MORE LIKE HIM

Unfortunately, there was only one person who would have the answers I needed. I still had my secret folder from when I was searching for Peter before, and I got his phone number. I didn't want to have to go all the way back to Seattle to hunt him down, nor did I want to see him in person if I didn't have to.

I lied to Jake and told him I was going to check out some live music in a nearby café. He was working on a project car Edward had found for him, and was just distracted enough I was able to sneak under his radar. I didn't have long before he would come and look for me, though.

Luckily, the phone only rang once before Peter answered.

"Peter," he grumbled. He already sounded like he was in a bad mood.

"Hello, Peter," I greeted. I could feel him perk up.

"I was under the impression I was never going to hear from you again, little bean," he chuckled into the phone. It made me sick.

"Shut up," I hissed at him. "I need information, and I need you to give it to me."

"Oh, now you need something from me," he was having far too much fun with this. "You know, any good information comes at a price."

"I figured you would say that," I sighed. This was a man who made deals with the Volturi. He wasn't going to give me what I wanted without a little something in return. It made me sick to know I would have to make a deal with him.

"So what do you have that I would want?" He leaned in.

"I have me," I insisted. "And you have ten minutes to tell me how I am related to Ryan D'Amico."

"Ah, you've finally put the pieces together. I knew you were a smart one. You take after me, that way," he snaked.

"I'm nothing like you," I hissed, desperately trying to control myself. I was in public, and I didn't want to cause a scene.

"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you? You're much more like me than you are your mother."

"This deal is off if you mention her one more time," I warned him. Peter snickered.

"Ah, my dear Danielle, you have much to learn about making deals with experienced businessmen like myself. I am completely in control of this particular transaction, whether you want to believe that or not," he explained. "Your end of the bargain is reliant on my desire to see you again. Right now, that desire is particularly low considering you ruined my plans."

"You want nothing more than a family. You have Morgan and Max, but you don't have the two children you are biologically responsible for. You want nothing more than Ryan and I in your home and in your life. Don't pretend that you're in control, because we both know you're not. I can arrange for the three of us to meet. I can arrange for you to be a part of our lives. That is my deal. You have less than fifteen minutes to tell me how I am related to Ryan D'Amico, or the deal is off the table. I will change my phone number, and you will never see either of us again."

"I've found you before, I can do it again. I'll hunt both of you down and you won't like the consequences. You don't know who you're dealing with, girl," he snarled into the phone. He can't hurt you here, I reminded myself. He won't find you. He's bluffing.

"They will kill you if you touch either of us," I warned him. "They will not be as generous as they were last time. I will let them kill you."

"Then you'll never have the answers you want," he pointed out.

"So do this the easy way. Tell me how I'm related to Ryan D'Amico."

"You're so eager," he chuckled. "So young. I can teach you so much about this world, puppet."

"Cut the crap with the nicknames and tell me how I'm related to Ryan D'Amico!" I shouted into the phone. People were staring at me now. I glanced through the window to find Jake standing out in the cold. He was fuming. I ignored him.

"You have ten seconds or I hang up," I finalized. "Your call." It was silent for a few moments before I heard Peter sigh on the other line.

"You already know the answer. Ryan is my son and your brother," Peter answered. I shook my head.

"That's not good enough, Peter. Why? How? He's older than me, but you were never around. Not even when I was a baby. What, did you just keep getting her pregnant and leave? Why would you keep me and not him?"

"There's a lot you don't understand, and a lot I can't tell you over the phone. Follow through with your end of the bargain and I promise I will give you the answers to all of your questions. Bring Ryan too, I'm sure he's interested."

"He doesn't know I'm talking to you," I admitted, against my better judgement.

"He will," I could see Peter wink in my mind. I hated that I let him get in there. "I'll see you soon, sweet pea."

"Monday. Three o Clock. The old house," I told him. If I was going to meet him somewhere, it was going to be on neutral turf. Somewhere I hadn't been in years, and somewhere he hadn't been.

"Bring the boy," he warned me.

"Bring the information," I warned him. I heard him hang up the phone, and I glanced outside again. Jake was still waiting for me. I was surprised he hadn't attracted anyone else's attention yet. We were in New Hampshire in the middle of winter. At least he had enough sense to put a jacket on.

"Are you kidding me, Dani?" He started as soon as I walked out. "That was him, wasn't it? Your psycho dad? Why would you call him, why? And why would you lie to me about this? Are you trying to get yourself killed? Dani, answer me!" He grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. It was enough force that if I were still a human he probably would have dislocated my shoulder. I took a deep breath.

"You wouldn't understand," I told him before turning back around and heading to the car.

"So what, you're just going to shut me out now? Are you kidding me?" Jake slammed his side of the door shut as we got into the car. He was angry, and he had every right to be. Still, I was shutting him out, and I was going to keep shutting him out. He didn't need to be a part of this. I didn't need him to get hurt, too.

"I bet Ryan is going to hear about what is going on," Jake spat to himself after a few moments of silence. I slammed on the breaks and pulled the car over, turning to Jake.

"You're right. He is. For the first time ever, someone is about to be straight with me and tell me the truth about who I am. Unfortunately, this involves Ryan on a much higher level than either of us expected. If that bothers you, then you can get out."

"You'd choose him, over me?" Jake asked, sadly. I shook my head.

"This isn't a this or that type of thing. He could be my brother, Jake," I pleaded, trying to get him to understand.

"He's lying to you, and I guarantee whatever that snake said to you is a lie too," Jake growled. "If you're too stupid to believe that, then I don't know what to do with you."

"Great, so I'm stupid now," I hissed. "You know what? Just get out," I ordered him. He looked even more hurt, but right now, I didn't care. I didn't come here to be criticized.

"I didn't mean that, babe, but what do you think is going to happen?" I started to pull the car away, even though the door was still open. I knew it wouldn't hurt him.

"Danielle!" Jake called after me, and I drove away with him in the rearview mirror. He sat down in defeat, and I felt my heart break. I wasn't being fair, but I needed answers. Answers that I wasn't going to get if Jacob or anyone else stood in my way.

Maybe I was more like Peter than I believed I was.

A/N: Howdy! Thank you all for being patient. I've gotten a lot of requests to update more frequently, and I promise I am doing my best! I just finished a seven week long residential program, so I was out of order for a bit, but I'm done now. Hopefully this means I will have more time to write. I will do my best to get more chapters to you all in the next few weeks. As always, let me know what you want to see, and I will try to fit it in. Enjoy the drama! Peace, Lexi.