Chapter twenty-five

Mark was slamming things around in his dressing room when he heard a faint knock at the door. He wasn't in any mood to see anyone right now, not after seeing Amy and Kevin holding hands again. But the knock sounded again and he went over and flung the door open, glaring at whoever was beyond it. His glare instantly turned to surprise when he saw Sara standing there, smiling hesitantly up at him. "Hi Mark," she said softly, trying to make herself sound as feminine as possible.

"What the hell are you doing here?" he barked at her, frowning fiercely as he looked her over. Her hair colour had changed, he noticed, and then he kicked himself for actually noticing anything at all about her.

"I just thought I'd come and...well, I thought I'd see how you are. It's been a long time," she said.

"It hasn't been long enough," Mark muttered, feeling like slamming the door in her face. But something about the way she was looking at him stopped him from doing it, and he couldn't quite work out why.

Sara grimaced. "Look, this was probably a huge mistake...I'm sorry, forget I was here," she said and turned away, preparing to leave.

"Wait, why did you come?" he asked her suspiciously.

Sara gave a triumphant smile and then quickly wiped it off her face as she turned around. "I wanted to say sorry, if you want the truth. I know it's too little, too late, but I can't bear to think about the way I treated you."

"Is that right?" he asked doubtfully, still frowning.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is. I guess it was too much to expect that you'd believe me, but I needed to say it just the same." She searched his face for some sign of softening towards her and was pleased to see his frown getting less tense as she spoke, not that she showed her emotions to him.

"Well, now you've said it, you can go," Mark said, still feeling the shock of her sudden appearance.

Sara managed to look genuinely contrite and she gave a shrug. "I guess I should. I wish I could change the past, Mark, I really do."

"No-one can change the past, and no-one can make up for it either," he told her coldly, folding his arms across his chest and then glancing up as he saw Kevin walking towards his room.

Sara saw his eyes flicker upwards and turned to watch the big blonde man walk over to them, his eyes relaying his incredulity at seeing her there. "Hello Kevin, long time no see," Sara said, not bothering to smile. Kevin had always hated her and she him, and that would never change, but she couldn't pass up this golden opportunity. "I saw you earlier and you have a new girlfriend don't you? A pretty little redhead?" she added for effect, seeing Mark flinch out of the corner of her eye.

"She isn't my girlfriend," Kevin said tightly, giving Mark a worried look and then glaring down at Sara again.

Sara looked surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have got it wrong. It's just..." she paused for a second and then shrugged again. "It doesn't matter."

"You're right it doesn't," Kevin said. "Now why don't you get the hell away from me so I can talk to Mark?"

"Don't bother, I ain't got nothing to say to you," Mark said sharply, making them both stare at him. He was positively vibrating with pent-up rage, and Kevin scowled at him, curling his lip in disgust.

"When did you turn into such a prick?" he asked him, unable to believe that Mark thought he was playing around with Amy. Again.

Mark gave Kevin's glare back with equal intensity, a powerful mix of emotions making him totally unreasonable. "Go fuck yourself, Kevin. Better yet, go fuck Amy, why don't you?"

Kevin gritted his teeth and lifted his chin. "You know something? That's not a bad idea!" he snapped and walked away, wondering vaguely if Mark would come after him and try and take his head off. But apart from a few choice words he heard him fling at his head, he made no move to follow him and Kevin eventually disappeared from view.

"Mark?" Sara said, making him suddenly become aware that she was still there. "Is something wrong? I thought you and Kevin were good friends?"

"So did I," Mark muttered, and sighed. He was confused and incredibly jealous and he couldn't reconcile his emotions, which made him get angry. He looked down at Sara and found himself wondering if she'd really changed. A thought occurred to him and his frown returned. "Why did you think Kevin was going out with a redhead?"

She lifted her shoulders delicately. "I saw him with a girl and they seemed very close."

"So why did you assume they were a couple?" he went on, needing to know if there was a good reason behind his suspicions.

"When I see two people kissing I automatically assume they're having a relationship," she said, looking genuinely confused, at least to Marks eyes.

"Kissing?" he said quietly, feeling his chest clench painfully.

"Well, yes.....Mark whatever's the matter?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm when he paled slightly and suddenly punched the wall.

"They were kissing?" he hissed out the question, his eyes narrowing on her stunned face.

"Yes...but, I don't understand, what's wrong with that?"

He didn't answer her. Amy and Kevin had been kissing, sneaking around behind his back. Why would they do that? He thought Kevin was his friend. His fury faded to be replaced with a coldness that made Sara smirk, quickly wiping the look away before he saw her. His head was so muddled that it didn't occur to him, even once, that Sara was lying or that she had been the one trying to spread gossip in the first place.

