Cartel│Mark Lee

Finding Vanessa

As days followed I was left alone. Taeil had yet to visit my dreary room since the last time I talked to him. Guards came and went through the doorway to leave me food or to promote dominance. I laid on the flat mattress with my eyes fixed on the ceiling. Time seems to pass faster when you fixate on something. Thoughts crossed my mind rapidly. Why was I still a prisoner under Taeils watch if I was not needed anymore? Mark showed no signs of coming to save me, so why was I still stuck in this dungeon of a room? I pulled the sheet up and over my body. I wanted to sleep, but I couldn't. Nightmares had made it impossible to fall asleep soundly.

I had dreams of Mark and I at the beach house. The water glistened brightly along Marks body and he looked at me warmly. I could see him smirk at something I said and I could feel his rough fingers brush my skin. I couldn't decipher if it was a dream or a distant memory. I always awoke desperate and confused. It was a dream so sweet enough it could make you cry. I wanted nothing more to be back in Mark arms and feel the warmth he brought me, but it was different now. I couldn't hold onto those feelings of Mark when he left me in the dust to rot.

I needed to think of what I was going to do now. With no family and no home. How was I going to get out of this place and live?

I heard a distant scream. Startled, I stood up and made my way to the doorway. Muffled yelling in the distance was I'll I could hear behind the locked door. The unknown made me shake and I backed up to the far side of the wall. As the steps nearer the door I hugged the wall. I shrunk down and wrapped my arms around my legs. Thinking the worst, I closed my eyes tightly as the door began to be pounded down. The door crashed to the floor with a loud thud and the light that entered the dark room made me squint. I could recognize that silhouette in the doorway any day. My breath hitched in my throat as the unbelievable happened. "Vanessa."

His voice was horse and tired. Almost like he couldn't believe it was me sitting there in the dark. He slowly approached my crouched body to get a better look at me. My heart jumped when I saw Mark. The man I loved and relied on. But this Reunion was different. Taeil said Mark wasn't coming to find me. Why was he here now, when he left me to rot? With eyes filled with sorrow he examined my beat up body. He looked away to the opposite wall to collect himself. He was confused at my actions. He didn't understand why I didn't run into his arms or scream his name in relief. "Come on nessa. I'm finally taking you home." He kneeled down to level himself to me. Not knowing where to turn to, I looked away from his piercing eyes. He reached out his hand to touch me but I avoided the contact I used to crave. Realizing I wouldn't cooperate, he sighed and stood up. He walked to the door and called for Taeyong.

Taeyong appeared in the doorway and clenched his jaw at the sight of me. Having no other option to get out of this prison of a room, I stood up to the sight of an old friend. Taeyong reached out to grab me as I stumbled toward him. "Vanessa, I'm so sorry I couldn't find you." Taeyong whispered in my ear as he wrapped a blanket around my shaking body. The building was now empty with no signs of Taeils Cartel. Taeyong led me to a car and I hesitantly got inside. Taeyong left Mark and I alone as he went to another car. Mark sat beside me and starred at my shaking body as I sat down. I looked out the window in shock as the car rolled away from the building I sat in for a weeks. "This is killing me." Mark was still starring at me. Sending daggers into my heart with every little glance. "Vanessa I am so sorry."

His voice cracked, as if he was tearing up. I looked at him and saw tears brimming the corners of his eyes. He almost looked sincere but I remained numb to his words. "Please just say something to me." He begged and grabbed my hand. I gulped down a scream at his sudden touch. I had a hard time letting anyone touch me after what Taeil and the guards did to me. That scared feeling sank with Mark as his thumb stroked my palm and his lips reached every crevice on my hand. I still looked away and let him take my hand as the only thing tying us together. "I know you're sorry. I am too." I was angry that I had to be so defensive. I was angry that I had to question Mark and everything in my life. I finally ripped my hand away from Marks and placed it on my lap.

After a long period of silence I took in a breath. "I shouldn't be with you should I?" Mark was like a drug. He was so bad for me. He was a bad person, it was proven. He created so much horror but brought me back into him so easily. He could mask all of the bad things he expelled with just a smile and I would fall for it. Mark sat still and looked at me. With a straight face he opened the car door once we arrived at home. I basked at the building I called home. The warmth radiated my whole body and I wished nothing more than to lay in that warm bed with Mark to finally get some sleep. We entered the building and Mark immediate walked to his office. In a fast pace, I followed him. He threw open the door.

The office was a mess. With furniture tipped over and pieces of paper everywhere. He rushed around to pick the papers up. In a angered hurry he was cleaning up. I stood confused in the doorway about this sight. What was this mess? I picked up a piece of paper laying by my feet. It was a plan followed by information about my whereabouts. It seemed Mark had run circles trying to find me. After a while of cleaning Mark leaned onto his desk and crossed his arms in a huff. As he caught some of his breath with his eyes closed, I tilted my head to the side. "You didn't stop trying to find me, did you?"