The Mistaken (5 page)

But relaxing was the furthest thing from my mind.
That flutter and my lunch roiled together in the pit of my
stomach.

“And how’s that work, Nick? Huh? How are you
supposed to pay them back? You don’t have any money. You don’t even
have a job.”

He looked me in the eye for a long moment then broke
away to stare out the window. “Yeah, well… It looks as though I
have one now, brother.” He turned and shuffled slowly back to his
bed, grimacing in discomfort as he pulled himself up under the
covers.

I stared after him with my mouth slack. “What have
you done, Nick?”

He lay there silently, his eyes closed against
me.

I grabbed his shoulder. “Godammit, you tell me what
you’ve done!”

He jerked free, his face twisted in an angry scowl.
“What I had to, Ty!”

I shook my head. “You’re insane. Who do you think
will have to pay to get you out of this mess when you fuck it all
up, huh? Who, Nick? I’ll tell you who. Me. That’s who. It’s always
me, Nick. Always.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. “Is that what you’re
worried about? The money?”

“No, it’s not, but let me remind you that I just
paid off the last of your medical bills from your accident. That’s
thousands of dollars, Nick. And now I’m going to have to pay for
this one, as well. You never think about things like that. You
never think about anything but your own selfish needs!”

“You’re wrong this time. I’ve thought everything
through. Everything. And this is the only way it will work.”

I barked a short laugh and threw my arms up. “Oh,
that’s bloody rich! Tell me, who exactly is this supposed to work
out for? You? Me? What about—”

“This is
my
life!
My
choice!” he
yelled, startling me into silence. He shook his head with a look of
tired resignation, but to what, I didn’t know. “I
need
to do
this, Tyler. And you need to back off and let me.”

“Please tell me you’re not serious. For God’s sake,
Nick, you can
not
run with those…those…thugs. They’re nothing
but a bunch of thieves and cutthroats. You’ll end up in jail, or
worse, get yourself killed!”

He snorted at me again. “And just what do you think
will happen if I
don’t
, hmm? Have you even considered
that?”

Finally, I saw it, the motivation behind his
decision. He stared hard at me, fear registering in his eyes, his
mouth a thin, rigid line of frustration.

I shook my head. “No. Uh-uh. You can’t do this,
Nick. I won’t let you. I won’t.”

“Yeah? Well, Dmitri Chernov and his man, Alexi—that
guy who just left with his own pet gorilla—they won’t let me
not
do this,” he countered. Then he laid his head back and
closed his eyes.

Fresh anger coursed through my body. “We’ll see
about that.” I turned and headed for the door.

“No, Tyler, stop! You stay away from them! You hear
me?” Nick pulled himself up in bed. “I’m not the only one they’re
threatening. They know about you now.” He paused and pressed his
lips together again. “And they know about Jillian, too.”

I stopped in my tracks, anger coiling into fear, and
swung back around. “What did you say?”

“You heard me, Ty. Stay out of my business. Let me
handle it. This is more complicated than you know. And there’s
nothing you can do about it now anyway. So just keep clear. Got
that, brother?”

I stood there for a moment, my eyes locked with his.
I shook my head one last time.

“No. Uh-uh. No way. This isn’t over, Nick. Not by a
long shot.” I glared hard at my brother then walked out.

But my resolve to quickly rectify the situation
wavered when I considered Jillian’s safety, as well as Nick’s, for
I knew these men well, or at least their kind. Working as a general
contractor for so many years had brought me in contact with
numerous labor unions and the bosses who ruled them like feudal
lords over their fiefdoms. They were one and the same in the circle
of The City’s underworld. Ruthless and brutal in their methods to
maintain absolute control, they routinely squeezed the builders and
contractors for unfair advantage in gaining profitable contracts.
They certainly didn’t mind cracking a few skulls in the process, or
eliminating the competition altogether if they saw fit. So instead
of running carelessly into the lion’s den—Dmitri Chernov’s Little
Russia—with hunting rifle in hand, I spread word throughout the
union halls that I was looking for Alexi Batalov, Dmitri’s
mouthpiece and top diplomat, and now, apparently, Nick’s new
boss.

