Thank you everyone for the reviews! It means a lot to us. Esha Napoleon: It's good to know someone is keeping score around here. I lost track a long time ago. JacktheSinister JaketheJust: You'll find out exactly how Mark chooses to handle his business here. Naomily 17: Mark really should know that, but he's got a thick head, so knowledge doesn't always go straight to his brain. SlytherinQueen020: Numbing is required for anyone who reads about the Lawsons. They are not for the weak of heart. Sonib89: Yup, he's nuts. But it's why we love him. Debwood-1999: Offing Michelle now would be way too simple. And simple is not mine and Vermi's way. Souless666: I know right? Geez, he's such a big baby LOL slashdite: believe me, this is not going to be the last time you ask Mark why in this story. There will be a whole boatload of whys before it's all said and done. EternalxInsanity: you're welcome! Glad to know we could be of service.
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"Mark? Mark! What is wrong? Why won't you open this door?"
Mark ignored Michelle and continued to stare at the heart. The blood he had gotten on his hand when he had touched the organ was already starting to dry. He knew he had to wash it away but first he had to remember how to move again. "Shit," he muttered, slowly walking over to the heart and picking it up. What the fuck had James been thinking? He knew that Lawson was nuts but this was crossing the line.
"Mark?" Michelle called out. "What-"
"I'll be out in a minute!" he interrupted, quickly wrapping the heart back up in the package it had come in. He had to act fast because Michelle was going to freak the fuck out if she saw it. Hell, he was about ready to freak the fuck out. This was a blast from the past that he had not been expecting at all, so it was fucking with his mind really badly. Damn it James, what the fuck is this about? he asked silently, almost wishing that his one time companion was in the room with him so he could strangle the mother fucker. Why the hell do you always have to do this to me? Getting in my head when I least expect it…it's fucking annoying as shit.
Once he had the heart wrapped back up, he opened the door to find Michelle still trying to pound on it. "Out of the way," he ordered, in absolutely no mood to deal with her at the moment.
She frowned, clearly not pleased with the way he was talking to her. "Damn it Mark, what's wrong?" she asked. "You're scaring me."
Believe me honey, you don't know what fear is. "It's personal," he grunted, pushing past her when she didn't step aside. "I have to go," he told her. "Stay in the house and don't let anyone in."
"Why?" she asked.
"Just do it!" he replied, nearly snarling at her. If James was here in Austin, that meant Cooper and Connor had to be nearby. And while Cooper was definitely and James was hopefully not stupid enough to actually do something to Michelle (at least not at this point), Connor lacked both the intelligence and the sanity to show any kind of restraint-which basically meant that Michelle a lamb waiting to be slaughtered if Cooper and James lost control of the crazy kid.
Michelle flinched at the tone of his voice but he didn't take the time to apologize. Instead he stormed out of the house, got into the car and drove away, intending to get James's present as far away from him as he could. He clenched the steering wheel so tightly that he was probably going to break his own fingers, but he hardly even noticed it. All the thoughts he had about getting normality in his life had been shattered with one package. Nothing with James was ever normal; well, not unless insanity could be counted as normal. Then he was as normal as could be.
Mark drove out of the city and then went off on a side road so he could be even more isolated. Once he was satisfied with his location, he pulled over and just stared at the package for several moments. He knew damn well that James probably considered the present a romantic gesture and while the majority of him didn't want to admit it, he was almost touched by it. But he quickly pushed that feeling back down as he got out his cell phone and dialed the number he swore that he was never going to call again. "Come on, pick up you bastard," he muttered. He tapped his foot impatiently as the phone continued to ring. "Come on come on come-"
"You want me to cum Marky? I like where this conversation is going already."
Mark rolled his eyes in exasperation. "What the fuck is your problem Lawson?" he growled angrily.
"Problem? I don't have a problem. I just gave you a present Marky. You should be thanking me. That's the polite thing to do, now isn't it?"
"Cut the crap Lawson. I'm not in the mood."
James chuckled. "I don't blame you. Humping McSlut cannot be good for your health."
"Don't call her that."
"Why not? She's fucking using you Marky and you're letting her do it! You should be ashamed of yourself. This is absolutely pathetic."
Mark scowled. Hearing this from Trish or Mindy was one thing, but James was another thing entirely. He could tune the girls out till the cows came home but there was no ignoring James. He knew that from experience. "You don't know anything about my relationship with her," he said stubbornly. "You don't know anything about me."
James sighed in exasperation. "Wrong Marky. I know you better than you do. I've been keeping tabs on you every day since we've been apart. I know she doesn't love you and I know you sure as fuck don't love her. Yet you cling to her because you want to cling to the idea that you can have a normal life with her. But let me tell you something Marky: normality ain't worth misery. And it sure as hell ain't worth a gold digging bimbo."
"Yeah well I'll take my chances," Mark replied.
"No you won't," James said, sounding way too smug for Mark's liking.
"Oh yeah? And why aren't I?"
"Because you're going to meet with me."
Mark pinched the bridge of his nose. "Yeah, that's not going to happen Lawson. When I said I was done with you, I meant it."
"I don't care what you meant. Either you're going to meet up with me, or I'm going to come to you. You've got one day to make your choice."
Mark tried to speak, but James promptly hung up on him. He just sat there for a second, unable to do anything but seethe. This was what drove him absolutely nuts about James; he had no fucking control over any situation he was in with the psychopath. And that lack of control was just not acceptable. "Fuck," he muttered, grabbing the package and getting out of the car. He had to get rid of this thing and then figure out what the hell to do about the James situation. If James inserted himself into his life, all hell would break loose sooner rather than later.
