Love Sick
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Paige sat her phone down on the counter and sighed. She really didn't have anything to say to Seth but he did sound like seeing her was urgent. She knew Mark wouldn't like the fact that she had agreed to see Seth so she decided to fib a little.
"Mark I just realized that I am missing some ingredients I need for the cake I want to make so I am going to make a quick run to the store." Paige said leaning down beside Mark.
"What do you need I can go."
"No you have company." Paige said looking over at Glen.
"Glen isn't company and I'm sure he won't miss me right buddy?" Mark said patting Glen on the shoulder.
"You say something, Mark? Glen asked.
"See." Mark said with a chuckle.
"It's fine you stay and finish…Alvin and the Chipmunks?" Paige said laughing.
"It's what the kids wanted to watch." Mark said with a shrug.
"Mom, you're in the way." Kody huffed.
"Sorry." Paige said. "I'll be back before you can even miss me." Paige said leaning down and kissing Mark.
"Ewwwww!" Kasey, Kody and Glen said.
"You guys are a mess." Paige said with a smile. "Kids I'm going the store; please do whatever Mark and Glen tell you to do while I'm gone, okay."
"K mom." The twins said in unison.
Paige pulled into the parking lot of Peg's diner and slowly made her way inside. She looked around for Seth but didn't see him anywhere.
"Excuse me I'm supposed to be meeting someone here…"
"Hello Paige." Paige heard the voice say behind her.
"Coop, what the hell are you doing here? How the hell did you know I would be here?" Paige asked shocked and confused.
"You're waiting on Seth Armstrong aren't you?"
"What's it to you?"
"I must say Paige you could have done much better when picking a man to father your kids."
"What did you do to Seth you ass?"
"Paid him." Cooper said with a cocky smirk.
"Excuse me?"
"I needed to get you here and I knew you wouldn't come if I called so I looked up Seth when I got here and asked him to do me a favor. He refused at first and threatened to kick my ass for putting my hands on you and that little brat of yours, but I swore to him that I had no intentions on putting my hands on anyone and that I just needed to finalize some divorce stuff."
"And Seth bought that?"
"No, he told me to go to hell so I did what any man would do, I offered to cut him a check and well money is the universal language I suppose because Seth finally saw things my way and called you up."
"I'm going to kill him!" Paige said angrily.
"You can do whatever you want to the guy…after our little meeting. Come on have a seat." Cooper said.
"Forget you Coop I'm going home." Paige said as she started walking towards the door.
Cooper grabbed her by the arm and led her to a table.
"Sit your ass down or that concussion I gave you before will pale in comparison to what I do to you now." Cooper whispered in Paige's ear.
"Don't threaten me Cooper." Paige said trying to stay calm although her heart was already racing in her chest.
"That's not a threat sweetheart. Look down."
Paige did what Cooper said and saw the gun tucked in his waistband.
"What do you want Cooper?" Paige said pulling away from him and sliding into a booth.
"I just need you to sign a few papers."
"Oh I get it now. You see Frankie called me and told me that you have been trying to sell the house."
"Yes but they need both of our signatures for me to do that so all I need is for you to sign this piece of paper saying that you could care less if I sold the house or not and I will be out of here." Coop said taking the piece of folded paper out of his jacket pocket.
"Come on Coop I just told you I talked to Frankie, I know that the house is all mine. You have no right to anything so No, I will not be signing away My house to you today."
"Did you not see that gun that I am carrying? Do you not think that I will shoot you?"
"Not with all these people around." Paige said.
"You're right; get your ass up and walk out to my rental."
"Do you think I'm stupid or something? I'm not going anywhere with you and if you try to make me I will scream."
"Paige get up or witnesses or no witnesses I will shoot you right here right now." Coop said as Paige heard him cock the gun under the table.
"You would kill me over a house?"
"You wouldn't understand now get up and walk to the car and if you even think about drawing any kind of attention to us then think again."
"Where are we going?" Paige asked as Coop drove towards a pretty deserted part of town.
"Don't worry about that. Now look I really don't want to hurt you but if you don't sign those papers I will have to."
"Is this about money?"
"It's none of your business Paige."
"You're holding me hostage so yes Cooper it is my business."
"I'm a little strapped for cash okay."
"Cooper you are a very successful Lawyer, how the hell are you strapped for cash?"
"Mind your own business damn!" Cooper snapped.
"I think I deserve to know."
"Keep running your mouth and I will gag you."
"Just tell me why you need the money and maybe I will consider signing over the house to you."
"Oh you will be signing those papers whether I tell you or not. Don't think you have a choice her Paige because you don't." Coop said as he pulled up to an old abandoned building. "Get out."
"Why did you bring me here?" Paige asked slowly getting out of the car.
"Because there is no one around for miles so no one will be able to hear you if you scream now get inside." Coop said pushing Paige inside the building.
"People will look for me Cooper. I told Mark that I just had to run to the store, he will get worried and he will come looking for me and this time he will kill you."
Cooper didn't say anything he just pushed Paige down hard on an old rusty chair and started tying her to it.
"Just in case you get any ideas." Cooper said after he was done.
"You won't get away with this."
"Would you please shut the hell up? I can't think with you babbling."
"Why do you need the money Cooper?" Paige asked again.
"Because I'm in debt up to my eyeballs and right now I have some not so nice men breathing down my neck to collect."
"What kind of debt and how much do you owe?"
"Gambling debt and pretty much a small fortune."
"I didn't even know you gambled."
"I used to have a problem but I got my act together right before I met you, but after we split things were stressful and it all just snow balled out of control."
"That's why you stopped supporting me and the kids; you couldn't afford to could you?"
"No, I couldn't and I really felt bad because I knew that you were having a hard time."