"Mark, I know I'm probably the last person you want to be near, but will you come and have some coffee with me? You look like you could use it, to be honest," she said gently and he looked at her for a few seconds before giving a nod and closing his door.

They ended up in the buildings large restaurant, and Sara had to work hard to try and make conversation because Mark was positively morose. She chattered on about meaningless things until he seemed to be coming out of his trance-like state and then she got around to their own past again.

"I regret what happened Mark, I really do. I had rampaging hormones and they sometimes made me a bit...well, a bit of a bitch. I know," she said, holding up one perfectly manicured hand when he started to speak, "you have every right to hate me, after all I did have an affair. But that's all it was Mark."

Mark sat and stared at her, his brain starting to work again. He had thought himself in love with this woman once, but he had been roughly disabused of that notion, and she had been the one to do it. "Just an affair? You got pregnant and tried to make out I was the father!"

Sara plastered a sorrowful look on her face and lowered her eyes so he didn't see the calculating glint in them. "I was desperate Mark, I don't suppose you can understand that sort of feeling. I didn't want to lose you over something that was completely my fault, but I lost you anyway, and I'll regret that until the day I die."

"Really?" Mark drawled, still looking at her suspiciously. "You didn't sound like you regretted it the day I kicked you out."

"I was hurt," she said, forcing a few tears to her eyes and finally looking at him. "I wanted to hurt you back, so I said things....it doesn't matter anymore. I'll go." She stood up and went to leave and Mark grabbed her wrist, surprising himself. Something about the apparent dignity with which she was giving up made him think again that maybe she was a different person now. She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "I wish things were different."

"What happened with the baby?" he asked her reluctantly, watching as she sat down again.

"I had the baby, of course. It was a boy and he's a real sweetie, sleeps all night and barely cries. I guess I'm lucky," she said.

"And what about the father?" Mark asked, looking at her coldly again as he thought about her affair.

"He left. I suppose it's poetic justice really that he should leave me on my own just when I needed him, like I did with you."

"You didn't leave me, remember? I made you leave," Mark pointed out, frowning as his senses started really kicking in. What the hell was he doing sitting here with this woman? he thought. His eyes darted around the restaurant to see who else would see him with her, and he saw Glenn and Tammy walk in, his heart speeding up when Amy walked in behind them on her own.

Glenn was the first to spot him and he looked like someone had thrown a brick at his head, his mouth hanging open and his eyes widening. Tammy was confused and followed Glenn's gaze to Mark and Sara, and then getting that same look. Mark wondered what Amy would make of it, and then gave a cold smile. Payback was a bitch, he thought, and he took Sara's hand in his just before Amy saw him.

Amy had only come along to get some food at Tammy's insistence, and neither her nor Glenn knew about the phone call that morning or Mark's weird behaviour. She looked around with dull eyes and then froze, seeing Mark sitting at a table holding a woman's hand in his. She was vaguely aware of Glenn turning around and looking at her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. Mark turned his head to look at her suddenly, and he looked right through her as if she didn't exist, turning back to the woman and smiling warmly at her in a way that made Amy shake. She whirled and ran out of the restaurant, not thinking about where she was going and not seeing anything through the tears in her eyes, so she ran smack bang into someone and almost went flying backwards if it hadn't been for their hands holding her up. She blinked away the tears and looked up to apologise, and froze again, this time in abject horror.

"Hello pretty," Tony said, giving her a smile so evil she almost fainted on the spot. "Not going to give me a welcome kiss?"

Amy tried pulling out of his hold, feeling his fingers bruising her upper arms, but she couldn't make him let go and she started struggling furiously, surprising herself with her violent movements.

"Stand still, you bitch," Tony said through gritted teeth and gave her a shake, pleased when she seemed to shrink within his grasp, her face paper white. "Don't panic yet, sweetie, I ain't ready. I only came to get a good look at you, remind myself what it is I'm going to fuck." He let go of one of her arms and grabbed her chin, lifting her face up as he lowered his, his eyes looking up as he heard a shout and saw Glenn rushing towards him. "I'll come for you real soon," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her startled mouth before he abruptly released her and walked away. Amy sagged in relief when he left, her legs trembling so much she could barely stand up. Glenn arrived a second later and put an arm around her for support, both him and Tammy staring at her with concern. Before they could ask anything Kevin appeared, having been due to join them in the restaurant, and he frowned when he saw Amy's pale face.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, putting one hand on her shoulder.

Amy couldn't speak through the terror clogging her throat and she just shook her head. Glenn spoke up. "Some guy had hold of her. We came out of the restaurant and saw her struggling then the guy kissed her and left. He's only just gone," Glenn murmured, pushing her towards the big blonde man so he could support her instead. "I'm going after him."

