Here's a story that I wrote while I was out on the road this last time. I hope you all enjoy it; and as usual, it is pure and total fiction. God bless you, each and every one... and please don't forget to vote.

MoogPlayer

~~~~~~

"Long is the way and hard, that out of hell leads up to the light..."

taken from "Paradise Lost"

by Milton

~~~~~~

"Dammit," the young woman hatefully spat, "Why don't you watch where the hell you're going?"

"Oh, my gosh, I'm terribly sorry," I apologetically replied, trying to help her recover the armful of papers that she'd been carrying before I accidentally ran into her, "It was an accident, I swear."

"Why don't you try getting a fucking haircut, asshole?" she venomously hissed, pushing me away from her, refusing my help in recovering her paperwork, "Maybe then you can see what's in front of you."

"Look, I said I was sorry," I suddenly, yet defensively growled, "Why don't you try being a little nicer, you might even get a date? God knows you sure as hell need one."

"Kiss my ass," she quietly hissed, "You long haired son of a bitch."

"Then why don't you mark off a chunk?" I sharply replied, "Because from what I can see, you're all ass."

As opposed to saying anything further, she very hatefully glared at me, and after gathering all of her papers from the floor, she stood up, and then turned and stomped away. I watched as she walked away from me. Granted, she was very beautiful and very nicely built, no doubt about it; but her actions made her as ugly as they come, at least in my eyes anyway...

"Jeez," I said, to no one, "What a bitch."

After gathering my own paper work, as well as retrieving my briefcase, I stood up and made my way toward the elevator so as not to be late for my appointment.

~~~~~~

Chapter One

Hi, my name is Mark Powers; I'm originally from Key West, Florida, but I attended college on an athletic scholarship at the University of Houston, in Houston, Texas; but I now live and work in Nashville, Tennessee. I'm six feet, four inches tall, and I weigh a solid two hundred and fifty pounds, with long shoulder length, dark brown hair, and pale blue eyes. I'm fifty-two years old, but what your about to read took place when I was twenty-five. I'd gone to college and gotten my Master's Degree in Architectural Engineering & Design, and because of my aptitude for it, I ended up graduating at the top of my class.

Before I begin the story though, I think a little of my personal background might be in order first. I came, not so much from a broken home, but I grew up without a father, as he was killed when his fighter-jet exploded after taking a surface-to-air missile in the skies over Hanoi during the Vietnam War. I was only six years old, and because I was an only child, I had no siblings either. I remember telling Mom when I was a teenager that she needed to get out and meet someone new, and maybe even re-marry.

However, Mom would always smile and tell me that I was the only man in her life, and I guess when it came right down to it, I don't think she ever really got over the death of my Dad, because she lived long enough to see me graduate from high school, but she passed away in her sleep one night during the summer after I turned eighteen.

I was lost for a little while after that, but because I inherited my father's strength of will, I finally got myself together and went to college. Still though, I had not only my Uncle John, Mom's younger brother, and his wife, Aunt Lisa, but I two girl cousins, Karen, and especially Tabitha, (whom I'll talk about later) their daughters, as well as my maternal grandmother (Grandpa was killed during the Korean War); all of whom were always there for me, which made my turbulent teen aged years a lot easier to deal with.

They were very wonderful people whom I felt blessed to have in my life back in those days, and it's because of not only their teachings, but also because of their influence that I became the man I did, a responsible adult who believes in doing the right thing at all costs, regardless of the consequences to myself. I also believe that principles don't mean a thing unless you're willing to stick by them even when they're inconvenient for you. Now, back to the story...

~~~~~~

Once I graduated college, I was recruited by a headhunter for an Engineering firm in Nashville, Tennessee. The name of the firm was Linder & Dodge, and they started me off at $68, 200.00 per year. I thought that wasn't too bad for someone just coming out of college; plus, they paid for my moving expenses and found me a very nice house to lease in a very nice neighborhood as well. The only thing I had to do was drive my car from Houston, Texas to Nashville, Tennessee. It took me roughly fourteen hours, because I chose to be safe and take my time; driving it over a period of two days as opposed to trying to do it all in one.

~~~~~~

After I got settled into what I thought would be my home for the next few years, I was given about two weeks before I had to report to work. That gave me enough time to basically learn my way around town; well, from my house to work, and of course to places like the area stores...as well as all of the places I would have to go in order to pay my utility bills, that sort of thing. And once I was finished moving in and getting settled into my new home, one of my bosses, a man named Michael "Mike" Dodge, came over to see me the Friday before I was to report to work on the following Monday.

"Hello, Mark," he jovially replied, shaking my hand when I answered the front door, "I'm Mike Dodge and I thought I might come by so that you and I could talk before you came to work on Monday. Is this a good time for you?"

"Yes sir," I smiled, happily shaking his hand, "Please, come on in and make yourself at home. May I offer you something to drink? I've got soft drinks, tea and coffee. I don't really drink a lot, but if you'd like, I can go to the store and get you a beer or something."

"No, not at all," he widely grinned, "I think a cup of coffee would hit the spot right about now, if that's alright."

"Yes sir," I smiled, "One large cup of coffee, coming right up."

~~~~~~

I'd just brewed a fresh pot of coffee only moments before he arrived, and while I was pouring him a cup, I took a moment to get a good look at him. Michael Dodge was a man in his early to mid fifties, with a full head of dark hair which was the same color as mine, only his had a touch of gray at the temples, but he had dark eyes. He stood roughly the same height as me and probably weighed maybe ten pounds more than I did, but my gut instinct told me that while he was a different sort of man, I would at least enjoy working for him.

"I wanted to be the first to welcome you to Nashville, Mark," he smiled, "And I think you're going to fit in well with the rest of the team at Linder and Dodge."

"I'm glad you think so, Mister Dodge," I respectfully replied, "And I wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity, sir."

"Please, call me Mike," he grinned, "Mister Dodge is my father, and I want you to call my partner, David Linder, by his first name as well."

"Thank you, Mike," I smiled, "It's just that I was always taught to address the people above me by, Mister, Miss, or Missus."

"And that's good, too," he happily replied, "Because we definitely address our clients that way."

"Speaking of which," I began, "What is it that you want me to do for the firm?"

"It's funny you should ask," he chuckled, "I spoke with your teachers where you went to college in Houston, and they all told me that you have a surprising affinity for design, and that your ideas are some of the freshest, innovative, and most modern that any of them had ever seen."

"Really," I asked, "So, I guess you're going to put me in the design department then?"

"I knew you were a smart guy," he laughed, "My partner and I both agree with your teachers, especially after having seen some of the projects that you handed in; and I think that you have the potential to take Linder and Dodge to new heights, Mark."

"Thank you," I gratefully replied, "I appreciate this opportunity and I'll do my very best for you, sir."

"I know you will, kid," he chuckled, and then changing the subject, he smiled and told me, "I'm having a get together at my house this evening, and I was hoping that you might want to come over and join us."

"I'd be more than happy to," I smiled, "How should I dress, where do you live, and what time should I be there?"

"Dress casually, blue jeans and a nice shirt will be perfect," he grinned, and after giving me directions to his house, which were very easy to follow, he stood up, extending his hand, and then right before he left, he smiled and told me, "I look forward to seeing you tonight. Try to be there around seven this evening, okay?"

"Sure, no problem," I smiled, shaking his hand, "But I do have one question before you leave, Mike."

"Of course," he grinned, "What is it?"

"It's about the length of my hair," I apprehensively asked, "I'm not going to have to cut it before I come to work on Monday, am I?"

"Are you kidding me?" he laughed, "Wait until you meet my partner, David Linder. I think you'll have the answer you're looking for. In the mean time, I'll see you tonight, Mark," and then he left, smiling as he closed the door on his way out.

~~~~~~

After I showered and shaved, I put on a pair of Levi's 501® blue jeans, with a nice long sleeved shirt, and my favorite pair of black, Justin® Roper boots. After I brushed my hair and stepped in front of a mirror to make sure everything was in place, I locked my house up and stepped into my garage.

My grandmother bought me a brand new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray as a graduation present from college. It was painted a deep shade of metallic Midnight Blue, and had the classic Slot Mag Wheels, as well as a white leather interior with all the bells and whistles.

The moment I got into my car, I pushed the button on the remote for the automatic garage door opener, and the moment it opened, I started my car's engine, and then backed out of my garage to give it a few moments to warm up. After I pushed the button on the remote again, making the garage door close, my car had had plenty of time to warm up so; I backed out of my driveway and headed out, stopping off at the nearest store, before going to Mike's house.

~~~~~~

I was always taught to never come to someone's house empty handed. Therefore I made sure to pick up a small floral arrangement for Mike's wife, whom I hadn't met as of yet, but was looking forward to doing.

I followed the directions Mike had given me earlier that afternoon, and within half an hour, I was in Franklin, Tennessee, pulling up into the driveway of what was clearly an old Antebellum-style house that had been beautifully restored to its previous former glory.

There were several cars parked in the large circular driveway, and for reasons of convenience, I parked behind the one which was furthest from the house. Then I got out of my car, taking the small floral arrangement with me, and made my way to the front door.

~~~~~~

After ringing the doorbell, I was greeted by a very pretty lady who was somewhere in her late thirties, or perhaps her early forties. She had long honey blonde hair, and a beautiful complexion, with bright, sparkling green eyes. She stood about five feet, seven inches tall, was very fit and her measurements were proportionate to her height, and she wore very nicely fitting blue jeans with a long sleeved, pink blouse.

"Hello, there," she pleasantly smiled, with a lovely southern accent, "You must be Mark Powers."

"Yes, ma'am," I politely replied, "I am."

"Hello, Mark," she sweetly grinned, "I'm Linda Dodge, Michael's wife. Welcome to our home."

"Thank you," I smiled, handing her the floral arrangement, "These are for you."

"Oh, how pretty," she smiled, smelling the flowers in the arrangement, "I can tell that your Mamma raised you right, boy, come on in here. We've all been waiting for you," and then she gently took my arm and escorted me into the house.

~~~~~~

"You have a very beautiful home," I told her, as she led me toward the back of the house, "Whoever restored this place did an excellent job."

"Thank you, sweetie," she softly replied, "We're very proud of it. Michael said that you had a good eye for design, maybe you can think of something it might need to improve it, huh?"

"Hardly," I politely told her, "At least not from what I can see."

"My, my," she lightly giggled, "But aren't you a pleasant young man?"

"Thank you," I smiled, "But it's the company that brings out the best in me."

"Goodness gracious," she continued, giggling, "You really are a charmer, Mark. How refreshing, especially for someone your age."

"Someone my age," I gently teased, "You're only two or three years older than me at the very most."

"Oh, my," she suddenly, but softly exclaimed, a bright smiled spread widely across her pretty face, "You must let introduce you to some of the young ladies around here."

"Uh, maybe some day," I uncomfortably replied, "I should get my career on track before I even think about that part of my life, if you'll please excuse for saying so, that is."

"Of course," she smiled, her hand still gently resting beneath my forearm, "Come on, handsome, everyone is out back."

~~~~~~

"Michael, honey," Linda announced, the moment we arrived in the back yard, "Look who I found at the front door."

"Mark," Mike widely grinned, immediately standing up to come and greet me, "I'm glad you could make it. Please, come with me, I've got some people I want you to meet."

"Yes, sir," I smiled, "Lead the way, boss."

I followed him to where he previously was seated, and per his invitation, taking the seat that was next to where he sat earlier. I immediately saw a guy who was the same age as Mike, maybe only a couple of years older at the very most, and he had long dark, mixed with silver, hair, the same length as mine, and piercing gray eyes.

"I'll bet my life savings that you're name is Mark Powers," he grinned, immediately extending his hand to greet me, "My name is David Linder, and please...feel free to call me David as opposed to Mister Linder."

"It's very nice to meet you, David," I smiled shaking his hand, "And I wanted to also thank you for giving me the opportunity to come and work for you guys."

"I told you," Mike chuckled, "Didn't I, Dave?"

"You sure did, partner," David proudly replied, "He's everything you said," and then he looked back at me and told me, "We're very glad to have you here, Mark. I've heard some pretty good things about you, son."

"Thank you, sir," I smiled, "I promise not to let you down."

"We know you won't, Mark," Mike grinned, "We've got faith in you, kid."

"I hope you brought an appetite with you, my friend," David knowingly replied, "We had some barbecue imported here from your neck of the woods, Houston, Texas."

That's bullshit, David," some guy who appeared in front of me drunkenly slurred, "Everybody knows the only thing coming out of Texas is steers and queers."

"Is that right?" I defensively asked, "And you know this from experience, do you?"

Of course my comment made both David and Mike roar with laughter, until Mike told me, "Don't pay any attention to that horse's ass, Mark. He's my wife's cousin, Harold Parker, and the only reason that I haven't thrown him out on his ass is because my wife won't let either of us touch him. She says that he'll end up making an ass out of himself all by himself."

"If that's the case, then why is he here to begin with?" I asked, and then suddenly remembering my place, I quickly replied, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry about it," David laughed, "The reason why he's here is because he's a major stockholder in the company, and we have to put up with him."

"May I ask a question?" I inquired, "If it's alright, that is."

"Of course," Mike knowingly chuckled, "What would you like to know?"

"Does this guy own the controlling stock?" I asked, "Or is he simply a shareholder?"

"He owns twenty percent of the stock," David replied, "The rest of it is equally divided between Mike and me. That way, there's no chance of a hostile takeover."

"I know that I'm just a nobody, and I haven't even started working for you guys yet," I told them, "But if this guy makes another comment about me, or where I come from I'm..."

"I want you to just let him spout, Mark," David gently interrupted me smiling, "Mike and I have great plans in store for you, m'boy," and then he leaned over so that only him, Mike and myself could hear, and softly added, "Wait until you've been here for at least a couple of months before you knock the son of a bitch on his ass...do it for Mike and me, okay kid?"

"Yes sir," I knowingly grinned, "I'll do whatever you guys want me to."

~~~~~~

David, Mike and I had continued getting to know one another better, and I was thoroughly enjoying myself, in spite of the occasional jabs Harold would walk by us and throw in from time to time. However, because I knew that he was just another stupid ass as far as I was concerned, I paid him no mind whatsoever.

What I did notice, however, was that, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Linda talking to two other very pretty women. One of them seemed to be about the same age as her, give or take a year here or there, but the other one was clearly younger than the other two and couldn't be any older than twenty-three, or twenty-four at the very most.. And like I said, all three of them were very pretty, beautiful even; but I could see a look of something in their eyes which, until then, I was totally unfamiliar with.

It wasn't until Linda walked over to where Mike, David, and I were sitting and talking that I noticed that she was up to something...something that I somehow knew concerned me.

"Michael, honey," she knowingly smiled, as she gently took my hand and made me rise from my seat, "I want to borrow Mark here for a little while. You two have been keeping him all to yourselves since the moment he got here; besides, I have someone I want to introduce him to."

"Be careful, Mark," David laughed, "I have the feeling that Linda is lining you up for something that you're not ready for yet."

"He's right," Mike chuckled, "Be careful, kid, or she'll have you walking down the aisle with any one of the local debutants around here."

"Don't listen to those two, Mark, dear," Linda giggled, in her delightful southern accent, "That's not what I've got in mind at all. I simply want to introduce you to someone that I think you'll absolutely adore."

"Okay, then, lead the way," I cautiously, but politely told her, "I'll follow you, pretty lady."

~~~~~~

Once Linda took me back into the house, she asked me to take a seat on the couch in what appeared to be a great room of sorts; and also seated in two chairs that faced me were the two females I'd seen her talking with earlier.

"Mark Powers," she softly smiled, taking a seat next to me on the couch, "Allow me to introduce Missus Madeline Linder, David's wife, and her niece, Miss Kara Wilkins. Kara just graduated from Lipscomb University with a degree in Liberal Arts."

I guess now would be a good time to describe the other two ladies. Madeline Linder, you could clearly tell, came from old money, and was deep seated within the tradition of the area. She stood roughly the same height, and was of the same build as Linda, and beautiful in her own right.

She had shoulder length deep auburn colored hair, with blue eyes; and while she was also very pretty, there was something about her that exuded a discriminatingly holier than thou attitude. Don't get me wrong, she was very nice to me, but I could tell that it was somehow forced, and not genuine.
Kara Wilkins was a blonde haired, green eyed beauty with a great figure. She clearly displayed "spoiled little southern rich girl" mannerisms, regardless of how hard she tried to hide them. And while I made certain that I was extremely polite to her, I also made sure that I was not going to get involved with someone like her for any reason.

"Congratulations, Kara" I politely replied, "I'm sure that your family is very proud of you."

"I was a Kappa Delta like my mother before me," she pointedly, yet snottily informed me; "It's a tradition among the women in my family."

"What about you, Mark," Madeline openly asked me, "Were you in a fraternity in college?"

"No, ma'am," I honestly replied, "I had more important things to do with my life than get drunk every weekend and sexually exploit naïve little college girls."

I heard a shocking gasp emanating from both Madeline and Kara, accompanied by a satisfied giggle coming from Linda.

"I told you he was a nice young man;" Linda triumphantly smiled, "Didn't I?"

"What's the matter, Mark, is it?" Kara condescendingly sneered, "Did you not have the courage to become a fraternity man?"

"Don't you mean a spoiled little frat boy? Besides, a real man makes his own way," I straightforwardly replied, looking directly into her d eyes, "And has neither the need nor desire to have their infantile antics funded by Mommy and Daddy; nor does he live his life by anyone's leave either," and with that said, I rose from my seat, and looking at Linda, I smiled and told her, "I've had a wonderful time this evening, but I've got to go for now. Would you mind giving my most sincere apologies to your husband, as well as Mister Linder, and please let them know that I will see them both bright and early on Monday morning?"

"I most certainly will," she knowingly grinned, and then taking my arm again, she told me, "Please allow me to see you out, sweetie."

~~~~~~

"It's a shame you're going to miss dinner," Linda said, once we were out of Madeline's and Kara's range of hearing, "Michael and David will be so disappointed.

And when we finally arrived at the front door, I looked at Linda and truthfully told her, "I apologize for not staying for dinner, but your two lady friends have completely spoiled my appetite; and if I were to stay any longer, I would definitely say something that would more than likely get me fired before I even started working."

"Don't you worry about those two self righteous bitches, Mark," she reassured me smiling, "I'll take care of everything, alright?"

"Thanks, Linda," I told her, relief clearly written across my face, "You're a very nice lady; and it makes me a better man for having had the honor of meeting you this evening."

"You're welcome, handsome," she sweetly grinned, "Get some rest, Mark; because I've got a feeling that you're going to hit the ground running on Monday."

"Yes, ma'am," I smiled, gently shaking her hand, "I look forward to getting the opportunity to see you again sometime soon...I hope you have a wonderful evening," and then I was out of the front door and gone.

~~~~~~

Chapter Two

The following Monday morning I showed up at the office ready to go to work. Both Mike and David had the receptionist lead me into the main conference room the moment I arrived.

~~~~~~

When I got to the conference room, I saw twenty odd people sitting at the long table there, all of them eating what looked like breakfast. I saw all kinds of food sitting in bowls on the table, each one having its own serving spoon sitting in it.

"Good morning, Mark," Mike smiled, standing up to greet me, "Take the seat here beside me, and have some breakfast. We do this every morning to start the day."

"I've already had breakfast this morning, thank you," I smiled, taking my seat, "But I sure wouldn't mind another cup of coffee, and maybe a glass of orange juice."

"Not a problem," he smiled, "But be sure not to eat anything before you come to work from now on, because, like I just said, we do this every morning."

"I'll remember that," I happily smiled, "Thank you all very much."

As I looked around at all of the people who were seated at the table, most of them were men. However, there were two females, both of whom were nicely dressed, very well groomed, as well as being as attractive as could be. Still though, I was definitely the youngest person there, realizing that the closest person to my age was at least ten, perhaps maybe even twelve years older than me.

However, I was looking forward to getting off to a good start, and before I knew it, David stood up with a smile on his face, and while getting everyone at the table's attention, announced, "Good morning everyone. I'd like to introduce the newest and youngest member of our team, Mister Mark Powers. He will head our new Design department, because Mike and I feel that his ideas are some of the freshest that we've seen yet."

"Surely not," one of the two women said, as she stood glaring at me with poison in her eyes, "You promised me that I was going to head that new department, David. This kid barely looks old enough to be out of diapers."

"I didn't promise you anything, Diane," David curtly replied, "I said that I was considering you, until I saw Mark's designs. He clearly has a better outlook than you do; and besides, we need his genius here."

"Wait a minute," I defensively stated, "I don't want to step on anyone's toes here, David. It's clear that this nice lady has been here longer and has more seniority than I do."

"Maybe so," Mike suddenly interjected, "But this company belongs to David and I, and we're the people who make the decisions around here so; if we tell you that you're going to head our new design department, then that's it, okay?"

"Yes, sir," I replied, "You're the boss."

"That's right," he smiled, and then after looking at the lady who'd spoken earlier, asked, "Are we clear on this, Diane?"

"It looks like I don't have any choice," she defeatedly replied, trying to hide the tears that were beginning to fill her eyes, "I'll have my resignation on your desk this afternoon."

"I really wish you wouldn't do that, Ms. Miles," Mike compassionately told her, "But if you feel that you have to resign because of this, then I guess I'm going to have to accept it," and then she turned and abruptly left the conference room, wiping her eyes on the way out.

~~~~~~

After breakfast that morning, Mike took me to my new office, which was a corner office, and then introduced me to my new secretary, a girl who couldn't have been any older than nineteen, or twenty, named Sarah Dawson.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister Powers," she politely smiled, shaking my hand, "Is there anything I can get for you?"

"You can begin by calling me just plain old Mark," I chuckled, "But what I would really like, is for you to show me where Ms. Diane Miles' office is."

"That's easy," she grinned, "She's right next door to us on the right as you walk out."

"Thanks, Sarah," I appreciatively smiled, heading out the door of my office, "I'll be back in a few minutes so; if anyone calls while I'm gone, take a message and tell them that I'll call them right back in a few minutes."

~~~~~~

"What do you want," Diane Miles, snorted, once I got past her secretary and walked, unannounced, into her office, "Did you come here to gloat? Because if so, you can shove...."

"I came here to ask you to stay, Ms. Miles," I softly, but politely interrupted her, "...if you will."

"Why should I?" she asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes again, "It was made very clear to me this morning that I was no longer needed."

"That's where you're wrong," I gently replied, "I need you."

"What a load of bullshit," she sadly replied, "You don't even know me."

"I know I don't, and I'm willing to remedy that right now," I objectively told her, "But something tells me that you know this company, as well as this department, better than anyone here; and I would personally be grateful for any help you would be willing to give me."

"Is that right," she skeptically asked, "How grateful?"

"I'll give you my office if that's what it takes," I pleaded with her, "Just don't leave, okay?"

Suddenly a warm smile came across her face, and with a tender tone of voice, she made eye contact with me and softly replied, "You'd really do that, wouldn't you?"

"Jeez, didn't I just say so?" I asked her, "Please don't leave...I really need some help here."

"I'll tell you what," she began to smile again, "Why don't we discuss it over lunch, and then we can talk about how you want me to help you, okay, Mark? Do you mind if I call you Mark?"

"Not at all," I smiled, "Is it okay if I call you Diane?"

"Of course," she giggled, "After all, we're colleagues, aren't we?"

"No," I teased smiling, "We're partners, because I can't do this job without you."

"Get out of here ya bum," she laughed, "I'll stop by right before lunch and pick you up."

I guess now would be a good time to describe Diane Miles. She was a very nice looking woman who most definitely didn't look forty-three years old. Hell, I thought she couldn't have possibly been a day over thirty one or thirty two, at the very most. She stood five feet, eight inches tall and weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred and twenty-five pounds...at least to my estimation. She had blonde hair the same length as mine, and bright hazel-blue eyes. Her makeup looked like it had been applied by a professional, giving her skin a flawless glow; and her measurements were proportionate to her height. She was very soft spoken, and I could tell that she was a kind woman just by the way she acted around me when I went to her office to talk to her.

I spent the rest of that morning simply getting settled into not only my new office, but also my new job. I knew that the bosses were giving me the time to get used to my surroundings that morning, and that afternoon; I would be given the tasks they wanted me to perform.

~~~~~~

"Hi, Mark," Diane said, peeking her head into my office, "Are you ready for lunch?"

"I sure am," I smiled, I'm starving. Where are we going?"

"It's a surprise," she cryptically grinned, "But it's one I think you'll like."

"I'm ready," I smiled, "If you're waiting on me, then you're backing up."

"I knew it," Diane chuckled, as we headed toward the elevators, "You're a genuine smart ass."

~~~~~~

Diane took me to a place not too far from the office called "South Street Pub", off of Twenty-First Avenue, which ran parallel to West End Avenue, the street on which our office building was located. To say that the food was simply good would be a huge understatement. It was the only place in the world where I'd ever had crawfish enchiladas, and man, they were good.

"So tell me about yourself, Mark," Diane kindly smiled, "I want to know who I'm going to be working with," and after giving her a brief overview of my life, she smiled again and warmly replied, "I owe you an apology. I was very wrong about you, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, especially after the comment I made about you to Mike Dodge this morning at breakfast."

"Oh, that," I laughed, "I'm not offended in the least, and I was taught forgiveness a long time ago when I was little so; you were forgiven before you ever said anything."

"I wish there were more men like you around here," Diane sadly smiled, "Then maybe the world, especially this town, would be a better place."

"Whoa, wait a minute," I humbly replied, "You honor me way too much. I'm just a regular guy, Diane. I'm not the person you seem to think I am."

"And why not?" she asked, as we ate, "I'm a pretty good judge of character, and my heart has never lied to me, Mark."

"Maybe so," I told her, "But like I said, I'm just a regular guy who treats people like I want to be treated."

"That's all well and good, but answer this one question for me if you would," she replied, "You didn't have to come to my office this morning. Tell me...why did you?"

"Because I thought that you were being treated like shit," I said, "And I knew that you were the one person who would be able to help if I ever got in over my head."

"You barely know me," she knowingly grinned, "So; how could you possibly have known that I would be the person to help you out?"

"Like you, I'm also a pretty good judge of character," I smiled, "And also like you, my heart has never lied to me either."

"I believe you, sweetie," she genuinely smiled, gently patting my hand, "And because of you; I'm not going to tender my resignation so; we'd better get back to work, okay?"

"On one condition," I grinned, "You let me pay for lunch today."

"Oh my goodness," she sweetly smiled, "What a gentleman you are; okay, you can buy lunch this time; but next time it's on me, alright?"

"You got it, girlie," I teased, receiving a playful smack on the arm from Diane on the way out the door.

~~~~~~

I'd been back from lunch for roughly thirty minutes when Mike appeared at my door with a wide grin on his face.

"Hey, Mike," I smiled, "Is there something I can do for you?"

"You sure can, kid," he grinned, "Come with me."

~~~~~~

Mike led me back into the same conference room I was in that morning, where David and two other men whom I didn't recognize stood around the table talking over a set of multi dimensional prints which were intended for a new building that we had apparently been hired to build.

"Gentlemen," David Linder proudly announced as I walked into the room, "Allow me to introduce you to our newest star on the horizon, Mister Mark Powers," and then he turned to me smiling and said, "Mark, let me introduce you to Gaylord Entertainment's Primary stock holders, Mister Robert Hanson, and Mister Jacob "Jake" Anderson."

"It's a pleasure to meet you gentlemen," I sincerely replied, as I greeted the both of them, "How can we help you today?"

"We're tearing down the world famous Opryland Theme Park," Mr. Anderson replied, "And in its place, we're building an outlet mall. The only thing we're lacking is a name for it, and David and Mike both agree that you're the man for the job."

"I'll do my very best, gentlemen," I told them. Then I turned to Mike and told him, "I have a couple of requirements that are rather imperative for this particular project, but we can discuss them at a later date."

"No, problem, Mark," Mike knowingly grinned, "Whatever you need, consider it done. How soon can you come up with a design?"

"I'm going to need all the information I can get," I told them, "Plus, I'll need to go out to Opryland to take a look at the land that it sits on, and I'd like at least two weeks to do that."

"Done," David chuckled, "What else do you need?"

"From what I understand, Opryland is a pretty big place," I replied, "Is this proposed mall the only thing they want to build on the property?"

"I told you guys he was smart," Mike laughed, "Didn't I?"

"As a matter of fact, the mall is not the only thing we want to build," Mister Hanson said, "We also want to build the new Opryhouse out there because the The Grand Ole Opry has outgrown the Ryman Auditorium on fifth avenue downtown. Plus the people with Bass Pro Shops® want to open a store that adjoins the proposed mall."

"So, who's going to build those places?" I asked.

"We haven't decided that yet," Mister Anderson grinned, "Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I'm quite sure that the people with Bass Pro Shop already have a standard design for their store," I told them, "But if you want a design that will clearly stay within the confines of not only country music, but the city of Nashville, Tennessee, then I'm definitely your man for this project."

"There are other firms in town that have a lot more experience than you do, kid," Mister Hanson curtly replied, "Plus, their engineers aren't near as green as you are either."

"Maybe not," I smiled, "But can they guarantee their results, as well as have it done on time?"

"We don't know that," Mister Anderson grinned, "Can you?"

"Yes," I said, looking him in the eye, "And I can give you the quality that they lack."

"How can you possibly say that?" Hanson sarcastically laughed, "I understand that you're not only new to this area, but this is your first day on the job."

At this point, Mike and David hadn't yet said a single word so; in order to make my point stand more firmly, I looked at Mister Anderson, and Mister Hanson, and in no uncertain terms, told them, "When Linder and Dodge's headhunter came looking for me, don't think for a minute, gentlemen, that I didn't do my research on the competition in this city. I found out that Linder and Dodge's reputation stands head and shoulders above the other firms in town, hence the reason I took their offer."

"Oh, really," Hanson snottily quipped, "And what kind of offer did they make you, boy?"

"If I thought it was any of your business, then I would tell you, sir," I firmly replied, "But how much I'm being paid is not what we're here to discuss, gentlemen," Then I looked at Mister Hanson and told him, "I'm a pretty good judge of character, and I can already tell that you don't like me, Mister Hanson. That's neither here nor there. What you're both looking for is someone who can do the job with as little cost to you as possible, correct?"

"He's right, Bobby," Mister Anderson laughed, "You don't like him, do you?"

"No, I don't," Hanson spat, "He's arrogant and cocky."

"Yeah, he is," Anderson chuckled, "Just like you were when you were his age, and that's why I like this kid, and it's also why I think we've found the man who we've been looking all over hell's half acre for."

Then Anderson looked at me, and smiling, told me, "Let me talk to your bosses for a little while, kid. We'll get back to you before we leave here today, okay?"

"Yes, sir," I smiled shaking his hand, "It was nice meeting you...you, too, Mister Hanson," who refused to shake my hand. And after looking at Mike and David, who were both grinning from ear to ear, I smiled and told them, "I'll be in my office."

"Okay, Mark," David grinned, "We'll see you in a little while then," and then I turned around and walked out, but not before Mike patted me on the shoulder and gave me a silent wink, reassuring me that everything was alright.

~~~~~~

"Holy shit," I said aloud when I walked back into my office, "I hope I didn't fuck everything up."

"Are you okay, Mister Powers," Sarah asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm alright, Sarah," I smiled, "And what did I tell you about calling me Mister Powers?"

"But, you're my boss," she said, "And I was taught that..."

"Look," I grinned, politely interrupting her, "I'm not that much older than you; and besides, I would really like it if you called me Mark instead, okay?"

"Okay, Mark," she knowingly grinned, "If that's the way you want it to be, then that's what I'll call you so; tell me, Mark, how did you mess up?"

I told her about my meeting with the guys from Gaylord Entertainment, as well as everything that was said. She simply smiled and told me, "I think that they're going to hire our firm because of the way you told them the truth."

"Let's hope so," I said, "I'll know here in a few minutes whether or not I'll still have my job."

"I know something that you don't," she smiled, "Mister Dodge and Mister Linder both told me that I was going to be working for a genius when they hired me, and I believe that those guys from Gaylord Entertainment will be missing out if they don't hire us to do the job...but that's just my opinion, Mark."

"Thanks, Sarah," I gratefully replied, "I hope you're right."

"I'm very sure of it," she confidently giggled, "As a matter of fact, I'm so sure, that I'm willing to bet you a hundred bucks that they hire you, oops, I mean us."
"Is that right?" I chuckled, "You've got yourself a bet, young lady."

"Young lady, my ass," she heartily laughed, "You're only two and a half years older than me, young man," and of course we both fell into a fit of laughter. However, our laughter stopped when Sarah's intercom buzzer sounded.

"Mark Powers, Office," she answered, "How may I direct your call?"

"Hi, Sarah," Mike's voice replied over the speaker phone, "Can you send Mark back into the conference room, please?"

"I'm on my way, Mike," I answered for her," I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Good enough, kid," Mike laughed, "We'll see you then."

~~~~~~

When I arrived back into the conference room, I saw Mister Hanson, Mister Anderson, as well as David and Mike, all standing around the table wearing happy grins on their faces.

"Come on in, Mark," Mike chuckled, "We've reached an agreement with Gaylord Entertainment; and you're going to be the head of this project."

"Oh, wow," I smiled, "I don't know what to say."

"That's easy," Hanson smiled, shaking my hand, "Just say you'll do it."

"Of course," I replied, "But I didn't think you liked me very much, Mister Hanson."

"That was just a smoke screen, Mark," Mister Anderson grinned, "From now on I want you to call me, Jake, and call old Hanson, there, by his first name, too."

"My name is Bobby," Hanson laughed, shaking my hand again, "And it's a pleasure to meet you, Mark. I'm really looking forward to working with you."

