Sick Child - MarkoxOC

Part 46: strange mercy

They speed down the highway toward Hudson's Bluff. Sofie holds onto Marko as tightly as she can, grazing the soft skin of his abdomen with her fingertips. He revs the engine in response and she buries her face in his jacket, nuzzling against his shoulder blade. Her mind is flooded with images of candles and the two of them rolling around in bed kissing, laughing, and making love for hours. She smiles. As they begin the drive toward the boardwalk, the sound of a police siren causes Sofie's blood to run cold. She doesn't even have to turn around. Her body clenches and she feels Marko respond in kind.

It's Ridge, she says.

Blind rage, like poison, seeps from Marko's bones. A growl rumbles deep in his chest. Marko lets Ridge's car catch up with them just a little. Ridge blares his siren to signal Marko to pull over. Marko whoops, makes a sharp U-turn, and skids to a violent stop just before the car can crush his bike like a tin can. Ridge rips the door open, his face twisted in anger. Sofie's stomach turns.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" He shouts. "You could have -"

Marko leaps off of his bike, storms toward the detective and punches him in the face. The hit is so intense that Ridge flies backward and collides with the hood of his car. He rolls onto the ground with a dull thud and groans in pain. Marko lets out an animalistic scream. Weeks of pent up aggression finally bubbling to the surface. Sofie dives for him and wraps her arms around him to pull him backward.

"MARKO NO!"

Ridge's face is covered in blood while Marko struggles against her, growling. He's losing control.

"Stop," she pleads softly. "Marko stop."

Ridge scrambles to his feet, but makes it just before Marko tries to lunge at him again. He slips out of Sofie's grasp and throws another punch. This time Ridge is ready. He grabs Marko's arm and wrenches it behind his back. In an instant, he slaps a pair of handcuffs on him and kicks the backs of Marko's knees so that he drops to the pavement with a thud and a pained grunt.

"I've been wanting to do this for a long time," Ridge growls.

"NO!" Sofie screams, rushing toward them. Tears stream down her face, but she doesn't realize that she's crying. "Please, Detective, don't - don't do this."

Her pleas go unheard. Ridge grabs Marko by the hair and wrenches his head back. Blood drips onto Marko's lips; he licks it away and spits it back into Ridge's face. Ridge's knee connects with Marko's back, forcing him to fall face-first onto the concrete. The skin of his chin splits open with a loud crack. Sofie can only watch in horror as a river of blood oozes out from beneath his face. Her humanity doesn't even register that his wound will heal by tomorrow. Maybe sooner since he's just fed. Ridge rests a boot on his lower back and applies pressure, causing Marko to snarl.

"You're under arrest for assaulting a police officer. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you do not have one, one will be provided for you..."

He turns to Sofie with a smug expression.

"I'll call you when he's able to post bail."

"No, no, no!" Sofie begs as the detective hauls Marko to his feet and drags him toward his car. "Please don't do this! MARKO!"

Marko is grinning, eyes glowing amber. Blood runs like a river down his chin. They could get out of this. She could just rip this pig's throat out right now. Sofie feels her muscles tense and her hands ball into fists, and then Marko's voice in her mind.

Don't, Sofie. Not yet.

If he puts you in a cell with a window, you'll be dead by dawn.