Kevin looked down at her. "Was it him?" At her nod he grimaced and pulled her against him, his arms closing around her shaking body as he comforted her. He was surprised she wasn't crying, but her eyes were dry. Her fear went too deep for tears now.

Tammy chewed her lip as she watched Glenn disappear around the corner and she glanced at Amy. "Will you be okay?" she asked.

Amy nodded, closing her eyes and letting herself relax against Kevin, wishing he was Mark. That thought made her frown, thinking of him with that woman at the table. Who was she?

"I'm going to find Glenn," Tammy said, giving a small smile to Kevin and then leaving in the direction Glenn went.

"Let's go and tell Vince," Kevin said, startling Amy.

"Okay," she murmured, finding herself gripping his shirt and not moving at all. A sound some distance behind her made her turn her head and she felt a hysterical urge to giggle. It seemed fate was playing with her today, because Mark had just walked out of the door and his eyes were fixed on how close she and Kevin were standing. The woman he had been sitting with walked out behind him, but Mark ignored her and started towards Amy, fury written in every line of his powerful body. Amy actually started moving, trying to back away, but Kevin kept hold of her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't panic," he whispered as Mark got closer.

Amy swallowed and looked up when Mark reached her, meeting his eyes with some difficulty. She had expected him to say something, but he just stared at her, his eyes so cold that she finally had to look away. As soon as she did he looked at Kevin's hands holding her so possessively, and then at the man himself, seeing that coldness reflected back at him.

"Problem?" Kevin asked, glaring at the man who, even now, he still considered a friend.

Mark took a deep breath to try and stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, but it didn't help. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he growled, briefly indicating Amy.

"Exactly what you told me to do," Kevin answered, giving a smile that felt alien even to him as he deliberately provoked him. He was damned if he would just let Mark walk all over him.

Mark's frown got, if possible, even worse. "Meaning what?"

"You told me to go fuck her, I'm just doing as you suggested," Kevin said, seeing Mark's temper splintering and unobtrusively moving Amy slightly away from him. "Of course, being the gentleman I am, I decided maybe I'd wine and dine her first...."

His words were cut off when Mark threw a savage punch at his chin, knocking the big man backwards and into the wall.

"You son of a bitch!" he yelled, moving to go after him and continue what he had started.

Amy surprised all of them by standing in front of him and blocking his path, her face as white as chalk, but still she stiffened her spine and glared at him.

"You leave him alone," she told him shakily.

Mark sneered. "Why ?So you can get some action? My God, you little slut!" he spat the words out at her and she shrank back from him, horrified at what he was saying.

"I'm not," she said weakly, feeling the pain taking her breath from her.

"How the hell could I be so wrong? You managed to make me think there was nothing going on, and you did it by playing on my emotions. I guess that's something you're used to doing. Does Vince know what a worthless little tart you really are?" he asked her coldly, the way he looked at her making her flesh crawl.

She shook her head in denial, unable to believe he could say such things to her. "I don't deserve that," she whispered through numb lips, looking at the man she no longer recognised before she turned and ran, heading for the elevator so she could get to Vince's office.

She managed to convince her godfather to get someone to take her home without really telling him anything about what had happened, but he was suspicious and she could tell. Luckily he didn't push her for answers, intending to talk to some of his employees when she had left. He called Shane and told him he had no choice but to go home and stay there, keep an eye on Amy. As it turned out Shane didn't have a problem with that, having done what he came to do, and he showed up at Vince's office a few minutes later, smiling at Amy as he took her hand and drew her out of the chair she was sitting in. He frowned when he saw how pale she appeared and looked at Vince for answers, but the older man shook his head and shrugged.

"Right, we'll get going then. See you later?" Shane said, nodding at his father and guiding Amy out of the room.

The ride home was silent and Shane didn't try making her talk, sensing her deep emotions and wondering what the matter was. She had always been quiet and she had good reason, but from what his father had told him, she had been well on her way to showing her true personality. So what the hell had happened to make her close up like a flower denied the sun?

When they arrived at the house, Shane let her out of the car at the steps and then went and parked it in the garage, coming back to find she had already gone inside and was making her way up the stairs.

"Hey wait up," he said, making her stop her progress and glance briefly at him. "Come and have a drink with me."

Amy tried to speak and couldn't, so she just shook her head and looked away, making Shane frown worriedly. He went up the stairs to where she was standing and took her arm, shocked to find her shaking like a leaf.

"Jesus, Amy, what's the matter?"

