Chapter 8: The Ride of Your life

The old man did not answer him he walked back into the living room. As Mark entered he stopped at the sight of Cynthia leaving. He jogged after her.

Cynthia walked faster. She could stay no longer Strut would be looking for her soon. She did not want Mark hurt because of her. She had hurt him herself and would never forget the look on his face when she told him the lies her father had made her say to him. Mark grabbed her arm. "Mark let go." Cynthia said just above a whisper.

Mark turned her around there were tears in her eyes. "You don't have to walk home I'll take you. We can talk or something." She nodded and followed him back in to the house.

Cynthia's mind warred with her heart she knew she should have refused but when she looked into his eyes she could not say no. That is why when she lied to him she looked over his head until he stormed out that night.

It hurt her terribly and she wanted right then to correct it she feared her father's wrath. Now that her brother controlled the family she worked hard to not need one of the things she gave up her only love for.

After her father died five years ago she started putting money away. Then she heard Mark had remarried and that sent her running away, that and the beating Strut had given her she didn't want her girls to see his work. She never wanted her girls to witness such violence. She returned to pick up the girls but Strut scared her into staying and promising to never run away again. He said he'd hunt her down and before he killed her he'd kill the girls in front of her and that he'd get away with it because he is a cop.

Hudson came back into the room. "Where did Peyote go?"

"He said good-bye called me Dragon hair and vanished."

"The debt is repaid my friend, Thank you" Hudson says to himself as he walks into his kitchen. He'd almost thought of Peyote as a friend, the truth hurt too much. Peyote was really what he said he was. He was an ancient shaman trapped here linked to the line of Callaway in debt bound to this reality. His crime was murder he'd killed once and that murder was what trapped him. As the legend went Peyote had killed a great warrior by the name of Delonious Callaway in Ireland when he was only 15. Delonious's mother cursed him to walk this plain of existence until he saved the life the last male of the line of Callaway. That last part struck Hudson by surprise Mark had a son he was not the last of the line but Peyote was able to save Mark and leave. Hudson would keep his thoughts to himself about why that was so.

Jeff came into the kitchen. "Jeff just the man I wanted to talk to. How is Mark?"

"He's regained his color he looks like he'll be fine. Hudson I got a question. Who is Cynthia was she the wife before Sara or something?"

"That is a story best told by them."

Hudson comes into the living room and hands Mark his keys "I had your truck put in the garage If you want to stay here tonight I would have no problem with it. My door is as always open."

Mark stood looking into the eyes of his real father the thought still ticked him too much. "Well you can lock up tonight cause I'm not coming back for a while."

"Understandable Mark I never meant for you to find out like…"

"I know that, lets go yall." With out another word Mark walked through the house and into the adjoining garage Cynthia and Jeff follows Mark they get in his truck.

Cynthia sits near Mark on the bench-seat Jeff sat by the door.

Cynthia had witnessed Mark's anger and she really did not want him to find out any other way but from her. Mark drops Jeff off at the hotel. When Jeff gets out, Cynthia moves over to the other door. "Mark, I just want to say right now before I tell you this that I hope you won't hate me."

Mark looked at her. Wondering what she was about to tell him. He then focused on the road with Christmas coming soon the rain had started turning to snow. "You just saved my very life. I couldn't hate you even after …" Mark stopped. He didn't want to think about that. He'd gotten over that he was finally happily married now. So why was he so interested in what she was going to say? Why did the thought of her putting him out that night all that time ago still leave a bitter taste in his mouth?

"Mark you missed my turn." Mark cut the wheel so hard cars in back of him gave him loads of room for his U-turn. Cynthia was scared now Mark was not a reckless driver but he'd brought up what she was going to talk to him about.

Mark speeds down the residential street. "What did you want to say to me?"

"Mark you are the."

Mark swerved missing a car by mere inches. "I am what Cindy." Mark asks pushing the truck faster. Cynthia grabbed the handle of the door Mark hit the auto-locks.

Mark swung the truck alone a large curve. Seeing the buildings whip past knowing if he wasn't mad before he got in the truck he was now she tried to retract her statement. "Nothing Mark just slow down." she pleaded.

"No, you said you had something to talk about so talk." Mark almost hit the semi on his left and swerved into an empty parking lot stopping the truck.

Cynthia popped the locks Mark popped them back down. He then locks them in the down position. Knowing he wouldn't let her go until she told him she so she'd tell him. "Mark I lied to you. But it's too late to change. That night was rehearsed. My father told me if I didn't stop seeing you. I would pay dearly and he'd cut me loose or," she tried to swallow the painful emotion that her father's words struck in her.

