something happened back at that café. I saw it all over your face. You’re scared. Why won’t you just tell me what’s going on?”
Why? Because I didn’t know what was going on. I had no idea what might happen.
“Ty, answer me.”
I didn’t know if Alexi’s men were still on our tail.
She touched my arm. “Tyler.”
I didn’t know if we’d been setup, if we were walking into a trap.
“Tyler, I’m talking to you.”
I didn’t even know if Nick was still alive.
She drummed her fingers along my bicep. “Tyler, what’s wrong with you?”
What could I tell her? There was nothing I knew for sure.
“Why are you ignoring me?”
I wasn’t ignoring her. I wanted to reassure her, to make her feel safe.
“I need to know what’s happening, Ty.”
But I didn’t have an answer. Not one. I couldn’t think with all the noise.
“Tyler! Why won’t you tell me?”
“Godammit, Hannah! You don’t need to know right now, all right? When the time is right, I’ll tell you everything.”
She gaped at me with her mouth open then snapped it shut and crossed her arms over her chest. “Yeah, well, it’ll be too late once you’ve fed me to the wolves!”
“I told you I wouldn’t do that.”
“Well, I don’t know if I believe you. Why should I after what you’ve done and the plans you’ve made?”
“Hannah, please, just drop it already.”
“No, I think I have the right to know exactly what’s—”
“Shut the hell up, will you. Good God!”
“Don’t you dare talk to me that way. I’m not your wife.”
“No, you’re not. Not even fucking close.”
“Yeah, well, thank God for that or I’d be dead already, wouldn’t I?”
That was it, strike three. The rage burned through me again like wildfire through a eucalyptus grove.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” I pounded my fists against the steering wheel with each curse. “God damn you, Hannah! God damn you!” Angry tears blurred my vision.
Hannah clasped her hands over her mouth. “Oh God, Ty, I’m sorry.”
“Why, Hannah? Why would you do that? Why bring her up?” I wiped the back of my hand across my damp cheeks. “You know what that does to me, godammit.” I struck my fist against the wheel twice more. “Godammit!”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I didn’t mean it. Really. I didn’t. I’m just… I’m so…so frustrated.”
I took deep breaths to calm myself and swiped my sleeve across my eyes and beneath my nose. Everything was crumbling around me—everything—and I was completely helpless to stop it. It was as if my life were caught in a current, drifting further away from shore, away from home and everything familiar to me. I was hopelessly lost.
I shook my head. “What am I doing?” I asked myself. “What the bloody hell am I doing?” I screamed the second time, as if to wake myself from a bad dream. I bit my lip to stop myself from sobbing. But it didn’t work.
Hannah looked over at me and put her hand on my wounded shoulder. “I don’t know, Ty, but I might be able help if you would just let me in and te
ll me what’s going on. You wanted me to trust you, and I did. Now I’m asking you to do the same.”
Her words reminded me of my last conversation with Nick; how desperately I wanted to help him, and how he wouldn’t let me. I sighed, feeling defeated all over again. Then I dried my eyes one last time and sat up as straight as I could.
“All right. Fine. Have it your way. Once we check in to a hotel, I’ll tell you everything. I hope you’re right. I hope you can help me figure this out. Because God knows, I can’t seem to do it on my own.”
Chapter Thirty-One
Tyler
It was early in the evening when we pulled up to the valet entrance at the upscale Four Seasons Hotel in San Francisco. As I jumped out of the car, an attendant opened Hannah’s door and offered his hand. The valet handed me a claim ticket then placed Hannah’s bag on the curb.
“Will you be staying with us tonight, ma’am?” the valet asked Hannah.
“No,” I jumped in before she could reply. “We’re just meeting some friends for dinner.”
Hannah threw me a confused glance. I tipped the valet, grabbed Hannah’s bag, and escorted her into the hotel. The lobby was elegant with walls finished in contemporary paneling and adorned with modern art. The crisp white marble floor was dressed with thick area rugs bordered by elaborate patterned tile. A considerable step up from the last place we’d stayed. But Hannah ignored it all, her eyes pinned on me.
“Why did you tell him we wouldn’t be staying?” she asked.
There were people all around so I leaned in close to whisper. “Because I don’t want your plates associated with our room. No loose ends. It’s safer that way.”
She finally looked around, soaking in the richly decorated interior with awe. “Why are we even staying at such an expensive place anyway?”
“Again, it’s safer,” I explained as I scanned the lobby. “They have better security, lots of cameras, plenty of staff twenty-four-seven. It would be much more difficult for an intruder, like the one we had last night, to get past all that.”
The Mistaken Page 23