"Me, too," I smiled, "And I promise to do my very best, sir."

"I know you will, kid," Bobby smiled, "I know you will..."

~~~~~~

After Jake and Bobby had gone, Mike, David and me, all sat down to discuss the issue at hand. However, before we began the discussion, Mike looked at me smiling and told me, "I wanted to say thank you for convincing Diane Miles to stay on with the company, Mark. I really thought for a minute there, that we were going to lose her so; I owe you one, kid."

"I'm glad to hear you say that," I told them, "Because I want to make her second in command on not only this project, but in my department, too. She's a very nice person and I think she has alot to add. Besides; I could really use her help, guys."

"You're right, Mark," David said, "Diane is a great asset to this company, and she always has been."

"I'm glad you think so," I happily replied, "Can we bring her in here now to tell her?"

"Of course," Mark smiled, picking up the telephone, "I'll call her myself."

~~~~~~

"You're going to do what?" Diane excitedly grinned, once she'd been informed of her role in the upcoming project that was on the table, "Oh, my gosh; I don't know what to say, you guys."

"That's easy," I chuckled, mocking Bobby Hanson, "Just say you'll do it."

"You know I will," Diane sweetly grinned, her eyes filling with happy tears, "Thank you, guys, for this opportunity."

"You don't need to thank us for anything, Diane," David kindly told her, "You've more than earned this."

"I'm going to thank you anyway," she sniffled, getting up from her chair to individually hug each of us.

~~~~~~

Chapter Three

I walked back to my office that afternoon with a smile on my face, and as I reached Sarah's desk, I pulled my wallet out to retrieve five twenty-dollar-bills, and then placed them on her desk, telling her, "You won the bet, girlie. I want you and your boyfriend to go out tonight and have a drink on me."

"Oh, thank you, Mark," Sarah smiled, taking the money I gave her and placing it in her purse, "But I don't have a boyfriend."

"I don't understand that" I said, "You're pretty as you can be, and I would think that you'd have guys standing in line to go out with you."

Let me take a minute to describe one of the sweetest people that I've ever known. Sarah Dawson was twenty two when I first met her. She's a very pretty lady who, when we first met, reminded me of a young Kate Beckinsale, so much that I even expected her to talk with a British accent. However, she is one of the sweetest girls that I'm blessed to be able to call my friend, and I'm very thankful to know her. Now, on with the story...

"Do you have a minute to talk?" she asked, her eyes beginning to cloud, "There's something that I need to tell you."

"Of course," I gently replied, handing her my handkerchief and closing my office door, "What is it, sweetie? I want you to know that you can tell me anything, okay?"

"Okay," she sniffled, "Here goes; when I was in my last year at college, I was invited to go to a party at one of the biggest frat houses on campus," and when she began to tell me, my heart sank, because I knew all too well what was coming next, "I was pretty shy back then and I didn't want to go at first until my room mate talked me into it. The party was held at the Alpha Delta Tau house, which was the fraternity that all of the football players belonged to."

"Wait a minute, Sarah," I politely interrupted her, "I can tell that this is going to be painful for you to talk about and I don't know if..."

"Please, Mark," she said, "I've never told this to anyone, and I really need to talk about it, okay?"

"Okay, go right ahead, sweetie," I softly replied, "But I want you to know right now that I'll never tell a single soul what you tell me, alright?"

"I know you won't, and that's way I'm telling you this," she sweetly smiled, and then continued, "When I got to the party, it was already in full swing. There were people drinking and having a good time, the music was loud and there were all these really good looking guys who were paying a lot of attention to me, you know, asking me to dance, that kind of thing. It made me feel good about myself so; I started trying to fit in with them," all of a sudden a dark look overcame her and I could tell that she was getting ready to reveal something very traumatic that happened to her; but per her request, I sat back and said nothing, simply letting her continue.

"Someone handed me something to drink," she said, "And like a dumb ass, I drank it right down. It wasn't too long before I began to feel light headed and sleepy. When I told the guy that I was dancing with that I needed to lie down, he took me to his room. The moment my head the pillow, I was out cold. I still don't remember everything that happened until whatever drug I'd been given began to wear off. I was naked, and some guy that I didn't know was on top of me, raping me..."

"...It really hurt, and when I told him to get off of me, he didn't so; I began to scream at the top of my lungs just so that somebody, anybody would hear me. Well, nobody came, because he placed his hand over my mouth so that I couldn't scream anymore. I knew that I was being raped, and there was nothing I could do about it. I let him finish, and the moment he got off of me, I grabbed him by the nuts with both hands and twisted as hard as I could."

By this time, I saw painful tears raining down her face by the bucketfuls, and not knowing what else to do, I stood up and gently pulled her into my arms, letting her get it out of her system until she was able to talk again.

"Shh, it's alright now, Sarah," I softly told her, "You're safe now, and nobody will ever hurt you again, I promise."

"Thank you, Mark," came her muffled reply, "You're a nice guy; and I knew I could trust you enough to tell you about this without it going anywhere else."

When she gently, but finally leaned back in my arms then slowly pulled away from me, she took the handkerchief I'd given her and wiped her face with it, and then reached for her purse behind her desk.

"I'll be back in a minute," she told me, "I need to go to the restroom and wash my face."

"Use the one in my office," I gently told her, "I don't want anyone asking you any questions, just in case you run into anyone going down the hall, okay sweetie?"

"Thank you again, Mark," she sadly smiled, "You the best boss a girl could ever have."

"You're welcome," I told her, "But I've got a couple of questions for you when you come back...and I want some straight answers, alright?"

"Okay," she smiled, "I'll be back in a second."

~~~~~~

When Sarah came back from the restroom, she looked much better as she returned to her place behind her desk and asked, "What do you want to know, Mark?"

"Did you report being raped to the police?" I asked, "And if so, what did they do about it?"

"I went to campus security," she said, "They took my statement, and then sent me to the hospital where they did an examination with a rape kit, but nothing ever came of it."

"Where did you go to college?" I asked her, "And what year did you graduate?"

"I went to Vanderbuilt University," she told me, "And I graduated a year and a half ago."

"Okay, thanks," I smiled, "I've don't have anything for you to do for the rest of the day so; if you want to leave early, you can."

"No, I can't," she said, "I need the hours."

"I've got that covered," I knowingly smiled, "Now get your pretty self out of here for the rest of the day before I throw you out."

Then she smiled and told me, "I'm not trying to make any kind of sexual advance on you, Mark, but I owe you this," and with that said, she stood up and then walked around to where I stood at the front of her desk. Then throwing her arms around my neck, Sarah stood on her toes and gave me an ever so gentle, soft kiss, right on the lips.

"Thank you, Mark," she whispered, wiping her lipstick off of my lips with the handkerchief I'd given her, "You're good man, and I want you to know that you'll always be my friend."

"You're welcome, Sarah," I gently replied, returning her kiss with a firm hug, "I'm a very lucky guy to have a friend like you."

"You bet your ass, you are," she giggled, grabbing her purse, then after playfully swatting my arm, she smiled and told, "I'll see ya tomorrow, boss."

~~~~~~

That afternoon after work I was called into Mike's office right before I left the building. His secretary, Eva, was an older lady somewhere in her late forties, early fifties. She stood about five feet, seven inches tall, had blonde hair with a few touches of gray. With blue eyes similar to mine, and measurements which fit her proportions, she stuck her head into my office, and with a smile on her face, said, "Excuse me, Mister Powers, but Mister Dodge would like to see you before you leave."

"Thank you," I politely replied, "Tell him I'll be right there."

~~~~~~

"Hey, Mike," I grinned, as I stood in his doorway, "You wanted to see me?"

"Mark," he grinned, standing up to greet me, "Please, come on in, and take a seat."

"Hey, Boss," I knowingly grinned, shaking his hand as I sat down in the chair in front of his desk, "What can I do for you?"

"I wanted to tell you what a great job you did earlier with those two guys from Gaylord Entertainment," he happily chuckled, "We've been after them for months now, and you more or less sealed the deal in an afternoon. You're good, kid; damn good."

"Nah, not really," I smiled, "Those two men really needed us; and I just made them see it, that's all."

"You can call it what you want it," he agreed smiling, "But I just wanted to tell you not only how grateful, but also how proud David and I are of the job you did; thanks, Mark."

"You're very welcome," I broadly smiled, "I want you guys to not only be proud of me, but I also want you to be able to feel like you can both trust me, too."

"That's something you'll never have to worry about again," Mike chuckled, "You've more than earned our trust, Mark, both of us."

"Thanks, Mike," I sincerely replied, "I can't begin to tell you what it means to me to hear you say that."

"I'm glad to hear that," he knowingly grinned, "I've got something I need you to do for me tomorrow around ten in the morning."

"You've got it," I smiled, "You can consider it done, whatever it is."

"Good," he smiled, "I need you to go to the Federal Building tomorrow to see a lady named, Carolyn Meyers. She's our attorney and she needs to get some paperwork filled out on you in order for you to get a license to work as an Engineer here in the state of Tennessee; and then when you're finished, I want you to take the rest of the day off, okay?"

"Are you sure?" I cautiously asked, "I mean, it's only my second day here and I'm already taking time off."

"Don't worry about it," he grinned again, "It won't count against you. Besides, with the up and coming project, you're going to need all the rest you can get, kid."

"Okay, then," I chuckled, "I guess I'll see you on Wednesday. What about my secretary? She really needs the hours, Mike."

"You mean Sarah?" he asked, as I nodded my head, "Okay, kid, "I'll make sure that she has plenty of work to last her all day tomorrow."

"Thanks, Mike," I appreciatively replied, "She's a good kid who's been through a lot in her little life, and I'm just trying to look out for her."

"I know you are, Mark," he quietly assured me, "You're a good guy, and don't think that we don't appreciate that either, we do."

"Thanks again," I smiled, shaking his hand right before I stood up, "I guess I'll see you on Wednesday then."

"Okay, kid," he chuckled, "We'll see you then."

~~~~~~

That night I went home and made myself something to eat, and then after I watched the television for a little while, I went to sleep, setting my alarm so as to be up in plenty of time to make my appointment with Ms. Carolyn Meyers.

~~~~~~

That next morning, I woke up and then showered, shaved, and got dressed. Because I wasn't going into the office, I put on a pair of blue jeans and boots, accompanied by a nice shirt. I also made sure that my hair was nicely fixed so that I would make a good impression on Ms. Meyers.

When it was nearing time for me to be at my appointment, I raised my garage door, and then started my car, before locking up my house so that it would have plenty of time to warm up. Afterward, I went through my usual routine of backing my car our, and then closing the garage door behind me before leaving the house for the morning.

~~~~~~

When I got to the Federal Building, I parked in the multi-level parking lot, and then made my way into the building.

~~~~~~

I'd just gotten into the building and was looking at the registry on the wall so that I would be able to find Ms. Meyers' office, when after finding where I needed to go, I turned around and accidentally ran into a young woman that I'd not seen coming up behind me.

"Dammit," the young woman hatefully spat, "Why don't you watch where the hell you're going?"

"Oh, my gosh, I'm terribly sorry," I apologetically replied, trying to help her recover the armful of papers that she'd been carrying before I accidentally ran into her, "It was an accident, I swear."

"Why don't you try getting a fucking haircut?" she venomously hissed, pushing me away from her, refusing my help in recovering her paperwork, "Maybe then you can see what's in front of you."

"Look, I said I was sorry," I suddenly, yet defensively growled, "Why don't you try being a little nicer, you might even get a date? God knows you sure as hell need one."

"Kiss my ass," she quietly hissed, "You long haired sonofabitch."

"Then why don't you mark off a chunk?" I sharply replied, "Because from what I can see, you're all ass."

As opposed to saying anything further, she very hatefully glared at me, and after gathering her papers from the floor, she stood up, and then turned and stomped away. I watched as she walked away from me. Granted, she was very beautiful and very nicely built, no doubt about it; but her actions made her as ugly as they come, at least in my eyes.

"Jeez," I said, to no one, "What a bitch."

After gathering my own paper work, as well as retrieving my briefcase, I stood up and made my way toward the elevator so as not to be late for my appointment.

~~~~~~

"Hello" I said, walking into Ms. Meyers' office to find her secretary's office empty, "Is anyone here?"

"You must be, Mark Powers," smiled a lady who appeared in the open doorway behind the empty desk, "Please, come in. I'm Carolyn Meyers, and I've been expecting you."

"Thank you," I smiled, "Michael Dodge sent me here to get my license in order."

"Of course," she politely told me, "When my secretary returns, I'll have her take you down to the license bureau to get your picture taken for your card. In the mean time, come on into my office so that I can get your paperwork filled out first."

"Thank you," I replied. However, before I could say anything further, the woman whom I'd accidentally run into downstairs walked through the door, and then looking aghast at Ms. Meyers, very hatefully asked, "What the hell is he doing here, Mom?"

"On, no," I groaned, shaking my head as I looked down at the floor.

All of a sudden, Carolyn began to laugh, and then after crossing her arms, further giggled and asked, "Does someone want to tell me what's going on here? This promises to be really good."

Before anyone had the chance to speak, I wanted to make sure that Carolyn heard the truth so; as quickly as I could, I looked at her and said, "I accidentally ran in this young lady downstairs and knocked her papers out of her arms and onto the ground. When I went to apologize, she cussed me like a sailor even though it was an accident."

"That's not what happened, Mom," she said, "He told me..."

"That is what happened," I rudely interrupted her, "And I didn't talk ugly to you not even once, although I did tell you that you need a date so; don't even think about trying to lie," then I turned to Carolyn and apologetically told her, "I'm sorry Ms. Meyers, I hope we can do this later when this young lady isn't here, bye," and then I turned and left her office before anyone else could reply.

The young lady that I'd run into apparently was Ms. Meyers' daughter, because as I made my way to the elevator, I could clearly hear Carolyn's voice verbally tearing this girl a new ass, even though her office door was closed.

~~~~~~

After I got back home, I called into work to tell Mike what had happened, and when he answered his phone to find me on the other end, he simply laughed and said, "Don't worry about it, kid. Carolyn's coming to your office tomorrow to take care of this for us, and that way you won't have to deal with her daughter."

"Thanks, Mike," I told him, "I swear that none of this was my fault, honest."

"I know it wasn't," he continued to laugh; "We'll see you tomorrow, at nine o'clock."

"Okay," I smiled, "Thanks again, boss."

"Don't sweat it, kid," he chuckled, "Have a good afternoon," and then he hung the phone up.

~~~~~~

I decided to spend the day doing what little bit of laundry I had left, and then afterwards I was going to put a nice roast in the oven to have for dinner that evening.

~~~~~~

I'd just finished folding the last of my laundry and put it in my dresser. Then I prepared the roast and had just placed it in the oven, when I heard my doorbell ring.

"I wonder who that could be," I said, to no one, as I headed for the front door.

Imagine my surprise when I opened my front door to find the daughter of Carolyn Meyers, standing on my front porch.

"Before you say anything, will you please listen to what I have to say, Mister Powers?" she politely inquired.

The moment I got a good look at her I knew in my heart that there was no way on earth that I could ever stay mad at her. She stood at a height of around five feet, eight inches tall, and I'd have to say that she weighed somewhere in the neighborhood of maybe a hundred and twenty, to a hundred and twenty five pounds at the very most. She had long hair, the same color and length as mine, but what got my attention the most were her dark brown, almost black, doe eyes. She had a light olive complexion and an almost elfin face, but when she smiled at me, I felt my knees weaken slightly.
"I'll tell you what," I warmly smiled, opening my door wider, "Why don't you call me Mark, Miss Meyers?"

"Alright, Mark," she smiled, ostensibly relieved, "But only if you call me Kate."

"Hello, Kate," I grinned, "Please, come in and make yourself at home."

"Thank you," she softly spoke, walking into my house, "I came here to apologize to you for being such a bitch to you earlier today."

I walked her into my den where I asked her to take a seat on the couch, and then I smiled and told her, "There's nothing to forgive. Would you care for something to drink?"

"Water will be fine," she shyly replied, "Thank you."

After making her a glass of ice water, I poured my self a cup of coffee and joined her in the den, taking a seat on the other end of my couch.

"I'm really sorry for running into you," I told her, "It was an honest to God accident, I swear."

"I know it was," she softly replied, "I was having a bad morning this morning; and I asked Mom for the afternoon off so that I could come apologize to you. I hope its okay with you that I came to your house."

"Of course it is," I smiled, "But how did you know where to find me?"

"I called Mike Dodge after you left Mom's office and asked him," she timidly said, "So, after I went home and changed clothes, I came to see you."

It wasn't until she'd mentioned that she'd changed cloths that I looked at what she was wearing, and to say that I was pleased with what I saw would be an enormous understatement.

Kate Meyers wore a pair of tight blue jeans, with tennis shoes on her feet, but what got my attention was the shirt that she had on that accentuated her rather plump breasts. However, so as not to look like I was checking her out, I simply smiled and told her, "You look nice, and I'm glad that you came over."

"Thank you, Mark," she smiled, beginning to blush, "But even though you were furious with me earlier, I still thought you were very handsome, as well as very kind, even though I'd treated you the way I had. I'm so sorry, Mark."

"You don't have to keep apologizing to me," I gently told her, "Everyone has a bad day every now and then. Besides, we're only human, right?"

"Thank you," she quietly smiled, "My ex-boyfriend called to harass me this morning, and I'm having a hard time getting him to leave me alone."

"Why don't you get a restraining order against him?" I asked her, "The next time he calls you he'll go to jail."

"You don't understand," Kate sadly replied, "This guy is a psychopathic idiot and won't take "No" for an answer."

"I've got an idea," I suddenly grinned, "I've got to go out to Opryland and get some measurements today. Would you like to go with me?"

"I don't know," she frowned, "I'm kind of worried about how it might look, the two us together at Opryland."

"How what might look?" I replied, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you a member of your mother's law firm, the same law firm that represents the company I work for?"

"Yeah," she quickly smiled, with a look of understanding shining in her beautiful brown eyes, "You're right."

"Alright then," I chuckled, "Besides, I just moved to Nashville not too long ago, and I could sure use some help learning how to get around in this town."

"I'd be happy to show you around," she now grinned, "But just as long as we don't use my car."

"Not a problem," I told her, "I'll back mine out of the garage, and you can pull yours in while we're gone. How does that sound, Miss Kate?"

"Perfect," she smiled, her face lighting up beautifully because of her smile, "But you can call me just plain old Kate, okay?"

"Okay," I began to tease, "But you look neither plain nor old to me."

"You're silly," she giggled, "But it's a refreshing change, especially after being around that asshole I was talking about a couple of minutes ago."

"Thanks for the compliment," I quizzically grinned, "I guess it was a compliment."

"Of course it was, silly," she smiled, playfully punching my arm. Then she looked into my eyes and told me, "Mike and David both told me that you were a very nice person, Mark, and so far, I haven't seen anything about you that tells me otherwise...and I really appreciate it...thank you," and then she did something that totally surprised me. She leaned over and gently kissed me on the cheek.

"Because you just said that you talked to Mark and David about me, that shows me that you, yourself, took the initiative to come over here and apologize to me," I softly replied, gently taking her hand and shaking it, "And I really appreciate that more than you know, Kate."

"Yes, I did," she said, looking at the floor, "I was a real bitch to you for something that was a total accident, Mark, and again; I'm really sorry."

"I want you to forget about that," I smiled, "I already have."

"You're not just a nice guy," she smiled, her cheeks blushing, "You're a real sweetie, Mark."

"Come with me, pretty lady," I smiled, taking her hand and leading her to the garage from off of the kitchen,, "As soon as I open the garage door, I want you to go out into the driveway and pull your car in. Then we'll get in mine and leave, okay?"

~~~~~~

"Oh, wow," she smiled, the moment she saw my car, "I love Corvettes; I always have, and yours is so pretty."

"Thank you, I'm glad you like it," I proudly smiled. "It was a gift from my family when I graduated college," and then I opened the garage door, watching Kate as she went to get into her car.

"Holt shit," I silently said, once I got a look at her from behind, "Damn, she's got a gorgeous ass, especially in those tight jeans."

For a moment I thought that she might've heard my thoughts, because only a couple of seconds had passed after that before she turned around and smiled while looking into my eyes at the same time, and then she turned and opened her car door, still smiling as she started her car, a new silver colored BMW, 325i, and then pulled it up into the garage next to mine.

~~~~~~

Chapter Four

We pulled off of Briley Parkway into the executive parking area of Opryland, at the time, a world famous Amusement Park in Nashville. I'd called Mike Dodge right before we left my house, and got him to arrange two, all access passes, which would be waiting for us the moment we reached the gates.

"I'm Mark Powers and this is Kate Meyers," I said to the attendant at the ticket window that I'd been told to go to, "And I believe you have two full access passes waiting for us to pick them up."

After producing our driver's licenses for the purposes of identification, the girl behind the window politely gave us our passes and then allowed us to walk through the gates undisturbed.

~~~~~~

Granted, I looked at the property blueprints in the main offices within the park, which only took me about forty-five minutes to do, also taking notes while I did so; but once that was complete, Kate and I decided to indulge ourselves and enjoy the rides and attractions within the park itself.

It was a special treat that day, because none other than Dolly Parton herself was there performing at The Music Mill Theater, and because of the passes we had, we were allowed backstage to meet her.

Her schedule was rather hectic and full, but she graciously took a few minutes to take pictures with us, and sign two Promo pics (head shots), and then personalized them by autographing them with not only her name, but our names on them as well. She was a very nice lady who I'm glad I got to meet, which made the day with Kate even more special.

~~~~~~

We spent the afternoon riding the rides and playing a few games, where I won a big green stuffed Dragon, which I gave to Kate, who, by this time hadn't stopped smiling since we got there.

And when the time came for us to leave, Kate took hold of my arm as we walked back to my car; after having enjoyed spending the day together, as well as getting the opportunity to learn more about one another, too.

~~~~~~

Kate and I had eaten a couple of light snacks at the park, but when we got back to my house, the smell of the roast that I'd placed in oven earlier, permeated the whole inside of the house, making the both of us hungry.

"Oh, yummy," Kate giggled, "I don't know what you've got in the oven, but it smells absolutely delicious."

"It's a roast, a London Broil," I proudly smiled, "Does that mean you're going to stay and have dinner with me, pretty girl?"

"How could I not, Mark?" she softly asked smiling, "You've been so wonderful to me today. I haven't had this much fun n a very long time so; yes, I'd love to have dinner with you."

"Great," I grinned, "You can open the wine," as I handed her a bottle of Rothschild, Chateau Lafitte, vintage 1965.

"Damn," she knowingly grinned, "This is a very rare, as well as very expensive bottle of wine, Mark. Are you sure that you want to share this with me?"

"You know your wine, I'm impressed, to say the least," I smiled, "And yes, I'm positive that I want to share this with you. Why wouldn't I?"

"I don't know," she quietly replied, "I would think that maybe you would want to share it with someone you love or something like that...but I guess I'm just being silly, huh?"

"Not at all," I warmly replied, gently caressing her pretty cheek with the back of my hand, "Besides, who says that I'm not sharing it with someone I care about?"

"Really," she wistfully smiled, gently taking my hand into hers, "I like you, too, Mark...I mean...I've only known you for a day, but I really like what I've seen so far."

"I'm glad to hear that," I told her, "And I'm not trying to be forward, or too assuming in what I'm about to say, but I hope that maybe we can see each other again after tonight."

"I don't know," she teasingly giggled, "I'd better wait until after I've eaten your cooking before I answer that question."

"Has anyone ever told you what a brat you are?" I teased back, making her giggle that much harder, "Because you sure as hell are one, that's for damn certain."

"As a matter of fact, they have," she replied, "My Dad used to call me that before he died."

"Aw, Kate," I sadly replied, "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Thank you, Mark, that's very sweet of you," she tenderly smiled, "My father was killed in Vietnam when I was a little girl."

Suddenly I turned and looked into her beautiful dark eyes and gently told her, "My father was killed over there, too, when I was young. It looks like we've got something in common, pretty lady."

Nothing was said between us; however, Kate slowly leaned into me and gave me a soft, tender kiss right on the lips. We didn't open our mouths, mind you; but I felt something which began to stir somewhere deep within me, none-the-less. And when she slowly pulled back, she looked deeply into my eyes again and told me, "I've wanted to do that all day, Mark. Please don't think badly of me for kissing you just now, I couldn't bear the thought of it if you did."

"Never," I softly answered her, gently but quickly kissing her back, "I could never think badly of you, Kate; never."

"I'm glad," she smiled; slowly taking her arms from around my neck, and then began to open the bottle of wine with the corkscrew I'd given her earlier.

~~~~~~

I made mashed potatoes, using a hand mixer to whip them up, and then made roast gravy to go with them. I also cooked some green beans, with a little fatback in them, as well as black eyed peas.

I had all the ingredients, and because Kate wanted to pitch in and help out, she made a nice salad for us, hand slicing the mushrooms, black olives, cucumbers, and tomatoes, as well. Once everything was ready and on the table, the wine had had plenty of time to breathe so; I poured us each as glass, and then we sat down to eat.

We talked about the day and how much fun we'd had together, promising ourselves that we would definitely have to do something like that again very soon. As Kate sat next to me while we ate, I noticed little things about her, like how pretty I thought she was, as well as how strong I knew she could be, too.

Now that she and I had something in common, even though it was a something very traumatic, we still felt a bond grow between us that night. However, if the truth were known, that was also the night that she stole my heart; forever holding me captive within her own heart.

Still though, I couldn't let her know that. I mean, come on, I'd only known her for one day. However, one of the good things that came out of my first experience with Kate Meyers was the fact that I now believed in love at first sight. But I just couldn't let her know how I was now feeling, at least not yet, anyway.

~~~~~~

That night after dinner was finished, and after I'd backed her car out of the garage for her, we were standing huddled together on my front porch.

"I had an amazing day with you today," Kate softly, almost tenderly smiled, "And dinner was wonderful, too, Mark."

"I've really enjoyed spending time with you, too, Kate," I gently replied, gently placing my arm around her waist, "I can't wait to do it again."

"Me either," she sweetly told me, "But we'll get to see each other again in the morning when you come back to get your license."

"Oh yeah, that's right," I grinned, "I was so caught up in meeting you that I almost forgot."

"You're a very sweet man," she smiled, then quickly kissed my lips, "And we'll do this again very soon, I promise," and then she slowly stepped away from me, holding my hand as she walked away, letting go only at the very last second before she had to walk down the front steps to get into her car. And after blowing me a kiss, she backed out of my driveway, and disappeared into the night.

~~~~~~

After I locked my house up and climbed into bed, I said a silent prayer, thanking God for having given me the chance to meet this beautiful creature. I also asked him that if it were his will that Kate and I met, then would he please find a way for us to see one another as often as possible, truly blessing our union.

~~~~~~

True to her word, Kate was waiting for me at her mother's office the next morning when I arrived. After taking me to get my picture taken, as well as getting my license card printed and my picture laminated onto it, she and I went and had a cup of coffee in the cafeteria of the Federal Building.

"Mom asked me a thousand questions when I got home last night," she smiled, "I think she was pleased that I was out with you."

"I'm glad to hear that," I grinned, "I think your mother is a nice lady."

"That's good," Kate giggled, "Because she thinks you're hot."

"No way," I chuckled, my face turning beet red in embarrassment, "Not your Mom."

"I swear," Kate smiled, "Those were exact words. Well, she used a couple of other words, too, when she talked about you last night."

"You're teasing me," I laughed, "Your Mom is way too nice a lady for something like that."

"Scouts honor, Mark," Kate was now giggling, "She also said, and I quote 'that you were a good lookin little shit with a real nice ass'."

"Oh, my God," I gasped, Kate giggling like a school girl, "I'm going to be real embarrassed every time I see her from now on."

"You'd better not," Kate smiled, "I promised her that I wouldn't breathe a word of what she said about you, to you, or anyone else for that matter; come on now, Mark."

Okay," I grinned, "But it's going to be real hard for me not to be self conscious whenever I'm around her."

"Please, for me?" she smiled, looking at me and playfully pouting, which, to this day still makes me give her whatever she wants; but I'm getting ahead of myself...

"I'll think about it," I teased her, "But you're going to have to persuade me by having dinner with me this coming Friday night."

"I've got a better idea," she softly replied, "Can you get this Friday off?"

"I'm not real sure," I told her, looking at my watch, "I'll have to see. In the mean time, I need to get to the office. I promised Mike and David I'd be there as soon as I got my license."

"Come on, handsome," she cooed, taking my arm as we stood up from the table in the cafeteria, "I'll walk you to your car, okay?"

"That sounds good to me," I grinned, "Lead the way; M'lady."

~~~~~~

Kate and I walked to my car, and upon our arrival, she handed me her business card with a number hand-written on the back.

"I've got a busy day today," she said, "Will you call me this afternoon around two? Maybe we can get together for a little while after work, okay?"

"Okay, beautiful," I gently replied, lightly kissing her lips, "I'll talk to you later today then. Bye, bye."

Mmm," she purred, kissing my lips one last time before I got into my car, "I can't wait to talk to you this afternoon, bye."

I said nothing, but she smiled as I got into my car and waved to her as I backed out of my parking space, preparing to leave. However, I made completely certain that she was safely into the building before driving completely away. Little did either of us realize that a pair of, not only unwanted, but also dangerous eyes were watching every step we took before we even took them?"

~~~~~~

"Good morning, Sarah," I grinned, gently patting her on the hand as I walked by her desk, "How are you this doing morning, pretty girl?"

"I'm doing great," she knowingly grinned, "You sure are in a good mood today. What happened last night? Did you and Kate Meyers go out or something?"

"Yes we did," I cautiously replied, "But how could you have possibly known that, Sarah?"

"Carolyn Meyers called here yesterday afternoon looking for her daughter," Sarah non-chalantly replied, "Mike told her that the two of you were at Opryland together, probably having a blast. You did take Kate Meyers to Opryland, didn't you?"

"Dammit," I suddenly said, banging my fist down on my desk, "Does Mike have to tell everything he knows?"

"Relax, Mark; nobody around here is angry about it," Sarah gently told me, "As a matter of fact, Mike and David both were tickled to death that the two of you were together, especially after what that poor girl went through with the sonofabitch that her ex-boyfriend turned out to be."

The fact that my secretary, Sarah, had knowledge about this matter suddenly gave me an idea, making me ask her, "So; you know about him, huh?"

"That all depends," she cautiously replied, looking very suspiciously at me, "Why do you want to know, Mark? I want you to be totally honest with me before I tell you anything."

"Whoa, wait a minute here, why are you suddenly getting all defensive about this?" I asked her, "You work for me, remember?"

"I know that, but Kate is the person who helped me to get a job here," Sarah replied, her eyes suddenly filling with tears again, "And her ex-boyfriend is also the same asshole who raped me when I was in college, God dammit..." and then she couldn't continue before she began to cry again, making me take her back into my arms just like I did the day before, holding her until she felt better, poor girl.

"Alright, Sarah," I confessed, once she'd calmed down enough to speak with me, "I think I could very easily fall head over heels in love with Kate."

"Oh, Mark," she began to smile, brightening her pretty little face, "I think that you two would be so good for one another."

"Is that right?" I grinned, "Tell me, Sarah, what makes you say that?"

"God knows that she could certainly use a good guy in her life," Sarah now excitedly began, "And I know that you have so much love in your heart to give to the right woman, "Mark, you think that I can't see it, but I'm female, too, in case you've forgotten; and I can see it just as plain as the nose on my own face."

"No, I haven't forgotten that you're a girl," I chuckled, "But do you really think that she would consider being with me, even after what she's already been through with her ex?"
"I don't just think it, Mark, I know it," Sarah giggled, "As a matter of fact, Kate and I are going to have lunch together today so; why don't you come along with us?"

"I'd really love to, but I can't," I regrettably replied, "I've got to have lunch with Mike and David today. It's already been planned so; I have to be there."

without you around, and I know that she'll tell me the truth."

"Hmm," I knowingly grinned, "That sounds like a pretty good plan. Be sure to let me know what she says whenever I get back, okay?"

"Okay, I will," she impishly smiled, "Now get to work ya bum."

"Yeah, whatever," I playfully teased, "I'll be in my office," and then I turned and walked into my office, closing the door behind me."

~~~~~~

"So, tell us," Mike smiled, as he, David and I sat around the table at South Street Pub, eating lunch, "How are things going with you and Kate Meyers?"

"Huh?" I dumbly replied, "What're you talking about?"

"Don't be a shit; Mark," David smiled, "Mike and I both have known her since she was a baby. Besides, she's Mike's niece by marriage. In other words, his wife, Linda, and Carolyn Meyers are sisters so; spill it."

"Aw, man," I groaned, "This isn't fair, besides; Kate and I are just friends."

"That's good," Mike smiled, "I think that the two of you will be good for one another."

"I'm glad that you approve, Mike," I smiled, "So, what's on the table, fellas, and when do I start working on the blueprints for the guys at Gaylord Entertainment?"

"That's already being taken care of as we speak," David told me, "I want you to focus on something else."

"But I thought that you wanted me to head up your new design department," I replied; a bad feeling suddenly beginning to grow in the pit of my stomach, "How can I work on the design of this new project if I'm working on something else?"

"That's already been taken care of, too," Mike said, "You just keep doing what you're doing for the time being."

"Okay," I replied, "And what exactly is it that I'm supposed to be doing?"

"Taking care of Kate," David grinned, "Why else do you think that we..."

"I've got a set of blueprints in my office, Mark," Mike suddenly interrupted David, glaring at him as if he'd said the wrong thing, "I'll have them delivered to you sometime this afternoon, okay?"

"Okay," I suspiciously replied, "What do you want me to do with them?"

