(BOOK 1) MARK/HOFFMAN: A Saw Fanfiction

NINETEEN

6 Months Ago...

"We need to talk."

Mark looked up to see Jill Tuck in the door of his office. He leaned back and gestured to the chair across from him. She sat down, sitting up straight, keeping her purse in her lap.

"What can I do for you?" Mark asked.

"I think we both want the same thing here," Jill told him. She paused for a moment, then met his eyes with an intensity that admittedly surprised him. "I'm here to talk about Abby. You want to keep her safe. I want to keep her safe. I say we just keep everything a secret. You don't tell her about John and I, and I won't tell her you're involved in the killings."

Mark half stood, glancing out his office door to make sure no one was around. "Jesus, one second." He got up and closed the door before returning to his seat. "Yeah, that would be for the best."

"I know she has feelings for you, but I'm just unsure if you guys dating is a good idea."

"So now you want to dictate our relationship?" Mark snapped.

"I'm only trying to think ahead. What if she finds out? It'll only hurt her more if you two are together."

"You think I haven't thought about that?" Mark took a deep breath and looked at her, annoyance plastered across his face. "I have thought about it. I want what's best for her."

"I'm just trying to keep her safe," Jill said.

"No," he said angrily. "I can keep her safe. She is the only thing I have left."

"So this is for selfish reasons then?" Jill asked.

"Oh, and are you gonna stop being friends with her?" He asked. "If I leave, then so do you. Are you gonna do that?"

"Well, being friends and being in a relationship are two different things-"

"You're still involved with John," he pointed out. His anger was blatant. "Don't tell me to let her go if you won't do it yourself. You have no idea what it's like to lose someone you cared about for fourteen years, grieve them, finally accept that they're gone, then have them show up one night unexpectedly. Me and her have more history than you would ever understand. I am not leaving her. She is too important to me."

"She'll leave you if she finds out," Jill told him.

"That's why she's not finding out. That's why you came here, right?" He looked at her and clenched his jaw. He was nervous, but he was good at keeping his cool.

"If I find out you hurt her, I'll tell her all about Seth Baxter, and all the other people you've been helping John test."

"And if I find out you exposed her to your husband again, I'll ensure you go to jail for a very long time."

They stared at each other for a moment.

"We won't say anything to her," Jill said.

"Not a word."

Jill nodded and took a deep breath, rising from the chair. "If you hurt her detective, I will not take it lightly."

"Same to you," he retorted.

She turned and walked out of his office, closing the door behind her.

_____________

Present day

Abby had gotten out of work early and went shopping. She bought something a tad more revealing and she was going to see if maybe, just maybe, if she set the mood a bit more, she'd be able to go all the way.