"Or what Cynthia?" Mark demanded

Mark's tone was extremely loud in the confines of the truck. "Or he'd kill me by killing the kids in front of me and smear your name in the mud. I knew he'd do it too. So instead of ruining your life and risking my own I let you go." Hot tears streamed down her face at the thought of that night. As she spoke of what happened the scene played out in her head as it always would. She for once spoke of what happened on one of the worst days of her life.

Cynthia's father burst into her room her mother was out of town burying her great aunt Lucile. Her father stood in her face screaming at her. She'd pledged her love for Mark and he'd hit her knocking her to the floor. "You can't control what you don't know about" she'd said foolishly.

"I can beat your ass and ruin you little hood of a boyfriend's life for good. I'm a cop I'll make his life a living hell. He'll never get the chance to be part of this family. If you run I'll hunt you down and kill both them girls they probably his any how. You so damn transparent shit that look on you face says it all they his ain't they?"

Mark stopped her. "Are they? Are they my children, or was that apart of your scripted rant true, that you'd been sleeping around on me." She just looked at him and her father had a point she was transparent when it came to certain things how he'd fell for it. Then he remembered she never once looked him in the eye that night. She looked everywhere but at him. Now she looked him in the eye.

"Mark, I was protecting us, you, I, and the children." She said on a shuttering breath. I didn't want him coming after you. I didn't want him to hurt the kids. I didn't know what he would actually do to me but I didn't want to find out. It was my cowardice that made me go along with my father's plan. The minute you left I wanted to run after you and set everything right but I was scared. Now Timothy is trying to take my father's place now that he is dead. I think he killed my mother but I can't prove it and fighting the police is a losing battle. I'm sorry Mark."

Mark was having trouble keeping his temper under control. He had to make himself let go of the steering wheel before he ripped it out of the steering column. One question ran through his mind. "Why didn't you tell me? What you thought I was afraid of your father. I could give less than a damn that he was a cop or that that he was your father if you had of told me I would have settled it." He yelled. Making her flinch, Mark looked over at her and she was still scrunched up in a ball. "Nice one." He thought

Cynthia was expecting him let her have it she had made up in her mind that she deserved anything he did short of killing her.

"Hey," Mark touches her back. She flinches again. "Cindy what are you doing? Come on uncurl talk to me." Mark said lowering his tone. He softly took hold of her arms and pulled them down from blocking her face.

She didn't resist him pulling her arms down but she closed her eyes. "Can I go home please" she asked her voice shaking.

He knew that the fear she was experiencing was real. "You think I want to strike you. I wanna talk to you. You owe me that much."

"I'm sorry Mark."

"I know that sugar I just wish you had of told me."

"I wanted to. I just couldn't bring myself to do it."

"What made you bring it up today?"

"I felt I had to. I could not keep it from you anymore. I.." she was cut off by Timothy beating on the window, his face a mask of rage.

"Get your dumb ass out of there. Strut still owes me money and he is not too pleased with you being wrapped up with Hudson he knows who Hudson is now. Computers and talkative bastard children are a wonderful thing."

Mark unlocked the door. Cynthia looks at him and back at her brother. Timothy whips the door open before he grabs her; Mark blocks his hand as he reaches across her. Mark pulls Timothy forward quickly making him hit his head on the top of the truck he falls backwards and lands on his back.

Mark takes the keys out the ignition and gives them to Cynthia. "Take these if things get to rowdy just leave." Mark gets out of the truck and quickly rounds it to stand over Timothy.

Timothy jumped to his feet wiping his hand across his now bloodied forehead. "If you ever touch me again I have you killed. Do you understand?" he yells

"No, but boy understand this, if you ever threaten me again, I'll put ya under the ground."

Timothy was furious. "Hudson's nephew or not, you have crossed the line." Timothy takes a swing at Mark. Mark ducks the swing and kicks Timothy in the face. Tim hits the ground, rolls to his feet his fists at his sides. "Enough! Playing around I'm tired of outsiders coming in and taking my place in the agency." Timothy runs at Mark and tries to knock him off his feet.

"Not gonna happen boy." Mark growls. As he close-lines Tim making him fall backward and hit his head on the ground. "Give up boy before you lose more than blood."

Timothy slowly gets to his feet. "I quit, I'm to old for this shit. Strut will deal with both of you, before this is done." Timothy quickly gets into his car and drives off.

As Timothy speeds away Mark sighs and mumbles to himself. "Nice one, not only do I have a crazy China-woman after me. Now I have to deal with the inside yahoo and Strut."

Mark walks to his door Cynthia popped the locks without leaning over. "Found the release I see, Thanks." He says as he gets back in the truck.

To be continued