"Uh, just look them over," Mike distractedly replied, "Then get back to me in a week, or so. In the mean time, I want you to take tomorrow off, maybe spend a little time with Kate. What do you think?"

"Of course," I told him, "You guys are the boss."

"I'm really glad you understand that," Mike suddenly smiled, "And David and I really appreciate it, too. Don't think for a second that we don't recognize your gifts and talents, Mark."

"Thanks, Mike," I appreciatively smiled, "I'm glad to hear it."

We finished our lunch meeting, and as I drove back to the office, the feeling I began to have in the restaurant started gnawing at me. Something wasn't right, I could feel that much. I just didn't know what it was at the time. Little did I realize that everything would come to a head, and that I would know the whole truth in a couple of weeks down the road?

There was nothing comical about what I'm getting ready to say; but it's funny that people don't realize that everything in darkness eventually comes to light, hence the reason that I'm telling you this story. However, I'm not going to jump ahead so; please be patient. Besides, the path to the truth is always, and has always been much sweeter anyway. Won't you agree?"

~~~~~~

Indeed, there had been something very suspicious in not only what Mike and David had told me over lunch, but also in their interactions between one another as well. However, I laid all of my suspicions aside when I saw Sarah back in the office.

"So, tell me," I excitedly asked her, "What did Kate have to say?"

"She didn't," Sarah worriedly replied, "She stood me up for lunch. I'm worried, too, because it's not like her to not at least call me to cancel."

"I wouldn't worry too much," I said, "Maybe she got hung up with her Mom in the office."

"I called her Mom," Sarah replied, "And she told me that Kate had already left to come and meet me, but she never showed up."

All of a sudden the phone on Sarah's desk rang, and she answered, "Mark Power's office, how may I....Oh, my God, is she alright," as tears began to fill her eyes and pour down her face, "Okay tell her that we're on the way," and then she hung up.

"What's wrong, Sarah?" I worriedly asked, "Tell me now."

"That was Carolyn Meyers," she sniffled, "Kate's in Saint Thomas hospital...she was found on the deepest level of the underground parking garage, raped and beaten pretty badly."

"Let's go," I told her, "We'll take my car.

"I've got to leave a message at the front desk," she replied crying, "I've got to tell them where we're going."

"To hell with that," I said, "I'll call Mark once we've reached the hospital...come on," and we raced down the hall and out the back door to where my car was parked.

~~~~~~

"What the hell was she thinking, parking down there?" I asked Sarah, as we drove to the hospital, "Especially with that maniac on the loose."

"That's the thing," Sarah cried, "She called the police this morning and placed a restraining order against him. She said that she agreed with the advice you gave her."

"I know that she's smart," I said, "But there's a big difference between being smart and doing dumb things."

"I agree, Mark," Sarah said, "But she's always been a strong person, and I guess she didn't think that her ex, Tyler Martin, would do what he did to her."

"Bullshit," I said, "He did it to you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, he did," she agreed, "I guess I never looked at it that way; I'm sorry, Mark."

"You don't have to apologize to me, Sarah," I replied, "Besides, what happened to Kate is hardly your fault."

"I know," she sadly told me, "But I still feel badly for her."

"I do, too," I said, my eyes beginning to fill with tears at the thought of Kate being hurt, "I wish that there was something I could do to make all of this go away."

"So, you do love her," Sarah softly told me, "Don't you?"

"I don't know," I quietly answered her; "I mean...I've only known her for a short while. How can I possibly be in love with her?"

"Haven't you ever heard of love at first sight?" Sarah pointedly asked me, "It doesn't just happen in movies ya know. It also happens in real life, too, but only few and far between; and only to very special people, Mark; and you're one of those very special people...that is something I know for a fact."

"Well, I don't know about that," I skeptically replied, "I don't..."

"Do you remember what I told you about having a lot of love in your heart to give?" Sarah asked me, as we were pulling into the parking garage at Saint Thomas Hospital, "That's how I know that you're special, Mark. Guys like you don't grow on trees, they're very few and far between, too, so; I want you to think about that when we go in to see Kate; okay?"

"Okay, I will, Sarah," I finally relented, "But for the time being, I want to make sure that Kate is going to be alright first."

"Okay," Sarah softly smiled, "You win for now, tough guy..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Five

When we arrived inside the hospital, the first thing we did was to go to the trauma ward where Carolyn had told Sarah that she and Kate would be. I was not surprised to find Carolyn waiting for us outside of Kate's door, her face a mixture of pain and anguish, with definite signs that she'd been crying.

"How is she?" was the first thing I asked, the moment we got to where Carolyn was standing, "Is she alright?"

"Mark, thank God you're here," Carolyn began to cry, folding herself within reach of my arms, and leaning against me, "The Doctor says that she's been through a lot, but she's a tough girl, and that it's going to take a little time, but she'll eventually recover."

"How soon can we see her, Carolyn," Sarah asked, beginning to cry, herself, "Please tell me that she's alright."

"The doctor gave her a sedative so; she's sleeping right now," Carolyn said, placing her arms around Sarah, and then she looked up to me, and said, "She was asking for you, Mark, I thought you should know that."

"I'll be here when she wakes," I softly told her, "You can count on that, Ms. Carolyn."

"You can call me Carolyn, Mark," she smiled, "I don't look that old to you, do I?"

"No, ma'am," I smiled, "I was just trying to be respectful, that's all."

"I know, sweetie," Carolyn gently told me, "And I think it's very noble of you, too."

"Who did this," I asked her, "And have the police arrested him for it?"

"It was Tyler Martin, that much is certain," she replied, "Because Katie told us right before the Doctor sedated her. Unfortunately no one knows where he is."

"I need to go call Mike and tell him where I am," I told the two women," I'll be right back, okay?"

"Go ahead, Mark," Sarah said, "I'll wait here with Carolyn until you get back."

~~~~~~

"Who in the fuck is responsible for this shit?" Mike angrily asked, when I called him, "I want his head on a silver platter."

"I'm going to take care of that myself," I said, "I want you to leave everything to me."

"You're not going to do a thing," he loudly bellowed, "Do you understand me?"

"I'll tell you what I do understand, Mike Dodge," I angrily seethed, "I've come to the understanding that you and David Linder didn't bring me here because of my eye for design at all. You brought me here to more or less be a boyfriend to your wife's niece, and you'd better be honest about it, or as God as my witness, I'll pack up and leave this fucking place right now."

"How dare you accuse me of something like that," "he viciously growled, "Just who in the hell do you think you're talking to, dammit?"

"I'm talking to a manipulative asshole," I growled back, "You'll have my resignation on your desk in the morning; and you can count on it, motherfucker," and before he could say another word, I hung the phone up so that I wouldn't have to hear anymore of his bullshit.

~~~~~~

When I returned to Kate's room, the door was open and Sarah and Carolyn were sitting beside Kate's bed each of them holding her hand while she slept. When I took the first look at Kate, it felt like my heart was literally being ripped from my chest. Not only was her face extremely bruised, but it looked like her left eye was almost swollen shut. Her beautiful lips looked like someone had literally stabbed her in the mouth with a fork, making it painfully obvious that someone had mercilessly beaten the shit out of her.

It was right then that I made a silent vow that the moment I to got my hands on this Tyler Martin asshole, I was going to rip him limb from limb. Then and only then, would I leave Nashville, and yes, it was going to break my heart to have to do it, but, the one thing that I don't and will not tolerate from anyone is being lied to.

Common sense told me that neither Kate, nor her mother had anything to do with the reasons why I was brought to Nashville in the first place. Still though, I knew in my heart that Mike, David, and perhaps maybe even Mike's wife, Linda had been in on it all along.

I didn't know what they thought they would be able to accomplish by pulling something like this, but in my conversation with Mike and David at lunch earlier, it was made very clear to me by David as to what I was being paid to do, and I wasn't having any of it, regardless of how much Mike tried shutting him up.

I'm an Engineer, dammit, not some kind of stud horse, or babysitter, or whatever it was that these assholes had in mind for me to do. It just goes to show that people with money think that they can get away with any fucking thing they want; regardless of how it affects others. Jeez, what a bunch of bastards they are. However; I was going to make them pay, just like I was going to make Tyler Martin pay for what he'd done to Kate, even though I was going to end up leaving anyway.

It was getting close to seven o'clock in the evening when Mike and David showed up, and one look from me showed them the contempt I was feeling for their fucking asses at that moment.

"How is she, Mark?" Mike asked, with genuine concern in his voice.

"I need to speak with you privately please," I quietly seethed, motioning for him to meet me in the hall; and then the moment we were outside of Kate's room, I closed her door, and then looked him right in the eye and told him, "You've got a lot of balls; I'll give you that."

"Wait a minute, Mark," he began, his tone of voice gentle, "I think maybe I owe you an apology."

"You owe me a hell of a lot more than that, you son of a bitch," I quietly, but angrily replied, "I still haven't decided as to whether or not I'm going to tell Kate and Carolyn about what you and David have done."

"Please don't do that," he almost begged, "It would break Katie's heart, Mark...please. I'll give you anything you want, all you have to do is name your price."

"You still don't get it, do you?" I said, trying my best not to raise my voice, "I'm one of those people who can't be bought. But now that you tried, I'm giving you an ultimatum; either you tell Kate and Carolyn, or I will, right before I leave her...thanks to you. In the mean time, I'm going to try and find the little fuck head that did this to her, and don't you dare try and stop me. Do you understand me, asshole?"

He said nothing, only nodded his head to acknowledge what I'd said to him, and then I turned and walked away. However, little did I realize that while I had tried to be quiet in my conversation with Mike; Kate's mother, Carolyn, had heard every word I'd said to him?

~~~~~~

I earned my Black Belt in Japanese Karate, Togakure Ninjutsu, when I was but sixteen years old. I had worked with the police in my hometown, teaching their new officers hand to hand combat, hence the reason I got into college on an athletic scholarship. So, needless to say, I was more than able to handle almost anything, but most certainly anyone that came across my path in life. That was the reason that the first place that I was going to look for that piece of shit, Tyler Martin, was at his fraternity house where he went to college, Vanderbuilt University.

~~~~~~

I had no trouble finding Vanderbuilt, nor did I have any trouble finding the Alpha Delta Tau fraternity house. I drove by slowly, taking my time to get a good look at this place. However, when the time came for me to strike, I was going to have to use another car, because my car would be too easily recognizable to the police, just in case there were any witnesses nearby. After driving by the frat house, I went down the street and turned around to take one last look before I went home to make my plans.

~~~~~~

I don't know how I knew this, call it intuition if you will; but I knew without a doubt that Tyler Martin was hiding out in his old frat house. I also knew that the authority of the college would never be questioned by the police, because Vanderbuilt has always had a way of taking "Special Care" of their athletes.

And, they were no different from the rest of the fucking alumni of most of the major universities in this country, well, at least at that particular time they weren't. However, I also know for a fact that things have really changed a lot since all of this took place; and that the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the N.C.A.A., has really been cracking down on crooked assholes like them.

And yes, I've always hated the way that a lot of American colleges used to recruit their athletes, buying them cars, teachers basically giving them passing grades, that kind of thing. I'm just thankful now that it no longer goes on, well; at least not nearly as much as it used to, anyway.

Still though, like I said a few moments ago, I was going to have to use a different car than my own, because, let's face it, a Corvette Stingray leaves a very definite impression once you've seen one. I knew that in order to make this prick pay for not only what he did to my beautiful Kate, but also what he did to sweet little Sarah, I was going to have to be cunning, catching him when he least expected it.

This meant that I would have to wait for a while and let him think that the coast was clear, stalking him until he made the mistake of relaxing and letting his guard down. Then, and only then would I strike, making him wish he'd never even heard of Kate, or Sarah, for that matter.

~~~~~~

After I took care of, and made the necessary arrangements to get me the items I would need to carry out my plan, I went back to the hospital to see how Kate was doing. And because of what I'd previously said to Mike, about telling Kate what he and David had been up to all along where she and I were concerned, I knew that she probably already knew what was going on so; I wanted to make sure that she understood that I had absolutely no part in any of it, hence the reason I was headed back to see her. However, little did I realize that she was in no way, shape, form, or fashion, about to let me leave her for any reason whatsoever?

~~~~~~

When I got back to Saint Thomas Hospital, visiting hours had been over for quite some time, hence the reason I had to, like the proverbial thief in the night, quietly sneak in to see her without getting caught. When I got to her room, everyone, Carolyn included, had all gone home for the evening so; when I opened the door to her room, you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that she was wide awake.

"Hi, Mark," she softly spoke, "I'm so glad to see you."

"Hello, beautiful," I tenderly replied, "How're you feeling, Kate?"

"Missing you," she very quietly spoke, slowly, but gently patting the mattress beside her, obviously in pain. However, she was still able to let me know that she wanted me to sit down on the bed with her, "There's something really important that I need to tell you, and I need to do it right now before I lose my nerve, okay?"

"Alright," I uncomfortably replied, taking a seat right next to her, as she placed her hand in mine once I was within her reach, "What is it that you wanted to tell me, Kate?"

"It's like this," she began, "Mike told me what he and David did to get you to come to Nashville, and I think it's one of the shittiest things that I've ever seen," and then her swollen, but beautiful, brown eyes began to fill with tears, as she slowly brought my hand to her face and began to bitterly weep, "I swear that I knew nothing about any of this, and I'm so sorry, Mark, but please don't leave me...please," as she continued to cry.

My heart was literally breaking wide open because of the condition she was in to begin with. However, the fact that Kate felt like she had to apologize to me for something that she had nothing to do with; caused a feeling of intense anger to rise up from very deeply within me.

I was so pissed off by then, that not only was I going to hand Tyler Martin's ass over to the police, but now I also began making plans, getting Carolyn's help, once she heard what Mike and David had done. I was going to exact a type of revenge so cold, that not only would it bring them to their knees financially, but if everything worked out properly, Kate would end up owning David Linder's, and Michael Dodge's engineering firm, those

"Shh, it's okay, baby," I tenderly soothed her, gently holding her in my arms, never before having felt what was now in my heart, "None of this was your fault, and there's no need for you to ever have to apologize, for anything again, okay?"

"Wait a minute," she looked at me smiling, "What did you just call me?"

"Oh, you heard me," I replied smiling, very softly kissing her sweet lips.
"You love me," she excitedly grinned, even though her beautiful face was still heavily bruised, "Don't you, Mark?"

"You know that I do," I softly replied, ever so gently kissing her lips again, "How could I not?"

"I'm so glad to hear that, Mark," Kate smiled, still in quite a bit of pain, but braving through it, none the less, just so that we could talk to one another, "I know this might sound crazy to you; but I fell in love with you after that first day we spent together."

"The same thing happened with me, too, Kate," I warmly replied, gently holding her hands in mine, "So, it's not s crazy as you might think."

"I want to ask you something, Mark," Kate told me, with fear in her eyes, "And that is to please stay away from Tyler Martin, baby, he's as crazy as hell."

"He's not crazy, Kate, not at all," I told her, gently leaning away from her so that I could look into her eyes, "He's a fucking coward, that's what he is; and when the time comes for him to face me, he's going to crumble like a dry piece of bread...I promise you."

"Please don't do this, Mark," she began to sniffle, "I just found you, and I don't want to lose you."

"If I told you that not everything is the way it seems, would you promise not to worry?" I softly asked her, gently kissing the back of her hand, "Besides, not only did he beat you, but he raped you, too, and I'm not going to..."

Suddenly I was interrupted by the sound of her laughter, making me look at her and say, "I don't see how any of this could possibly be funny, Kate."

"I'm sorry, my love," she giggled, "But Tyler didn't rape me, hell, he got too excited and ended up squirting cum all over me before he could get his tiny little dick inside of me. Why do you think I broke up with him to start with?"

"But I thought that the police report said that...."

"They only assumed that he raped me because his "DNA" was all over the place," Kate said, "When I started laughing at him for it was when he began to beat the shit out of me."

"Thank God," I smiled, "That means that I'm not going to kill him."

"Listen to me, Mark," she told me, "Tyler is a pretty big guy, and I've seen what he's capable of so; please let the police handle this."

"Give me a break, Kate," I grinned, "I don't know whether or not you've noticed, but I'm no small fry myself."

"No," she giggled, "You're not and I'm sorry," and then she got a rather serious look on her face and told me, "Tyler studied Karate for a year, Mark, and he won't hesitate to use it either."

"I'm not worried about that either, sweetheart," I knowingly grinned, "Because, like I told you, not everything is as it seems so; you're just going to have to trust me, okay?"

"I trust you, Mark," she sniffled, tears beginning to form in her eyes, "I really do."

"No you don't," I chuckled, "Because you wouldn't be crying if you did."

"I'm sorry, baby," she quietly sniffled, "It's just that..."

"I understand, my love," I tenderly interrupted her; "And I promise you that everything is going to be alright. In the mean time, I want you to try to get some rest and focus on getting better, okay?"

"I can do that," she told me, placing her arms around my waist, "But only if you're by my side, baby."

"I'm not planning on going anywhere," I reassured her, "But I do need to go back to my house at some time to put my resignation together. I told Mike that I'd have it on his desk first thing tomorrow."

"So, you're really going to quit, huh?" she asked me, a cute smile on her face, "I don't blame you one bit, Mark; but what are you going to do about finding a job?"

"I haven't planned that far ahead," I said, "But I'll worry about that once you're out of here."

"Thank you, baby," she softly smiled, leaning back onto her bed, "I love you, Mark Powers; I love you with all my heart."

"I loved you the first time I ever saw you, Kate," I smiled, gently holding her hand, "And I'll never stop loving you."

"Mmm," she softly purred hugging me, "I'm so glad that I met you."

"I'm glad that I met you, too," I smiled, gently returning the hug, so as not to hurt her, "Now I've got a beautiful future to look forward to."

"I know that I already told you this," Kate suddenly giggled, "But my Mom thinks that you're hot. You should've seen the look on her face when she was talking about you. Even her nipples were getting hard, too."

"Kate," I playfully scolded, "You shouldn't talk about your Mom like that."

"Oh, come on now," she teased, "Don't you think Mom is pretty?"

"She's very pretty," I smiled, taking Kate's hand and kissing it, "Where do you think you got it from?"

"Aw, what a sweet thing to say, thank you, Mark," Kate kindly smiled, "I'll be sure and tell her what you said. She'll love it."

However, before I could say anything further, a nurse who was apparently making her rounds came into Kate's room and found me there. And with a look on her face that most certainly meant trouble for me if I didn't do what she asked, she ran me out of the room, but not before I said goodnight to my beautiful Kate.

"I love you and I'll see you very soon," I smiled, quickly but gently kissing her lips, "In the mean time, I want you to get some rest, okay?"

"Okay, baby," she replied, kissing me once more, "I love you, too."

~~~~~~

After getting a fairly good night's sleep, I was on the telephone around eight-thirty that next morning, returning the message that my grandmother had left with my answering service. I apprised her of what was going on, as well as what all was happening in my life, Kate included.

"I want to ask you something, baby," my sweet little grandmother said, "Do you love her, Mark?"

"Yes, ma'am," I happily replied, "I love her so much that it almost hurts sometimes."

"Then what would you think if I gave you your inheritance a little bit early?" she giggled, "That way I can be around to watch you enjoy it."

"Come on, Grams," I laughed, "I don't want anything from you and...."

"Nonsense, boy," she quickly and sharply cut me off, "You're my only grandson, and I want to do this. Besides, even though I know you're not like this, you'll never have to work another day in your life if you don't want to."

"You don't have to do this," I smiled, knowing that my protests weren't going to do one bit of good, especially once my grandmother had her mind made up.

"You're right, I don't," she sweetly chuckled, "But you also know me well enough to know that it's not going to do you any good to argue with me about this, don't you, baby?" "Yes, ma'am," I smiled in surrender, "I love you, Grams, I love you very much."

"I love you, too, baby," she sweetly replied, "Now, I need all is your bank information so that I can give it to my lawyer and then he can get the ball rolling..."

~~~~~~

Right after I'd gotten off the phone from my precious grandmother; I'd sat down and drawn up my resignation to hand in to Mike as soon as I got to the office. And also making sure that it was in my possession when I walked out my front door that morning, I got into my car, started it up, then backed out of my driveway and headed to what

~~~~~~

I stopped by a grocery store in my neighborhood and picked up an empty box to place my possessions that I had in my office in, and then I drove to 12434 West End Avenue, the location of the building that housed Linder & Dodge Engineering.

~~~~~~

The moment I walked through the front doors of my office building, the receptionist at the front desk, a nice young lady named Callie Middleton, told me, "Mister Dodge told me that he wanted to see you in his office the minute that you got here."

"I mean no offense to you, Callie," I quietly said, "But you can tell Mister Dodge that I said he can kiss my ass."

"I don't blame you, Mark, especially after I heard about what they did to you," she empathetically replied, "But I'm just trying to do my job."

"I know," I said, "Thanks for giving me the message," and then I turned to get on the elevator."

~~~~~~

"Mark," Mike Dodge smiled, meeting me the moment I stepped off of the elevator and onto my floor, "We need to talk, kid."

"Here," I curtly replied, handing him my letter of resignation, "There's nothing to talk about, and I'm sure as hell not your fucking kid."

By this time we were standing in front of several people, all of whom stood there with astonished looks on their faces.

As I headed to my office to clean out my desk, Mike placed his hand on my shoulder and said, "Mark...let me explain. Please don't do this."

"I'm giving you two seconds to take your hand off of me," I venomously growled, "After that I'm not responsible for what I do."

"I'm not letting go of you until you hear me out," he loudly replied.

"Alright then, don't say that I didn't warn you," I told him, and with that said, I grabbed him in a thumb lock, and then stepped back into him and flipped him over my shoulder where he landed hard on the floor.

"Can't you understand that I quit?" I asked, standing over him, "I'm trying to do this in a dignified way, but your stupid ass won't let me. I'm going to clean out my desk and I don't want to hear a fucking thing you have to say. Do you understand me, asshole?"

By this time he had gotten off of the floor and was now standing on his feet; and once he'd straightened himself up, he looked at me and said, "Go ahead...I'll leave you alone for now, but this isn't over yet."

"Oh, yes it is," I warned him, "Or I'm going to hurt you a lot worse the next time, do you understand me?"

I walked into my office to find Sarah cleaning out her desk as well, making me look at her strangely and ask, "What are you thinking, Sarah? You realize that once you walk out of here, you won't have a job, don't you?"

"That's already been taken care of, Mark," she impishly giggled, "I spoke with Kate right before you got here this morning; and she told me to tell you that you need to follow me when you leave here."

"Wait a minute," I suspiciously replied, "What's going on here, and what're you and Kate up to?"

"I can't tell you, Mark," she smiled, "You're just going to have to trust me, but I promise you that you're really going to like it when we get to where we're going...okay, please?"

"Aw hell," I relented, while Sarah was smiling from ear to ear, "Alright...I guess."

"Come on, tough guy," she chuckled, "I'll help you finish cleaning out your office, too, okay?"

"Okay," I relented, "I don't know what's going on, but I trust Kate, and I know she wouldn't ever let me down."

"No, she wouldn't," Sarah began to giggle again, "She really loves you with all of her heart, Mark; and I love you, too, just not like that. Now come on and help move all of this stuff out of here..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Six

After Sarah and I left the office building together, you can only imagine my surprise when I followed her to my house only to be surprised again to find Kate waiting in her car for us to arrive.

"What're you doing out of the hospital?" I asked smiling, "And what're you doing here?"

"What," she teased, "Do you want me to leave?"

"I think you know me better than that," I grinned, gently pulling her into my arms, "I'm just surprised to see you this soon; that's all."

"I got the doctor to release me into Mom's care," she giggled, holding her sides because of having bruised ribs, "I would like to go inside and sit down though, baby."

"Of course," I smiled, pulling my house keys out of my pocket as we walked up the steps and onto my front porch, "Come on, my love. Let's get you inside and in bed so you can rest."

"Under one condition," she giggled, "I get to lie in your bed."

"Aw, man," I complained, knowing that I would lose if I confronted Kate about it, "Oh, okay...I guess."

"You guess?" she playfully teased, "Jeez, Mark, you don't have to sound so excited about it. Damn, I thought you loved me."

"You know I do," I told her, "I'm just wondering what your Mom is going to say about it when she finds out you're sleeping here...with me."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it, baby," she giggled, winking at Sarah, "If anything, I think she'll be more jealous than anything else," and of course I heard Sarah loudly laughing behind me.

"Come on, you two," I groaned, "Don't start with that again."

"I guess he really doesn't realize how hot he is," Kate impishly smiled, "Does he, Sarah?"

"Nope," she also smiled, "I don't think he does."

"Yeah, whatever," I grinned, opening my front door and walking into the house, "Come on Kate, my bedroom is right down the hall."

"What about Sarah?" Kate knowingly smiled, "Can't she stay here, too?"

"I guess so," I replied, "If she wants to."

"Jeez, Mark," Sarah playfully pouted, "I wouldn't want you to have to go out of your way or anything."

"Good Lord, woman," I told her, "Just take any one of the guest rooms you want. You know that you're more than welcome to stay here."

"I'm just yanking your chain, Mark," she began to giggle, "I've got my own place."

"That reminds me," I said, "Now that you've quit your job, how're you going to pay your bills? I can help you if you need it."

"See what I mean, Katie?" Sarah smiled at Kate, "I told you, didn't I?"

"You sure did, sweetie," Kate smiled, her eyes filling with tears as she placed her arms around my waist, and then looked into my eyes, "You're a good man, Mark, and I love you so much."

"I love you, too," I smiled, "But you really need to be off of your feet and taking it easy right now. You're still recovering from your injuries ya know."

"Yes, mother," she giggled, teasing me, "Show me where your bedroom is," and I did just that.

~~~~~~

After I got Kate settled and in bed, I made sure that she was comfortable and then went to the kitchen to make us all something to eat. While I was standing at the stove, I felt an arm creeping around my waist, and after turning to see who it was, I smiled when I saw Sarah standing beside me.

"Hi, Mark," she sweetly grinned, "Is there anything I can do to help you?"

"As a matter of fact, there is," I replied, "What did you mean when you told Kate, I told you so?"

"Nothing really," she smiled, "I just told her that I thought you were one of the nicest guys I'd ever met, and that she's be crazy not to snatch you up as quickly as she could."

"What about you, Sarah?" I asked, "Don't you want to be with someone, too?" I mean, you're still young, and if you'll excuse me for saying so, you're a very pretty girl. Surely you don't want to live your life all alone, do you?"

"Thank you for asking, Mark," she quietly replied, "But I'm still a little gun shy after the shit I went through with Tyler Martin. I'll find someone eventually, but I still need some time to get back into the swing of things, if you know what I mean."

"I understand," I kindly told her, "It's just that I've come to care a great deal about you, and I don't want to see you all by yourself, that's all."

"And like I told Kate, you're a sweetie," she caringly smiled, "But I'll be alright, Mark, I really will, okay?"

"If you say so," I grinned, "In the mean time, how would you and Kate like to try one of my world famous Western Omelets?"

"Yum, that sounds good," she giggled, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

I got Sarah to help me chop and slice all the ingredients while I got everything ready to cook, and then once I'd finished making three omelets, Sarah and I made our way back to the master bedroom, only to find Kate sleeping soundly, with a little smile on her face while she slumbered.

"Come with me," I whispered, while quietly leading Sarah back to the kitchen, where she and I sat down at the table to eat.

~~~~~~

Once we'd finished eating, I was washing the dishes when I heard the phone ring.

"Hello," I said into the receiver.

"Hi, Mark," a female voice relied, "This is Carolyn Meyers; is my daughter there with you?"

"Yeah, she is," I warmly replied, "She's asleep, but I can wake her for you."

"Oh, no, don't do that," she smiled, "I do need to speak with you though, is there any way that I could come to your house, and if so, when would be a good time?"

"Oh course you can come over here," I grinned, "You can come right now if you'd like to."

"Thank you," she sweetly told me, "I can be there in about twenty minutes. Is that good for you?"

"Yes," I chuckled, "You've got an open invitation, Carolyn, and my house is your house so; come on whenever you're ready, I'll even make a fresh pot of coffee if you'd like."

"Oh, how sweet," she softly replied, "I'll see you soon, cutie," and then she hung the phone up.

~~~~~~

"Hello, pretty lady," I smiled, hugging Carolyn when I opened the front door, "Please, come on in and make yourself at home."

"Thank you, cutie," she girlishly giggled, walking into the den, taking a seat on the couch, "I'm dying to get these heels off."

"Would you care for a cup of coffee, Carolyn?" I politely asked, "I just made a fresh pot."

"Yes, please," she smiled, "Boy, I can sure tell that your Momma raised you right."

"That's the second time I've heard someone say that to me since I've been in Nashville," I grinned, "At the risk of sounding stupid, what does that mean?"

"It's a good thing, trust me," Carolyn smiled, "It means that you're a very mannerly gentleman, and that is a lesson that all mothers try to instill into their sons."

"Unfortunately, it doesn't always work," Sarah suddenly replied, appearing from the back of the house, "Hi, Carolyn, how're you doing today?"

"Oh, Sarah," Carolyn grinned, "It's so good to see you, baby girl. How's Katie doing, is she alright?"

"She's still asleep," Sarah told us, "I tried to tell her not to leave the hospital, but she's hard headed and you can't tell her anything sometimes."

"Girl, please," Carolyn smiled, "You're preaching to the choir."

"Oh, and one more thing," Sarah knowingly grinned, "Isn't Mark so sweet for letting Katie stay with him?"

"Yes, he is," Carolyn replied, batting her eyes at me, "I think it's so precious of him to go out of his way for my daughter."

"They're in love, Carolyn," Sarah giggled, "Did you know that?"

"Well, not for certain," she smiled, patting my hand as I handed her a cup of coffee, "But I know now, and I think it's wonderful. Katie could've done a whole lot worse, that's for damn sure."

"I don't know about that," I replied, "Especially when I tell you what I've got to tell you, Carolyn."

"What is it, dear?" she asked, concerned, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

"No, ma'am," I replied, "It's just that I quit my job this morning."

"Oh, that," she smiled, as if it was nothing, "I figured that it would only be a matter of time until you found out what my scoundrel of a brother-in-law was up to where you were concerned. I didn't know until the day after you found out, and I think it was really messed up."

"Yeah, it was," I said, "And he's going to pay for it, too."

"I'd be very careful if I were you, sweetheart," Carolyn gently warned, "I mean, Mike Dodge might be married to my sister, but I wouldn't trust his ass as far as I could throw him."

"I understand what you're saying, I really do," I told her, "But I'm not afraid of him one bit, and I'm sure as hell not afraid of David Linder either."

"And you shouldn't be either," Carolyn said, "I'm simply asking you to please be careful when it comes to dealing with those two, they can be ruthless, I've seen them in action."

"Maybe so," I told her, "But it's been my experience that everyone has a weakness...everyone."

"Hi, Mom," Katie smiled, suddenly appearing in the den, having come down the hall unheard, temporarily ending the conversation at hand, "What're you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were feeling, baby," Carolyn grinned, standing to hug her daughter, "Let me look at you, Katie...it looks like the swelling has gone down a lot."
"It has, Mom," Kate told her, "These damn bruises are going to take a little longer to go away, though; but Mark is letting me stay here with him. Isn't that so sweet of him to do that?"

"Yes it is," Carolyn replied, glancing adoringly at me, "And that's because he's such a sweet boy."

"Come on, you guys," I said, my face turning beet red with embarrassment, while all three women giggled at my discomfort, "I'm just a regular guy, that's all."

"Mark," Carolyn smiled, gently taking my hand and making me sit down on the couch between her and Kate, "You are...a very special young man. My daughter sees it in you just like I do; and if you give yourself even half a chance, I think that you'll do great things one day."

"I don't know about that," I humbly replied, "All I know is that I love Kate very much, and woe be unto anyone that tries to stand in our way."

"That's exactly what I mean," she kindly replied, "You're willing to fight for what you believe in. Not everyone is like that, sweetie."

"I think you give me too much credit," I smiled, "But I thank you for all the encouragement just the same."

All of a sudden I heard Kate's stomach growl, followed by not only her laughter, but Sarah's, too.

"Are you hungry, my love?" I softly asked her, "I can make you anything you want to eat. Just name it."

"I'd like a grilled ham and cheese sandwich," she meekly smiled, "But only if it's not too much trouble."

"Of course not," I smiled, rising up from where I was seated, and then turning to gently kiss her lips, "What would you like to drink, my love."

"Do you have any hot tea?" she softly asked.

"It won't take me but a few minutes to brew some," I told her, "In the mean time, would you like a cup of coffee while you're waiting?"

"That would be great, sweetheart, with milk and sugar," she smiled, "Oh, and one more thing, Mark."

"Of course," I replied smiling, "What is it?"

"Nothing really," she grinned, "I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

"Aw, thank you, pretty girl," I smiled, kissing her again, "I love you, too."

~~~~~~

Once it was brewed, I made Kate a cup of hot tea, with a small slice of lemon, just as she'd requested. And while she was sitting and talking with her mother and Sarah in the den, I was busy in the kitchen making her a grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I know I wasn't supposed to hear what they were talking about, but because they weren't trying to hide it, I listened to them while I worked.

"That boy loves you, Katie," Carolyn told her daughter, "I've never seen anything like it."

"He sure does, Carolyn," Sarah smiled, "I only hope that I can find one as good as him when I get out and start dating again."

"Not all men are like Tyler Martin, sweetie," Kate told Sarah, "But I know that it's going to take you some time before you're ready so; you should take all the time you need."

"I think you should concentrate on getting better, Katie," Sarah replied, "Mark will look out for you. You can count on it."

"I know he will," Kate said, "But Tyler Martin is pure crazy and I just don't want to see anything happen to Mark. Surely you two can understand that, can't you?"