I wasn’t sure what to expect, maybe some dark
assignation in a back alley, or perhaps being snatched off the
street, forced into the backseat of a waiting car, its windows
glazed dark against the observant passerby. Just like in the
movies. But it wasn’t as sinister as that. It was actually rather
ordinary, considering who I was dealing with, but unnerving
nonetheless.

As I was eating lunch in a neighborhood café—my
neighborhood, not his—Alexi Batalov, shadowed by another one of
Dmitri’s brutishly large men, sauntered in and sat down at my
table. He had that same presumptuous grin he wore at the hospital,
all confident and easy going.

“Thank you for the invitation, my friend,” he said,
carefully articulating every syllable.

His English was perfect, clear and precise, barely
marred by his accent. I had the feeling it was something he was
quite proud of, and I was inexplicably irritated by that, as I was
by his dress and mannerisms, both executed with impeccable taste
and deliberate propriety. But to me, it felt like he held himself
in the highest regard, and I was but a nuisance. It caused a hot
flare of acrimony to ignite deep within my belly.

“I wasn’t aware I’d invited you,” I replied as
casually as I could, though I was rattled that he’d located me,
choosing a crowded public venue for a confrontation.

“No? Then what is this I hear about you wanting to
meet with me?” he asked.

I swallowed hard and glanced up at the man who
loomed over Alexi’s shoulder like a praetorian guard. Alexi raised
an eyebrow, clearing his throat as he leaned in to gain my full
attention.

“
Yes, well…I just, uh…wanted
to…discuss my brother, Nick. With you, I mean.”

Alexi eased back and continued to stare at me, his
pleasant smile belying the cocky flash of impatience that lingered
in his eyes.

When he didn’t reply, I continued. “Look, whatever
he owes you or your boss, I’ll repay myself. In full. With
interest, if you want.”

Alexi chuckled and rubbed his hands together like a
devious cartoon character ready to unleash his fury. He leaned over
the table in my direction, speaking softly, yet precise.

“Tyler… May I call you Tyler?” he asked, then
proceeded without waiting for a response. “Make no mistake, this is
not about money. This is about honor and integrity, neither of
which your brother currently possesses. So you may consider this a
lesson in both. He will work for a cause.
Our
cause,” he
stressed, his creased brow shooting upward, “and earn respect in
the process. You will no longer have to support him, or his
pathetic habits, and he, in turn, will no longer be indebted to
you. This is something for which I think you will both be grateful.
No?”

Alexi sat back in his seat and waved his hand as if
to find the right words. “And besides, your brother has a certain
boyish charm I find…advantageous, you might say, at least in
particular circumstances. He is well known in the neighborhood, and
I am quite certain he will prove to be a useful asset to us.”

As I soaked in his words, discarding the charm of
his eloquent speech, that flare in my belly kindled to a torch. It
burned slow yet intense, despite the anxiety twittering alongside
it.

“Well, Alexi… May I call you Alexi?” He gestured
with a nod and an even broader smile. “What if I don’t want my
brother working for your cause? Or to be an asset to your
organization? That boy has suffered too much already. Nick’s been
through hell this year, and I don’t want him getting into any more
trouble, especially
your
kind.”

Alexi’s grin remained, but the gleam in his eye was
anything but friendly. “First of all, my friend, what
you
want is of no concern to me. Furthermore, you are wrong. Nick is
young, yes, but a man fully grown, and deserves to be treated as
such.
You
hold him down and treat him like a foolish boy, so
why should he act like a man then?” He drew his fists up before his
chest. “If he is treated as a man, he will step up and act as a
man. Can you not see that, as his wiser, older brother? Or are you
too stubborn and selfish?”

With a pause, he looked at me sideways. He poked his
finger at the table between us and leaned in even farther, as if we
shared a conspiratorial secret.

“I think you do not want him to be a man. I think
you like your brother just as he is, under your thumb, always in
your shadow, never good enough. Eh…my friend?” He leaned back again
and crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, I commend your
brotherly
affection, your sense of familial responsibility.
A most…admirable quality, likely inherited from your father,” he
emphasized with contempt, “but you do him no favor always sticking
your nose in where it is not wanted. Nick has agreed to our terms.
He knows what he is getting himself into, so I suggest you step
aside and let your brother choose for himself exactly which path he
wishes to follow: yours or mine.”

