The Mistaken (32 page)

Hannah sat back in her seat and crossed her arms
over her chest. “I bet.” A crooked smile pulled up on one side of
her mouth. “I hate to think about what your poor wife must have put
up with having you around.”

I leaned my elbows on the table and steepled my
fingers under my chin. “You might not believe this but, I wasn’t
such a bad chap. She didn’t seem to mind so much.”

Hannah stared at me with only a tiny smile
remaining. “No, I don’t imagine she did.” Then she sniffed and
looked away.

I studied her as she scanned the people milling
around us. I thought back to when I was younger, when I enjoyed the
attention I received from women like the waitress. But then Jillian
came along and the flattery turned to subtle embarrassment. It was
damn awkward to sit next to the woman you loved and be flirted with
by strangers.

We lingered in the bar for about an hour, watching
people come and go. We made a game out of choosing guests and, by
their appearance, guessing where we thought they came from or what
they did for a living. We mimicked their posture and spouted
made-up lines of dialogue as entertainment. It was a childish game,
good for a few laughs, and it gave me the opportunity to look out
for any of Alexi’s men. Hannah seemed relaxed and comfortable,
given our circumstances. It was nice to see her smile and hear her
laugh.

I patted her arm. “Stay put while I get us a room,”
I said as I rose from the table. “I’ll be back in a few
minutes.”

I used my own credit card to secure the room. Now
that we were in San Francisco, I didn’t want there to be any
connection to Hannah. It was bad enough that her car was in the
garage and that anyone might see it. With two card keys in hand, I
returned to the bar and picked up Hannah’s bag.

“Ready?” I asked, offering her my arm.

She looped hers through mine and accompanied me
through the lobby to the main elevators which whisked us up to our
suite on the seventeenth floor. I handed her one of the card keys
and she opened the door. Hannah looked pleased as we entered the
suite. It was large and elegant with contemporary furnishings done
in shades of silver, pewter, gold and greyish-blue. The view out
the expansive windows was magnificent and looked out onto Yerba
Buena Gardens. I escorted her to a separate room and deposited her
bag on the luxurious king-sized bed.

“You have your own bedroom. No monsters allowed,” I
joked in bad taste. She swatted at me again, but I maneuvered out
of the way. “A little more like what you’re used to, I hope,” I
said as she walked around the suite examining everything.

She didn’t look up, just ran her hand over the
furnishings and replied, “More so than the last one.”

Given her tone, I thought I might have insulted her
with that last remark, but she continued her tour and didn’t act
offended. I walked over to the small dining area, well-appointed
with a chic table for four.

“We can order in tonight,” I suggested. “Something
good to make up for all the bad food we’ve endured.”

She caught my eye. “Breakfast wasn’t so bad.”

“The company was good, at least,” I added, hoping to
make her smile again.

It worked. Hannah flashed me a charming grin.

“Ty? Since we’re settled in, would you mind if I
went for a short walk? When we drove in, I saw a little shop a few
doors down that I’d really like to visit. It’s been so long since
I’ve been in The City.”

I shook my head hesitantly. “I don’t know,
Hannah...”

“Oh, come on. It’s busy out on the street, and it’s
only three doors down, at most. I need to get some fresh air and
stretch my legs, have some girl time…you know,
alone
.”

I wasn’t very comfortable with the idea, but she was
persistent.

“I’ll wear a hat and dark glasses,” she added,
trying her best to twist my arm.

I still didn’t like it, but she’d been a pretty good
sport, all things considered. And I didn’t think even Alexi would
snatch her off the street in this neighborhood. Still, I wasn’t
willing to take that risk.

“Well, perhaps just down to one of the shops in the
lobby, as long as you stay where there are plenty of people. And
here, bring your phone, just in case.” I held out her cell. “Keep
it off unless you absolutely need it.”

She was disappointed at being restricted, but didn’t
argue.

“One hour,” I reminded her as she headed for the
door a few minutes later, her hair pulled up and her cap and
glasses in place. I was relieved to see that she appeared
unrecognizable. “Hannah, would you mind if I ordered dinner for
you?”