"Of course we can, baby girl," Carolyn told her, "I don't know how I know this, but I've got a strange feeling that if Mark ever gets provoked, who ever the dumb ass is that does it is going to pay very dearly for it, I can somehow feel it."

Little did Carolyn know how true her premonition was, as far as I was concerned? I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Tyler Martin was going to pay dearly for his sins, whether it was by my hand, or by the hand of the law. But he was going down either way; that much was certain.

As far as Mike Dodge and David Linder were concerned, I was going to have to play that one by ear and see where it went. But like Carolyn, I had the strange feeling that one way or another; they were going to somehow hang themselves, either separately, or together. Personally, I could've cared less how they did it, just as long as they were dealt with, those sorry motherfuckers...

~~~~~~

That afternoon after everyone had gone home, Kate and I sat together on the couch in the den, having had the first chance to actually sit down and talk with one another. There were no agendas, no limited time frame; there was just her and just me, two people who cared deeply for one another.

"I can't thank you enough for letting me stay here with you, Mark," Kate smiled, laying her head on my shoulder, "I would've gone crazy at my mother's house."

"Are you kidding me?" I smiled, "I would've gone crazy not being able to be with you, baby."

"Before we go any further," she said, "I want you to know something, Mark."

"You can tell me anything," I quietly told her, "I hope you know that."

"I do know that," she replied, "That's why I wanted to let you know right now that I had nothing to do with what Mike and David pulled...you know, the reasons why they hired you."

"I believe you," I smiled, "But in a way, I'm kind of glad they did what they did."

"Oh really," she asked, looking into my eyes, "I've just got to hear this...why?"

"Because you and I would've never met," I grinned, "And there's no way I could ever regret meeting you."

"You're such a sweet guy," she softly smiled, and then suddenly turned serious and asked me, "Can I do something without making you angry, Mark?"

"Let's get something straight right now," I told her, sitting up so that I could look into those beautiful brown eyes, "There's nothing that you could ever do that would make me angry."

"Good," she softly replied, "Because I've wanted to do this for a while now," and then she gently touched her lips to mine, slowly but softly kissing my lips. I could feel her pressing her body against mine, pushing her firm, yet soft, full breasts against my chest, while slowly climbing on top of me until our crotches began to touch. Then she ever so gently began to grind against me, while our tongues began an age old duel that only true lovers know.

Before long my cock began to awaken, and when it met with her clothed pussy, not only could I feel the heat that radiated from her crotch to mine, but I also heard her begin to whimper, telling me that she was getting as horny as I was.

"Wait, baby," I slowly pulled away from her, both of us breathing heavily, "Are you sure that you're ready to do this, my love?"

"I'm still very sore," she panted smiling, gently reaching between us and grabbing my eight inches of iron hard cock through my pants, "But I just wanted to know what I had to look forward to when I'm better; and I have to tell you that I can't wait until we make love for the first time."

"I love you, Kate," I smiled, trying to regain my breath, "I love you very much, but I want you to be fully healed when we give ourselves to one another, okay?"

"I think you're right," she giggled, gripping my still hard cock, "Otherwise you're going to kill me with this thing."

"Stop that," I laughed, "Dirty girl."

"Oh, yeah, baby," she wantonly smiled, "I'm your dirty girl, and don't ever forget it, okay?"

"Never, baby," I softly replied, gently kissing her lips, "I love you, Kate."

"Mmm," she purred, "I'm so glad that you do."

"Now it's my turn to ask you something," I smiled, "And I don't want you to get mad either."

"Okay," she oddly replied, "But there's nothing that you could ever say or do to make me mad...well, not very much," and then she giggled.

"Here goes then," I began, "You're so beautiful, and I'm of the belief that you can have any guy you want. I guess what I'm trying to ask is, what could you possibly see in someone who's just a plain guy like me."

"Come on, Mark," she almost sadly replied, "Why in the world would you ever think that you were plain, sweetie? I happen to think that you're the most handsome, not to mention the most exciting man I've ever met, and any woman that doesn't, or perhaps can't see that is an absolute idiot."

"It really means alot to me to hear you say that, Kate," I smiled, "I guess I should probably not be so hard on myself."

"I agree," she sweetly teased me; "You really should take your own advice ya know."

"I suppose so," I grinned, "In the mean time, I know that you're probably not hungry, but I could really stand a bite to eat."

"Are you kidding?" she giggled, "I'm always ready to eat something good, and you, my love, are an excellent cook."

"Alright then," I chuckled, "How about some Ginger Chicken?"

"Oh, hell yes," she giggled, "I absolutely love Thai food."

"Ginger Chicken it is, then," I smiled, standing up and taking her hand, "Come on, beautiful, you can help me cut up the vegetables."

"Okay, baby," she smiled, "Lead the way, handsome."

~~~~~~

I can't remember that last time I had so much fun in the kitchen than I did with my beautiful Kate. It seemed like everything we did was like a new discovery with her, even something as simple as setting up my Wok. I still love the way she smiles whenever I show her something she's never seen and/or done before, hence the reason she now lives in every molecule of my being, but I'm getting ahead of myself again...

~~~~~~

After we finished eating, which Kate absolutely loved, I was about to take on the job of washing the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen, until Kate protested, telling me that she was just as much a part of dirtying up the place, too. So, of course I let her help, but I could tell that she was really tired when we were done, and in doing so, I sent her to the shower, and then off to bed. I was going to sleep in one of my guest rooms until Kate began raising hell about it.

"Oh, no you don't," she told me in no uncertain terms, "I want you in here right next to me, and I won't take no for an answer."

"Holy shit," I teased, "Are you always this hard headed?"

"Yep," she giggled, "Especially when it comes to you. After all, you're my man and I'm your woman, and that's how it is."

"Alright then," I lovingly smiled, "I guess I've received my instructions."

"See there, baby," she giggled, lightly smacking me on the ass, "You're getting smarter all the time."

"Whatever," I playfully groaned, climbing beneath the sheets in bed with her, wearing only my boxers, "Gimme a break, girl."

"Nope," she giggled, "The only thing I'm giving you is my body, and that's only after I've recovered enough to take on that monster in your shorts."

"You need to get some sleep, silly girl," I smiled, kissing her lips, as I leaned across her to turn off the bedside lamp, "I'll see you in the morning, beautiful."

"Mmm," she sweetly purred, snuggling up next to me in the dark, "I love you, Mark."

"I know you do," I softly replied, placing my arm around her shoulders, gently pulling her against me, "I love you, too."

~~~~~~

Chapter Seven

When I awoke the next morning, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that Kate had her face buried into the crook of my throat, planting soft kisses on my skin, eliciting small chills which ran down the front of my chest and ended right in my groin, hence the reason my cock was nearly at full mast.

"Good morning, my love," I softly smiled, "How're you feeling this morning?"

"I'm still a little sore," she replied, "But I feel better than I did yesterday."

"Good," I smiled, "That means that you're healing."

"I hope so," she replied smiling, and sitting up, "I'm tired of being all achy and sore."

"You look better," I told her, noticing that the swelling and bruising had gone down noticeably since the day before, "It won't be too much longer before the bruises will all be gone."

"I can't wait," she giggled, "Then I can be pretty for you again."

"Whoa, wait a minute," I said, sitting up in the bed to look her in the eyes, "You're still very pretty. I don't ever want you to forget that either, Kate. You're just a little banged up right now, that's all; but you're still beautiful as far as I'm concerned, okay?"

"I love you, Mark," she sniffled, tears beginning to fill her beautiful brown eyes, "I love you so much."

"I know you do, baby girl," I softly replied, pulling her into my arms, "And I love you, too."

"Please tell me that I'm going to be alright, Mark," she suddenly wept, "I'm so afraid."

"Of course, you're going to be just fine," I soothed her, "What are you afraid of?"

"I'm still afraid of Tyler," she said, "I'm afraid, because he's still lurking out there somewhere, just waiting to jump me again."

"I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen well," I told her, now looking into her eyes, "Tyler Martin will never bother you again. I promise you, Kate, okay?"

"Okay, baby," she sniffled, "I just want you to be careful, too."

"Don't worry, my love," I reassured her, "There are things about me that you don't yet know; but when the time comes, you'll see that you'll never have to worry about him again."

"What things are you talking about, Mark?" she worriedly asked, "You're not some kind of hit man or something, are you?"

"No," I laughed, "It's nothing like that, I promise, but when the time is right, you'll see for yourself, and once you do; you'll never fear that piece of shit again. In the mean time, I'm asking you to blindly trust me, okay, my love?"

"You know I trust you," she began to smile, "And if you say that everything is going to be alright, then I believe you."

"I'm glad to hear it," I grinned, "Now, I want you to get your pretty little butt in the shower and get cleaned up while I make us something to eat."

"Ooo, a shower sounds like a lot of fun," she suggestively giggled, "Would you care to join me?"

"As much as I'd like to, you know that I can't," I smiled, gently tweaking the nipple of her braless breast beneath her tee shirt/nightgown, "At least not until you're healed. We talked about that last night, baby, okay?"

"Oh, okay," she playfully grumbled, "But I at least want you to see what you've got to look forward to," and with that said, she got out of bed and pulled her nightgown completely off, her naked body bare before my eyes.

My throat went dry at the sight of her big, round, 38DD breasts, with nice wide areolas that were at least three inches in diameter, and beautifully long nipples, half an inch long, that were about the size of my little finger. Her waist tapered down to the gentle flair of her 36 inch wide hips, and at the tops of her sleek smooth thighs, laid the treasure of her mons, topped by a small tuft of a very dark wisp of pubic hair.

"Oh, my God, Kate," I breathed, "You're so beautiful, baby."

"Mmm, I'm glad you think so," she purred, grabbing my now hard cock beneath my boxers, "I can't wait to get this inside of me," and then she quickly kissed my lips and then turned to go into the bathroom, leaving me breathless at the sight of the most perfectly sculpted ass I've ever seen on a woman. It looked like a honey dew melon that had been cut in half, and then both halves were laid side-by-side, oh, God, what a sweet ass she has...

~~~~~~

Once I'd recovered from watching Kate get in the shower, I got out of bed and pulled on a pair of blue jeans and made my way into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee.

~~~~~~

I'd just finished turning the coffee on when I heard a knock on my front door; and wondering who it was, I went to answer it.

When I opened my front door, I saw a courier standing there with an armed guard at his side.

"Are you Mister Mark Powers?" he asked.

"Yes, I am," I told him, "What can I do for you?"

"I have a cashier's check for you," he told me, "It's in the amount of Five Million, Nine Hundred Thousand, Ninety-Five Dollars and Eighty-Two Cents, and I need you to sign for it, but I must also ask that you show me some identification to verify that you are who you say you are before I can relinquish possession of this check to you, sir."

"That's not a problem," I smiled, remembering that my grandmother had told me that she was giving me my inheritance, "Please, come in, gentlemen."

After I invited the two men into the house, I walked into the den while they waited in the foyer for me to get my wallet. And then after showing the courier my driver's license, he smiled, handed me not only some forms to sign, but the check once' I'd signed them, and was then on his way, the armed guard following right behind him.

~~~~~~

"Holy shit, Mark," Kate squealed, when I showed her the check I'd just received, "That's almost Six Million Dollars. What did you do, rob a bank?"

"No, nothing like that," I chuckled, "My grandmother told me that she was going to give me my inheritance a little early. I just never knew it was going to be that much."

"You know that you need to go and put this in the bank right now," she seriously told me, as she sipped her coffee, "That's a lot of money, baby, and I don't want to see you lose this check."

"I know," I grinned, "But don't you think I should get dressed first?"

"I don't know," she seductively purred, "I think you look hot wearing just your blue jeans."

"You're silly," I grinned, hugging her, "But I love you more than life itself."

"Mmm," she smiled, returning my hug, "I love you, too, baby...I love you, too."

~~~~~~

"I'd like to be the first to welcome you to the Regions Bank family," Mrs. Ann Wexler, branch manager of the bank near my house smiled, "And we look forward to doing business with you in the future, Mister Powers."

"Please," I smiled, "Call me Mark, Ms. Wexler."

"Okay, Mark," she nicely smiled, "In that case, you can call me, Ann."

"I thank you, Ann," I told her, as we shook hands, "And like you, I also look forward to doing business with you in the future, too."

~~~~~~

Once Kate and I were back at my house, the first thing I did was to call the realtors whom I was leasing the house that I was currently living in, so that I could find a new place. Granted, the house I was living in was nice, but now that I could afford it, I wanted something different, something more secluded, out in the countryside as opposed to living in the city...something that I owned outright.

~~~~~~

Over the next four days, I was shown a number of different houses until I came to this one place in particular. Not only did it sit in the middle of twenty acres, but it was also once owned by someone who was in the country music industry. However, because this particular person had lost their record deal, it was now up for sale at a significantly lower price than what was originally paid for it.

It was about 7500 square feet, all one level, and I made arrangements to turn what used to be a recording studio into a dojo for me to workout and train in. It also came with an in-ground pool that was more than big enough to swim laps in, covered a full glass enclosure that connected to the back of the house so that it could be used all year around.

However, what really got my attention was the master bedroom. I planned on totally redecorating it, of course with Kate's help. I was falling deeper in love with her as the days progressed, and the funny thing about that was the fact that we hadn't even made love yet. I did have the sense enough to realize that when the time actually came for us to be together that way, I knew it was going to take every bit of strength I could muster to keep up with her.

~~~~~~

The realty company cut me one hell of a deal, especially because I paid cash for it, and it only took about two days to get all of my possessions moved into the house. The real fun came when I took Kate and Sarah with me to go furniture shopping. They acted like a couple of kids in a toy store, and I thought it was rather precious watching the two of them together.

Granted, I was in love with Kate the way a man loved his woman, but when it came to how I felt about Sarah, I more or less adopted her as the baby sister I never had. And because her car was on its last leg, I thought she was going to have a heart attack when I bought her a new BMW 325i, just like Kate's, except Sarah's was black.
"Oh, Mark," she wept, burying her face into my chest, "You're so sweet for doing this, but I don't know how I'll ever be able to pay you back."

"I don't want you to worry about paying me back, sweetie," I gently told her, handing her my handkerchief to wipe her eyes with; "This is a gift, okay?"

"You're such a kind man, Mark," Kate tenderly smiled, placing her arms around Sarah and me, "I knew I was right to feel the way I do about you."

"Oh really," I teased, "And how do you feel about me, Kate?"

"Don't be an idiot all your life, "she giggled, "You know that I love you with all my heart."

"Of course I know," I grinned, "I just like hearing you say it, that's all."

~~~~~~

Five days after purchasing, as well as furnishing my new house, I handed the keys to my other house back to the lady from the realty company and thanked her. Then Sarah and Kate followed me, in their cars, out to my new house.

"Wow," Kate smiled, as we all walked into the house through the front door, "I never realized how pretty this place would look with all the new furniture in it."

"It sure does look pretty, Katie," Sarah giggled, standing beside her, "Besides, you and I decorated it, didn't we?"

"Hell yeah," Kate smiled, placing her arm around Sarah's waist and hugging her, "Now we have to convince Mark to have a house warming party."

"That's right," Sarah conspiratorially winked at Kate, "And I know just who all to invite, too."

"Do I have a choice in the matter?" I asked.

"NO," Kate and Sarah simultaneously said together, giggling like schoolgirls afterward.

"Aw, hell," I sighed, "So when did you two plan on having this so called house warming party?"

"Would a month from now be too soon, baby?" Kate giggled, "That way you and I will have made love already and I can show off my beautiful boyfriend to all of my friends."

"Shit, Kate," I said, my face turning bright red, "Why don't you just broadcast it on the radio?"

"It's only Sarah," Kate giggled, still teasing me as Sarah giggled right along side of her, "And you've already made it plain to both of us that she's your new baby sister."

"That's all the more reason to keep it between us," I said, "Jeez, you two."

"Lighten up, big brother," Sarah giggled, laying her head on my shoulder as she placed her arm around my waist, "Besides, I can't think of anyone else for you to have sex with than Kate." Of course, this set both Kate and Sarah into howls of laughter, making me simply shake my head and walk back to my new dojo.

~~~~~~

I began taking down the first of several walls that were once recording booths, and in doing so, I knew that I had a hard job ahead of me.

"I know someone who can convert this place inside of three days," Kate smiled, suddenly appearing in the doorway, "Unless you're set on doing it yourself."

Kate walked up beside me, and after placing her arms around my waist and pressing her body against mine, she softly kissed me then said, "I'm sorry for embarrassing you earlier, Mark...I love you."

Of course I melted on the spot and told her, "I love you, too, baby."

"I'm feeling a lot better these days, Mark," she tenderly replied, softly grinding her crotch against mine, "Take me back to the bedroom and make love to me, please baby?"

"Are you sure about this?" I asked her, "I don't want to hurt you, Kate. I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

"I'm more than ready, Mark," she purred, "And I'm not as fragile as you think so; let's make love."

"Alright," I smiled, my cock immediately hardening at the thought of being inside of my beautiful Kate, "I want you to lead the way so that I can watch that beautiful ass of yours."

"Silly boy," she giggled, then reached down and undid her pants, and then immediately took them off, "How about this, Mark, I want you to see my ass naked, okay baby?"

Mmm," I smiled, gently grabbing the succulent flesh of her hot, tight ass, "Let's go to bed, my love."

~~~~~~

I lay back naked in the big Emperor Size Bed that Kate picked out and watched her finish undressing. I can't begin to describe what I was feeling at that moment, and I'd almost forgotten about her, when I looked at Kate and asked, "Is Sarah still here?"

"No, baby," she smiled, now naked and pressing her hot bare breasts against my chest as she lay beside me with my cock in her hand, "She left a few minutes ago, but she said that she'd be back in a couple of hours so; we have plenty of time to enjoy one another."

"I love you, Kate," I softly told her, reaching between her legs to find her soaked, "Excited, are we?"

"Shut up," she giggled, "I've only been thinking about doing this with you since the very first day we met."

"Wow," I smiled, gently kissing her nipples, "Even though you thought I was, what it was you called me, a long haired son of a bitch?"

"I'm really sorry," she impishly giggled, grabbing my hard cock, "I should've called you long dicked son of a bitch instead," and then she erupted into another fit of laughter.

However, the moment she stopped laughing, she began to deeply kiss me while climbing on top of me. Then, with no warning whatsoever, she placed the head of my cock at her entrance and then sat down on my dick all in one stroke, not stopping until her pubis met mine.

"Oh fuck," she groaned, "That feels so fucking good, baby."

"Ungh," I groaned, "Yes, it does."

Kate leaned down so that her beautifully big tits were mashed against my chest and began to slowly move her tight, wet, pussy up and down on my cock, as I held the round firm globes of her ass as she moved.

"Oh, yes, baby," she said, as we moved together, "That's it, fuck me, Mark. Yes, move that nice big cock in and out of my hot little pussy, baby. Yes, yes, oh, oh, fuck me. OH GOD, BABY, YESSSS, THAT'S IT...FUUUUCK MEEE...GOD, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME CUM. OH, I LOVE YOU SOOOO MUUUUCH, FUCK ME, MARK! FUCK ME, OOOHHH GOD YESSSS, I'M CUMMING NOOOWWW, BABEEEEE," and then she did something I've never seen before. Her pussy began to squirt girl juice all over me, pushing me over the edge as well.

"OH, KATIEEE, " I loudly groaned, as I squirted what felt like gallons of hot, scalding sperm deep within the deepest recesses of her pussy, painting her vaginal walls with my seed, "I'M CUMMING BABY," and then all I saw was blackness...

~~~~~~

When I opened my eyes again, Kate was lying on her side, cuddled up beside me, naked, with a cold cloth on my forehead, gently kissing my lips.

"Hi, baby," she tenderly smiled, "Are you back with us again?"

"Holy shit," I said, "What happened?"

"I think you must've passed out," she smiled, still gently kissing my lips, "And I love you so very much, Mark."

"I love you, too," I replied, my eyes beginning to fill with tears, "I've never felt this way before, Kate, and I'm a little bit overwhelmed. I'm sorry for..."

"Hey now," she sweetly interrupted me, "Don't you ever be sorry for loving me, Mark Powers. I've never had a man love me the way that you do, and you're "The One", the end of the line as far as I'm concerned. I'll never want anyone but you, okay baby?"

"Okay," I smiled, wrapping my arms around her body and pulling her against me, "I'm glad you feel that way, because I feel the same way about you."

~~~~~~

After we'd made love, Kate got on the phone and called a friend of her mother's who was well known for being able to remodel rooms and made an appointment for her to come and take a look at what was once a recording studio and give us a bid on what it would cost to remodel it to my specifications.

"She's really good, baby," Kate told me, "And she's nowhere near as expensive as everyone else."

"I'll leave it all up to you, my love" I knowingly smiled, "Because after all, this is going to be your home one day, too."

"Oh, Mark," she suddenly said, her eyes becoming as big as saucers, with tears suddenly filling them, "Are you asking me what I think you are?"

"Yes," I grinned, "But I'm not going to do it until I can do it right so; I want you to keep it to yourself for now, okay?"

As opposed to saying anything, she simply laid her head in my lap and began to cry her pretty eyes out.

"Hey," I tenderly soothed her, "This is supposed to be a happy occasion. What's with all the tears, baby girl?"

"I am happy, I really am," she sniffled, "It's just that I've been dreaming about a dashingly handsome man asking me to marry him ever since I was a little girl."

"I understand," I told her, "And I want you to have as big, or as small of a wedding as you want."

"I only have one regret," she sadly told me, laying her head on my shoulder; "I only wish that my Daddy was here to walk me down the aisle."

"If anybody understands that, I do, my love," I told her, "I wish my father was here, too."

"They will be," Kate smiled, gently kissing my lips, "I don't know how I know, but I know that they'll both be here."

~~~~~~

Later that afternoon, Sarah had come back with a big order of barbecue under the premise that she wanted to feed me for buying her a new car. I thought it was very sweet of her, and I didn't hesitate to let her know about it, and as we sat around the kitchen table eating, the telephone rang.

"Hello," I answered, "This is Mark."

"Hello, Mark," Mike Dodge said, on the other end, "I was wondering if you and I could talk."

"Look, Mike," I told him, "I'm trying to be as nice as I can be about this, but I've got nothing to say to you so; do yourself a favor and leave me alone."

"Wait a minute, please," he replied, "I need your help, Mark, please."

"Yeah, right," I laughed, "What could you possibly need my help for?"

"It's the Gaylord Entertainment job," he said, almost sounding desperate, "Bobby Hanson and Jake Anderson don't want to deal with anyone but you. Come on, Mark, I'll beg if I have to."

"I'll tell you what," I said, "Today is Friday. Let me think about it over the weekend, and then I'll give you an answer on Monday, alright?"

"Thank you, Mark," he said, almost sounding relieved, "You won't be sorry, I promise you."

"We'll talk about this on Monday," I reminded him, "And I haven't agreed to anything yet so; you might want to save it."

"Thank you for at least talking to me, Mark," he replied, "I'm grateful for that."

"I'll talk to you on Monday," and then, without another word, I hung up the phone and walked out onto the back deck that adjoined the pool.

~~~~~~

As I stood there looking at the property that surrounded the house, I wondered what I was going to tell Mike and David. Granted, I knew that if they hadn't brought me to Nashville, I would've never met Kate, but at the same time; the reasons they brought me here pissed me off to no end. They could've at least told me what they wanted as opposed to treating me the way they had. I might have worked something out with them where Kate was concerned, and still be able to do my job.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked, breaking me from my reverie.

"I'm alright," I said, pulling her into my arms, "I was just thinking."

"Is there anything I can do?" she quietly asked, "You know that I'll help you any way I can."

"I know you will," I smiled, gently kissing her lips, "That's why I love you."

"Who was that on the phone?" she asked, and then I proceeded to tell her about my phone call from Mike, as well as why he'd called; and when I was done, Kate smiled and told me, "I see an opportunity to not only take retribution, but also make some money while you're doing it."

"What're you talking about?" I asked, with my curiosity now piqued.

"There are a couple of things that you might want to know about the people you thought were your friends," she knowingly smiled, "And it would probably be best if we went inside to talk about this."

~~~~~~

Chapter Eight

Me, Kate, and Sarah all sat around the kitchen table while Kate revealed to me the knowledge she'd carried for years. Whatever it was that she was going to tell me must've been either dangerous, or very detrimental to those she was going to tell me about; because right before she revealed the information she was going to give me, she looked at both Sarah and I and told us, "What I'm about to tell the two of you could bring a shit storm of trouble down on top of all of us. Sarah, I suggest you either leave here right now, or prepare yourself to be very cautious in everything you do until the plan I'm about to tell Mark has been carried out, okay?"

"You can count me in," Sarah said, in no uncertain terms, "Mark has been very good to me; and if there's any way that I can help him, then I'm going to do it."

"Alright then, here it is," Kate began, "I know of a way to not only ruin Mike Dodge and David Linder, but also make a ton of money doing it. Are you interested, Mark?"

"Hell yeah," I replied, "I want those lying bastard's heads on a silver platter."

"Then this is how we do it," Kate said, "I know for a fact that David Linder has an unquenchable thirst for underage pussy. He's been that way ever since I was a baby."

"He didn't make a move on you, did he?" I asked, "Because I'll kill that son of..."

"No, he didn't," Kate said, interrupting me, "I think he somehow knew better than to mess with me. But I do know of at least three girls that he did have sex with when they were sixteen; and then he paid them handsomely for their silence."

"But they're all of legal age now," I said, "We need to catch him red handed in order to be able to prosecute his worthless ass."

"Don't worry, baby," Kate knowingly grinned, "I've got that end of it covered; but the person who we need to really put the screws to is Mike Dodge."

"Uh oh," I said, a bad feeling suddenly rising from the pit of my stomach, "What is he into?"

"He used to sell cocaine," Kate told me, "And I imagine that he still does from time to time, because any time he got into a financial bind, he somehow always came up with enough money to bail his ass out of it."

"How do you know all of this?" I asked, "And how will this affect us when we bring their asses down?"

"It won't affect us one bit," she knowing smiled, "And the reason I know about all of this is because I overheard Mike talking on the telephone one night when I was a little girl and was spending the night at Aunt Linda's and Uncle Mike's house."

"That's another thing," I said, "Does Linda know about any of this, and if so, is she involved?"

"The answer to both questions is 'No'," Kate replied, "And the reason I know about David Linder is, like I already said, I know two of the girls that he had sex with."

"Yeah, but that was like nine years ago," Sarah said, "And the statute of limitations has long since run out."

"No, it hasn't," Kate giggled, "Not in the state of Tennessee. There are no limitations on statutory rape, regardless of how long ago it was."

"But do you think that those two girls would be willing to file charges against him?" I asked, "And if so, are they willing to face him in court?"

"He had anal sex with one of them against her will," Kate told us, "And then when he got the other one pregnant, the abortion he paid for caused her to have to have an emergency hysterectomy."

"What about that girl's parents," I asked, "Weren't they at least a little bit suspicious?"

"No," Kate replied, "She told the police that she was raped by three black guys and was ashamed to tell her parents so that's why she went to some asshole out of state to get an abortion."

"And they bought it?" I asked, as Kate nodded her head, "Damn, some people will believe anything, won't they?"

"Okay, now that we've got David Linder," Sarah said, "How do we catch Mike Dodge?"

"I'm not sure yet," Kate said, "But I'll think of a way, I just need a little time, that's all."

"Whoa, wait a minute," I said, "Kate; do you realize what you're getting yourself and us into, baby?"

"I want Mike Dodge's head," she angrily spat, "I want the sonofabitch to go down."

"But why," I asked, "What did he ever do to you?"

"I'll tell you," she said, her voice beginning to tremble, "But you've got to promise me that you won't go off and lose your temper, okay? Do you promise me, Mark?"

"Alright," I conceded, "I can't promise you that I won't get mad, but I can promise you that I won't lose my temper and go off and do something stupid."

"That's good enough," she said, kissing my lips, "Alright then...back when I was sixteen years old, there was a boy that I went to school with. His name was Joey Chandler and I really liked him a lot. He was a year older than me and was the starting quarterback of the football team. We started dating that year, and I ended up giving him my virginity..."

...Uncle Mike was really into gambling a lot back then. Anyway, he tried to bribe Joey into throwing a football game, a playoff game. When Joey refused, he was mysteriously killed in a car accident, and when they searched his car, the police found several ounces of cocaine in the car..."

"...If I knew anything about Joey, I knew with absolute certainty that he did not do drugs; he hated drugs and he also hated anyone who had anything to do with drugs. I've never been able to prove it, but I know in my heart that Mike Dodge is responsible for Joey's death, and that's why I want his ass...dead or alive," and when she finished telling us this, Kate had tears falling down her cheeks.

I stood up, and after wrapping my arms around her, I pulled Kate against me and told her, "Shh, it's going to be alright, baby; I promise...and I'm going to take Mike Dodge's ass down if it's the last thing I do."

"That's just it, Mark," Kate cried, "I'm afraid that it will be the last thing you do...please be careful."

"I guess it's time to let the cat out of the bag," I told her, "You two sit right here, I'll be right back."

~~~~~~

When I returned, I was carrying a large wooden chest with steel handles on each end. After setting it down in the floor, I opened it up to reveal the contents within it. And after removing the smaller boxes from it, as well as my sword and knife cases, I looked at Kate and Sarah and told them, "Follow me out to the back yard, please."

~~~~~~

Once we were outside behind the pool building I set up a large piece of decking that had been hanging on hooks on the wall of my studio/dojo, and then leaned it against a tree. And after stepping back about twenty yards, I took a Sharpie® felt tip pen and handed it to Kate.

"I want you to do me a favor, I told her, "Take that pen and go draw a series of circles, like a target, on that piece of plywood, and then come back here when you're done."

She and Sarah walked over to the plywood and drew the target. When they were finished, they came back to where I was standing with my weapons exposed.

"I know what those are," Sarah excitedly said, "Watch this, Katie; it's going to be so cool."

Over a period of about ten to twelve seconds, I threw a constant, yet deadly barrage of eight Shiriken stars, and ten, razor sharp, steel-shafted darts, all of which landed within centimeters of one another, followed by three tanto knives, into the plywood, leaving Kate with a look of disbelief written all over her face.

"Oh, my God, Mark," she dreadfully gasped, "Where did you learn to do that?"

"I began studying a Japanese form of the martial arts called Togakure Ninjutsu when I was very young up until right before I left to go to college, where I was an instructor in self defense," I replied, "So, you see, I'm not worried about Mike Dodge's ass one fucking bit. As a matter of fact, if he messes with you or anyone else for that matter; I'll destroy him without question...and the same thing goes for Tyler fucking Martin, too."

"Holy shit," Sarah giggled, "You're a true ninja, aren't you, Mark?"

"Yes, I am," I replied, "But this is something that stays between the three of us, and no one else, agreed?"
"Of course," Sarah readily agreed, "Holy shit."

"I love you, Mark," Kate replied, holding me tightly, "Now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I'll always be safe when I'm with you."

"That's right, my love," I softly replied, gently kissing her lips, "Always..."

~~~~~~

When we got back into the house, I looked at Sarah and told her, "I want you to go home and pack a bag. Then I want you to come and plan on staying here where it's safe until all of this shit blows over."

"Come on, Mark," Sarah said, "What could they possibly do to me?"

"Several things," I told her, "But I'm not willing to take that risk, that's why I want you here with us."

"I want you to call your mother, Kate," I told her, "Tell her that she needs to come over here tonight, because I want to talk to her."

"I can do that," Kate smiled, "But what's she going to say when you tell her what you're going to do?"

"I'm not going to tell her anything about that," I knowingly smiled, "We're going to send your Mom on a much needed vacation; something along the lines of a cruise, or something like that. What do you think?"

"I think she'll love you for it," Kate smiled, "I know that I sure do."

"Good," I knowingly smiled, "In the mean time, I've got to go into town to pick up a few things. Will you be alright here by yourself until I get back?"

"Yes," she good naturedly chuckled, "I'm a big girl, Mark; and I can take care of myself...well, for a little while anyway, just don't be gone too long."

~~~~~~

While I was out, the very first place I went was to Zales Jewelry store, out in Hendersonville. It might've been quite a ways from where I lived, but I knew that I could, with all certainty, find exactly what I was looking for when it came to picking out an engagement ring for my beautiful Kate, I wanted something that was most certainly beautiful, but also the only one of its kind.

It didn't take long before I found exactly what I was looking for, and exactly what I knew would enhance Kate's already striking beauty. It was a one and a half karat; marquis cut diamond with another full karat of smaller diamonds surrounding it, all on a platinum mount, which sat atop a twenty-four karat gold band. The wedding band consisted of a half a karat of diamonds which encrusted the top of the band itself, matching the engagement ring.

I knew from looking at one of Kate's rings, while she was in the shower, that she wore a size five and a half, and much to my amazement, I like to look at it as being a blessing; the ring was the exact same size. I also knew that by the time I got back to the house, that Kate's mother, Carolyn, would be there waiting for my return.

I took my time going back, stopping to pick up a new pair of boots for me, as well as a new dress for Kate. I also checked her dress size, too. It was your classic "little black dress" only it was a deep shade of blue, which just happens to be my favorite color. I didn't want Sarah to feel left out so; I bought her a gold necklace when I bought Kate's ring. I just hoped she liked it.

And for her vacation, I made certain to stop by a travel agency, which was more or less on the way to my house, to make the arrangements for Carolyn's cruise. I was told by the lady at the travel agency that the tickets, as well as the cruise information would be sent to my house no later than that coming Tuesday, and that the cruise ship was scheduled to leave the following week. It would be gone for ten days, which was more than enough time to execute our plan. The only wrinkle that I foresaw, was having to deal with Tyler Martin's little punk ass; but that wasn't really going to be a problem, especially once Sarah had filed aggravated rape charges against his stupid ass, and leave us not forget Kate filing aggravated assault charges as well; both of which are felonies.

I knew that as soon as his bond was posted, Tyler would more than likely try to jump bail. That's where I came in; making sure that he would spend the time between his making bail and his court appearance, in the hospital, waiting for the compound fractures in both of his legs to mend. One might think that to be a bit harsh, considering that people in this country are supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, and I agree. However, I was simply going to perform a public service of sorts, making sure that whoever he got to post his bond wouldn't be out of however much money it was going to cost to keep his fucking ass out of jail.