The torch inside me blossomed into an inferno,
blazing with the fuel of Alexi’s words. My chair screeched loudly
against the tile floor as I jumped to my feet. Alexi’s man marched
a forceful step in my direction and glared down from nearly a foot
above my head. He raised his hands to my chest and pushed with
little effort. I tripped backwards and knocked over my chair.

Alexi barked out a sharp command in Russian as the
curious attention of nearby patrons turned in our direction. He
laid his hand against his bodyguard’s side with two quick pats.
Like an obedient dog, the man backed away and resumed his stance
behind his master. His impatience barely concealed, Alexi turned
back to me and shook his head.

“There is no cause for belligerence, my friend. We
mean you no harm. But you must respect the position we are in. On
top of everything else, Nick has broken our laws and must now serve
us in penance, both as repayment, as well as to teach a lesson to
others who might seek to do the same. If you become difficult and
offer us no alternative, we will have no choice but to defend our
honor as a family.”

I snickered in contempt. “What honor? You haven’t a
bloody fucking clue!” I threw money on the table to cover my bill
then pointed a finger toward Alexi. “I’m warning you. Stay the hell
away from my brother, or so help me God…” I threw his man one last
glance then walked out of the café, my nerves so rattled my hands
shook.

Three doors down, I had to stop and lean over with
my hands on my knees just to catch my breath. I paced in small
circles with my hands atop my head, trying my damnedest to douse
the flame in my belly. I looked back over my shoulder and caught
Alexi and his man as they were leaving the café. We shared another
glance before Alexi broke away. He whispered into his bodyguard’s
ear then smiled, saluting me with two fingers—more fuel for the
fire, igniting it all over again. Then Alexi turned away and
climbed into a waiting black Mercedes.

As I walked back to my car, my eyes kept darting
around, suspicious of every man who walked near, nervous that
someone might slip a knife into my back. On the drive home, I
decided I wouldn’t share those ten minutes with Jill. It would
frighten her, and worse, she’d be angry—at me, at Nick, even at
Alexi. Jill could be moody and was often high-strung with a
blistering temper, and while it was rare, I worried she might act
out impulsively if she were to hear about the position Nick and I
found ourselves in. The last thing we needed was a confrontation
between Jill and Alexi, though Alexi would no doubt find that
amusing. And I didn’t want her to run to her Uncle Joey either. A
war between the Russians and Italians would be a powder keg in this
city, and I didn’t want to be the spark that set it off.

For the next five days, I kept looking over my
shoulder, afraid of who might be out to get me. I gradually lowered
my guard, however, feeling confident I had made my point and would
suffer no consequences. I’d just returned home from the hospital,
where Nick and I had discussed his doctor’s plans to release him at
the end of the week. When I stepped out of my truck, a man rushed
me from the shadows. I barely saw him in the dark, and had little
time to defend myself before he raised a metal pipe high above his
head. He swung a wide arc and landed a glancing blow to my head as
I ducked away. I stumbled back into the open door of my truck while
blood trickled over my forehead and down into my eyes.

When he came in for a second blow, I kicked him hard
between the legs. He dropped his weapon and doubled over in front
of me. I scrambled for the pipe and swung an uppercut to his chin.
I heard a noise like crackling cellophane and felt his jaw crumble.
Broken teeth flew through the air, and blood spurted from his nose
and mouth as he screamed, clutching at his face. He stumbled off to
a waiting car across the street, yelling at the driver who sat
alone inside smoking a cigarette. The car sped away with its tires
squealing in the quiet of the night.

Relieved but dazed, I dropped the pipe and clutched
at my truck’s open door before my knees wobbled and gave way. I
collapsed slowly to the pavement, and stared unfocused at the
starlit sky as a dull ringing began in my ears. I heard Jill call
my name. It sounded muffled and distant as the ringing grew louder.
Her worried face suddenly appeared above mine. She spoke to me; I
saw her lips move, but I could no longer hear her words, only the
resonant chime in my head as it continued to swell. I tried to
focus on her eyes and keep mine open, but her face was swallowed up
by darkness, and all I could see was a pinprick of light at the end
of a long tunnel. As the ringing grew sharp, the tunnel walls began
to collapse all around me. I blinked once then twice.