The Broken Sister Part 22

Kylie rarely called him at work, and so when she did, one afternoon at four o'clock, Reese-his secretary, who had earfuls to say about Kylie after she announced Tristan was her boyfriend, and had a strong liking of Kylie and had no way of knowing the drama around Kylie's name and his family- beeped in on one of Tristan's meetings with his grandfather, dad, and the department heads. "I told you to hold my calls."

"It's Kylie. Something's wrong. I think you need to take it."

The entire room went deathly silent. Tristan felt sweat bead on his back and trickle down. He kept his gaze hard on the intercom that Reese had just announced his personal life over. Kylie.

"Kylie who?" Grandfather's voice was chilling when he spoke finally. Cold and icy, it could almost p.r.i.c.k Tristan's skin.

Tristan, seated, glanced up and drew in a breath. "You know who." He then got to his feet and leaned forward. Emergency. It had to be. Kylie didn't reach out to him for anything. Something big must be wrong. And though he had just been caught on one end, that didn't change whatever Kylie needed.

"Kylie?" He cradled the phone to his ear and turned away from the other men.

"Tristan?" Kylie's voice sounded strangled.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me. What's wrong?"

"I'm at the hospital."

"What's wrong?" he repeated, panic lacing his tone. His heart bottomed out. He was on his feet. "What happened to you?"

"Not me. A friend of mine. Can you just come? Please. I need your support."

"I'll be there in fifteen minutes." He hung up and stared down at his hand on the receiver. Then he glanced around.

"Tristan." The warning, the censors.h.i.+p and disappointment in his tone. It was all in his grandfather's voice. His mentor. His hero. The man who sent him to try and destroy a girl who had never hurt anyone a day in her life besides herself.

"I have to go. We'll discuss this later. My numbers are there in that folder. Self-explanatory. You'll figure it out." He walked around the table.

A fist slammed down on the conference room table. "You'll tell me right now what the h.e.l.l you're doing and what's going on."

He paused long enough to scowl at his grandfather. "I won't discuss her with you. End of story. If you want to fire me. Do so. But right now? I have to go."

Something lifted off his chest. He'd been carrying around what felt like a thousand pounds since this started. He felt strangely invigorated to leave it behind. Walk out, head high, spine stiff and proclaiming... Kylie. He was proclaiming something for Kylie.

He found the entrance of the hospital and rushed in. Glancing right and left he saw Kylie, pacing the floor a few paces away. She stopped dead when she saw him. She then ran to him. Her relief at his presence was bright in her eyes. She nearly jumped into his arms. He wrapped her up in them, all not even hundred pounds of her hitting him full-force. She leaned her head under his and clung.

"What's going on?"

"The friend I've been seeing lately? The one I told you I'm working on that special project with?"

"Yeah?" He knew the girl had nearly replaced him, but he'd had to control his own petty jealously, reminding himself he wasn't a thirteen-year-old and he could handle his girlfriend having friends and interests that infringed on time he wanted to spend with her.

"She tried to kill herself. She overdosed on some prescription she bought off another student. Her roommate found her. They just got done pumping her stomach. They think she'll be fine. But... I can't believe she did this. You don't understand, she'd been so strong. So sure of herself. So healthy! This is not something she would do. I should do this. Weak, silly, scared me. But Cadence? No."

Everything stilled in him. One word. One name and everything changed, everything fell into place and made sense, as he knew in the sickening sinking of his gut everything was over.

"I don't understand why she'd do this." Kylie was shaking. Her hands and entire body were trembling in nerves and upset.

"You said she'll be fine?"

"Yes. It hadn't absorbed. She should be fine. But... it almost wasn't. She could have died. So easily. If no one came in and found her... I mean, did she mean it? She was okay last I talked to her. And I'd know. We talk, I mean, really, really talk, Tristan. Only like I do with you. I can't believe this."

He knew now was the moment. He couldn't stand there and talk about Cadence killing herself and not tell Kylie who he was. Whatever they had been planning, he could not continue this charade. There was no choice now. This had just gone to dangerous and physical harm. His stomach cramped. He didn't know yet what it meant. About Tommy... about why a girl would try to kill herself. And one of those accusers was the woman he'd fallen in love with and believed in every other way.

He took her hands in his. "Kylie?"

She was staring down, shaking her head. Her thoughts were everywhere.

He said her name again his tone still gentle. "Kylie?"

"What?" She blinked in surprise when he said her name a third time, his tone louder and sharper.

"We need to talk."

"What do you mean?"

"There's something really important I need to tell you."

"Now?" Her eyes went huge.