~~~~~~

When I got back to my house, I was delighted to see not only Sarah's and Kate's cars in my driveway, but also Carolyn's car as well. After all, because Kate's father, and mine, were no longer with us, I was going to need Carolyn's permission to marry her daughter. To be totally honest about it though, I couldn't wait to see the looks on everyone's faces when I got down on one knee to ask for my beautiful Kate's hand.

~~~~~~

"Hi, baby," Kate smiled, as she greeted me at the front door, "I missed you."

"Hello, my love," I grinned, gently kissing her lips, "I missed you, too, but I've got a surprise for you."

"Mmm," she purred, hugging me, "I like surprises, Mark."

"Good, I grinned, handing her the box that contained her dress, "Then you're going to love this...here, open it."

"Hey, Sarah," I smiled, handing her a small box, "I brought you something, too, little sister."

"Mark," she scolded me smiling, "You know that you shouldn't have done this, but thank you anyway."

"Hush up," I teased, "That's what big brothers are for."

Before I could hand Carolyn her cruise info and confirmation stub, I head Kate say, "Oh, my God, Mark. This is beautiful, baby," as I turned around to see her holding her dress up against her body, the way all women do, "Thank you, I love it."

"I'm glad," I smiled, "Why don't you take Sarah to the back so that she can help you try it on?"

"I think I will," she girlishly giggled, "C'mon, Sarah," and before I knew it, the both of them were up and gone.

"Here, Carolyn," I smiled, handing her the cruise information, "Kate told me that this has been a long time coming for you."

"Before I take this, Mark," Carolyn began, smiling as she stood up, "There's something I want to give to you, sweet boy," and then, with happy tears streaming down her face, she took my face into both of her hands, and firmly kissed my cheek.

"That's my way of saying thank you, sweetie," she sniffled, "I haven't seen my daughter this happy since way before her father was killed in Vietnam; and you're the one who's responsible for it."

"I love her very much, Carolyn," I gently told her, taking her hand and making her sit down next to me on the couch, "Because you're both her mother and her father, I need your permission before I ask her to marry me tonight."

"Oh, sweetie, yes," she began to cry, holding onto me for dear life, "Yes, you can marry her, and I hope you two give me a bunch of grand babies to spoil."

"We'll sure try," I smiled, handing her my handkerchief, "Here, hurry and wipe those pretty eyes so Kate won't think something bad is going on."

"Oh, my lord, what's this?" Carolyn asked, when she looked into the envelope I'd handed her, "Goodness me, boy. You didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did," I teased, "Your daughter told me that you won't do it for yourself so; I did it for you. Besides, who knows...you might meet a hot guy aboard ship, and get lucky?"

"You rascal," she giggled, "What am I going to do with you, huh?"

"You've already given me permission to marry Kate," I happily grinned, "I'd say that's more than enough," however, before she could reply, Kate came squealing back into the den smiling and wearing the new dress, which I must say, looked absolutely ravishing on her.

"Well?" she asked me, "How do I look, baby?"

"You look beautiful," I smiled, standing up to kiss her, "But then again, you've always been beautiful as far as I'm concerned."

"Thank you for the necklace, Mark," Sarah smiled, hugging me with it on, "I really like it."

"Let me see," I smiled, holding her at arms length so that I could look at her wearing her gift, "It looks really pretty on you, little sister."

Then I got on one knee, in front of Carolyn and Sarah, and with the box containing her rings, I took Kate by the hand and told her, "Kate, you live in every molecule of my body. Would you come to live with me as my wife?"

Oh, God, Yes," she cried, even though she knew it was coming, just not so soon, "Yes, I'll marry you, Mark, I love you so much."

And when I placed the engagement ring on her finger, she gasped and said, "Oh, God, Mark. This is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," and then she threw her arms around my neck and began to cry all over again.

"I love you, Mark," she wept, "I'll always love you."

"I know you do, baby," I warmly replied, holding her in my arms, "And I love you, too."

~~~~~~

Once everything had settled down, Carolyn smiled proudly at her daughter and told her, "I suppose you want to get married in the gazebo behind the house, sweetie."

"Yes," Kate giggled, "I've only been dreaming about it since I was a little girl."

"Good," I knowingly grinned; "As soon as your mother gets back from her vacation you can start planning it."

"Which reminds me, Mark," Carolyn smiled, "Why would you do this for me? I know that this cruise package cost you quite bit of money."

"It doesn't matter," I grinned, "I wanted to do something nice for you. Is that okay?"

"Of course," she said, "But you most certainly didn't have to go to this extreme, Mark. A dozen roses would've been just fine...as well as a lot cheaper."

"Okay then," I impishly teased her, "Consider it a retainer for your services then, if it will assuage your conscience."

"You little devil," she giggled, "If you were younger I'd take you across my knee and paddle your little butt."

"My Mom already tried that," I laughed, "She stopped doing it when I was ten because she found out that I liked it."

Carolyn simply shook her head smiling while Kate and Sarah fell into fits of girlish laughter.

"What's so funny?" I smiled, feigning innocence, "It's the truth."

"Oh, I don't doubt that one bit, boy," Carolyn giggled, "You little shit."

"He's a shit alright," Kate smiled, hugging me from behind, "But God, I love him so much."

"I can tell," Carolyn sweetly but sadly replied, "And I'm so happy for you, baby," tears filling her eyes.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Kate suddenly asked, alarmed, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, baby," she smiled through her tears, "I only wish that your father was here to see this. He would've been so happy, and so proud."

"I know, Mom," Kate quietly said, hugging her mother, "I know..."

~~~~~~

After Carolyn had gone back to her house, and Sarah had gone back to her apartment to pack her bag, Kate and I were lying together talking, in the oversized hammock that was mounted between two maple trees out in the back yard.

"Are you excited, baby?" I asked her, "I know that I am."

"Me, too," she grinned, holding up her left hand and gazing at the ring I'd just placed on her finger not more than an hour before hand, "I wanted to tell you how beautiful I think this ring is, Mark, and I'll cherish it for the rest of my life."

"Yes, it is pretty," I smiled, "But it's not nearly as beautiful as you are, my love."

"Thank you, baby," she tenderly replied, gently kissing my lips, "I want to be pretty for you...always."

"I understand, sweetheart," I smiled, "But you're the most beautiful thing I've ever known, or will ever know."

"I'm glad you feel that way," she told me, "Because it's very important to me that you think I'm beautiful."

"I don't just think you're beautiful," I smiled, "I know you are."

"I love you, Mark," she softly said, "I love you with all my heart and soul..."

~~~~~~

Sarah got back to the house carrying not only a bag slung around her shoulder, but also two shopping bags full of food, staunchly informing Kate and I that she was going to be doing the cooking that night, and that we were to do nothing but sit back and enjoy.

"Oh, come on, Sarah," I grinned, "Can't you at least let me help you do the dishes when we're finished?"

"Hell, you can do all of the dishes if you want to," she giggled, "But I want you and Kate to leave me alone while I'm cooking, understood?"

"Yes, ma'am," I smiled, standing at attention and giving her a military salute, "I understand, ma'am," making her giggle.

"Get outta here," she teased, "Besides, the military thing doesn't work for you, Mark. The long hair is a dead give away."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," I teased, "Whatever..."

~~~~~~

That night we all sat down at the table in my dining room, which was set beautifully, by the way, and enjoyed the best Veal Scaloppini that I'd ever eaten. Sarah even went and bought a couple of bottles of Chianti to go with it. For dessert we had some Spumoni Ice Cream, which was basically the icing on the cake.

"Holy cow, Little Sister," I smiled, leaning over and kissing Sarah on the cheek, "This is the best Veal Scaloppini that I've ever eaten. You did an excellent job, sweetie."

"Thanks, Big Brother," she sweetly beamed, "I'm glad you like it. This is my grandmother's recipe, and she used to make it for us when she was alive."

"It's excellent, Sarah," Kate sweetly told her, "You're going to have to give me this recipe, because I've never eaten anything that is this good."

"Thanks, Katie," Sarah smiled, "That means alot coming from you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Kate smiled, taking her hand, "I hope you know that Mark and I love you very much, don't you?"

"Of course I do," Sarah sadly smiled, "You two are the only family I've got left since my Mom died last year."

"Aw, Sarah, honey," I said, my heart almost breaking for her, "Why didn't you ever tell me that?"

"Because you were my boss when we met, silly," she quietly replied, "And I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me..."

"I don't feel sorry for you," I told her, "I love you, Sarah, and like you said, we're family you and me, and I don't ever want you to forget that...not ever."

"Thank you, Mark," Sarah smiled, getting up from her place at the table and coming over to where I sat and threw her arms around me, "I love you, too..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Nine

After the dishes were done and the kitchen had been cleaned, the girls went and put their pajamas on, and then came back into den, joining me on the couch. Of course I was put in the middle, while they both took an arm and snuggled up next to me as we watched a movie.

~~~~~~

That night Kate and I made slow and gentle love, totally embracing one another as our two individual souls momentarily became one. To this day, every time we've made love, bar none, it is still the same, hence just one of the many reasons we're still together.

~~~~~~

The next morning we all sat around the table discussing how we were going to go about nailing Tyler Martin's ass to the wall, and in doing so, I could've sworn that I saw both Kate and Sarah, wearing looks on their faces resembling that of someone who was demonically possessed.

"I've got an idea," Sarah said, "Why don't you just beat the shit out of him, Mark?"

"I agree with Sarah," Kate growled, "It would serve that motherfucker right."

"Whoa, wait a minute," I told them, "We need to do this legally; otherwise the charges won't stick, okay?"

"I understand," Kate replied, "And although my bruises are all but gone, I still want to see that fucker get a dose of his own medicine."

"No, shit," Sarah firmly said, "I wish somebody would shove a broomstick up his fucking ass."

"Damn," I chuckled, "Remind me to never piss you two off."

"Seriously, Mark," Kate adamantly said, "He brutally raped Sarah, and he beat the hell out of me. How would you feel if something like that happened to you?"

"I know where you're coming from," I firmly told them both, "But if we're going to do this, then we're going to do it my way. If not, this discussion is over with. Are we clear on this point, ladies?"

"Yes," Kate quietly said, "But I don't have to like it."

"I agree with you, Katie," Sarah spat, "I sure as hell don't have to like it."

"Nobody said you did," I pointedly told them, "But you're going to have to trust me on this. If we're going to put these assholes away for good, then we're going to have to do it legally, okay? I'm trying my very best to help you two. Please tell me that you understand this."

"I know that you've only got our best interests in mind, baby," Kate sweetly told me, reaching across the table and taking my hand, "We're just upset, that's all."

"She's right, Mark," Sarah softly said, taking my other hand, "I'm sorry for being such a bitch."

"Don't worry about it, you guys," I smiled, "But if we're going to do this, then we need to move now. Kate, you did file charges against Tyler after he beat you, yes?"

"Yes," she replied, "The detective took my sworn statement when I was in the hospital."

"Okay, then," I replied, as I turned to Sarah and asked her, "Are you ready to go to the police station and swear out a warrant against this prick?"

"Under one condition," she replied, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill down her face at any given moment, "I want you guys to go with me, please?"

"Of course we will, sweetheart," Kate tenderly told her, "I'm your attorney on this matter so; it's my job to be there."

"Wait a minute," I said, puzzled, "I didn't know that you were an attorney, too. I thought you were just your Mom's secretary."

"That's because you never asked, silly boy," she knowingly giggled, "And the reason that I work with my Mom is because she's the best attorney that I know. Besides, I passed the bar exam five months ago."

"This is great," I smiled, gently kissing her lips, "And by the way, I'm very proud of you, my love."

"You'd better be," she giggled, "Because not only am I going to be your attorney, I'm also going to be your wife when this is all over with."

"I love you, Kate," I gently told her, "I thought you should know that."

"I do know that," she sweetly smiled, "And I love you, too."

"Come on, you two," I grinned, "Let's all go get dressed so that we can go downtown and file some more charges against Tyler Martin's dumb ass."

~~~~~~

We got out of Kate's car in the parking venue on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville, and then walked the short distance to the Nashville Metropolitan Police Station, which is also part of the Nashville Criminal Justice Center.

~~~~~~

"What can I do for you folks this afternoon?" asked the desk Sergeant.

"My client would like to file criminal charges against someone," Kate replied, showing her legal credentials, "Could you direct us to the proper desk, please?"

"Yes," he politely replied, "What kind of charges are we talking about here?"

"Rape," Kate firmly announced, "Aggravated Rape."

"Please," he cordially replied, "Come with me, if you would."

~~~~~~

After Sarah had filed the charges, and gave an explanation to the female officer whom we'd been directed to, the officer looked at her and flippantly asked, "That was over a year ago so; why did you wait until now to do this? What's the matter did you and your boyfriend have a fight?"

"What's your badge number, officer?" Kate quietly seethed, "And what does it matter about how long she waited? There is no statute of limitations on this kind of crime."

"Who the hell are you to ask me for my badge number, young lady?" the officer angrily growled.

"I'll tell you exactly who the hell I am, officer," Kate growled back at her, showing the female officer her legal credentials, "I'm this young woman's legal counsel, and you are violating her civil rights just by asking her such a stupid and ridiculous question. For your information, it doesn't matter how long my client has waited before filing charges. All you need to know is that she's filing charges, and that's it. So, I suggest you get off your lazy ass and do your job instead of wasting the taxpayers' money by harassing my client; which, by the way, I will be informing your superiors about this incident. Is there anything else that you need from my client?"
"No," the female officer quietly squeaked, "That's all the information we'll need."

"Good," Kate snarled, "I want to see you superiors, now."

~~~~~~

"What can I do for you, Miss?" the shift captain politely asked.

Kate then proceeded to inform him of what had just taken place, emphasizing how one of his subordinates had treated Sarah. She also told him that if something wasn't done about this immediately, then she would not only go to City Hall to see the Police Commissioner, but that she would also go to the press and tell them about how a young, scared, college girl was not only victimized by the man who'd raped her, but was also forcefully intimidated by the police officer, who just happened to be not only as discourteous and as dispassionate as hell, but also female.

"I'm very sorry, ma'am," he earnestly replied, "I'll see to this matter immediately, and you will be notified as to the outcome within the next forty eight hours."

"That's perfect, Captain," Kate pleasantly smiled, shaking his hand, "Thank you for your immediate attention. It is greatly appreciated."

"You're welcome, Katie," the captain knowingly grinned, "Tell your Mom that I said hello."

"Uh, excuse me," Kate said, a puzzled look on her face, "But do I know you?"

"The last time I saw you, you were just a little girl," he smiled, "You probably don't remember me, but my name is Kevin Braid, and I served with your Dad in Vietnam."

"Of course I remember you, Mister Braid," Kate suddenly smiled, hugging him, "You used to come over to my house when I was four years old. After Daddy died, I never saw you again."

"I know, and I'm sorry," he sullenly replied, "My wife got real sick after that and died, leaving me with two girls to raise. I had a full plate back then."

"I'm terribly sorry," Kate told him, and then she turned to me, and taking my hand, told him, "Mister Braid, this is my fiancé, Mark Powers."

"It's nice to meet you, Captain," I politely told him, shaking his hand.

"Hello, Mark," he happily grinned, "It's nice to meet you, too, young fella."

Then he turned back to Kate and asked, "What brings you out here and who did you file charges on, if you don't mind me asking, that is?"

Kate then proceeded to get Sarah to tell him what had happened to her, when it had happened, as well as who perpetrated it; and when she was done, Captain Braid looked at Kate and asked, "Is there somewhere away from here where we can meet? I really need to tell you some things that don't necessarily need to be talked about here."

I gave him my address and asked him when would be a good time to meet us.

"I'm out of here in an hour," he broadly grinned, "And then I'm off for the next five days."

"That's perfect," I smiled, "Can you come to my place when you're finished here?"

"Of course," he smiled, "Do you have a coffee pot, boy?"

"I sure do," I grinned, "A real big one, too, sir."

"I'll see you in ninety minutes," he chuckled, "Make sure the coffee is nice and hot."

"Of course," I grinned, shaking his hand, "We'll see you soon."

~~~~~~

"I wonder what Kevin wants to talk about?" Kate asked, as she drove us home, "It was still good to see him again though."

"I don't know what he wants to talk about," I replied, "But look at it this way; it might help us with our plan with him being a police officer. Who knows? Maybe he can also help us out, too."

"What do you mean, baby?" Kate asked.

"If we tell him what we're going to do," I began, "Our asses, well, my ass will be covered when it comes time to deal with Mike Dodge."

"What about David Linder?" Sarah asked, "What're we going to do about him?"

"He's going to be easy," Kate laughed, "He's a classic example of when the dick gets hard, the mind goes numb," and of course her remark made her and Sarah laugh like only girls can do.

"Hey, wait a minute," I teased, gently rubbing the inside of Kate's thigh, "I resemble that remark...well, where you're concerned anyway, my love."

"Please," she giggled, taking my hand and kissing it, "You're not the only one who's easy these days."

"Mmm," I grinned, "It makes me hot just thinking about it."

"Eww, yuck," Sarah giggled, "You guys need to get a room."

"We've got a room," I teased, "So, you might want to put plugs in your ears when we get back home."

"I know," Sarah giggled, "You two make enough noise to wake the dead."

"No, we don't," I said, my face suddenly turning bright red in embarrassment, "You can't hear us."

"You're right," Sarah laughed, "But you just told on yourself, didn't you. God, talk about easy...gotcha, Big Brother," and by that time, both Sarah and Kate were laughing wildly.

"Fuck ya'll," I grinned, "You two aren't the least bit funny."

"Ooo, Mark," Kate teased, "Somebody needs to wash your mouth out with soap for talking so ugly."

"That's nothing," I teased, turning to wink at Sarah, "You should hear Kate's language when we're having sex, Little Sister, talk about someone with a nasty mouth, uh huh." and of course this time it was Kate's face that turned bright red, making me and Sarah howl with laughter.

"Yeah, whatever, Mark," Kate smiled, "You fucker."

"I know, baby," I smiled, once the laughter had abated, "But you know I love you."

"Yeah right," she giggled, "And that's the only thing that keeps me from pulling this car over and throwing your ass out."

~~~~~~

The moment we got back to my house, the first thing I did was get the coffee ready to brew. However, I wouldn't start making it until Captain Braid got there, because I promised him that the coffee would not only be hot, but also fresh, too.

~~~~~~

About forty five minutes later the doorbell rang, indicating that Captain Braid had arrived, and needless to say, Kate went to the front door to greet him.

"Hello, Captain Braid," she smiled, "Welcome to our home," and I have to say that hearing her call my house our home made me feel warm inside, content to be more exact.

"Please sir," I grinned, coming to greet him as well, "Like Kate said, "Welcome to our home, Captain."

"Please," he smiled, entering through the threshold, "When I'm not at work I want you kids to call me Kevin, just like everyone else does."

"Alright, Kevin," I knowingly grinned, "I just turned on the coffee pot about ten minutes before you got here so; the coffee should be ready by now. Would you like a cup?"

"That would be great," he smiled, as Kate led him to the kitchen to take a seat at the table, "I can't tell you how good it is to see you again, Katie."

"Thank you," she warmly replied, "How are your two girls, what are their names, Jennifer and Hannah?"

They're doing well, he smiled, "Jennifer just had her second baby, making two boys, Joey, after his father, and Kevin, after yours truly. Hannah just graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles, U.C.L.A., I think it's called, and she and her fiancée will be moving here in the fall and will get married after the first of the year."

"Congratulations, Kevin," I smiled, patting him on the back, "That sounds like good news to me."

"I'm real proud of my girls," he sadly smiled, "I only wish that their mother was still alive to see how beautiful they grew up to be."

"She can see them, Kevin," Sarah softly told him, coming into the kitchen to sit at the table with us, "Don't think for a minute that she can't."

"I believe you, Miss Sarah," Kevin quietly replied, "I believe it with all my heart."

"And so you should," Kate told him, "I've heard that faith can move mountains ya know."

"You're right, sweetie," Kevin grinned, "You're so right."

"I'm glad that you're here, Kevin," I told him, "I've got a couple of things that I'd like to run past you; then you can tell me whether or not it's legal."

"Okay," he chuckled, looking at Kate, "I like your fella, Katie; he gets right to the point, don't he?"

"Yes," she lightly giggled, "He certainly does."

"Okay, Mark," Kevin grinned, "What's on your mind, son?"

I proceeded to tell him where I thought Tyler Martin was hiding from the police, as well as the means I was going to employ in order to, for all intents and purposes, draw him out into the open.

When I was finished talking, Kevin looked at me over the top of his glasses with a smile on his face, and quietly said, "You didn't hear me say this so; if it gets back to me I'm going to deny it. But, if you happen to get into any type of altercation with him, you're well within your rights under the proclamation of self defense, to basically kick the living shit out of him. Besides, and you didn't hear me say this either, people have been known to resist arrest all the time."

"That's what I thought," I knowingly grinned, "I'm glad to know that the police look at things that way, too."

That was when Kate told him about David Linder's perverted ass, and reassured him that the police were going to be getting an anonymous call in the next few days letting them know when and where they could basically "catch him red-handed" in the act of committing statutory rape.

"Holy shit," Kevin chuckled, "When he gets convicted for this, and he definitely will, I assure you; the judges around here are real tough on perverts like him, he'll serve some serious time for it. But the bad thing about that is the convicts in prison will more than likely beat the shit outta him. They call guys like him "Short Eyes" or better yet, "Chicken Lickers". Either way, he'll get his ass kicked on a daily basis, that's for sure."

"Good," Kate viciously spat, "I hope they kill the sonofabitch."

"The way you're acting lets me know that he did make advances toward you when you were young," I growled, "Didn't he, Kate?"

"Yes," she quietly replied, looking at the ground, "But he never got me, Mark, I swear." Then she looked back at me with tears in her eyes and said, "Please forgive me for lying to you, but I was so ashamed, baby," and then she laid her head on my shoulder and softly wept.

"Shh," I soothed her, "It wasn't your fault, my love, and I'm not mad at you, okay?"

"Thank you, baby," she sniffled, "I love you."

"I love you, too, my angel," I smiled, softly kissing her, "And you'll never be bothered by that piece of shit ever again."

Then I took up the matter of Mike Dodge, and let Kate take it from there. As she told Kevin the things she'd told me earlier, he acted like he wasn't the least bit surprised. I was rather shocked when he told us that the police have been suspicious about Mike for a number of years now. However, they could never find anything that would stick in court, hence the reason Mike was still on the loose.

"Mike Dodge is a smart one," Kevin told us, "We've lost three undercover agents that went in after him, but there was never any evidence that linked him to their murders. He's always had an airtight alibi...every time."

"He's not as smart as you folks seem to think he is," I told Kevin, "He called me yesterday wanting me to help him keep a deal that I closed for their company before I quit his ass."

"Is that right?" Kevin excitedly inquired, "If you don't mind, would you please tell me about it."

I told Kevin, in detail, all that had happened from the time I first spoke with the headhunters before I moved to Nashville, all the way until I walked out the door of Linder and Dodge Engineering Firm. I went into explicit detail, omitting nothing, and when I was done, Kevin had an excited look on his face.

"I don't know if you know this or not," Kevin said, "But David Linder is in on it, too. We suspect that they're using the firm to launder all of the drug money that Mike made a few years ago, and from what I understand, is still making now.

"Holy shit," I grinned, "How can I help you bring his ass down?"

"You be careful, Mark," Kate suddenly told me, fear written all over her face, "This sounds very dangerous, baby, and I don't want anything to happen to you. I've already lost one man in my life that I loved; I won't lose you."

"I don't think it's going to come to that, Katie," Kevin grinned, "When we catch David Linder in the act of committing statutory rape, maybe we can squeeze him enough to make him talk...of course we're going to have to offer him a deal that will keep him out of prison, but that will probably be enough."

"I hope so," she sniffled, fearfully as well as protectively throwing her arms around me, "I can't lose Mark, Kevin...I won't," and then she began to softly weep again, only this time it was out of pure fear.

"I can take care of myself," I confidently assured her, "Don't worry, baby. I'm going to be just fine. If Mike Dodge tries to fuck with me, I'll take him out myself, because we all know Mike well enough to know that if I kill him, it will sure as hell be in self defense."

"If not, don't worry," Kevin knowingly smiled, "We can sure as hell make it look that way, Katie."

"I just don't want to see anybody get hurt," she fearfully replied, "Especially Mark, and you, too, Kevin."

"That's something you'll never have to worry about, sweetie," Kevin laughed, reaching into his holster and laying his weapon, a Smith & Wesson .357 caliber pistol, in the middle of the table, "I've never missed with this thing, and I'm not about to start any time soon, girl."

"Damn, Kevin," I laughed, "As powerful as that weapon is, it's not like you're going to miss either."

"You're damn skippy about that one, son," he grinned, "Why the hell do you think I carry the damn thing?"

"What does the law in Tennessee allow for someone like me to be able to carry a weapon," I asked, "My martial arts training can only serve at a certain distance, and I will not be anyone's target, if you know what I mean."

"Do you have any kind of criminal charges on your record, Mark?" Kevin asked.

"No, sir," I replied, "I don't even have so much as a traffic ticket."

"Then I don't see where it would be a problem then," he told me' Of course you'll have to take a handgun safety class, but that's about it."

"Great," I smiled, "I'll go buy a weapon tomorrow morning then."

"I don't know, Mark," Kevin laughed, "I don't know of any fire-arms dealers that are open on Sunday."

"Damn," I grinned, "I forgot what day it was."

"Don't worry about it," Kevin chuckled, "I know a guy that sells weapons and he'll give you a great deal if I go with you. The only thing is, it's down in Murfreesboro, about thirty miles southeast, down Interstate Twenty-Four."

"Hell, that's nothing," I chuckled, "It'll only take us about half an hour to get there."

"Yep," Kevin said, "If it even takes us that long."

~~~~~~

Chapter Ten

Once we'd finished discussing the "business" we'd originally talked about when Kevin had first arrived, Kate invited him to stay and have dinner with us that evening; which of course he took her up on her offer.

"It's been a long time since I've had a nice home cooked meal," he happily grinned, "Especially since I'm not a very good cook."

"Fantastic," I smiled, "My fiancée is an excellent cook."

"I'll be right back," Kate said, winking at me as she made her way down the hall to our bedroom, "I want to change into something a little more comfortable before I start cooking."

"Okay, my love," I grinned, "Me and Kevin can entertain our selves for a little while until you get back."

~~~~~~

Kate took a little longer than what I thought was necessary to change clothing, but when she returned, she was wearing a pair of sweat pants as opposed to the wonderfully snug blue jeans she'd previously worn.

What I didn't know was that not only had she changed clothes, but she'd also called her Mom and invited her to come and eat with us. I didn't realize it until I heard Carolyn's voice as she stepped through the front door.

~~~~~~

"Hello," Carolyn giggled, her voice emanating from the foyer at the front door, "Is anybody home?"

"Come on in, Mom," Kate called out, giving me a knowing wink, "We're back here."

"Oh, my goodness, look who's here," Carolyn brightly grinned when she saw Kevin, "Kevin Braid, how in the world are you, you handsome thing?"

"Well, hello there, pretty lady," he grinned, standing up to receive the hug that Carolyn gave him, "It's so good to see you after all this time."

"I was very sorry to hear about Rosemary," she quietly told him, as they hugged one another, "I didn't find out about it until a week after her funeral."

"It's alright," he kindly replied, "I did get the card and the beautiful plant arrangement that you sent; and I really appreciated it, Carolyn, thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetie," Carolyn sweetly replied, "So, how have you been, and how are Jennifer and Hannah these days?"

"Jennifer recently gave birth to their second child, another boy," he proudly replied, "And Hannah just graduated from U.C.L.A., and she and her fiancée will be moving back here this coming fall."

"That's wonderful," Carolyn compassionately smiled, taking the empty seat that was next to Kevin, "I know that Rosemary is looking down on her children right now and smiling proudly."

"Thank you, Carolyn," Kevin sadly smiled, "I really appreciate you saying that."

"You're welcome, sweetie," she smiled, taking Kevin's hand, "My daughter tells me that you're still a police officer. You should be the Chief of Police by now, shouldn't you?"

"No, I'm just a Captain," he chuckled, "I'm no politician, and I don't want to be Chief of Police."

"Good, that would take up too much of your time," she giggled, "And I'd much rather have you all to myself, uh...I mean here with us," and then she began to profusely blush.

Nobody said anything; however, I saw a definite sparkle in Kevin's eyes after what Carolyn accidentally let slip, and it suddenly became very apparent that the two of them were attracted to one another.

"Hey, Mom," Kate knowingly smiled, "Did you tell Kevin that you were going on a cruise next week?"

"Is that right?" Kevin grinned, "That sounds like a lot of fun."

"Mark and Katie paid for it," Carolyn excitedly told him, "I've never been on a cruise before, and I'm really looking forward to it."

"I'll bet you are," Kevin grinned, "That's awfully nice of the Katie and Mark to do that."

"I thought so, too," Carolyn sweetly replied, reaching across the table and gently patting my hand, "My soon to be son-in-law is a very sweet boy, and I feel so blessed to have him in mine and Katie's lives."

"He's a pretty good guy," Kevin grinned, winking at me, "And I think Katie did very well for herself."

"You guys are wrong," I proudly smiled, "I'm the one who did well; Kate could have any guy she wants, but I feel blessed because she chose me."

"Yeah," Kate teased me, "I thought I'd give the poor guy a shot at being my husband; and he's done a pretty good job so far."

"Kathryn Nicole Meyers," her mother scolded her, "You ought to be ashamed of yourself for talking that way about our sweet Mark."

"Thanks a lot, Mom," Kate blushed, "I wanted to wait until after Mark and I were married before I let him know what my wretched middle name is."

"Why," I asked, "I think you have a beautiful middle name, sweetheart."

"That boy loves you, Katie," Carolyn said, "Besides; you were named after your father's younger sister that died in that awful car wreck when she was just a little girl."

"You're right," Kate quietly replied, "I'm sorry Mom, I forgot."

"That's okay, baby," Carolyn softly replied, "So what're you making for dinner this evening?"

"I haven't made spaghetti in a long time," she smiled, "I thought I'd make some so that Mark can try it."

"Very cool," I said, "Did I mention that I happen to absolutely love spaghetti?"

"No, you didn't," Kate girlishly grinned, "I hope you like mine then."

"She makes really good spaghetti, Mark," Sarah said, speaking for the first time since Carolyn arrived, "I think it's good."
"Then I'm sure that I'll love it, too," I smiled, getting up to walk over to where Kate stood, wrapping my arms around her waist from behind her, and pulling her against me, "I love you, Miss Kathryn Nicole Meyers, soon to be Powers."

"I love you, too, Mark Powers," Kate sweetly replied, turning around in my arms to hug me, and then tenderly kissed my lips, "I'll love you for the rest of my life, baby."

All of a sudden we heard someone, a female, sniffling as if they were crying, and turning to look behind us, Kate and I saw Carolyn wiping her pretty eyes with a piece of tissue.

"Mom," Kate asked, concerned, "What's wrong, and why are you crying?"

"Nothing's wrong baby girl," she affectionately smiled, "I'm just so happy that you two are in love with one another, that's all."

"I love him very much, Mom," Kate softly replied, "And I know that he loves me, too; and one day we're going to give you some beautiful grandchildren to spoil rotten."

"Yes, our children will be very beautiful," I proudly told Carolyn, tightly hugging Kate against me, "Especially if they look like their mother."

"Aw, sweetheart," Kate tenderly cooed, "Their future father is the most handsome, loving, and beautiful man that I'll ever know so; don't sell yourself short, my love."

"Thank you," I smiled, "Is there anything that I can do to help?"

"As a matter of fact there is," she teased, pulling a large knife from out of the butcher's block where I kept them, "You can start chopping up the onions, garlic, tomatoes and bell peppers."

"Damn," I chuckled, "Me and my big mouth, huh?"

"You asked if you could help, silly," she giggled, "I'm just taking you up on your offer."

~~~~~~

I began doing the chores I was assigned, but before I could even finish cutting up the tomatoes, Carolyn and Sarah ended up taking over and running me out of the kitchen, telling me words to the effect of I was being entirely too slow.

"Besides," Sarah giggled, "This is a woman's work, and you'll end up making a big mess more than anything else."

Of course I conceded and Kevin and I went into the den and found a basketball game on the television that was much more interesting than what was going on in the kitchen.

~~~~~~

About an hour later, as well as after smelling the aromas coming from the kitchen which were only making Kevin and I all the more hungrier, Carolyn walked into the den smiling and announced that dinner was being served in the dining room.

~~~~~~

When I arrived in the dining room, I saw the china my grandmother had given me beautifully adorning the table, along with the Waterford Crystal I'd bought right after I moved into my new house.

"I hoped that you don't mind my using the good China and Crystal, Mark," Kate sweetly told me, "I think it looks good on the table, and I wanted to make this special."

"That's fine, sweetie," I grinned, "After all, it's going to be yours once we get married."

"I love you," was all she said, simply kissing me as she seated me at the head of the table.

With Kate on my right hand and Carolyn on my left, Sarah sat on the other side of Kate, and Kevin took the seat on the other side of Carolyn, leaving the seat at the far end of the table vacant.