"Well we are fine now."
"Paige I need to sell the house I have to pay these guys or they are going to kill me."
I'm sorry Cooper but no, I won't sign those papers."
"What?"
"You just admitted to me that you are addicted to gambling so how do I know that you don't want the money just to feed your habit?"
"I told you I owe bad guys a lot of money."
"I don't believe you." Paige said and was met with a smack across the face.
"You bitch! I am telling you the truth now sign the damn papers." Coop said as he smacked Paige again but harder.
"I wonder what's taking Paige so long." Mark said as he put in another movie for the twins.
"Maybe she decided to just do the shopping for the whole week since she was already at the store." Glen said.
"Yeah but still it's been over two hours." Mark said as Bee Movie started.
"Call her." Glen said.
"You think I should?"
"You're worried about your woman, call her." Glen said again.
"You're right. I'll be right back." Mark said getting up and leaving the room.
Mark dialed Paige's number as he walked into the kitchen. When he got in there he heard "Bleeding Love" coming from the counter and that's when he saw Paige's phone.
"Can't believe she forgot this." Mark said picking up Paige's phone.
Mark thought back to right before he went in to watch the movie and remembered Paige's phone ringing. Curious Mark flipped open Paige's phone and went to her call log.
"Damnit!" Mark cursed when he saw Seth's number.
He walked back into the theater and sat down beside Glen.
"Did you get in touch with her?" Glen whispered. Kasey had climbed up in his lap and fell asleep so he was trying not to wake her.
"She left her phone here, but she didn't go to the store, I think she went to see Seth."
"The twins' dad?"
"Yeah he was the last person to call her. I have a bad feeling about this so I'm going to go over there. Will you stay here with the kids?"
"You know you don't even have to ask me that. I hope you are wrong and she really did just get sidetracked at the market."
"I hope I'm wrong too. Be back when I find her." Mark said before getting up and leaving.
Mark was furious! Why would Paige lie to him and say that she was going to the store when she knew she was going to see that jerk. He would put her over his knee to teach her that lying was not acceptable but all of that could wait until after he was sure she was alright.
"Open this damn door boy before I beat it down."Mark said as he banged on Seth's door.
"What the hell do you want Calaway?" Seth said when he finally opened the door.
"Where the hell is Paige?"
"What? I don't know I haven't seen her."
"Don't lie to me. I know you talked to her a few hours ago and right after she hung up with you she gave me a story about going shopping and she left and I haven't heard from her since."
"Well she didn't come here."
"I will beat you into the ground if you don't tell me what you know." Mark said grabbing Seth by the shirt.
"Why don't you just call her?"
"She left without her cell."
"That sucks for you." Seth said earning himself a punch to the gut.
"I'm in no mood for games Armstrong, where is Paige?"
"She's with her ex." Seth said when he realized Mark was about to punch him again.
"What the fuck do you mean she is with her ex?"
"He paid me to call her and get her to agree to meet me some where only he would be the one there when she arrived."
"You set her up to be alone with that monster? Mark said punching Seth again.
"He said he needed her to sign some papers to finalize their divorce."
"Their divorce is already final jack ass!"
"How was I supposed to know that?"
"Where were they gonna meet?"
"Peg's diner."
"You better pray that she is alright or I am gonna come back here and finish what I started." Mark said throwing him to the floor.
"I'm sorry Mark. I should have told the guy no but I let my greed get the better of me." Seth said from the floor.
"You're right you should have told that bastard to go to hell but you decided to put Paige in danger and boy if she has one hair out of place…" Mark stopped suddenly and punched the wall. "That will be your head." Mark said as he left.
Mark's thoughts were racing as he drove to Peg's diner. He pulled out his phone when it started ringing and hoped that it was Paige.
"Hello."
"Hey buddy you find Paige?" Glen asked.
"She's with her ex-husband and that guy is bad news. I'm on my way to where she was supposed to meet him now."
"Kody is asking about you guys, what should I tell him?"
"Tell him we will be home soon and that it's almost his bed time so he should take a bath and then go play in his room."
"Alright pal I'll do that."
"Call you when I find her." Mark said and shut his phone.
"Hey there Mark what brings you to our neck of the woods today?" Peg asked when Mark walked in the diner.
"Hey Peg, I was wondering if you have seen Paige."
"That pretty lil lady I've been seeing you with?"
"That would be her."
"Well I just came back from some errands but Julie has been here all day you should ask her." Peg said pointing to the short blonde.
"Thanks Peg." Mark said walking over to Julie.
"Hi, Mr. Calaway." Julie said smiling up at him.
"Call me Mark. Listen I was wondering if you had seen Paige Brewster in here today.
"Yes, she was with another man and if you ask me she didn't look to comfortable being here with him, but she left with him so I figured they were friends."
"Did you see which way they went?" Mark asked hopefully.
"They headed towards the south end of town. I remember because I asked myself why would they go that way when there was nothing in that direction but rail road tracks and abandoned buildings." Julie said.
"Thank you Julie."
"Is everything okay Mark?" Julie asked when she noticed the concerned look on Mark's face.
"I hope so Julie, I sure as hell hope so." Mark said as he left the diner.
"You can hit me all you want Coop I'm not changing my mind." Paige said as she spit the blood out of her mouth.
"Then I will just kill you now. I could always just forge your signature."
"Frank knows my handwriting he would never let you get away with it."
"Stop playing games with me bitch! My patience is wearing thin."
"Then kill me Cooper. Kill me and get it over with already."
"Oh don't worry I am going to kill you, but I think I will have a little fun with you first for old times sake." Cooper said as he began to unbutton his shirt.
"Oh god, somebody please help me." Paige prayed silently as Cooper walked closer to her.