“No, that sounds good. And since Beck’s paying, go
ahead and make it something decadent,” she suggested. “But Ty?
Please...be good. Okay?”

“Right-o, Mum,” I said with a salute.

Hannah shot me a look of warning with her head
tilted to the side and her hand on her hip. She posed just like my
mum when she reprimanded me as a young boy. Both the image and the
memory made me chuckle.

When Hannah left the room, she took all her energy
with her. It was remarkable how much calmer I was when she was
near. I walked to the window towering above the city streets and
scanned for Alexi or his car, but I was too far away to discern
anyone on the busy roads.

I turned on the wide-screen TV and scanned the cable
news to see if anyone from the Seattle area had been reported
missing. When the news proved clear, I surfed through the other
channels, trying to find something to divert my attention, but I
was too restless with Hannah gone and couldn’t sit still. I
searched the satellite radio stations until I found one that played
alternative music, Hannah’s favorite. I listened to it for a while
and found the tunes to be rather angst-ridden and melancholy, too
much for my present mood.

I gave it great effort, but I couldn’t keep my
attention from the mini bar. I looked at my watch and noted it had
been nearly eighteen hours since my last drink. Every last minute
of those hours twisted through me like a knife. My hands were
trembling worse than ever, and I swallowed hard, breaking out into
a cold sweat at the sight of all that alcohol. It was no use trying
to deny myself when it was all I could think about. I grabbed two
tiny bottles of Jack Daniel’s and a cold can of Coke and mixed them
in a tall glass with some ice. I consumed the contents quickly,
relief filling me and quieting the building tension.

After wrapping the empty bottles in paper, I stuffed
them into the waste basket then rearranged the remaining liquor so
it didn’t look like any were missing. I even brushed my teeth. I’d
rather not have to deal with Hannah’s accusations, should she take
notice. The guilt I felt at resorting to such measures was tempered
by the easing of my stress. I needed to be calm. It would be
impossible for me to sort out all the issues with Nick and Alexi,
not to mention Hannah, without some kind of external reinforcement,
and I accepted that for what it was: pure weakness.

After washing out the glass, I refilled it with
another soda and drank it down just as fast. The caffeine hummed
through my veins and picked up my spirit. I looked over the menu
from the hotel restaurant and selected dishes for each of us, as
well as an indulgent dessert to share.

I felt much better when Hannah returned fifteen
minutes later with a tall bag in her hand and a welcoming smile on
her lovely face.

Chapter
Thirty
-
Two

Hannah

After being confined to a car for so long, it felt
good to be out and walking around. Though I was restricted to the
hotel, I welcomed the small taste of freedom. I strolled through
the few shops off the lobby, but felt too distracted to really
focus on shopping. My thoughts were consumed by Tyler alone in the
room with a fully stocked bar so close at hand. We couldn’t afford
another night of his heavy drinking.

An idea had been brewing for a few minutes before I
finally decided to act on it. I knew it would be difficult, if not
impossible, for Ty to go too long without something to drink, but I
hoped that weaning him off the hard stuff would be an acceptable
option. Wine was much weaker, yet very relaxing, so I picked out a
bottle of fine Merlot to share over dinner and returned to the
room.

As soon as I walked through the door, I noticed a
difference in Ty’s demeanor. Suspicious, I scanned the room, but
all I saw were a couple of soda cans left on the coffee table.
There was no evidence that Tyler had had a hard drink, so I took
his good mood at face value and enjoyed it for what is was.

“Wow, you seem in good spirits,” I commented.

“Caffeine on an empty stomach,” he replied with a
wide grin. He glanced at his watch and tapped the crystal.
“Speaking of an empty stomach, I ordered dinner a while ago. It
should be here momentarily.”

“Good, I’m starving.”

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and a
voice called out “room service.” We both laughed over the timing. I
crossed the room to answer the door, but Tyler stopped me and
pushed me behind his body. He peeked through the peep hole then
cracked open the door and peered through. He sighed slightly in
relief and pulled the door wide, allowing the waiter to roll his
cart inside.