The spaghetti was delicious, along with which, Kate made garlic toast, while Sarah and Carolyn put together a rather nice salad to go with everything else. We ate until we could hold no more. However, the real treat was the chocolate pie that Sarah had made, unbeknownst to Kevin and me.

~~~~~~

"Wow," I grinned patting my stomach, "I don't think I could eat another bite, even if you paid me to."

"You girls did an excellent job," Kevin agreed, "Thank you for inviting me, everything was delicious."

"Did everyone get enough to eat?" Kate sweetly asked, "There's still plenty left."

"No, I'm full, honey," I softly replied, "But thanks for asking just the same..."

~~~~~~

I did the dishes after Kevin and Carolyn went to their respective homes, declining both Kate and Sarah when they offered to help me clean up.

"You girls did all the work," I smiled, "I think it's only fair that I do the dishes and clean the kitchen."

'That's very sweet of you, my love," Kate gently told me, hugging me from behind while I stood at the sink, "I love you very much, Mark."

"So do I," Sarah grinned, leaning over and kissing me on the cheek, "You're a good guy, Mark; and I hope that I meet someone just like you one day."

"You will, pretty girl," I told her, "I don't know how I know it, but you will."

"Thank you," she chirped, "I sure hope so."

~~~~~~

That night as I lay next to Kate, I smiled to myself as I thought about all of the things that I'd been through in my life up to that point. Of course I was still very worried about how all the bullshit with David Linder and Mike Dodge was going to turn out; but then again, I could somehow feel that it wasn't going to be as much trouble as I originally thought, especially now that Kevin Braid was going to help us.

What was at the foremost front of my mind though, was Tyler Martin. I was planning on going after him in the next few days, and Kevin and I hadn't yet mapped out how everything was going to go down.

Still though, Kevin had told me not to worry about it before he left earlier that evening and that we would be getting together to talk about it tomorrow. So, with that in mind, I snuggled up next to my beautiful Kate, and then shortly afterward, fell into a restful sleep.

~~~~~~

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of Kate tenderly kissing the underside of my throat while she rubbed her naked body against mine. Needless to say, my cock was as hard as iron and no sooner had I opened my eyes when she slowly climbed on top of me, grinding her pussy against my cock, and purred, "Mmm, make love to this morning baby, okay?" and I proceeded to do just that.

I still, to this day, love the sight of Kate's hot tits, bouncing while she rides my cock, but not nearly as much as I do the look in her eyes when she cums...and she's always done a lot of that, ever since the first time we ever made love.

However, now that we've been together for so long, she almost always likes to...Ooops; I'm getting ahead of myself again, sorry...

~~~~~~

After Kate and I had taken a shower, which, the shower itself was an experience that I also still love to this day, we both smiled when we discovered that Sarah was in the kitchen making breakfast for us.

"Good morning, guys," she teased, "I thought that I was going to have to come into the bathroom and throw a bucket of cold water on you two."

"Oh hush," Kate giggled, pouring us each a cup of coffee, "Is there anything I can do to help you, sweetie?"

"Actually there is," Sarah smiled, "Can you preheat the oven while I finish making these biscuits?"

"I sure can," she smiled, handing me my coffee as I walked into the kitchen.

"Damn, girl," I told Sarah, sniffing the aromas emanating from the kitchen, "It sure smells good in here."

"I'm happy to hear that," she giggled, "Take a seat at the kitchen table, because breakfast will be ready in a few minutes."

"Good," I smiled, "I'm starving."

"Typical man," she giggled, "All of you think with your stomachs."

"Whatever," I laughed, smacking her on the ass and making her squeal as I walked by her to get to the table, "And you girls can be such bitches at times, too."

"You'd better watch it, buster," Kate giggled, "You like it, or else neither one of us would be here so; shut up."

"That's right, Katie," Sarah teased giggling, "Tell him, girl."

"What is it," I playfully groaned, "Do I have "Bust My Balls" written across my forehead this morning, or what?"

"No, not this morning," Kate smiled, leaning down and kissing me, "You have it written there all the time."

"Yeah, right," I laughed, "Whatever."

~~~~~~

After Sarah had finished cooking breakfast, the three of us sat down and ate Scrambled eggs with sausage, as well as biscuits with sausage gravy. To say that it tasted wonderful would be the understatement of the century. With Kate and Sarah doing all of the cooking, there was always something good to eat at my house, and I felt very blessed to have the both of them there.

Even though Kate and I were lovers, I still loved Sarah, too; only in a different way. However, I could tell that she was beginning to get lonely, and why not? She was still young and beautiful, and in my opinion, I feel that every woman deserves to be happy, especially my precious little Sarah.

After I dealt with the matters at hand, I was going to discuss the issue with Kate, and see if there was someone that we could possibly introduce Sarah to; but it had to be someone that was worthy of being with a young woman such as her; that much was certain.

~~~~~~

Later that morning I heard a knock on the front door; and knowing who it was, I went to the door to find Kevin standing on my front porch with a smile on his face.

"Good morning, Mark," he grinned, as we shook hands, "How're you doing today?"

"I'm doing very well," I grinned, ushering him into the house, "Come on in; I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee."

"Good deal," he knowingly laughed, "But you and I both know that either Katie or Sarah brewed the coffee, and not you."

"Whatever," I chuckled, "Does it really matter?"

"It sure as hell does," he teased, "You know that women have a special touch when it comes to these things."

"Yeah," I laughed, "I guess you're probably right...come on in and have a seat in the kitchen."

~~~~~~

"Okay," Kevin began, "We're here to discuss the issue of how we're going to deal with Mike Dodge, are we not?"

"Of course," I said, "But Mike's not an idiot so; how're we going to go about this? I mean...we've got to be very careful ya know."

"Yes, I do know," Kevin replied, "That's why I want you to make amends with him and find a way to get back into his good graces."

"You mean that you want me to kiss his ass," I unpleasantly replied, "Don't you?"

"Look at it this way," Kevin explained, "If you want to take his criminal ass down, then you're going to have to humble yourself before him; and, you're going to have to be very convincing. After all, didn't you just tell me that he's no idiot?"

"Yeah," I sulked, "I guess you're right; but even though I've got to do it, I don't have to like it, do I?"

"No, he chuckled, "You don't have to like it...you've just got to do it, that's all."

"Shit," I disgustedly replied, "I guess I'd better get myself ready to eat a little crow...shit."

"Aw, come on kid; don't look at it as eating crow," Kevin teased, "Look at it as eating a nice juicy slice of humble pie. That way it might go down a little easier."

"Ha ha, very funny," I acerbically told him, "You're not the one who's going to have to deal with that slime ball."

"Maybe not," he gravely replied, "I'm the one who's going to be there to save you're your narrow little ass when the shit starts to hit the fan so; keep that in mind the next time you decide to get all holier that thou, alright?"

"I'm sorry Kevin," I said, realizing he was right, "I forgot who I was talking to for a moment...I'm really sorry."

All of a sudden I remembered that Mike had asked me to come back and work on the Gaylord Entertainment project, and that I'd told him that I needed some time to think about it before I gave him an answer.

"I just remembered something," I smiled, "It might not be as hard as I thought it would be to get back into Mike Dodge's good graces."

"Is that right?" Kevin smiled, "Tell me what you mean."

I went into detail and told him about how Jake Anderson and Bobby Hanson wanted me to do the Gaylord Entertainment job for them and that Mike had called me and practically begged me to come back. I also told him that Mike was waiting for me to call him and let him know what decision I'd come to concerning whether or not I was going to take the job or not.

"Well, now," Kevin laughed, "It looks like you're not going to have to eat humble pie after all."

"I'm going to do the job," I said, "But there's something else that I want to take care of before I do this, and I'm going to indirectly need your help."

"What do you mean?" he quizzically asked, "And how are you going to need my help?"

"I'm talking about taking Tyler Martin's ass down," I said, "I will not kill him, not unless he pulls a weapon on me; and from what Kate tells me, he's that stupid."

"I understand," he replied, "But how does that concern me, and what did you mean when you said that you were going to indirectly need my help?"

I decided that the best thing to do was to tell him the truth; and the truth of the matter was that I was going after Tyler Martin with the intent of killing him, but only if I could legally get away with it.

"I can't condone that," Kevin said, once I told him what I was going to do, "That's First Degree Murder you're talking about, Mark."

"Not unless he pulls a weapon on me," I replied, "And you and I both know that the law, especially where it talks about self defense, says the same thing."

"You're right about that," he pointed out, "But the law also says that someone with your Martial Arts skills should be able to disarm him, too."

"You're right," I agreed, "But not if I've been wounded first. Besides, this asshole also studied Karate for a year, and according to Kate, he has no discretion about using what he's learned at any given opportunity so; that changes everything now, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it does," he said, "All I'm asking you is to be careful, Mark. I don't want to see anything happen to you, that's all."

"I'll be alright," I knowingly grinned, "While I would dearly love to take this asshole's life, I think that it would be better for everyone if he spent the rest of his life in a wheel chair. Do you know what I mean?"

"You should be careful about doing that, too," Kevin warned, "You're putting yourself into a situation where you could possibly be charged with aggravated assault, and that, too, is a major felony that could easily land you behind bars for a minimum of five years, Mark."

"Once again, it's a case of self defense," I confidently smiled, "And that's only if he draws first blood, and I intend to let him do just that, and afterwards, I'm going to lay waste to his rapist ass."

"Just be careful, Mark," he sighed, "And make damn sure that you have at least two witnesses."

"No sweat, Kevin," I grinned, "But I'm asking you to not say a word about this to Kate, okay?"

"Okay," he told me, "But only as long as you don't break the law."

"I won't," I smiled, "I promise you that I won't."

~~~~~~

Chapter Eleven

After Kevin left I got into the shower and had just begun soaping my body when the shower door opened, followed by a very horny, as well as a very naked, Kate. My cock immediately began to get hard the moment I saw her big tits deliciously bouncing with every step she took.

"Hi, baby," she hungrily purred, pressing her tits against my side while grinding her hot pussy against my hip, "Have you got enough room in here for me?"

"You know I do," I smiled, wrapping my arms around her as I pulled her against my front, "Damn, you feel so good, Kate."

"I love you, Mark," she smiled, reaching down and grabbing my cock, which was standing at full mast, "I'll bet you that if I bent over and put my hands against the wall that you could stick that nice big cock in my pussy from behind so that we could have a quick fuck. What do you think, baby?"

"Mmm, I think you're right," I replied, gently turning her so that I was facing her back, and then slowly shoving my cock up her hot, wet hole while she was bending over, "Oh, shit, that feels so fucking good."

"Ungh, ungh," she quietly grunted, "That's it, baby, shove that big fucking cock up my hungry wet cunt. Ooo, yeah, fuck me, baby."

And needless to say, it didn't take long before I was filling her up with hot scalding cum, deep into the recesses of her sweet tight pussy, again coating her vaginal walls with my seed that morning; while her muscles simultaneously squeezed my cock as she came, only making it that much more pleasurable for the both of us

"Wow," Kate heavily panted smiling, "Look at us, two minutes into it and we're both cumming like a couple of inexperienced teenagers."

"I wouldn't say that," I grinned, "I think that we both got so excited over one another, we just couldn't help it."

"I love you, Mark," she softly told me, standing up and turning around to press the front of her naked, wet body against the front of mine, "I'll always love you, baby."

"And I'll always love you, too," I tenderly replied, "I can't begin to tell you how glad I am that we met."

"I am, too," she giggled, "Even thought I was such a bitch to you at first."

"Don't worry about it, my love," I grinned, "To tell you the truth; I wouldn't have it any other way."

~~~~~~

After we both cleaned up and then stepped out of the shower, we gently dried one another's bodies, paying close attention to each other's genitals, taking a little extra time to taste the essence of each other.

~~~~~~

"It's about time you two got out of the bathroom...again." Sarah giggled, "What is it with you two and the shower? I thought I was going to have to come in there and throw another bucket of cold water on you two to separate you."

"What is it with you and buckets of cold water?" Kate giggled, "You're obsessed."

"No, I'm not obsessed," Sarah grinned, "I had to do that to one of my boy dogs when he got stuck to the neighbor's girl dog."

"So, what're you trying to say?" Kate asked

"Nothing really," Sarah giggled, "It's just that you two remind me of those dogs that day."

"You are such a bitch," Kate laughed.

"Oh no," Sarah teased, "You're the bitch, because you're the one who's been getting stuck a lot lately," and then she began to laugh like a little girl, with Kate following closely behind her.

I simply shook my head and laughed.

~~~~~~

"Hello, Mike," I replied into the telephone, "I've decided to take you up on your offer. But there's going to be a couple of conditions before I come back to the office."

"I don't care, whatever you need or want, you've got," he excitedly replied, "Please, Mark, just come back...we really need you here, my friend."

"We'll see how much of a friend that you think I am," I warned, "You haven't heard what I want yet."

"Like I said before, Mark, I don't care what you want," Mike replied, "Just please come back, okay?"

"Alright, I will," I told him, "But I've got something I need to take care of first, and then I'll be in on Monday of next week."

"Next week," he asked, "Why so long? Why can't you be here tomorrow?"

"I thought you just said that you wanted me back," I replied, "You told me that I could have whatever I needed and now you're already beginning to give me a hard time, and I'm not even there yet."

"You're right," I'm sorry," he apologetically replied, "We'll see you next Monday, Mark, is that okay?"

"There's a good reason for it, I promise you," I told him, "Until then you're just going to have to trust me. Oh, and by the way, I want to meet with you and David, first thing in the morning, alright?"

"No problem," Mike smiled, "Would nine o'clock, in my office, be alright with you?"

"Perfect," I told him, "I'll see you then," and then I hung the phone up before he had a chance to say anything else."

"What're you up to?" Kate asked, after I was off of the phone, "I can tell by the sound of your voice that it's not good so; tell me that everything is going to be alright, Mark...please?"

"Everything will be just fine," I assured her, "But I'm asking you to blindly trust me, my love; can you do that?"

"Of course I can," she uneasily replied, "I'm still going to worry though."
"I'll tell you what," I told her, "I want you and Sarah to check into the Loew's Vanderbuilt Plaza, on West End Avenue. I'll pay for everything."

"There's something you're not telling me, baby, and it's got me scared," she said, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "Why can't we just stay here?"

"Because you're safer there," I told her, "I'm going to be doing some surveillance on Tyler Martin's ass tonight and I want to make certain that the two of you are safe. If I put you in one of the penthouses there, the hotel's security staff will guard the elevator to your suite, and that way, no one can pass by them except for me; okay?"

"All I ask is that you be careful, baby," she fearfully replied, "Do you promise me that nothing is going to happen to you?"

"Yes," I replied, with all certainty, "I promise you that absolutely nothing is going to happen to me. Besides, Kevin is going to go with me. Now, does that make you feel better?"

"It does," she smiled, relief clearly written across her face, "And now that I know that Kevin will be with you, I'm not worried at all."

"Good," I smiled, handing her one of my credit cards, "I've already contacted the hotel and they will be waiting for you as soon as you get there. Once you're checked in, I want you to call room service for anything you need, and please don't leave the room until you hear from me, okay baby?"

"I love you," she told me, firmly pressing her body against mine while also wrapping her arms around my neck, "Please come back to me safe and sound, okay?"

"I will," I smiled, softly patting her beautiful ass, "Now I want you two to pack an overnight bag, and then I want you to take my car and get going."

"Really," she wildly grinned, "You mean you're going to let me drive your baby?"

"No," I grinned, "You're my baby; the Corvette is just my car."

"This is going to be so much fun," she giggled, "I can't wait to drive it."

"Uh huh," I teased, "Just remember, you break it, you buy it."

"Puh-leez," she sarcastically giggled, "I think you know better than that, Mark."

"Get you're your pretty little asses moving," I chuckled, lightly swatting her beautiful ass, "I've got a cab to catch."

"I love you," she whispered, "And I'll see you soon, my love."

"I love you, too, Kate..."

~~~~~~

After I safely saw Kate and Sarah off, the cab came to my house and picked me up. From there we went over to Elm Hill Pike to a place called Enterprise Rent-A Car, where I got an inconspicuous white Ford, Taurus which was perfect for my needs.

From there I drove over to the Vanderbuilt campus where Tyler Martin's frat house was, and then I sat and waited. God must've been smiling on me, because not more that ten minutes had passed before I saw that asshole come walking out of the house and get into his White, Mercedes Benz 350sl and took off, headed for God knows where.

~~~~~~

I followed him to Ruby Tuesday's over on Donelson Pike, where he got out of his car, walked in, and then went straight to the bar.

I guess now would be a good time to describe Tyler Martin. He stood somewhere in the neighborhood of six feet, four inches, to six feet, five inches tall; and if I had to guess, I'd say he weighed about two hundred and ninety, to three hundred pounds. And while he was formidable in appearance, he still didn't frighten me one bit.

He was a typical big, dumb ass, redneck, jock sonofabitch who was not able to count to twenty unless he was bare footed or wearing sandals; and how he ever graduated from high school, much less college was way beyond me. He might've been a menacing sight to your average person, but like I just said, not to me. I knew that he was nothing more than a drunk, fucking asshole, who'd earned his money the old fashioned way...he'd inherited it.

Just the thought of him touching Kate, not to mention what he'd done to poor Sarah, made my skin crawl; but now was not the time to strike...well, not yet anyway. I still had to make sure that Mike Dodge and David Linder were nearby to witness what I'd planned to do to the mother fucker.

So, for the rest of the night, I made sure that I was around Tyler to more or less watch him and get to know what places he liked to haunt the most, and then tomorrow, I would let Mike and David know that I'd found him.

The reason I was going to do that was because, until I got their asses, too, they would be accountable witnesses for the purposes of prosecuting Tyler Martin for not only raping Sarah, but also for committing aggravated assault against my precious Kate; and, I was going to make him pay dearly for that in the moments right before the police arrived to arrest him.

~~~~~~

That night when I got home, I made it a point to call Kate and Sarah, not only to let Kate know that I was alright, but to also make sure that they were both safe and secure.

"Hi, sweetie," Kate anxiously answered the phone, in the hotel suite I'd put them up in, "I've been very worried about you. Are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine, my love," I reassured her, "How are you and Sarah doing, are ya'll okay?

"We're good," she softly replied, relief in her tone of voice, "Especially now that I've heard from you."

"I need you to listen closely, my love," I told her, "I want you guys to stay put and don't leave the suite tomorrow, and then I promise that I'll see you tomorrow night, alright?"

"What're you up to, Mark?" she nervously asked, "I know you, and I can tell by the sound of your voice that something is going on; and from the way you're acting, it's more than likely dangerous."

"I need you to trust me, Kate," I reminded her, "You told me that you would, remember?"

"I do trust you," she sniffled "But that doesn't mean that I'm not going to worry, dammit."

"I love you with all my heart, Kate," I tenderly replied, "And I promise you that nothing is going to happen to me, okay?"

"Okay," she said, seemingly satisfied for the moment, "But you'd better damn well keep your promise to me. Do you understand me?" and then she began to softly cry, "I don't want to lose you, Mark...I just can't, baby; okay?"

"Shh, it's going to be alright, my love," I quietly soothed her, "I swear it will...I need you to be strong for me now. Promise me that you will, not only for me, but for Sarah, too. She loves both of us very much and we don't want to worry her now, do we?"

"No, you're right," she quietly sniffled, calming down, "Just be careful, and always remember that I love you very much, baby."

"I know you do, and I love you, too," I told her, "And I promise to be very careful."

"Okay then," she said, yawning, "It's late and I'd better get some sleep...I miss you."

"Aw, sweetie...I miss you, too..."

~~~~~~

The next morning, I met with Mike Dodge and David Linder in Mike's office at nine o'clock. They seemed like they were both happy to see me, but I still didn't trust either of them as far as I could throw their criminal asses.

"Hi, Mark," Mike grinned, shaking my hand, "It's so good to see you back."

"Hello," I calmly replied, "You, too, Mike, and also you, David."

"Hi, Mark," David smiled, "We're very glad you came back."

"Now that I'm here, there's something that we need to discuss," I told the two of them, "And it's alot more important than the Gaylord Entertainment project so; I'd like to get right to the point."

"Alright, I'm listening," Mike agreeably smiled, "What is it?"

"I found the man who assaulted Kate," I announced, suddenly receiving their undivided attention, "But you're going to have to agree to let me handle it my way before I tell you who it is, alright?

"Agreed," Mike firmly stated, "And I speak for David as well."

"He most certainly does," David replied, anger in his eyes, "Now who is it?"

"It's Kate's ex-boyfriend, Tyler Martin," I told them, "I've already devised a plan to get the sonofabitch, and I need the two of you as witnesses who are willing to testify that he attacked me first. Are we clear on this?"

"I don't have a problem with that," Mike seethed, "And I'm sure David doesn't either...do you, Dave?"

"No, I don't," David growled, "But you'd better damn well at least maim that motherfucker before the police can get to wherever this is going to go down to arrest him."

"Don't worry about that," I quietly told them, "I've already got that end of it covered."

"Where is Kate," Mike asked, "Is she safe?"

"You don't need to know where she is," I replied, "That way, if you get asked; you can honestly say that you don't know...you, too, David."

"Alright," Mike replied, "That's very smart thinking...so; when is it going to happen, and where do you want us to be?"

"Yeah," David agreed, "What time?"

"I want you to stay by your home phone, Mike," I told him, "I'll call you and let you and David know where to be this evening," and then I stood up and turned to leave.

"Wait a minute," Mike demanded, "When are we going to talk about the Gaylord Entertainment deal?"

"After I take care of the situation at hand," I coldly replied, "In the mean time, just do as I ask," and then I walked away.

~~~~~~

"You're going to do what," Kevin asked, astounded by what Id just told him, "You know that you're walking a very thin line where the law is concerned, don't you?"

"Not as long as you're there when everything happens" I chuckled, "You're going to have to deal with the fact that I'm not about to let Tyler Martin slip through my fingers, Kevin...I promise you that I won't be breaking any laws in the process."

"I don't want to be there, Mark," he told me, "As a matter of fact; I don't want to have any part in this. I'm a Cop for fuck's sake, and I love Katie too much to get involved in any of it, and that's something that you're going to have to deal with."

"I understand, Kevin," I calmly replied, "I really do; but like I just told you, I promise to God that I'm not going to break any laws whatsoever."

"I know you won't, kid," he began to laugh, "But it sounds to me like you're going to bend the hell out of a few of them though."

"Maybe," I grinned, "But at least I won't be breaking them."

~~~~~~

THAT EVENING

After he left the safety of the frat house on the Vanderbuilt University campus, it was nearing eight o'clock in the evening, but he didn't go far though. He pulled into a club called "The Third Coast" which was a well known party club for the younger, college age crowd.

The moment I got there, I called Mike at home and told him where I was. He assured me that he and David would be there within the next thirty minutes. I guess they both must've been standing by Mike's home phone, ready and waiting to hear from me. It didn't matter, just as long as they both got there soon.

~~~~~~

I was very surprised when Mike came up to stand beside me twenty minutes later, letting me know that he and David had a table waiting for the three of us to sit down at. Once I took a seat and had a drink in my hand, I noticed that Tyler was flirting with every girl he could, and having zero luck.

I thought it was hilarious as hell watching that dumb fuck getting rejected, but I wasn't there to laugh at him, I was there to seriously kick his ass, as well as get him arrested for the things he'd done not only to Kate, but to Sarah, as well. My chance came when the hostess seated six very pretty girls at the table next to ours.

I quietly leaned over to the next table with a one-hundred-dollar bill in my hand, and paid one of the girls to "accidentally" bump into Tyler and make him spill his drink on himself. So; with a solid assurance from me that I would be right behind her to back her up if he started raise hell with her, off we went so that I could cast my wrath on Tyler Martin's vicious ass, as well as bring that worthless piece of shit to justice.

~~~~~~

It took no less than ten seconds before the little sweetie bumped into Tyler which, of course, made him spill his drink all over his nice shirt.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she gasped, "Please, forgive me...it was an accident, I swear.

"Hey, God dammit," he drunkenly slurred, as he'd been throwing drinks down his throat, one after another since the moment he arrived, "Why don't you watch where you're goin, you stupid little cunt."

"Eat shit, you asshole," she spat, reaching over and slapping him in the face, very hard at that, "I said I was sorry, and don't you ever call me that again, you stupid fucker."

I hadn't paid her to slap him, nor had I paid her to cuss him either, I guess she really didn't like being called what he'd called her. However, he lost his temper all the same.

And in doing so, he raised his hand to hit her, until I quickly stepped in between them, and then looking directly into his eyes, I angrily growled, "Only a dick head hits women, and besides, the lady tried to apologize to you; you fucking prick. I dare you to try that shit with me, asshole."

"Fuck off, hippie boy," he laughed, and then tried to take a swing at me.

Of course I wasted no time in moving out of the range of his swing, making him miss me by a long shot, and then I bitch-slapped him, and then laughed and told him, "Is that all you've got? You even hit like a fucking girl, you little bitch!"

"I'LL KILL YOU MOTHERFUCKER," he raged, and then after crouching down, he tried to charge at me, only to be met by my foot in his face as he passed me by when I quickly stepped out of his way.

"Call the police, NOW," I told the bartender, who immediately jumped on the phone.

The moment that Tyler Martin got back onto his feet, I quickly grabbed two handfuls of hair, and head-butted him as hard as I could, directly in the nose, splattering blood all over his face, and me, making him wilt like a dead flower after a funeral.

However, it didn't end there, as I began to repeatedly kick him as hard as I could right in his face, stopping only after he closed his eyes. The one last gift I gave him was when I landed on his shins with all my weight, using both of my knees to shatter the tibia and fibula bones below the knees of both of his legs; guaranteeing that he'd be spending many months in a wheel-chair learning to walk again, if he ever walked again at all. The good thing about it all, was that I wasn't going to need justification for beating him so badly because of the fact that he was about to attack a defenseless girl for a little bit of nothing. Besides; I had a whole club full of witnesses that all heard him tell me that he was going to kill me.

~~~~~~

Chapter Twelve

As it turned out, everyone there all knew who Tyler was, and nobody liked him because of the way he treated people. Both Mike and David gave their statements to the police, as well as girl that I'd paid to bump into Tyler. Of course she gladly left that part out of her statement, giving me a kiss on the cheek and calling me "Her Hero".

She invited me back to her apartment that night, but I very nicely declined, telling her that I had a very beautiful fiancée who I loved more than anything, and I would never dream of hurting her by doing something like that.

"That's a very admirable quality," the girl sweetly smiled, "I wish more guys were like you."

"There's more of us around than you think," I kindly told her, "All you have to do is just be patient and let them come to you, instead of going out to look for them. I promise you that it'll happen when you least expect it."

"I sure hope so," she softly replied, "And I also hope that he's kind and handsome, just like you."

"What a nice thing to say," I smiled, gently brushing her soft and pretty cheek with the back of my hand, "Thank you."

After the ambulance came and took Tyler to the hospital, the police informed us that two warrants had been sworn out against him and that as soon as he was out of the hospital, he would be going directly to jail, but that he would also be on the security floor of the hospital. Then they thanked us and left, as did we, leaving not very long after they did.

~~~~~~

"Oh, my God, Mark," Kate cried, the moment she saw me at the door of the hotel suite, covered in Tyler's blood, "You've got blood all over you, baby, are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," I grinned, pulling her into my arms, "This is Tyler's blood and not mine."

"Please tell me that you got him and he's gone for good," Sarah began to cry, coming up behind Kate, and then throwing her arms around the both of us, "Please, Mark."

"Shh, it's alright now, Sarah, sweetie," I gently soothed her, now holding both women in my arms, "He'll never bother anyone again, I promise."

"Oh, my God," Sarah bitterly wept, "I've been so afraid for so long, and I can't believe that it's finally over with."

"It's over, honey," Kate proudly smiled, "You'll never have to worry about that fucker again, because after we both testify at his trial; they're going to lock him up and throw away the key."

"You can bet your ass, they will," I laughed, "They'll throw him under the jailhouse..."

~~~~~~

The next morning, I called Mike and David from the hotel, and told them that I would be at Mike's office in an hour.

"That's great," Mike excitedly replied, "Are we going to talk about the Gaylord Entertainment project today?"

"Yes, we are," I stoically replied, "But like I said, I've got a couple of conditions that I want to talk about first."

"No problem," Mike answered, "I've already told you that you can have anything that you want."

"We'll see," I said, "I'll see you soon," and then I hung the phone up.

"What conditions are you talking about?" Kate asked, the moment I set the receiver back into its cradle on the telephone, "If it's more money that you want, I'm fairly sure that he'll bend over backwards to accommodate you."

"It's not just that," I told her, gently kissing her lips, "If you remember correctly, I'm going after his head, too."

"What're you going to do, Mark?" she asked, "Please don't do anything foolish, because I know Mike very well. If he gets pushed into a corner, he can be very dangerous, baby."

"I know that," I knowingly grinned, "I'm going to give him just enough rope to hang himself with, and then I'm going to pull the noose tight, leaving him with only one way out...through me."

"Oh, my God," she quietly said, tears beginning to fill her eyes, "Please be careful, baby...dear God, what're you going to do."

"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told Kevin when he asked about my plans to take Tyler Martin's ass down," I gently told her, "If I don't tell you what I have planned, then you can honestly say that you don't know a thing in case you get questioned by the authorities, or anyone else for that matter...not that that's ever going to happen anyway."

"Don't you get yourself hurt, dammit," she sniffled, "I can't lose you, Mark; and like I told you last night...I won't lose you. Do you understand me, you crazy fucker?"

"Oh, so; now I'm a crazy fucker, huh?" I chuckled, "What happened to being the love of your life?"

"You're still the love of my life," she smiled, still sniffling, "It's just that I think that sometimes you act like you've lost your mind, especially by doing the things I've seen you do, as well as the risks I've seen you take."

"And every time I told you not to worry," I said, "I came out of it without so much as a scratch, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," she quietly replied, "All I'm saying that you're tempting fate too often; and I'm worried that the odds are going to catch up with you, baby; that's all."

"I've only tempted fate once, since you've known me," I reminded her, "And even then I was doing something that we both know was the right thing to do. Besides, didn't you yourself say that Mike and David were both, a couple of evil assholes?"

"Yes," she answered, "But I didn't mean that I wanted you, or anyone else that I know for that matter, to be the one to bring them down. You should let the law handle it, Mark."
"Come on," I said, "You and I both know that our beloved Sheriff, Fate Thomas, is bigger crook than Al Capone ever was; and he's the reason that not so much David, but Mike has gotten away with the shit he's been getting away with for so long."

"I know," she replied, looking at her hands, "But like I said, those guys are dangerous; and if you go fucking around with the wrong people, and sticking your nose in the someone else's business, somebody is going to cut your head off, and then I'll have to see it on the news when they pull your body from the Cumberland River," and by this time she was crying with her head laid upon my shoulder.

"Shh, baby," I soothed her, as I gently wrapped my arms around her and pulled her body against mine, "It's going to be fine, I promise you. You're going to have to trust me...okay?"

"You know that I trust you, Mark," she wept, "That doesn't mean that I'm not going to worry about you though."

"I know," I gently replied, "But everything is going to be just fine, please believe me when I tell you this."

"I have to believe you," she sniffled, "I don't have a choice."

"Yes, you do," I said, looking into her eyes, "I don't want you to do it, but you can always turn and walk away ya know."

"Yeah, right," she frowned, "Like that's really an option for me now."

"Is that right?" I knowingly smiled, "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You don't get it, do you?" she quietly but angrily replied, her arms tightly around me, "It's impossible for me to do that now, because I'm totally, as well as irrevocably in love with you, Mark. There's no turning back for me, because we're part of one another now, and where you go, I go; and that's all there is to it, okay?"

"Okay, baby," I tenderly told her, gently kissing her lips, "I love you, too, with all my heart, and I promise not to let anything happen to me."

"You better not," she smiled, tears raining down her face, "I swear that I'll piss on your grave if you do. Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," I grinned, "And God knows that I wouldn't want you to have to lift your skirt in public just to piss on my grave."

"Oh, shut up," she giggled, "That's not funny..."

~~~~~~

When I got to the building where Linder and Dodge had their offices, I took a moment to prepare myself for the meeting that I was about to have with Mike and David. I knew that what I wanted, as well as the conditions that I was about to set to do the Gaylord Entertainment job, were going to thoroughly piss Mike off, but because of the kind of people that he and David were, I was left with no choice. And I was certainly going to personally see to it that the both of them were going to pay for their sins, David, for committing statutory rape of at least two girls that Kate knew of, as well as countless others, and Mike, for trafficking poison into this country, the poison that was known as cocaine.

Not only did I lose a couple of friends in college to that shit, but I also saw it almost destroy the life of someone who was not only very close, but also very dear to me, my sweet and precious cousin, Tabitha. I'm glad that she was able to get off of that crap and go through rehab. Kate knew none of this as of yet, and something that no one else knew, was that my Uncle John Sheppard, my mother's brother, as well as Tabby's father, was an agent for the Drug Enforcement Administration, commonly known as the DEA.

I hadn't made contact with him as of yet, because I wanted to have proof that Mike was doing the shit that Kate told me that he was doing before I wasted my uncle's time. I only hoped and prayed that Mike's wife, Linda, Kate's Aunt and Carolyn's sister, had no part in, or knowledge of her husband's misdeeds. It would be not only heartbreaking to them, but also a shame to see her go to jail.