"Now." He took her hand and pulled her gently towards the hospital entrance. There was a smoking area down to the right around the corner of the building. He stopped there. He leaned down and kissed her mouth. He leaned his forehead against her. "You have to hear me out."

"Hear out what?" Her expression was scrunched with worry. "What is going on? You're scaring me."

"Please. Promise me. You'll hear me out."

"I'll hear you out. What is it?" She reached out and touched his hand. "Tristan, what is going on? Are you freaking out because you think this is something I would do to myself?"

"It's what people would a.s.sume you'd do, isn't it? But you'd never do something like this. You'd never do this to your mother." He shook his head and took in a shuddering breath. "No, this is about-I know who Cadence is. She knows who I am. I can't walk into her room with you because it will upset her and that isn't fair. Not after this."

"What? How do you know her? And why can't you walk in there with me? "

"Because I'll upset her. Maybe add to whatever is going on with her ending up here having done this to herself." He took in a shuddering breath. "Because she hates me, and with good reason. Reasons I don't want to tell you. I don't want to hurt you with. But I hope you'll listen to me. Believe me. I love you, Kylie. That was always the truth."

Her face was chalk white as her mouth twisted in agony. "What is it?"

He sucked in a breath as if it could breathe courage into him. "My name... my name is Tristan Aderly..." He lifted his head to stare right at her. The rims of his eyes were turning red and tears brimmed there. "Tamasy." He closed his eyes, flinching as if something was socking him in the gut. "My name is Tristan Tamasy."

Chapter Eighteen.

HER JAW OPENED AND went slack in her face. Stuck. Her entire body was suddenly frozen and stuck in positon. Her eyes opened wide, and her arms wrapped around her middle. She huddled under her sweats.h.i.+rt as she pulled at it suddenly almost compulsively.

Tamasy. My name is Tristan Tamasy. The scenery wavered before her gaze. She wobbled on her feet. He wasn't serious. He was... no, what? Why would he lie? About that name? That name. That insidious, hideous name? Why would Tristan say such a thing?

How did he even know that name would mean anything to her? Dazed, totally blindsided, and confused, all she could do was stand there, unseeing of everything around her with her head bent down. No one knew who raped her. Not one soul knew what happened to her. Well, now that wasn't true... two souls knew. The person who did it. And the person lying sick in the hospital.

Oh... and Tristan Tamasy.

She recoiled back. They set her up.

The entire world wavered and she thought she might pa.s.s out. Or be sick.

Tristan came forward, near her. "Kylie... Please, let me explain."

"He's..."

Tristan nodded, his gaze searching hers. "My little brother. Tommy's my brother. But I can explain it."

Explain what? What were they doing? What kind of sick plan did they have for her? Fear sliced through her and she tried to shy away from his body. What were they going to do her?

He caught her hands in his. She stared at their joined flesh with huge, horror-filled eyes. He cursed softly. "Why do you look afraid of me? Oh my G.o.d! Do you think I'm going to hurt you? Kylie, I would never physically hurt you."

She pushed at him and he let go. She took a step back and then another. And another. Her back hit the wall because she wasn't watching where she stepped. She swallowed, staring at him. Unsure what to think or believe or even do. Her heart flapped in her chest. Her breath came in swift, shallow pants and her brain felt like it began to spin from the magnitude of what this meant.

Tamasy.

What did they want with her? What did they plan to do with her? But dear G.o.d, it had been over four months she'd been dating Tristan and only Tristan. Who could carry on such a travesty for so long? It was beyond comprehensible.

He put his hands up like he was under arrest. His tone was then gentle, coaxing, as if he was talking to a scared child he needed to gain the trust of. "Kylie, I'm not going to physically hurt you."

"How did you know? How did you know who I was? No one knows what he did to me. Not a soul. I never told anyone. How do you know?" Then her head dipped down as if the weight of her realization crushed her neck. "Tommy told you. Oh my G.o.d. He told you what he did and you decided to pretend to be in love with me? I don't understand. It's sicker than what he did. It's-"

His head bobbed down onto his chest for a moment as if the weight of her words were too heavy. Finally he shook his body, as if he were shaking off water from a shower. "The website. You commented on Cadence Sommelier's accusation of Tommy."

It only made her push harder into the wall. "I didn't use my name."

"My tech guy found your name off that."

"Your tech guy?"

He shook his head. "Yes. Let me explain it all. I know how evil it sounds. I can't imagine what you must be thinking. But please let me start from the beginning. It's why I was trying to tell you. Will you listen to me? Just a few more minutes of your life. Then you never have to see me again if you choose."

