Cartel│Mark Lee

The Two Of Us

It felt like a dagger ripped into my heart. I could feel myself breathing and I could hear Marks silent sighs, but I didn't feel present. As if I was in a distant world I felt myself slip away. Being present in the moment seemed like such a terrible thought as I wanted to wander off to a time of bliss. It was monstrous, the feeling of letting go of something that once filled your soul. All I knew was him. All I ever cared about was Mark. So why did it feel so right to leave that person who showed me that I could be worth something more than life itself? I wanted the money and the power he held. I wanted to carry myself the same way the miraculous Mark Lee did. And I acquired it, but those things only last as long as you can use them. 

I found something more valuable than any dress money could buy. I found the real Mark Lee behind his solid appearance. "You want to let go of this? Of us?" His voice was hoarse and tired. "You want to leave again?" He closed his eyes in despair and I couldn't bear to look at him. I shook my head. "No," I stated. "I don't know what I want." My voice shook as he grabbed my hand. Remembering the time he brought a gun to my face to let me go, I let out a tear. He hesitantly wiped it off my cheek and kept his hand there. 

I looked at him. Not to reminisce or to conceal his pain but to see the true beauty he held. In a single touch from him, my body lit on fire. His hand softly caressing my skin fueled me a hundred miles. To feel him close to me would make time stop and I continued to wonder if anyone would make me feel like this again. But no one could be Mark. No one could replace those brown eyes who hid so much trouble and saw every single part of me. He embraced my body. Warmness flew through my veins once more. I almost felt alive again, no longer floating.

"I won't let anything bad happen to you again Vanessa." He said and bit his lip. In an instant he let go of me, rummaging through his office once more. "You can't continue promising me things that aren't true." My voice was low, almost hateful as I watched him take papers out of his desk. I realized he was reading through contracts and I furrowed my eyebrows. "Have I let you down before." He asked, still flipping through the white sheets of death. "Many times." I looked out the window to see a tree flowing in the wind. "Then why do you keep trying to believe me? Why are you still here?" He began to gather the many sheets of paper. "I keep asking myself that as well. I don't know how to leave you Mark." I winced as the bruise of my leg throbbed in pain. "I think I'm done." He mumbled in almost disbelief.

"You're done with me?" I asked in shock. He stated at the papers for a minute before turning to me. "I'm done dragging you through this with me." He said. My eyes widened at his words as I couldn't comprehend him wanting to push me away. "What are you trying to say Mark?" He looked deep in thought. He was planning something I couldn't quite reach. "I can't live without you Nessa. You are more powerful than any drug or rush I could ever feel in my entire life. You changed me and that can't be undone. I won't put you or me through this anymore." He looked concerned, almost like he couldn't believe what he was going to say next. "Let's leave the cartel. The two of us." 

My lips parted in an instant. "Mark." I trailed off. He couldn't be in his right mind. "I know what this business means to you. You spent your whole life working to be in this position, you wouldn't give it up. You can't." I agonized. "If it meant having you and us being happy I would. I would give my life to see you unafraid and be in a state of ecstasy." Mark looked worried. The mystery of why haunted me. Was he worried about what I would say, or the repercussions he would face by turning his back to this blood-filled industry he built himself on? He was on a pedestal his whole life, what would happen if he abandoned it on his own. "Mark, won't it be dangerous? Leaving with no say from others. People would come and find you, even kill you." Mark has always said to me that once you're in the business there is no way out, other than death. 

"Not if we run away." Those words felt so sweet coming from his mouth. I could almost taste the satisfaction of the thought of leaving this dark world together. Just the two of us. But I felt ill at the thought of him leaving the world he created for himself because of me. "I would never make you do that." I tried to hug him, to pull him away from his trance of running away from our problems. "It would fix everything Vanessa, don't you see. This is the answer." He pushed me away as he tried to clean up his belongings. I watched him closely as he scattered around abruptly. Our biggest enemies were now out of the way, so in hindsight what was going to stop us? 

He finally stopped to face me. A faint smile showed on his face as he washed the alarm out of my mind. "I think I'm finally ready to leave this life. I don't want it anymore if I cant smile with you every day. I don't want the bad memories we have tied to this place. I want to let go Vanessa. Please agree to this." He begged and I let out a breath at his words in disbelief. "You are crazy Mark." I scoffed as he edged toward me. "So?" He was in front of me now. His breath fanned my neck as he placed small kisses on my tender skin. My eyes fluttered shut as my fingers ran through his hair. "Is that a yes?" He mumbled against my skin and I giggled at the touch. "You know ill ultimately follow you anywhere Mark Lee."

I could feel him brake out into a smile before he faced me eye to eye. Staring deep into my soul I could feel the presence of a thousand fires that ignited my senses. My arm wrapped around his neck bringing him in closer to me. Our noses skimmed each other as the intensity in the room grew. He finally placed his lips against mine in passion and I smiled into the kiss. He grasped my hips and picked me up swiftly. I wrapped my legs around his fit torso as the tension between us grew. He spun me around as I laughed and I finally realized this was it. Mark and I found our cure to the worries around us. It was time to let go, but not from each other. We were ready for this new start. For bliss and happiness, together.