After all, she'd been so gentle and kind to me the first time I met her; plus, it would really upset me to find out that she was somehow involved in Mike's bullshit. Still though, only time would tell; and at that moment, time was something that I had very little of before I had to meet with Mike and David. So, with all of that in mind, I made my way into the building and then took the elevator up to the offices of Linder & Dodge.

~~~~~~

"Hi, Mark," Mike gladly shook my hand as he greeted me, "Man, that was a wild scene last night, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," I smiled, burying my contempt for him deep inside of me, gently placing my briefcase on its side, atop the desk between me and him, "But at least we got Tyler Martin's ass put away, huh?"

"We sure did," David proudly grinned, "And I didn't know you could fight like you do; holy shit, Mark, where did you learn to move like that?"

"Oh, that," I humbly replied, passing it off as nothing, but knowing otherwise, "It's just some stuff that I learned in a self defense class that I took for a semester in college, that's all."

"It worked though," Mike grinned, "Maybe you could show me some of that stuff sometime?"

"Maybe," I said, "But let's talk about the Gaylord Entertainment job, okay?"

"You're right," Mike said, getting right to the point, "What are the conditions you were talking about earlier, Mark?"

"Oh, that," I emotionlessly replied, "I want half of the money we're going to make off of the job, or you can tell Jake Anderson and Bobby Hanson that they can find someone else to do the job."

"Are you crazy?" David harshly asked, "How are Mike and I supposed to make any money, God dammit?"

"That's easy," I cooly replied, "You two can split the other half...That's the only way I'm going to do this job...I've got bills to pay, too, and if I can get my hands on the kind of money that this job is going to pay, then I can pay off everything in one stroke."

"You're out of you're fucking mind," David seethed, "You greedy little bastard."

"I'd watch my fucking mouth, if I were you, you son of a bitch" I ruthlessly growled, "Otherwise, I'll give you the same thing I gave Tyler Martin last night, motherfucker."

"GENTLEMEN, PLEASE," Mike shouted, then he looked at me and David, and then calmly said, "I'm sure there is some kind of agreement that we can all reach without getting violent. Do we understand each other?"

"I'm agreeable to anything," I quietly hissed, glaring at David, "Just as long as I get what I asked for."

"Who the hell does this kid think he is, Mike?" David spat, "You can't let him get away with this shit...you just can't, and that's all there is to it."

"I know of a way that we can pay him what he wants, and still make the money you and I wanted from this job, David, old friend," Mike knowingly smiled at him, "I can tell that Mark likes to play games. Well, I've got a game that he'll love; and if he plays by the rules, the money he'll make is probably more than he could ever imagine, and one hell of a lot more than he's ever seen...that's for damn sure."

"I can imagine a lot more than you think," I flippantly replied, while playing Mike's unknowing and gullible ass right into my hand, "What kind of game are you talking about, and how much money is involved?"

"I'm talking about a game of chance," he evilly grinned, "And the amount of money that's involved is One Million Dollars."

"One Million Dollars," I laughed, "I won't even get out of bed for less than two."

"And that's okay, too," Mike grinned, "But you need to know that the more money that's involved, the higher the risk is."

"What kind of risk are we talking about?" I asked, "And what all is entailed?"

"I'm talking about picking up a package overseas," he said, "And then bringing it back here to me, where I will pay you Two Million Dollars, cash, the moment it's in my hands."

"That sounds good," I excitedly replied, intentionally leading them on, "What's in the package, and is it legal?"

"Of course it's not legal, you dumb ass," David spat, which made me stand up and quickly knock him out of his chair and onto his skinny ass with one punch to the jaw.

"What did I tell you about using that kind of language about me, motherfucker?" I growled, placing my foot upon his throat, "Now, I'm going to let you up, but if you make one move against me, I'm going to break your fucking neck, asshole. Are we clear on this point?"

"Yes," he helplessly choked, "Just let me get up...please?"

"Please let him up, Mark," Mike politely asked, glaring at David for the second time since I'd known them, "I promise that he'll watch his mouth from now on."

"I'm not trying to be a jerk, Mike," I replied, taking my foot off of David's throat, while picking up my briefcase, "But ever since David said what he did about the reasons why you guys brought me here to begin with, I've disliked him ever since."

"I can understand that," he chuckled, "Apologize to him, David...now."

"Why, Mike?" David whined, "He was..."

"I said apologize to him, dammit," Mike growled, "NOW!"

David, in turn, extended his right hand, and said, "I'm sorry, Mark. I promise you that it won't happen again, okay?"

"Alright," I smiled, drawing them in further, setting my briefcase back down, onto the floor this time, and shaking his hand, "I apologize for hitting you, too, David, I was way out of line, and I promise to never let that happen again either."

"I ask again," I said to Mike, "Is the package I'm picking up overseas legal, and if not, what's inside of it?"

"So, you don't have a problem with it being illegal, then," Mike said, "Did I hear you correctly?"

"Yes, you heard me correctly, and no, I don't have a problem with it being illegal," I told him, "Now, what am I smuggling into the U.S.?"

"One Hundred Keys of Cocaine," he plainly told me, "Pure Peruvian Flake, hence the reason it pays so well."

"I guess so at twenty thousand a key," I replied, "But how in the hell do you expect me to get that much in at one time, and without being caught at that?"

"I don't know," Mike laughed, "That's up to you."

"Yeah," I grumbled, "And I guess thanks for nothing means just that, thanks for nothing."

"You're the one who got greedy all of a sudden," Mike sarcastically replied, "So, if you can't handle playing with the big dogs, then I suggest you stay your young ass on the fucking porch with the rest of the puppies, boy."

"Alright, I'll pull this off," I spat, "But when I come back with the product, you'd better damn well have my money. Do you understand me?"

"I'll have your money," Mike replied, "But that's if you make it back. In the mean time, what about the Gaylord Entertainment job? Are you going to do it, or not?"

"Yeah, I'll do it," I nastily replied, "But I get a twenty percent bonus at the end of the job. Is that clear?"

"You should've asked for that first," he growled, "Because now you're in too deep to back out of the other. But I'll give it to you anyway. Oh, and one more thing, stay the fuck away from Katie from here on out."

"Fuck you," I laughed, "I'm the only one who knows where she is, asshole."

"Shit," Mike spat, "You'd better make damn sure that nothing happens to her, or I'll hunt you down like a dog and kill your little ass."

"Kiss my ass," I growled back, "And the first one of your goons that follows me will come back in a body bag. I don't plan on crossing you, I just want to make some money, that's it so; leave me alone and I'll do the same, are we clear on this?"

"Yeah, we're clear," Mike hatefully replied, "Now get the fuck out of here. You got a meeting with Jake and Bobby so; don't be late."

And then I left his office, closing the door behind me, but I stayed outside in the hallway only long enough to let them think I was gone, and then I quickly stepped back inside Mike's office, telling him, "I almost forgot my briefcase, sorry, guys."

"That's not a very good way to start this new relationship off, boy," Mike warned.

"Don't worry," I snapped back, and then pointed at David, "I'm not as stupid as he is," and then I left his office for good.

~~~~~~

Mike might've told me that I wasn't going to be followed, but I still didn't trust him, and because there was no way that he could have my phone tapped back then, no matter how much money he had, I wasn't worried about making phone calls from my house.

~~~~~~

I still had the rental car, and because I had enough money to keep it as long as I needed it, I had driven it to meet with him and David that morning so that he wouldn't be able to see my Corvette leave the parking garage from his office. Still though, I watched closely to see if I was being followed...and after I was satisfied that I wasn't, I went to the hotel to exchange the rental car for my car. I wanted for Jake Anderson and Bobby Hanson to be able to see me pull up to the jobsite in my Corvette, and not the rental car that I'd left for Kate and Sarah to use.

But before I went to meet with them, I stopped by the hotel to talk to Kate, as well as play her the tape from the small tape recorder that I'd turned on, and then securely placed inside my briefcase before I went in to meet with Mike and David in order to record the whole conversation I had with them."

"Damn that bastard," Kate angrily seethed, "I need to warn Aunt Linda and get her to safety as soon as possible."

"Are you sure that she's not in on any of this shit?" I asked her, "It could cost me my life if so."

"I'm sure, baby," she began to cry, "As a matter of fact; she told Mom the other day that Mike had been acting very strangely lately and that she didn't know why, but she was afraid for some unknown reason."

And because she'd told me that, I then let her know about my Uncle John, while she was listening to the tape, as well as what all I had planned.

"Wait a minute," she quickly interrupted me, rewinding the tape, "Listen to this."

What I was listening to was clearly recorded after I'd left Mike's office the first time, when I'd intentionally left my briefcase behind.

"Dammit," David said, "What're we going to do now, Mike?"

"Leave it all to me," Mike said, with an evil hiss, "I'll call our friends in Medellin, Colombia, and when our young friend arrives down there to pick up this month's shipment, they'll make sure that he doesn't leave there alive, and then that'll be the end of that."

"But what're you gonna tell Katie?" David said, "You know that you're the first person she'll come to when he comes up missing."

"You worry too much," he laughed, "Gail Harris at the realty company he bought his house from gave me an extra key to his place. I'll get one of my girlfriends to write a love letter from some other woman to him, and then we'll plant it there while he's gone to Colombia, making it look like he was fucking around on her all along. Kate will get so pissed off that she'll soon forget all about young Mark, and then we'll be in the clear," and then I heard myself coming back into the office to retrieve my briefcase.

"I think it's time to have not only the locks changed on my house, but it's also time that I call my uncle and make him aware of what's about to happen."

"I told you that Mike was dangerous, baby," Kate began to weep, "Please let your Uncle take care of this and just walk away...please, Mark. I'm afraid for you."

"Don't worry, Baby," I smiled, picking up the telephone, "I'm calling my Uncle John right now."

"Good," she sweetly replied, "And when you're done, I want you to have the locks on your doors changed before the sun sets so that Sarah and I can go home. I want to sleep in my own bed tonight."

"Your bed," I grinned, "What makes you think that it's yours?"

"Because it's where you sleep," she softly replied, gently kissing my lips, "And you belong to me now so; don't ever forget that, Mark Powers."

"You can bet the farm on that one, baby," I smiled, tenderly kissing her lips, "I'll always belong to you, just like you'll always belong to me, okay?"

"You're damn right," she sniffled, "I love you now more than ever, Mark."

"I know you do, Katie," I smiled, "And I love you, too."

"That's the first time you've called me Katie since I've known you," she cooed, "I like it, too."

"Is that right?" I chuckled, as she eagerly nodded her head, "Well, I guess I'll just have to keep doing it then."

~~~~~~

After informing my uncle as to what all had recently taken place over the past forty-eight hours, Uncle John told me to keep doing what I was doing, and not deviate from my normal routine so as not to draw any suspicion. He also told me that because he was in Atlanta, Georgia, it would be nightfall before he would be able to get to my house, and that he would see me when he got there later this evening, and that we would talk again then.

In the mean time, I went to meet with Jake Anderson and Bobby Hanson, making sure that I drove my car, the Corvette, after which I checked Kate out of the hotel and let her take the rental car back to my house to await the locksmith that I had called to come and change the locks on everything, and I do mean everything, at my house.

~~~~~~

About ten minutes before I was to meet with Jake and Bobby, I stopped at the Opryland Hotel to call Uncle John, and let him know that it was important that he come to Nashville immediately.

You need to take the first flight out here that you can get, Uncle John," I told him, "This is a matter of life and death."

"I believe you, Mark," he quietly replied, "I've never known you to cry wolf without a good reason, son."

"And I'm not crying wolf now, sir," I quickly replied, "But I promise to tell you everything when you get here. Just leave your flight info with Grams and I'll get it from her; and whatever you do, don't, under any circumstances, call me at home...at least not until I know it's safe. In the mean time, I want you to fly into Nashville during the middle of the day when it's the busiest, okay?"

"Okay, kiddo, but be sure to call your Grandmother tonight to get my flight information," he told me, "One more thing, I'm placing a tail on you just to make sure that you're safe until I can get there...and don't argue with me about it. Do I make myself clear, Mark?"

"Yes, sir," I respectfully answered, "I understand completely."

"Alright then," he lightly chuckled, sounding relieved, "I'll see you tomorrow...be careful, boy."

"I will, "I grinned, "See ya tomorrow...and thanks, Uncle John," and then I quickly hung up so as not to be late to my meeting.

~~~~~~

After making certain that I hadn't been followed, I got back into my car and took the back way out of the hotel, being very careful about how I drove. Even though I was sure that I wasn't being followed by any of Mike's people, I didn't want to get the attention of the police either so; I obeyed the traffic laws and made sure that I didn't speed either.

A Corvette Stingray would gain the immediate attention of any and/or every police car that I encountered just because of what kind of car it was. God forbid I should commit any kind of moving violation, because those same cops would be on me like white on rice...hell; they're still bad that even today. But then I'm getting ahead of myself...again...

~~~~~~

Chapter Thirteen

"Hello, Mark," Jake Anderson smiled, as his secretary showed me into his office, "Bobby and I were so glad when Mike told us that you were going to be taking the job here."

"That's great," I forced myself to smile, "And I'm really looking forward getting off to a good start, too."

"Me, too, kiddo," he appreciatively smiled, "So, how soon do you think you can get everything going?"

"That all depends on you guys," I informed him, "The moment I get all of the permits, which I believe you and Bobby are supposed to be taking care of, I don't see why we can't break ground sometime next week."

"We've already got the plans that Mike sent over," he told me, "And we're supposed to have our permits in place by the end of the week."
"Okay then," I convincingly smiled, "How about we plan the ground breaking ceremony for Wednesday afternoon of next week, then?"

"That sounds good to me," Bobby grinned, suddenly walking into Jakes office grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Hi, Mark;" Jake grinned, "How're you doing today, my friend?"

"Hello, Jake," I smiled, shaking his hand, "I'm well, thank you for asking."

"You're welcome," he graciously replied, "It does my heart a world of good knowing that you're going to be handling this project for us. Everyone around here is very excited to be working with you, Mark."

"Please," I humbly smiled, "You give me too much credit."

"And why not?" he chuckled, "I've heard some very good things about you from both Mike and David."

"Is that right?" I teased them, "Those guys talk way too much ya know."

"Yeah, we know," Jake laughed, "But we still have a lot of faith in you, regardless."

"You honor me, fellas," I modestly smiled, "I promise not to let you down then."

"Good enough," Bobby chuckled, "I guess we'll see you on Wednesday then?"

"You can count on it," I agreed, "In the mean time, I guess I'll see you then," and then I turned and left Jakes office, dreading the fact that I was going to end up disappointing, and probably deeply hurting these two nice guys when I brought both Mike and David down.

~~~~~~

Later that evening, per my grandmother's instructions, I met my Uncle John at a private airport that belonged to the DEA that no one knew about but them. Of course I'd taken the rental car to pick him up, which he agreed was a good idea.

"Hi, Mark," Uncle John smiled, hugging me when I met him, "It's good to see you, kid."

"Hi, Uncle John," I grinned, glad to see him, "It's good to see you, too, sir."

"I hear you've got a new girlfriend," he teased, "I can't wait to meet her, boy."

"She's my fiancée," I told him, "She's waiting for us at my house, and she can't wait to meet you either."

"I look forward to it," he replied, "In the mean time, we need to get to your house as soon as possible because there are some things I need to tell you about your two friends, Mike Dodge and David Linder."

"I'll bet so," I said, as we got into the rental car, "I probably already know what you're going to tell me, but we'll wait until we get to my house so that Katie can hear what you've got to say, just in case I don't know."

"Okay, Mark," Uncle John smiled, "Let's get going," and as I drove back to our house, I filled him in on the things that I didn't dare mention over the telephone

~~~~~~

"Wow, Mark told me that you were really pretty," Uncle John grinned when he met Katie for the first time, "But he didn't tell me that you were so beautiful, Miss Meyers."

"Please," Katie giggled, her cheeks turning bright pink, "Feel free to call me, Kate, okay sir?"

"What's with this sir stuff?" Uncle John playfully smiled, "Mark tells me that you two are going to be married one of these days soon so; I want you to call me Uncle John like Mark does, or just plain old John."

Okay, Uncle John," Katie proudly smiled, as she gently hugged him, "Thank you."

And this is my adopted little sister, Miss Sarah Dawson," I smiled, placing my arm around Sarah's shoulder, "Sarah, this is Uncle John...the guy I told you about that is a DEA agent."

"Oh, gosh," Sarah smiled, "I sure am glad that you're here, sir, and it's also nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too, little lady," Uncle John grinned, "But you can call me just plain old John."

"What if I called you Uncle John instead," she sweetly asked, "Would that be okay with you?"

"Sure," he chuckled, winking at me, "I don't mind at all, little lady."

~~~~~~

"I was right, Mark," Katie said, after Uncle John relayed to us the information that the DEA had on Mike Dodge, "I told you that Michael Dodge was a dangerous sociopath."

"I know you did," I told her, "Why do you think I called Uncle John and got him to come here?"

"I'm afraid, Mark," she began to sniffle, placing her arms around my waist and holding me close, "What're we going to do?"

"You two aren't going to do anything," Uncle John told us in no uncertain terms, "You're going to let us (The DEA) handle things from here."

"I'm sorry Uncle John," I adamantly replied, "But I can't do that. Besides, how else am I going to get my hands on the cocaine that it's going to take to get him busted and sent up the river?"

"We've got undercover agents who specialize in this kind of thing," he explained, "And I'm not going to let you take any further risks, and that's final."

"Ok, that's fine," I told him, "But I'm telling you now, that the first time Mike Dodge smells a rat, he'll disappear for God knows how long, and then you'll never find him, not to mention that not only my life, but Katie's, her mother's, and Sarah's lives will all be at risk...and that's something that I'm not going to take a chance on. Now...you can help me, or I'll do it on my own, but either way, I'm going ahead with the plan to go to Colombia, the risks to me be damned. Do you understand?"

"You're not going to budge one damn inch on this one," he sternly replied, "Are you, boy?"

"I love you very much Uncle John, you know that," I told him, looking directly into his eyes, "But I love Katie more, and as long as her life is in peril, then I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that she's safe...regardless of the danger to me...Now, are we clear on this matter?"

He stared back at me for a couple of minutes, not saying a single word, then he smiled, and laughing, replied, "It's a good thing you're father isn't alive to see this. He'd be kicking your ass for this one, Mark."

"You're right...he probably would, but he's not here," I emotionlessly said, "So, are you going to help me, or not?"

"Shit," he exasperatedly spat, "You leave me with no choice."

"That's right," I triumphantly grinned, "So, what's the plan?"

"Here's the plan," he chuckled, "You don't have to go all the way to Colombia to get the cocaine; we've got more than enough of that crap locked up in an evidence container that we can use to take this asshole down right here in our own country."

"That's all well and good," I sarcastically replied, "But what's he going to do when his contacts in Colombia call and tell him that I never showed up?"

"He won't do a thing," Uncle John flatly told me, "Especially when you tell him that you got a better deal from the Cali cartel from their contact in Panama."

"But I don't know anyone in Panama," I said, "Who am I supposed to tell Mike that I got the coke from?"

"There's guy that is down there right now," Uncle John explained, "He's a well known runner for the Cali cartel, and the best part about it all is, he's an undercover DEA agent."

"That's just great," I discontentedly said, "What am I supposed to do if Mike calls down there to find out."

"He won't, trust me," he replied, "This asshole is sending you down there to have you killed, remember? He's not going to give a damn about checking up on the prices, especially when you show up with two hundred keys of coke that cost half the price of what's he's been paying for years now. Hell, if anything, he's going to be tickled shitless, and all thoughts of killing you are going to be washed completely out the window...and his greed is going to be his downfall, believe me, Mark."

"Holy shit," I smiled, when what I suddenly thought came to mind, "And when the Colombians, well, Pablo Escobar, because we all know who runs things in Medellin, finds out that Mike double crossed him, he's going to send his goons up here to kill him."

"Oh shit," Kate suddenly said, a dreadful look crossing her face, "What about my Aunt Linda, what's going to happen to her?"

"Don't worry, pretty girl," Uncle John reassured her, "We've already got her covered."

"I'm sorry, Uncle John," Katie plead, "But you're going to have to tell me more than that. With the exception of my mother, Aunt Linda is my only living relative and I can assure you that she knows nothing about what her shit head of a husband is up to."

"We also know that, too, sweetie," he reassured her, "That's why when all of this goes down, a team of people who specialize in this kind of work are all going in to snatch her from the premises just before the shit hits the fan so; please try not to worry...oh, and just so you know, there are five of our people who are shadowing your mother aboard her cruise ship right now so, she's safe, too."

"Holy shit," Katie gasped smiling, relief clearly on her face, "You people don't do anything half-assed, do you?"

"No, we don't, Katie," Uncle John affectionately grinned at her, "We're all professionals, and that's why we're the best at what we do."

"I'm very glad," Katie sweetly giggled, hugging Uncle John, "I feel very safe with you and Mark around."

"I'm very glad that you feel that way," he grinned, returning her hug, "And it's also nice to hear coming from someone who's as beautiful as you are, sweetheart."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Kate said, "What about the pervert partner of Mike's, David Linder?"

"What do you mean?" Uncle John asked, "What about him?"

It was then that I explained to my uncle about David, and his inclinations towards underage females; and when I was finished, I looked at him with pure contempt and asked, "There is something that can be done about him, isn't there?"

"Hell yeah," Uncle John disgustedly replied, "I've got a friend who works for the F.B.I. that can take care of him post haste; and when I say post haste, I mean before the sun sets tomorrow. That also gives me an idea, too."

"What do you mean?" I asked, "What kind of idea?"

"Don't worry, kiddo," he knowingly grinned, picking up the phone and dialing a number, "You just leave everything to your old Uncle John, okay Marky boy?"

"Aw man," I groaned, while Katie and Sarah profusely giggled like a couple of teenagers who'd been caught someone doing something naughty, "You just had to say that in front of my fiancée, didn't you? Thanks a lot, Uncle John."

"Chill out, baby," Katie sweetly teased me, kissing my blushing cheek, "I think it's as cute as it can be...Marky boy," and then she and Sarah fell into another fit of girlish laughter.

"Go ahead and laugh it up, you two," I playfully warned the two of them, "But remember; payback is a bitch."

"Oh, please," Sarah giggled, "Don't even try that with me, Mark Powers, besides, we both know that your bark is a whole lot worse than your bite."

"Uh, huh," I grinned, "And you've both been warned so; I don't want to hear it when the rain comes falling down on the two of you."

"Yeah right," Katie giggled, climbing into my lap, while my uncle was on the phone, "You wouldn't hurt either one of us, baby; it's just not in you to do something like that."

"You're right about that, my love," I smiled tenderly kissing her lips, "But who said anything about hurting either of you? I'm simply talking about a little payback for busting my balls the way you two have been doing lately, that's all."

"But we were only teasing you, Mark," Sarah said, a sudden look of fear crossing her face, "And it was only a little bit of harmless fun, I swear."

"Oh, I know that," I calmly told them, "And the payback that I have in mind for you two will be equally as harmless, too...I swear."

"I don't trust him, Katie," Sarah immediately began to fret, "He's going to do something really fucked up to us...I can feel it."

"Oh, he'd better not," she suddenly replied, hopping up from my lap with a touch of fire in her eyes, "That's all I've got to say; he just better not..."

~~~~~~

Okay," John satisfactorily smiled as he hung the phone up, "That will take care of David Linder's perverted ass."

"What do you mean," Kate asked, "And who were you talking to on the phone just now...that is if you don't mind me asking?"

"No, I don't mind at all," he began smiling, "That was a friend of mine who is not only the head of the National Department of Child Welfare, but she is also the head of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Trust me when I tell you that David Linder is about to go down...and very hard, too."

"Good," Kate disgustedly spat, her voice saturated with hatred and revulsion, "I hope they crucify that sick fuck."

"Katie," I said, making her turn around to face me, a sick feeling beginning to grow in the pit of my stomach, "Please tell me that he didn't..."

"No, he didn't touch me, my love," she softly interrupted me, "But like I already said, he made several suggestive comments to me when I was about fifteen or sixteen."

"I'm going to make him pay," I said aloud, "And there's nothing that anyone is going to be able to do to stop me."

"Oh, no you don't," Uncle John expressedly replied, "Otherwise I'll be forced to take you before a judge who will definitely send you to jail, no question about it."

"Oh, no he won't," I laughed.

"Is that right?" Uncle John sarcastically inquired, "And just what on God's green earth makes you think that you'll get away with First Degree Murder, because that's exactly what you're talking about doing, Mark?"

"Because, I'm not going to kill him," I willfully replied, "I'm going to beat him so badly that he'll wish he was dead, and don't you dare try to stop me either. Do you understand me, Uncle John?"

"Is that right," he laughed, "And just how do you plan on explaining his injuries to the federal agents when they arrive to arrest him?"

"That's easy," I knowingly chuckled, "People fall down the stairs all the time...especially someone whose messed with the wrong redneck's daughter...do you understand my meaning?"

"Yeah, right," he calculatingly laughed, "You just be careful...do you understand what I'm telling you?"

"Come on, Uncle John," I chuckled, "You know me, right?"

"That's the trouble," he grinned, "I know you a little too well sometimes."

"It'll all be fine," I told him, "You just have to trust me, okay?"

"Uh, huh," Uncle John cautiously replied, "We'll see about that, too, now, won't we?"

~~~~~~

I went to David Linder's house that evening; staying out of sight and peeping through the windows of his house to find that his wife, Madeline, was not there. However, as I peered through his living room window, I was almost in a state of shock to discover a girl who couldn't have been any older then sixteen at the very most without a stitch on.

"Oh, my God," I whispered in disgust, and then began to silently pray "Please grant me the strength of will that I'm going to need to keep from killing this monster, I beg you, oh Lord."

It didn't take long before David had his clothing off and he and the girl were having sex. That was when I got on the radio and let Uncle John know that the time to strike had come; and less than a minutes after I got off the radio, police cars had silently surrounded the house, and a tactical squad was rushing through the door, catching David Linder in the act of having sex with that girl.

Needless to say, I crept back away from the scene undetected so as not to alert him to the fact that I had anything to do with it, because I didn't want Mike Dodge to suspect anything. After all, he and David were partners, and if he knew that I'd had something to do with busting David, then there was no way he was going to trust me, especially as far as the supposed cocaine deal was concerned.

I was going to beat David' ass for him, but after truly giving the matter some thought, as well as the fact that Uncle John told me that the other inmates in prison would beat David to a bloody pulp when they found out that he was in there for statutory rape, I decided to back off and leave the son of a bitch to his own fate. And I was right, because Karma always has a way of taking care of these matters, especially when it comes to doing someone wrong.

~~~~~~

David's bust was all over the evening news that night, as well as the following morning; and that next morning when I showed up at Mike's office for the scheduled meeting I was supposed to have with him and David, I walked into the building feeling more than satisfied that justice was going to truly prevail once Mike's ass was gone, too.

~~~~~~

"Holy shit, Mike," I said, acting astonished when I was standing before him, "What the hell happened to David? I saw on the news this morning that he'd been caught having sex with an underage girl."

"I know," Mike disappointedly replied, "I saw it, too, and I'm just as surprised about it as you are...well, shocked would be a better word to use in this case."

"I heard that," I said, "I'm quite sure that you knew nothing about his, uh...his propensities for that kind of thing."

"You're damn right I didn't know anything about it," he suddenly barked, "And I don't appreciate you even thinking along those lines."

"Don't you dare snap at me," I angrily seethed, "It's not my fault that your partner is a fucking pervert? Besides, this kind of puts the eye on you, now, doesn't it?"

"The eye," he asked, "What're you talking about?"

"I'm talking about our deal," I told him, "You know...our Two Million Dollar deal?"

"Of course not," he evilly laughed, reaching into his desk drawer and withdrawing a stack of one-hundred-dollar bills, handing it to me, "Here, be sure to buy your airline ticket with this. That way the airline can say that you paid for you own ticket and it won't come back to me in case you get popped."

"Popped," I asked, "Don't you mean busted?"

"Of course," he spat," What else could it mean?"

"I better not get busted," I told him, "Because it will be your ass as well if I do, and I don't mean that I'm going to snitch on you."

"Oh, no," he angrily asked, "Then what do you mean, you little motherfucker?"

"I'll tell you exactly what I mean, asshole," I quietly barked back, "If anything, and I mean anything happens to me while I'm gone, there will be no place that you can hide, because I assure you that you will be found with your fucking throat cut, and your forked tongue pulled out and left hanging on your chest. I believe it's called a Colombian necktie."

"Bullshit," he laughed, "I know for a fact that you don't know anyone who's that vicious."

"You can say that all you want to," I grinned, "But are you willing to bet your life on it?"

"Look, Mark," he said, suddenly smiling, lowering his defensive attitude, "We're just trying to make some money here, that's all. Besides, I know that you and Kate could use a couple of million dollars to build a beautiful home to raise a family in, huh?"

"Yeah, we could," I smiled, "But I've got something I want you to hear," and then I played the tape I'd recorded for him.

"Now, wait a minute, Mark," Mike fearfully replied, "Let's not get all worked up over this, okay?"

"I'm not the least bit worked up," I calmly told him, "I just don't trust your fucking ass. Oh, and just so you know; if you still decide to double-cross me, Kate will receive a copy of this tape, as will the DEA so; what's it going to be, motherfucker?"

"Okay, okay," he finally said, "You'll be able to leave Colombia unmolested and unharmed...but you'd better damn well come across with the product, or I will fuck up your world, God dammit."

"Fair enough, but I want half of the money before I go," I said, "And then the other half upon receipt of the product, or the deal is off. Do I make myself clear?"

"Damn you," he growled, "You've turned into quite the mercenary, you little snot nosed bastard."

Not only did that comment thoroughly piss me off, but it also made Mike a not so proud recipient of a spinning wheel kick to the right side of his face, after which, when he hit the ground, I shoved the muzzle of the Walther PPK .380 handgun, which was a gift from Uncle John, with the hammer drawn back, up his left nostril. Then I calmly told him, "The next time you call me anything other than Mark, you can rest assured that I will blow your fucking brains all over the floor of this office, as will I do the same if you even so much as think about approaching Kate. Do you understand me, asshole?"
"Take it easy, Mark," he now very cautiously pled, "Please...I don't want any trouble with you."

"You're damned right you don't," I harshly replied, withdrawing my weapon and stepping back so that he could stand, "I'll call you tomorrow with the numbered account in the Grand Caymans that you're to deposit my money in; and then when I've received confirmation of deposit, I'll board the plane to Colombia, agreed?"

"Agreed," he said, brushing himself off as he stood, "I'll see you when you get back," and then I turned and calmly walked out of his office. However after getting on the elevator which took me to the ground floor, I walked out of the building with a satisfied smile on my face.

The only thing that gave me the courage to do what I'd done that day was knowing that the next time I saw that piece of shit; he was going to be sitting with his attorney at the defendant's table in a Federal courtroom.

~~~~~~

"So; how'd it go?" Uncle John asked, "Did he give you any shit about the money?"

"He tried to at first," I grinned, "But after I shoved the muzzle of my pistol up his nose for cussing me, he changed his tune."

"Good," he chuckled, "There's a two hour layover in Miami, Florida after you leave Nashville tomorrow, right before the plane goes on to Colombia. Two agents will meet you there, where you will exchange places with one of our agents who looks almost exactly like you; and then our people will bring you back here to prep you for the exchange the next day. Can you remember all of that?"

"Of course I can," I asked, "But why is someone going to exchange places with me?"

"It's simple," he replied, "What're you going to do when Mike Dodge calls his connections in Medellin and finds out that you never showed up, huh?"

"Oh, shit," I said, realizing what he was talking about, "I guess you're right...I'm sorry, Uncle John, I suppose I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Ya think?" he grinned, then patted me on the shoulder and told me, "That's okay, Marky boy, that's what I'm here for..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Fourteen

That night, after eating a wonderful dinner, which my beautiful Kate cooked, she, Sarah, Uncle John and I all sat around in the den talking.

"There's something that I want to tell you, Mark," Uncle John smiled, "And that is that I love you, my nephew, and I'm so very proud of you for your willingness to risk your life to stop these assholes."

"Thanks, Uncle John," I smiled, "But what they're doing is wrong on so many levels and in so many ways; but I also want you to know something else since we're talking about this stuff."

"Sure, son," he smiled, "Tell me what it is that you want me to know."

"Okay, here goes then," I began, "I've asked Katie to marry me and she's accepted my proposal so; I'm telling you right here and now that this is the absolute last time that I'm going to do something like this. Do we understand one another?"

"Of course, kid," he heartily laughed, "She sure is a very pretty little gal and I don't blame you one bit for feeling that way, Marky boy."

Of course hearing Uncle John call me by his pet name for me once again elicited girlish laughter from both Sarah and Katie, making me look at the two of them, and with admonishment and irritation in my tone of voice, I told them, "Don't laugh at him, you two. He knows that calling me that really pisses me off so; that's why he does it, dammit."

"Oh, relax," Kate teased, "I think it's adorable."

"I do, too," Sarah sweetly giggled, "So; chill out, Marky boy," and then of course both girls again fell back into another fit of girlish giggles, at my expense of course.

"Yeah, whatever," I said shaking my head, "You two are about as funny as a fart in a space suit."

"Oh, gross," Kate disgustedly replied, "Could you be any more crude, Mark?"

"You two started it," I grinned, "So, don't bitch at me for finishing it."

"Who're you calling a bitch," Sarah haughtily replied, standing up and placing her hands on her hips, "Asshole?"

"Okay, calm down, you guys," Uncle John grinned, "We've still got a lot of things to go over."

"He's right," I replied, walking over to Sarah and gently hugging her, "I'm sorry sweetie."

"It's okay," she softly smiled, returning the hug, "Sometimes I get a little too big for my britches. I'm sorry, too."

"Now that everyone is calm," Uncle John said, "When are you supposed to leave for Colombia, Mark?"

"Right after I call Mike with the numbered account in the Grand Caymans Bank that you're supposed to give me," I replied, "I told him that I would fly to Colombia as soon as I received confirmation of the deposit."

"That's good," he smiled, "We've got you a ticket already booked for a flight that connects in Miami to Bogata at three o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

"I need to ask you something," I said, "What about this guy that supposedly looks like me? Won't the people in Medellin be suspicious?"

"Not at all," Uncle John smiled, "We've been monitoring Mike Dodge's telephone calls; and he only gave the people in Medellin a general description of you so; don't worry about it."

"If you say so," I worriedly said, "But what about Katie's Aunt Linda, what's going to happen to her?"

"We've already got that taken care of, too," he told me, "The moment that Mike Dodge leaves his house to come meet you, we're going to go in and make her aware of what's happening. Then, depending on whether or not she wants to stay there, or come with us once she's been made aware of what's about to happen, we'll bring her here, if that's alright with you."

"Sure, that's fine;" I told him, "Whatever she decides is alright with me."

"Okay then," Uncle John said, "In the mean time, I suggest you get some rest, because you've got a busy day ahead of you tomorrow..."

