Cartel│Mark Lee

Risking it

Mark was always used to getting what he wanted. It was very rare for people to disobey him or corrupt his thought processes. He had the world at his hands since he was a young child. The only person to ever overthrow him and get away with it was his own father. With his charming looks, status, and money he never had to worry about a thing. Mark didn't have to be correct in an argument, he just was. People in his cartel treated him like royalty, maybe that's why he was so confused and demanding over me. 

I never fell completely into Marks world. I was always one foot away, simply spectating and enjoying the ride. I also never failed to give him a hard time. Mark couldn't control me like everyone else in his business. I had the guts to go against him and his views. For these reasons, Mark stepped even more dominantly around me. With a drug war around the corner, I was in no place to just sit pretty and go along with all his plans. I had to have an opinion on these matters and work hard. 

He didn't like my power. I could tell that he missed the days where I would simply only use my looks in business matters. He missed the time when my only place in this industry was being his little sidekick during meetings with men. I was like his secret weapon that wasn't so much a secret anymore. I now sat highly with Mark. It seemed the men working for us got used to a women figure in power. With one twist of my finger I was able to do anything; Control anything. It was almost like magic and for the first time in my life, I felt important. It was liberating.

With my red lipstick and black eyeshadow smudged, I arose from my bed. Another long night of strategical planning got to my head. The sun gleamed through the window and I groaned. Exhaustion hit me rapidly and I began to understand the tiredness Mark always felt. The clink from a glass caught my attention as it came from the corner of the room. I pried my eyes open to see Mark. He sat at a small table, reading a newspaper that covered his face. "Mark?" I asked. He lowered the newspaper and I finally saw his face. "Good morning Vanessa." 

His eyes drooped low and his skin was pale. The man in front of me looked far from a powerful cartel lord. He looked weak and frail. "Did you not sleep?" My groggy voice made him smile as he shook his head no. "How could I sleep at a time like this?" Mark looked tiredly toward the newspaper he set on the table. He looked sick, almost as if he was in despair. I slowly got out of the bed and shuffled over to him. I reached my hand to his forehead to check if he was warm, but he wasn't. "You need to be strong Mark. There are people counting their lives on you right now."

My hand trailed down to his cheek as I cupped it. His eyes closed at my touch and I tilted my head at him. "Do you think I don't know that?" He mumbled. My thumb ran across his lips softly and he kissed it. His lips were soft and the tingling sensation I got from him made me weak at the knees. His tone of voice was enough for me to completely melt into him. I wanted to comfort Mark but I couldn't at a time like this. The suggestion of running away together crossed my mind, but I knew that running was not a solution for everything. We couldn't escape every problem by avoiding it. From those sudden thoughts, I immediately dropped my hand from his face. His eyes opened at my action and he confusingly studied my face. 

Mark could see me changing right in front of him. The power of war stood in the way of my affection toward my so-called boss. "You are tense." He stated and I walked away from him. I opened the doors to my dresser and pondered over my selection of clothes. "I was thinking while you were asleep. It would be best if you took a break. You should get on my jet to go to Paris. You could buy some new clothes and drink champagne. By the time you get home, this will all be over." Mark exclaimed as he looked like he had just thought of the best idea ever. I gapped at him because of his sudden plans for me. "What are you talking about?" I scoffed as I slipped on a sleek Prada dress. He got up from his chair and made his way over to me. 

I faced the mirror as he stood tall behind me. "You have been working hard and this is no place for a woman to be exposed. Especially at a time like this." Mark eyed me through the mirror as he took out a necklace from his pocket. He draped the pearls around my neck like it was nothing. I shuddered at his touch while he clasped the necklace together. His fingers danced around the nape of my neck as his breath fanned close over my ear. My heart stopped for a moment as I looked at our reflection. This handsome man that I loved was covering me in expensive jewelry and offering me a trip to Paris, but I didn't want any of it.  I felt crazy as I ripped the pearls off my smooth skin and turned to face him. "You want to send me away?" 

"Just for the remainder of this mess I created. No later than that my love." He looked promising but I couldn't handle the anger that rose inside of me. "You don't like that I am excelling in this field. You don't like that I have opinions and that these men that you own are listening to me. That is why you want me gone." I whispered. Tears brimmed the surface of my eyes and my jaw clenched at Mark. He bit the inside of his cheek as his eyes rolled back into his head. "You have that all wrong Vanessa." He said and began to walk back to the table in the corner. "Then what is it, Mark? Why the hell would you want to send me away to Paris at a crucial time like this? Especially when I am a big part of this operation." The pearl necklace in my hand flung at Mark's back as I threw it. He winced at the contact and turned to face me.

"I am far from upset about you having an important place here. In fact, I'm proud of the women that you have become and the way you use your power." He was sincere with every last word and I stood there speechless.  "You are just too involved in this cartel war. Whether you understand it or not you are in danger." He began to raise his voice and I stepped back. "You have your name and face plastered across all of these plans we created. You are a target for the other cartel. Do you know how that makes me feel? You will die if you continue this Vanessa."

I could tell he felt guilty. He created this war that put me in so much danger and the concern that came from that was agonizing. He wanted to play it safe with me and hide me away in Paris. "If the other cartel sees a woman helping us they will be enraged. You will be the first person they aim to kill and if you think for a second they will spare your life, you are wrong. This is war, Vanessa." His eyes went dark and I began to feel scared. He was right. Of course he was right, it was Mark. Something told me Mark had already gotten word that I was wanted dead by the other cartel. I was Marks biggest weakness point, why wouldnt I be the main target in the name of war? "Taeyong is the one who brought this to my attention if you want to go and blame someone. Hear my words though, this isn't normal gameplay. You have no idea what these men are capable of and you are risking finding out." 

"I guess I am risking it then. You can't get rid of me that easily. Not anymore."