Chapter 13: Complicated Love
Josh spoke to his wife over the phone in a whisper. "Till death do us Part come home or lots of people are going to die. I found you and I am going to keep you, you are my wife. I need you and the children to come home." His voice shook. "Please Cynthia I don't want to hurt anyone else." He continued to whimper "But I will don't test my love. Come home and all your unfaithfulness will be forgiven. But if you stay none of those people will be able to live long enough to keep you from me. I love you come on home I'll cook and we can be a happy family."
The line went dead. Cynthia clicked over and there was no dial tone. She hung the phone up and gave it a few seconds and still there was no dial tone. She walked into the kitchen to hand Alexandra the phone but when she crossed the threshold a shot rang out outside and instantly Alexandra's head exploded. The once dead phone rung to life in the still quiet of the kitchen Cynthia drops the phone and runs screaming her girls run after their mom out the door.
Josh stood in their path he grabs Cynthia. "Please don't hurt anyone else. I'll do whatever you say."
"All I want you to do is come home and stop cheating on me. I knew you were with him I just did not interfere. I love you Cynthia. Now come on home." Cynthia pulled against him but she could not break his grip. "He's married he doesn't love you like I do no can love you as much as me. Besides you've picked up weight. He's a star you think he really want you hanging around him."
Cynthia had only gained five pounds in the 20 something years she'd known Mark. But he was married, so she probably had no spot in his world. She also did not want Hudson getting hurt trying to contain Josh. Josh was dangerous and she knew if she continued to run he'd kill more people and maybe even her or the girls. She made up her mind. She walked to Josh's rental and got in telling the girls to get in also the oldest Angelique first stared at her like she's lost all sense. Her younger daughter Angel slowly got in to the car holding her legs up to her chin, biting her bottom lip in worried thought. Cynthia loved her girls and she'd married Josh because of threats that she could not ever forgive herself if her dad really did any of the things her dad threatened. Now she was stuck. She also knew that if she did not go with Josh he'd go after Mark and make him a target. "Just let me leave Mark and Hudson a note I'll tell them we are fine now."
"Fine just don't be too long."
Josh had won he would be the victor. He got into the car. "Ok girls buckle up we're going out to dinner we have to celebrate our reunion."
Angelique was the first to say "I'm not hungry just drop me off at the house." Angel, her younger sister tugs on her clothes begging her not to start a fight with Josh. Angelique shrugged her shoulders "whatever"
Meanwhile Cynthia exits the rental and walks back in the house. She really doesn't want to do this but what other choice she has to choose from. The girls were with Josh. She finds a tablet of paper, sits down at the round maple dinner table and begins to write.
Dear Mark
I can't do this anymore I'm glad you are ok and I am glad I told you the truth. I have to return to Josh. I know how that sounds but I dug this hole and I have to deal with it. He killed another person and I could not live with myself if he ever harmed you or Hudson because of me. Mark even though the feeling is not mutual just know I love you always have and always will. Please don't hate me I'm doing this because persuaded or not, I married Josh and I have to live with the ramifications of my own actions. I just hope me going back with him doesn't get me killed. I probably deserve what's happening to me I just wish that this bad karma would leave the girls alone. I'm scared but somehow I started it by lying to you almost 19 years ago and for that I'm sorry.
Good luck with your marriage and goodbye.
Signed Cynthia
Cynthia places the letter on the table and puts down the pen she hears the back door open and the in drawn breath of someone that has just seen the maid. Cynthia starts toward the front door but is suddenly grabbed from behind a hand covers her mouth.. all her panic came back in twofold she starts to kick and swing wildly. The person speaks and she tried to pull away because even though it is not an attacker she can't see this person right now. NO her mind screams as the person turns her around and lifts her chin and she gazes into the green eyes of her only one true love. "Are you ok, what happened, where is Hudson?" Mark asks trying to keep her from bolting on him or running him over. He can somehow sense her turmoil her energy is high and she has not stopped shaking. Every since he came out of limbo he has had this feeling that he is connected to the world around him. How do you tell the man you will always love no matter what he thinks of you that you are leaving without starting another speech about how he can take care of things? Cynthia turned her back to him he turned her back again. When he did he saw tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Mark waited for her to speak but what he heard was not said she said nothing. But he heard what seemed to be her voice in his head. Cynthia had no idea what to say. She ran it over in her head. She did not want to say the wrong thing. Ok you want to know what's wrong fine here it goes. Though you may not care I still love you and though that love will never be returned I just can't stop myself from loving you. NO I can't say that he'll hate me for sure. But I have to leave before Josh comes in here after me. I have to say something. Cynthia could barely get her words out she fought to look him in the eyes but doing that just made it more difficult. "Unum Mark, I 'm glad you are safe now and I got to go live my life and I just wanted to leave before you guys got back this stuff won't stop until I'm back with Josh. I made my bed lumpy so I'll just have take my lumps. Goodbye Mark"she breaks eye contact she can hold it together no longer If the girls were not in Josh's car she'd be happy to hide in the Hudson house but they were with Josh and if anybody deserved lumps it sure wasn't the kids it was her and her alone. She moved away from him and out the house got into the Josh's rental without a backwards glance. She couldn't bear to look back. If she did she could not stay in the car with Josh. "Well my sweet shall we celebrate your return?" Cynthia just nodded yes she was silently crying she forced herself to stare out of the window when they turned off Hudson's street. She wanted to curl up and cry but that could not happen. She was doing the right thing she just knew it because it hurt so bad it must be just another part of her punishment. Now who was she going to turn to Timothy could sometimes keep Josh from beating her. That is when Tim got drunk enough forgot he hated his sister. But now her only brother Timothy was dead, her only line of partial defense gone by the hands of a man that was climbing in rank in the police department gaining all the police powers he could want. In other words she was in big trouble she had to start working some out of town accounts at her office and soon.
Mark stood in the living room trying to discern what had just happened had he heard her thoughts and her words had they said different things did she think he did not care? Had she just said she loved him? To think if someone had of said her name in his presence he would have decked them for being funny. He was torn because as quiet as he would like it kept he did care and he did love her. Mark leaned forward on the table and almost slid off when his hand hit the note she had left him. After reading it he felt even more sorry for her she thought this whole ordeal was some kind of cosmic payback instead of what it really was.. She'd been manipulated and abused by her father, her brother, and now she felt stuck in a marriage to a man she feared. Mark folded the letter up and put it in his shirt pocket.. running his hands through his hair he flipped open his cell phone and called the police to remove the Maid or what was left of her. By the time the coroner was done and the crew of crime scene technicians were done Hudson was riding up he walked in and took in the scene moving to Mark he asked what happened thinking the worst he could sense Mark's anger and hurt.
"Has something happened to the girls or Cynthia?"
"Yeah but that's not why they are here" Mark answers pointing to the coroners. Someone shot your maid. Blew her head clean off her body, I suspect it was Josh Strut but the place has been searched and no one seems to know what to do and they are getting on my nerves standing around here with their head stuck up their butts.
Hudson pinches the bridge of his nose trying to easy the growing headache he has been accruing for the past couple hours.
THE END