His lies. His name. His what? She still couldn't process what it all was. She took her pack of cigarettes and lit one. She ran her fingers through her hair. It was tangled down her back. As if there had ever been any real chance Tristan didn't have an agenda with her.

She finally sucked off the last of the cigarette before she tucked her arms over her chest.

"You came after me?"

"I-I don't think that's what I was doing. I mean, we found your name off the website. We knew Cadence Sommelier could make more waves for Tommy."

"No, she didn't."

He licked his lips. "She put up that post on the Rape Matters website. But later, we were able to get her to agree to take money and let the matter die its natural death."

Cadence had not told her this part. Stung, Kylie immediately realized there was more to Cadence's story than she understood. But she did know Cadence was raped and the Tamasys had gotten their way out of her. She was still their victim. "You bullied her."

He held her glare with a neutral face. It made s.h.i.+vers ride up her spine. He was so cold. So calculating. So business-like about this. "Yes. She had family but they had no real power. No lawyers or politicians or business leaders. Little money. We thought she'd disappear. We thought..."

"We?"

"We being my grandfather, father, me, and Tommy. I work for my grandfather at Tamasy Industries. So does my father, but he's more a figurehead than anything. It's my grandfather who is the brains and makes the decisions. I carry out a lot of his instructions."

Her stomach knotted. She had no idea. None. Who he was. Or what he was capable of. She blinked as if his image would waver before her. He wasn't anything like who she thought. It made her nauseous to realize. And she had no idea Cadence had taken money from Tommy's family.

"She had this story. Tommy had witnesses that night. She was drunk. She willingly went to his room to have s.e.x. With him. So maybe, yeah, we bullied her. Maybe we play a little dirty because we do have more money and power, but this was a rape accusation. It had the potential to ruin Tommy's entire reputation and life. He-"

"Yes, rape accusations would do that to one. But then, so does rape."

"It was her word against his."

"And then I commented," she whispered.

"Yes," he answered finally after the long pause as they stared at each other. She cleared her throat. "So what was Grandfather's decision to do about me? What are you supposed to do to me?"

He winced but finally said, "Neutralize you."

"How?"

"At first I was going to go after Cadence. Grandfather then decided I needed to handle you and he took on Cadence. He initiated and took care of their negotiations and what they paid her. Besides, Cadence knew who we all were. But-"

"I didn't. I didn't know anything about you, actually. How are you neutralizing me?"

He suddenly stepped forward and looked to be about to grab at her. She put her hand out, her finger pointed at him, her voice lethal as she uttered, "Don't you touch me. You'll have to drug me first. Or is that a family trick? I just proved to be such a s.l.u.t, you didn't have to?"

He shook his head. His eyes were huge and he shut them as he let out a shuddering breath. His fists were clenched. "No. G.o.d, no. Never. Nothing like that. I would never do something to anyone, and never you. I would never let anyone either."

"Your brother did that to me." Something coursed through her veins. She stood up taller, her shoulders back, her jaw clenched. The anger, the rage that never came on her own behalf, even with Tommy, finally percolated inside her gut.

He kept his hands up as if to make sure she could see them. His breath seemed to stop. Then he shook his head. "I came to meet you. I had your name and I knew that you worked at The Acorn. I didn't know another thing about you."

"You knew whatever Tommy told you. What did he tell you?"

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I came in there, to see who you were. But then, I met you and nothing fit. Nothing about you fit."

"What was the plan?"

His shoulders dropped. "To sleep with you. If I'd slept with you, then no one would ever believe you."

She almost bit her tongue. Finally she said, "No. They won't. No one will ever believe me."

"Kylie, it's not what happened." His voice started to speed up as he spoke. "It wasn't like that, not from the moment I met you. The first smile, and I swear to G.o.d, I was gone for you. I didn't understand it, not from the start. I thought I went there to scope you out, but by the time I ran into you in the ally I wasn't there as Tommy's brother. I was just... there." He pushed his hands through his hair. "f.u.c.k. I hear how lame this sounds, even to my own ears. I didn't do it. None of it. I told my grandfather I had the proof and he could take you off his list of worries. As far as they knew I never contacted you again. But I didn't do anything. I didn't take any pictures nor did I tell anyone about us. No one knows about us in my life. That's why it's been so odd, I've been so secretive. I hid you because I was crazy about you. From the start. You were there, you can't tell me you think that was all a lie. Or a ploy. I'm not that good of an actor. I've never set out to do anything like this before, it's not like its routine for me. I'm just a business man. Honest to G.o.d, Kylie. I'm just a businessman. I don't usually do things like this. I thought I was being a good brother. But then..."