He waited for an answer but she didn't speak, closing her eyes and shaking her head again. "Come on, come and have a drink, I think you need one," he said softly, drawing her back down the stairs and into his fathers study where he poured something amber coloured into a glass and thrust it under her nose. "Drink."

Amy automatically did as he said, taking a large swallow of the liquid and then choking as it burned it's way down her throat. But it had the desired effect and brought her partially back to reality. "What was that?" she asked huskily, her eyes watering.

"Brandy, best thing in the world for shock," Shane told her, smiling wryly.

"Shock?" she asked, her brain working slowly.

"Yes, shock. Because that's what you were acting like, exactly as if you had had a shock. Want to tell me about it?"

Amy thought briefly that this family must be sick to death of her crying and looking tragic most of the time, but they had never once complained, always being there for her, more now than ever. She made a concerted effort not to cry as she told Shane about Tony's visit. She didn't say a word about Mark, though, and she couldn't analyse why. Maybe it was because she knew what Vince would do, and what Shane would do too. Vince would fire Mark, and Shane would try and fight him. She didn't want that to happen, not to either of them. Shane hugged her, kissing her on the forehead when she said she wanted to go and have a rest. He watched her walk out of the room and waited until she was well out of the way upstairs before he picked the phone up.

"This is getting out of hand," Shane muttered as he dialled his fathers cell phone and waited until he answered, rattling off what she had told him as soon as he did.

"This is ridiculous," Vince muttered. "Thanks Shane, I was going to ask around here to find out what was wrong, so you've saved me some trouble. I'll get on to the police again and have a little word with security. They aren't doing their jobs well enough."

The two men said their goodbyes and hung up, and Shane filled the glass again, sitting down and sipping slowly at the spirit as he thought about what he'd do to Tony if he ever caught him.

****

Back at the Arena, Mark was sitting in his dressing room cursing roundly. Sara was sitting there with him, watching him as he worked his temper out and thinking in amazement that he had never gotten quite that angry with her. He must care about that little bitch a lot, she thought, so it was a good job she would soon be out of the picture so Sara could sink her claws into him with more ease.

She leaned forward and took Mark's hand in hers, drawing it up to her face and planting a kiss in the centre of his palm, the action stopping his words as he stared at her in astonishment. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Oh Mark," she said softly, injecting some desperation into her voice and standing up. "I hate seeing you like this, so wound up," she purred and abruptly planted herself on his lap, her arms twining around his neck as she leaned in and kissed him, putting everything she had ever learned about men into the kiss. Her knowledge was vast.

Mark jumped when she placed her mouth on his, his eyes staring at her incredulously, and he moved his hands to her arms to get her off him. But Sara held on, rubbing herself over him until he felt himself start to harden underneath her. He took a shocked breath and stood up pushing her violently off him and watching as she smiled seductively, not in the least bothered by his actions.

"What the fuck is the matter with you? I don't want you anymore Sara!" he said, angry with her and with his own body.

"Yes you do," she said, looking pointedly at his crotch. "Come on Mark, I can make you feel better, get rid of some of that tension," she said, moving closer again and running a hand over his chest and down, grabbing his erection through his jeans and rubbing.

Mark groaned helplessly as his body reacted to her touch, but his mind refused to give in. "Get off me Sara!"

"Make me," she whispered, dropping suddenly to her knees and opening his jeans before he had the presence of mind to stop her. As he lifted his hands to make her stand up she grabbed his hard flesh and drew it out in front of her, closing her mouth over him and sucking expertly, the feeling making his knees shake and his hands grab her head.

He looked down at her with desire and disgust equally mixed and then swore loudly. Fine, if this was what she wanted, he thought, then she'd better be ready for it. He grabbed her face so she couldn't move and started pushing into her mouth in long, fast strokes, feeling her throat spasm as he forced himself down it, not in the least concerned with her comfort as he drove himself to completion. He groaned harshly as he held himself deep in her mouth, letting the brief pleasure skitter over his nerves before releasing her and zipping himself back up. He looked down at her kneeling there trying to catch her breath, and grimaced with distaste, disgusted with what he'd just done and with whom. Crouching down so she had to look up at him, he grabbed her chin and sneered.

"Was it everything you'd hoped for?" he asked sarcastically, and she let her eyes fill with tears, choking back a sob theatrically as she jumped up and ran out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her she smiled and wiped her mouth. Regardless of whether or not Mark wanted her, she would eventually get him. She pulled out her cell phone and rang the number Tony had given her, wincing at her sore throat.

"Hello?"

"Hello Tony, it's me. I think it's time we carried out our little deal, don't you? Tomorrow. Pick me up at my hotel at 9, then we'll both get what we want," she said, grinning happily into the phone as he agreed and she hung up. She could hardly wait.