“Good evening,” he said cheerfully. “May I set your
meal up for you in the dining room?”

Ty nodded his approval. “Please,” he said and
gestured toward the table.

The waiter quickly set the table for two, settling
the artfully arranged dishes between the silverware then lighting
two tall candles in the center. “There you go, folks. Enjoy your
meal.”

Ty thanked the waiter, signed the tab, and slipped
him a few bills before he showed him out. He turned to me and
rubbed his hands together. “Let’s eat, shall we?”

I held up one finger. “Wait, I have something else
for us.” I retrieved the bag I had left on the entry table and
pulled out the bottle of wine. “I thought this would be nice to
have with our meal. I thought it might...help, you know, with your
cravings…at least I hope so…while not being too strong, of course.”
I shrugged at Ty’s shocked expression, reasoning with him as he had
with me the night before. “It’s just one bottle between the two of
us.”

He stuffed his hands in his pockets and peered down
at the floor. “Thanks, Hannah.”

He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Inwardly, I
wondered why, but let it go.

I walked over to the low buffet in the dining room
and pulled out two glasses and a cork screw, and handed them all to
Ty then opened the draperies so we could enjoy the twinkling
evening cityscape.

When the bottle was opened and the glasses
half-filled, we sat down to enjoy our meal. We kept the
conversation on lighter topics while we ate, sharing our entrees
with each other. The food was tasty, and we finished nearly
everything, the wine included, before we dove into the tempting
dessert. When I thought he was relaxed and comfortable, I changed
the subject of our discussion.

“Okay Tyler, you promised to tell me everything once
we were settled in. So now it’s time. Spill.”

He choked on his food and wiped a linen napkin over
his mouth. “Can’t I have a few more minutes to finish my meal?”

“I think you’ve had long enough.”

“Hannah, why do you want to ruin our nice
dinner?”

I knew he was just stalling for time and gave him a
sharp look. I sat back in my chair and folded my arms. “Ty, it
doesn’t matter if it’s now or an hour from now. You
are
going to tell me everything, even if I have to get you drunk to do
so.”

He coughed again, threw his napkin down onto the
table, and pushed his chair back. “Why are you so determined to run
headlong into danger?”

I lowered my eyes to the table, my anger simmering
just beneath the surface. “I’m not running headlong, Tyler. I was
unceremoniously
pulled
in, without my consent. And while I
understand the circumstances and have, more or less, forgiven you
for your…mistake, I might remind you that I haven’t forgotten
it.

“I’m not exactly here of my own free will. And I
resent your patronizing tone, especially since I’m willing to help
you clear up your mess without involving the authorities. I could
have called the police, you know, back at the café or even
downstairs in the lobby while you were checking in, but I didn’t
because I’m trying hard to trust in your word. Even after
everything you’ve done. So, once again, I think you owe me.”

The grin was wiped from Tyler’s face while he
pondered my words. He looked me square in the eye and held it there
for a moment before dropping his gaze uncomfortably. Pushing his
chair clear of the table, he stood up and gently took my hand.

“Come join me on the sofa,” he requested.

He escorted me over and motioned for me to take a
seat. We both sat sideways, facing each other squarely. He
reclaimed my hand in his own and began.

“First, I want to reiterate how sorry I am for all
that I’ve put you through. For the pain and fear I’ve caused. That
is not who I am, and I have no excuse to offer that would be reason
enough to have attempted such an unspeakable thing. No matter the
situation, what I did was wrong, and I know that. I am deeply
ashamed.”

Ty grew agitated as the regret washed over him
again. He could no longer look me in the eye, and he was losing
control over his emotions, his face twitching in self-disgust.

“Ty, I told you I understood. You don’t have to
rehash all—”

He shook his head and raised his eyes back up to
mine. “Please, Hannah, let me finish before you offer me
absolution.”

He dropped my hand and turned away from me, sitting
straight along the edge of the sofa. With his elbows resting on his
knees and his fingers steepled between his nose and upper lip, he
struggled to find the right words. Unable to sit still, he stood
and paced the floor.