~~~~~~

That next morning after breakfast, I spent a couple of hours teaching Kate and Sarah how to fire the two nine millimeter pistols that Uncle John had given them just in case something went wrong. Granted, I didn't foresee anything bad happening, but I believed in the old adage of hoping for the best, but being prepared for the worst.

Once that was done and I felt secure that the girls could proficiently handle the weapons, I made the call to Mike, giving him the numbered account that he was to deposit the money into.

"You'd better not fuck me, kid," he harshly told me, "Otherwise there's gonna be hell to pay."

"You just make sure that you keep up your end of this deal," I growled, "You don't have to worry about me. I'm not like your ass."

"Oh yeah?" he spat, "And what's that supposed to mean, asshole?"

"Just deposit the fucking money," I said, "And when I receive confirmation that it's there, I'll be boarding a plane for Colombia at three o'clock this afternoon."

"You damn well better," he warned, "Because I'll know if you don't."

"There's something you need to know, asshole," I said, "If you put a tail on me, I'll send them back to you in a body bag so; let's put a halt to this shit right now."

"Alright, you win," he relented, "Just make damn sure that you arrive in Colombia when you're supposed to, okay?"

"It's like I already told you, Mike," I said, a bit less harsh, "I always keep my word...all I ask is that you keep yours in return."

"Look, kid," he gently replied, "I don't want to be your enemy, because we still have to work together, okay?"

"That sounds good to me," I told him, "And Mike, I'm sorry for being such an asshole to you. As a matter of fact, I'm sorry about everything, and I hope you can forgive me."

"I'm sorry, too, Mark, and you're already forgiven," he smiled, "I'll see you when you get back, and we'll both make some money."

"Good enough," I played along, "But business is business, right?"

"That's right," he happily replied, "And I'll make the transfer just as soon as I get off of the phone."

"Okay then, "I'll let you go for now," I told him, "I'll call you before I leave to go to the airport. Is that cool with you?"

"Of course," he smiled, "I'll talk to you later," and then he hung up the phone.

"You'll talk to me later alright," I hissed, just after setting the telephone receiver back in its cradle, "In court when you're facing twenty-five to life, you fucker."

"Easy, Mark," Uncle John gently said, "You need to remain calm...your life depends on it."

"Oh, I'm calm alright," I quietly seethed, "Or otherwise Mike Dodge would be a dead son of a bitch..."

~~~~~~

That afternoon as Kate waited with me at the airport, she looked at me with tears in her eyes, and said, "You be careful, dammit. I love you and I don't want to lose you, baby."

"Rest easy, my love. We're already halfway home," I confidently smiled, "Mike dropped one million dollars into the Bank of the Grand Caymans, which means we've already got him on charges of conspiracy to buy cocaine, at the very least."

"I know," she sniffled, "But that doesn't mean that this still isn't dangerous though."

"I'll be back before you know it," I softly told her, gently kissing her lips, "So, I want you to go home and wait...and try not to worry, okay?"

"Yeah, right," she cried, holding me tightly, "Just come home safe, Mark."

"I will," I said, a feeling of sheer terror lurking in the back of my mind, as the announcement for the departure of my flight sounded over the airport's public address system, "I've got to go, but never forget that I love you with all my heart, Katie."

"I love you, too," she wept, "Just come back home...soon."

~~~~~~

I landed in Miami, Florida two and a half hours later where I was supposed to wait for another two hours in the departure gate that my connecting flight to Colombia was scheduled to take off from. According to Uncle John, the guy that was going to take my place on the flight was supposed to meet me there to go to South America in my stead.

~~~~~~

I glanced at my watch, and seeing that twenty minutes had passed and he hadn't showed up yet, I began to get a little nervous. I still had another hour and forty minutes before the plane would begin boarding its passengers so; I called Uncle John to apprise him of the situation.

"I know," he said, "And I want you to wait right there. Someone is on the way to help you."

"Who," I asked, "What do you mean by they're coming to help me?"

"You're going to have to trust me," he told me, "That's all I can tell you, Mark."

"Let me guess," I replied, "I'm going to Colombia myself, aren't I?"

"I'm sorry," he replied, "There's nothing else that can be done this late in the game, but I want you to know that there will be someone there with you to cover your ass, you just won't see them, that's all."

"That's just great," I angrily replied, "Now what am I gonna do? I wasn't supposed to be going down there to start with."

"Don't worry, Mark," Uncle John reassured me, "Just make the deal that Mike told you to make, and leave the rest to us."

"Alright, I will," I crossly replied, "But whatever you do, don't tell Kate that the plans have been changed, because she'll be worried sick. Do I make myself clear?"

"No problem," he grinned, "And I don't want you to worry either, because I promised you that you'd be safe, regardless of what happened, okay?"

"Alright," I restlessly answered, "If you say so..."

~~~~~~

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

I'd gone down to the nearest bar and bought a cup of coffee, and was sitting back near the departure gate when I was approached by two men dressed in dark suits, both wearing dark sunglasses.

"Hello, Mark," the taller of the two men smiled, "My name is Agent Thomas Lynch, and this is Agent Nathan Samuelson. Your Uncle John sent us here to take care of you so; would you please come with us to the men's room?"

~~~~~~

THE MEN'S ROOM

After asking me to remove my shirt, Agent Samuelson placed a Kevlar vest on me, saying, "This will stop a three fifty-seven, magnum bullet at point blank range so; you should be safe."

"Okay," I suspiciously replied, "But what am I supposed to do when someone places a gun at my head?"

"I've been told that you're very good with your hands and feet," Agent Lynch grinned, "If that's the case I suggest you disarm the said individual and kill them."

"Ha, ha," I sarcastically laughed, "You guys are very funny, but this is no laughing matter, dammit."

"No, it's not," Agent Lynch seriously replied, "But like your uncle already told you, our people will be shadowing your every move, and no one, I repeat, no one, will touch you. Are we clear on this?"

"It's kind of like this," I said, "I believe only in that which I can see. Are you clear on this matter?"

"Crystal," he quietly replied, "But you're just going to have to trust us, Mark, okay?"

"I'll try," I told them, "I only hope your people are as good as you say they are..."

~~~~~~

AEROPUERTO INTERNACIONAL EL DORADO BOGATA, COLOMBIA 3 HOURS AND TEN MINUTES LATER

As I walked from the baggage claim area after picking up my bag, I was met by a man named Carlo Mendez who was supposed to take me to whom I was supposed to make the deal that Mike Dodge had set up before I left Tennessee.

"Senor Powers," he smiled, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Carlo Mendez, and I will be taking you to meet with Don Jorge (Hor-Gay) Hidalgo."

"That's fine," I warily replied, "But I was supposed to be meeting him in Medellin instead of here?"

"Plans change sometimes," he told me, "I'm only following orders, Senor."

"That's fine," I replied, every hair on the back of my neck standing up, "Lead the way, if you please."

"I will load your bag into the back of my jeep," he directed, "And then we can be on our way."

After following him out to the parking lot, we came upon a jeep that had a man sitting in the back seat, armed with a Soviet made AK-47; and after Carlo placed my bag into the very back of the vehicle; we got in and were on our way.

~~~~~~

After following the main highway for about thirty miles, Carlo pulled off onto a dirt road which carried us deep into the South American jungle. After riding for well over an hour, I was about to inquire as to how much longer it was going to be, when we suddenly came upon a very nice and spacious home. It was, of course, a Spanish style villa that had a security gate at its entrance, all of which had been cut out of the middle of the jungle.

"This is one of the many homes Don Hidalgo owns," Carlo said, "It has all of the modern conveniences of a home in the city. Don Hidalgo asked that you be prepared to spend the night, as the next car out will not be leaving until tomorrow."

"Wow," I said, looking around me as we drove past the huge wooden gates and into the courtyard of the house, "Please be sure to tell Don Hidalgo that I feel very honored to be staying in his home."

TWENTY MINUTES LATER

I'd been shown to my quarters, and had just finished using the en suite bathroom, and was buttoning the last button on my jeans when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," I said, "Its open."

A rather distinguished looking man of Spanish descent, who was somewhere in his early to mid fifties walked into my quarters with a smile on his face, and kindly said, "Good afternoon, Senor Powers, my name is Miguel. Don Hidalgo would like to see you, if you please."

"Thank you, Miguel," I smiled, "Lead the way," and then I followed him on out into the living room to meet a man who was seated on the couch, whom, there was no mistaking, that he was none other than Jorge Hidalgo himself.

"Mister Mark Powers," he smiled, standing to shake my hand, "I've heard many wonderful things about you from Mister Dodge."

"Hello, sir," I replied smiling, returning the handshake, "It's nice to be able to meet you in person. I've heard many wonderful things about you as well."

"Is that correct?" he suspiciously asked, still smiling, "Tell me...what have you heard about me?"

"Yes, sir, that's correct," I replied, thinking quickly, "I've heard that you were a businessman who, like me, has very exacting tastes and tolerates nothing less than perfection, expediency, and above all, honor and loyalty."

"Very good," he began to laugh, "I've always been a good judge of character; and my intuition tells me that you yourself are somewhat of, if not totally, a very shrewd businessman yourself, que no?"

"Si, Senor Hidalgo," I smiled, "I abhor a bunch of nonsense, especially when it comes to doing business."

"You mentioned the word loyalty," he said, "Loyalty goes s very long way with me, especially in the type of business we're in...selling cocaina."

"You're right," I said, looking directly into his eyes, "A very long way."

"That's very good to hear," he told me, an unfamiliar look in his eyes, "After dinner this evening I would like to talk with you in depth about an idea that I've just recently had. Do you think you might be interested?"

"Maybe so, maybe not," I truthfully replied, "But it all depends on what it is before I will be able to tell you, Senor Hidalgo."

"I see no lies in you," he said, "I like that, Mark..."

~~~~~~

That evening after dinner, Hidalgo invited me take a walk across the grounds with him to talk. What he wanted to talk about, I had no idea so; one can only imagine my complete surprise, not to mention my total shock when I heard the words he began to speak to me.

You and I both know why you're here," he said, in a subdued tone of voice, "But there is something that you don't know so; I'll get right to the point. When your friend Mike Dodge first contacted me and told me that you were coming down here to buy cocaina, he also told me that you were never to leave here alive."

"I know that," I boldly replied, "So, why haven't you tried to kill me yet?"

"Because now that I've grown older," he said, "I've also grown tired of killing people who don't deserve it; and I've also recently become aware that the people who were once my trusted partners have now become my sworn enemies."

"I also know that," I told him, "So, how does that involve me?"

"Your Uncle is a member of the American Drug Enforcement Agency," he replied, making my stomach begin to do flip-flops, "Is he not?"

"I don't know," I calmly told him, "It all depends on why you want to know."

"Because of two reasons," Hidalgo said, "First of all, tell him that if he can offer me immunity, as well as get me and my family into the witness protection program, I'll give him the entire network of the Medellin cartel, Pablo Escobar included, as well as the other high profile members."

"That sounds reasonable," I said, "But you told me that there were two reasons. What's the second one?"

"I want to see Mike Dodge and the rest of what is known as The Nashville Mafia go down," he said, "I'm willing to give up very single one of them, including some federal judges and politicians in your nation's capitol who have been on my payroll for the last twenty years."

"Holy shit," I quietly exclaimed, "You're right about needing the witness protection program. Man, the D.E.A. is gonna have a shit-fit when they hear about this."

"So, you can make this all happen for me?" he asked, "Otherwise it means that me, and the rest of my family will all be dead before the month is at an end."

"You should know right now, Senor Hidalgo that I can't make this happen," I smiled, "But I can certainly contact the people who can."

"Then you are willing to help me," he asked, as I nodded my head grinning, "For this I will see to it that no one touches you while you are here in my country."

"I only ask one favor, Sir," I smiled, "I want to at least be armed until the proper authorities have been notified...I'll feel a lot safer that way."

"Here," he smiled, handing me a Beretta, nine millimeter pistol, "Take this one, it's a very good weapon that's easy to use." The he put his hand on my shoulder and gently told me, "Thank you, my friend, you will never regret this, I promise you."
"You're very welcome," I replied smiling, "I'm glad that I could be of help to you...and just so you know...I was never going to give the cocaine to Mike Dodge. I was doing this to bring his evil ass down."

"I already knew that, Senor Mark," he grinned, "Why do you think I trusted you enough to have this conversation with you?"

"How could you possibly know that?" I stupidly asked, "I mean...I thought that no one here knew who I was."

"Knowing these things are the one of the many reasons that I've been in business for as long as I have," he grinned, "One doesn't generate the amount of money that I've made by making mistakes, my friend."

"I guess not," I chuckled, "Damn, I feel like I've been living in a plastic bubble all of my life."

"No, you haven't," he told me, "I want you to be glad that you were ignorant of things like this. You're a much better person for it...trust me when I tell you this."

"I do now," I smiled, "But by trusting you, I've also put a price on my own head, haven't I?"

"No, you haven't," he said, "As far as my cohorts are concerned, you are one of Mike Dodge's agents who came down here to make a deal...nothing more, nothing less."

"Before we go any further, I'm going to need to use your telephone," I told him, "And if your former partners are now your enemies, I'm going to need to use a line that can not be bugged and/or listened to. I hope you understand the reasons why I'm asking this of you, Senor Hidalgo."

"Of course I understand," he smiled, "I have just such a phone so; please come quickly...and I want you to call me Jorge from this moment forward. Only my close friends and family call me by my first name, Senor Powers."

"Thank you, Jorge," I smiled, shaking his hand, "The same goes for you, too. I want you to call me Mark."

~~~~~~

"That's right, Uncle John," I smiled, using a phone line that was in a secret room located one hundred feet directly beneath Jorge's villa, "You heard me correctly. Now how soon can your people be here?"

~~~~~~

Chapter Fifteen

TWENTY FOUR HOURS LATER

The next evening, the D.E.A., the F.B.I., assisted not only by the United States Marines, the United States Navy, but also Colombian Army were all set to make what would look like a raid on the Hidalgo villa. However, that would be used as an excuse to get Jorge Hidalgo and the rest of his family out of South America and into the United States where he would testify before a federal grand jury.

After the go ahead had been given, Federal Agents, United States Marines, United States Navy SEALs and South American Federales began pouring out of the surrounding jungle, and in only a matter of a few short minutes, were all over the compound. To the rest of the world, it looked like the empire of Jorge Hidalgo had come falling down, which in a way, it had. However, what no one else knew, was that many of the Colombian Drug cartels were about to fall down, too.

In a matter of a few short years from the time that the raids began, Pablo Escobar also found himself dead at the hands of a South American Federale named Hugo Aguilar. While Jorge Hidalgo was himself a drug lord, he was nothing like Escobar, due to the fact that the people who were killed in the dealings of Cocaine, very few had died at the hands of his people, and those people died because of reasons of self defense.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not taking up for him, he was still a dealer of poison who broke the law, but if there was such a thing as the lesser of evils in the drug business, he certainly was that. The Unites States government kept their word to him and placed him into the witness protection program and he now lives somewhere under an assumed name. However, the story doesn't end here so; let's back up a bit...

~~~~~~

The moment I got off of the phone with Uncle John, one of his people was at the compound to extract me later that night. I was taken by helicopter to the USS Nimitz, a nuclear powered aircraft carrier that was floating off shore in the Caribbean Sea. From there I was flown to Pensacola, Florida, and them from there back to Nashville, Tennessee.

~~~~~~

BNA AIRPORT NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE

The moment I stepped out of the aircraft and out onto the tarmac in the VIP area, Kate and Sarah were both there to greet me.

"Oh, my God, Mark," Kate sniffled, her eyes filling with tears, "I was so worried, baby. Are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," I grinned returning the hug, "And how are you, Miss Sarah?"

"Worried about you," she quietly sniffled, hugging me, the second that Kate let go of me, "We were scared to death, you big doofus."

"Well, I'm alright," I smiled, taking both of their hands, "Come on, you two, let's get home...I'm dying for a hot shower."

~~~~~~

So, what about Mike Dodge?" Kate worriedly asked as we rode home in the limo that Uncle John provided, "Is he going to be prosecuted?"

"Of course he is," I smiled, "What about your Aunt Linda? What is she going to do when he gets arrested?"

"I haven't had the chance to talk to her about it yet," Kate uneasily replied, "I only hope that she doesn't get caught up in Mike's bullshit when he gets arrested."

"She won't," I assured her, "Uncle John told me that a team of agents are going to go in and pull her out of there right before his house gets raided so; I wouldn't worry about it too much if I were you. Speaking of which...I need to call Mike and tell him that I made it back and that we need to meet up."

However, right before I went to pick up the phone, it rang, making me wait until the second ring to answer it.

"Hello," I answered, "This is Mark Powers, how can I help you?"

"This is your Uncle John, Mark," he smiled, "We need to get with you before you meet with Mike Dodge so that we can supply you with the cocaine you're supposed to deliver to him, okay?"

"That's fine," I replied, "When and where?"

~~~~~~

Taking the Ford, Taurus that I'd rented before leaving the country, I met Uncle John at the address he gave me to pick up the one hundred kilos of cocaine, which was in four large trash bags, and then got the assistance of the other DEA agents who were there to help me load it into the trunk and back seat of the car.

"Mike Dodge is to make the final deposit into the numbered account into the Grand Cayman account before you give him this shit," Uncle John told me, "And make damn sure that you keep this car parked somewhere safe, away from your house. Do you understand me?"

"Yes, sir," I told him, "But when am I supposed to give him all of this crap?"

"In twenty four hours," he replied, "And that's only after I give you the location to make the transfer, okay?"

"Good," he said, "Now I want you to go call him from a pay phone somewhere and let him know that you're back in town, and that you'll call him back after you've received verification that the deposit has been made."

"I'm on my way," I told him, "I'll see you when you get back to the house..."

~~~~~~

I parked the car in a big parking lot near the airport where there would be cameras to watch over the car. The windows had been tinted so that anyone walking by it would not be able to look inside of it and see that there was something covered up in the back floorboard and seat of the car. Once that was done, I hailed a cab and had him take me downtown to a payphone near Centennial Park, where he would wait while I called Mike Dodge, and then he would take me home after I'd finished the call.

~~~~~~

"I'm back," I told Mike, the moment he answered the phone, "And I've got something you want."

"I'm glad to hear it," he cheerfully replied, "When do I get it, and where?"

"Not so fast," I cooly said, "You need to transfer the rest of what you owe me into the numbered account that I've already given you. Once I receive verification of deposit, I'll call you back with the location and time. Do we have a deal?"

"Yes we do," he jovially answered, "Did you have any trouble coming back into the states?"

"If I remember correctly, you said that it was my problem how I got it back here," I quietly replied, "So, any problem that I might, or might not have had is neither here nor there where you're concerned. Just give me my money, and I'll give you what's yours, alright?"

"Look, Mark, I'm trying to be nice about this," he calmly told me, "I just don't want any bad blood between us, that's all."

"You're right, and neither do I," I softly replied, trying to make him think I was dropping my guard, "And as long as you hold up your end of this deal, there won't be any either, okay man?"

"Good enough," he chuckled, "It'll take some time for that amount of money to transfer, just like it did the last time so; I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Okay, buddy," I chuckled," Tomorrow it is," and after I hung the phone up, I got back into the cab, and then headed home.

~~~~~~

"Hi, baby," Kate smiled, greeting me with a giant hug the moment I walked through my front door, "I'm glad to see you back."

"You, too, my love," I smiled, returning the hug, "I'm glad to be back."

"Hi, Mark," Sarah smiled, also hugging me, "Welcome back, Big Brother."

"Hi, sweetie," I smiled, returning her hug as well, "I guess you guys really missed me, huh?"

"Duh," Sarah teased, giggling like only she can, "I've only got one Big Brother, you knucklehead."

"Hush up, girlie," I grinned, making her squeal by pinching her on the butt, "You're getting a little too big for your britches these days."

"I'll show you just how much, too," she strongly replied, rubbing her ass, "Just pinch my ass again, fucker."

Of course Kate hadn't said anything, other than to laugh at the banter going on between Sarah and me, the she grinned and told us, "You two act just like brother and sister, too ya know."

"You hush up, Missy," I grinned, watching Kate quickly move away from me to avoid getting pinched on her ass as well, "You're not too big for me to take you across me knee young lady."

"You do it and I'll kick you in the nuts," she frowned, "And stop calling me Missy, dammit."

"Oh yeah, I almost forget," I teased, "Excuse me Miss Kathryn Nicole Meyers, soon to be Powers."

"Has anyone ever told you what an asshole you can be sometimes," she giggled, catching me off guard and pinching me very hard on my ass, "Because you certainly can, Marky Boy?"

"Ouch," I loudly yelled, "That hurt, you mean little shit."

"It serves you right, fucker," Sarah laughed, "Turnabout is fair play."

I was about to start tickling her when I heard a knock on the front door.

That can only be Uncle John," I smiled, swiftly moving to answer it.

~~~~~~

"Hey, Marky Boy," uncle John smiled, walking into the house, "Where are those two pretty girls that also live here?"

~~~~~~

"Hi, Uncle John," Kate smiled, giving him a big hug, "It's good to see you."

"Hello there, pretty girl," he smiled, "How is my soon to be niece doing this evening?"

"You're just in time," she teased, "I was about to start roughing Marky up for being a mean ass."

"Give him hell, darlin," Uncle John laughed, "It's about time he met someone that won't put up with his shit."

"Hi, Uncle John," Sarah sweetly smiled, also hugging him, "It's so good to see you."

"Well, hello there little lady," he grinned, returning the hug, "It's good to see you, too, Miss Sarah."

"You are staying for dinner," Kate asked him, "Aren't you?"

"I hadn't planned on it," he lied, as he knowingly grinned at me, "But if you girls are doing the cooking, I might be persuaded to stick around and eat."

"You're not going anywhere," I laughed, "And you damn well know it, you old fart."

"Don't make me shoot you, boy," he grinned, reaching for his gun, "I'd hate to have to explain to your grandmother that I had to kill you for being such a smart ass."

"Bullshit," I teased, "You're just as afraid of Grams' wrath as I am."

"You got that shit right," he laughed, patting me on the shoulder, "I'm glad that you're smart enough to know not to mess with that old woman."

"How are Aunt Lisa, Karen and Tabitha doing?" I asked him, "I haven't talked to them in ages."

"It's funny you should mention Tabitha," Uncle John knowingly grinned again, "When I told her that you were living out here, she told me to tell you that she wants you to call her some time real soon. She lives in Chattanooga now," then he pulled out his wallet, and after removing a card that had some handwriting scrawled on it, he gave it to me smiling and said, "Here's her number...why don't you give her a call right now?"

"Cool," I grinned, "I'll do that."

~~~~~~

"Hello," Tabitha answered.

"Hey Tabs," I grinned, "How're ya doing cuz?"

"Oh, my God," she squealed, immediately recognizing my voice, "It's about damn time you called me, Marky. How the hell are ya, boy?"

"Where are you living these days, girlie?" I asked smiling, "You need to come to Nashville and meet the girl I'm going to marry."

"It's funny you should mention Tennessee," she giggled, "I live in Chattanooga, about an hour and a half from you down Interstate Twenty-Four."

"No kidding," I grinned, "So when are you coming to see me? I've missed you."

"Aw, really?" she sweetly asked, "I've missed you, too. How about if I come tomorrow, then? I'll take some vacation time. Can you give me a place to stay while I'm there?"

"Like you have to ask," I chuckled, "Of course I can; now get your pretty self down here. You're going to love my fiancée. Her name is Kate."

I guess now would be a good time to describe my cousin Tabitha. She and I were born a couple of months apart, her being slightly older. She had, at that time, long, blonde hair that was the color of corn silk with big blue eyes that are the same color as mine. She stands right at five feet, two inches tall, with her measurement being proportionate to her height; and has never weighed more than a hundred and eighteen pounds, even when she was at her heaviest. She and I were very close growing up, and I can still remember when her and her sister Karen, who is four years older, would come and spend the weekends with me and Mom.

After the arrangements had been made and I'd given her directions to my house, Tabitha assured me that she would be here no later than nine o'clock that next morning. We talked for another ten minutes, or so; and then we hung up. I was really looking forward to seeing my cousin again, because of the fact that it seemed like ages had passed since I last saw her. However, I still had something to take care of before she got here, and that was dealing with Mike Dodge's fucking criminal ass.

I wasn't the least bit worried though, because I knew that I had the government standing by to back me up; and Mike didn't have shit, or at least that's what I thought. Time would tell, plus there were things that I hadn't considered where my dealings with Mike were concerned. But...I'm getting ahead of myself again...

~~~~~~

That evening after a delicious dinner that Kate and Sarah had cooked, Uncle John and I were sitting on my back patio having a cup of coffee and talking.

"I want you to call Mike Dodge at seven o'clock tomorrow morning," he told me, "Tell him to meet you in Murfreesboro at the Stone River Battlefield right off the Old Nashville Highway. That is where the transaction will take place. We've already verified that the money is in the numbered account in The Bank of The Grand Caymans."

"What about any people or innocent bystanders that might be looking?" I asked, "Won't they think something suspicious is going on?"

"No, not at all," he knowingly grinned, "Besides, the only people that are going to be there at that particular hour of the morning will be both DEA and FBI so; don't worry, okay?"

"Whoa, wait a minute," I said, "You're not going to bust him while I'm there are you?"

"Of course not," he laughed, "He'll already have a tail on him when he gets there; and then we're going to wait until you're long gone and he's back out on the highway before we pull him over."

"Good," I said, feeling very relieved, "Because I sure as hell don't want him to think that I had anything to do with this shit."

"He won't," Uncle John knowingly chuckled, "The people that are watching him are also going to use a BB rifle, believe it or not, to knock out his tail light so that we'll have a reason to pull him over to start with."

"Damn," I laughed, "Talk about being chicken-shit, that beats anything I've ever seen."

"It gets better," he grinned, "After Dodge leaves his home to go meet you, we're going to go in and extract his wife from the house."

"I need to tell you something," I suddenly remembered, "Kate still hasn't heard back from her Aunt yet as to whether or not she is going to want to stay in her home once the bust goes down."

"We've already taken care of that for her," Uncle John said, "We're fairly sure that Linda knows nothing about her husband's propensities so, with that said, tell Kate not to worry, and that she should be hearing from her Aunt within the next forty-eight hours."

"Okay," I smiled, "She'll be glad to know that."

"Not to change the subject, Mark," he suddenly smiled, "But I need to ask you something that has nothing to do with Mike Dodge, okay?"

"Sure, Uncle John," I said, "You know that you can ask me anything you want so; what's on your mind?"

"He gave me a strange look for a moment, and then after taking a deep breath, began, "I wanted to ask you if you and Kate have set a wedding date yet?"

"No, we haven't," I smiled, "At least not yet anyway, why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular," he grinned, "Well, maybe just one, and that would be to make sure that your Grams, your Aunt Lisa, and your cousin, Karen, will all have plenty of time to get here," and then he began to laugh at his own silly joke.

"That's too funny," I chuckled, "I'm just glad that none of them are here to hear you say that."

"You've got that right," he laughed, "Man; they would, all three, have my ass for dinner over that remark, huh?"

"No kidding," I laughed a little harder, "You're secret is safe with me though."

~~~~~~

After Uncle John had given me directions to the place, as well as what time I was to meet Mike Dodge, he then left to go back to his hotel room. I tried to make him spend the night at my house, but he wouldn't hear of it so; I walked back into the house to find that Sarah had already gone to bed.

This afforded Kate and I a little time to ourselves since I'd been home. And after I put David Sanborn's first album in the tape player, we changed into some comfortable clothing and lay down on the bed together and talked.

"I'm so glad you're home, baby," Kate softly told me, gently rubbing her palm against my bare chest as she lay snuggled beside me, wearing only one of my tee shirts and her panties, "I was really worried about you, Mark."

"I know, my love; and I'm really sorry about that," I gently replied, "But after tomorrow, all of our troubles will be over, I swear."

"I can hardly wait," she said, holding me tightly, "I still haven't been able to get a hold of Aunt Linda and I'm beginning to get a little worried about her."

"Oh, I almost forgot," I replied, "Uncle John told me to tell you that you'd be hearing from her within the next forty-eight hours."

"You don't think she's mixed up in Mike's shit, do you?

"No," I smiled, gently caressing her cheek with the back of my hand, "And neither does Uncle John."

"God, I hope not," she frowned, "She's been so kind to me all of my life and I sure would hate to think otherwise."

"Uncle John and Grams were both the same way with me after my Mom died," I told her.

"You never told me that she died, too," Mark," Kate sadly replied, "I thought she was still alive."

"No, she passed away right after I turned eighteen and graduated high school," I sadly replied, "I think she died of a broken heart, because she was never the same after Dad was killed."
"Bless her heart," she softly said, laying her head on my chest, "I guess I've got a lot to be thankful for then. I know how I felt when my father was killed, but now that you mention it, I never really tried to imagine what Mom was feeling. It had to have been very hard on her though, because I know how I felt when you were gone to South America for the short time you were there."

"Is that right?" I asked, "Tell me, my love, how did you feel?"

"Are you kidding me?" she asked, raising her head high enough from my chest to be able to look into my eyes, "I felt like my whole world was coming apart...I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep...it was awful, baby. Promise me that you won't ever put me through that again," her eyes beginning to fill with tears as her voice started breaking up.

"Shh, I'm sorry, Katie," I softly whispered, tenderly kissing her beautiful cheek, "I swear to you by all that's holy that I'll never do that to you again."

"I'm still worried about you having to face Mike again," she replied, her voice trembling with fear, "And I've got a very bad feeling about it, Mark, a feeling worse than any I've ever had before...ever."

Don't worry," I reassured her, "There are going to be DEA and FBI agents all over the place, just in case he tries anything, okay?"

"You don't understand how Mike Dodge's mind works," she informed me, "He's always been a cunning, ruthless son of a bitch, and he always has some kind of back up plan. Aunt Linda told me that when an ex partner of his and David Linder's tried to double-cross them a few years back."

"Oh, really," I asked surprised, "I don't think I've ever heard about this before."

"That's right," she began, "There was a guy named Lucas Roth who once owned some shares of stock in his company back when I was in junior high school. I didn't really pay any attention to it back then because I was so young. But after I got older I heard Mike and David talking about it at my Aunt Linda's thirtieth birthday party."

"Let me guess," I said...a dark and foreboding feeling beginning to rise from the pit of my stomach, "Mike sent him on a trip to South America and he never came back. Is that about right?"

"Yes and no," Kate said, "They sent Lucas south alright, but it was down to Oaxaca, Mexico instead. Then the next day, I saw on the T.V. news cast that Lucas's flight had crashed, killing everyone aboard...twenty-five people."

"That doesn't mean anything," I told her, "Plane crashes happen all the time, sweetie."

"I know they do," she said, "But this was a brand new company plane, and because it crashed in Mexico, the Mexican government wouldn't let the Federal Aviation Administration investigate the crash site. I think the company got several million dollars from the insurance payoff, almost twice what the plane itself was worth to begin with."

"Shit," I said, picking up the phone and dialing it, "I need to warn Uncle John and tell him that we all might be walking into a trap."

~~~~~~

"Don't worry, kiddo," Uncle John replied, in a shrewd tone of voice, "We know all about Lucas Roth; and we're going to have people already at the drop point when you get there tomorrow so; get yourself a good night's sleep, because you're sure as hell going to need it."

"Okay, Uncle John, if you say so," I said, breathing a little easier, "Thanks, I really appreciate it."

"No problem, Mark," he said, "I'll see you tomorrow..."

~~~~~~

Kate and I made love that night before going to sleep, but I was still plagued by bad dreams anyway. The only good thing that came out of it was that I couldn't remember them when I woke up the next morning.

~~~~~~

Chapter Sixteen

I woke at six o'clock the next morning to the sound of my alarm clock making a constant but gentle beeping noise; and in doing so, opened my eyes to find that Kate was no longer lying beside me. However, the moment I took my first conscious breath, the aroma of coffee and food being cooked pleasantly assaulted me senses, making me rise from the bed and go straight into the bathroom to relieve my full bladder.

After I finished taking a morning pee, I flushed the toilet, washed my hands, and then went back into my bedroom to get dressed. I put on a pair of shorts and a tee shirt, and then headed for the kitchen, from which the wonderful aromas I smelled were originating.

~~~~~~

The moment I entered the kitchen, the first thing I saw was Kate standing at the stove cooking, while wearing one of my shirts and a pair of pink, sheer panties that allowed me to faintly make out her beautiful ass.

"Mmm," I groaned, coming up to her and hugging her from behind, "Good morning, beautiful. I love you."

"Hi, baby," she purred smiling, "I love you, too. Sit down and I'll get you a cup of coffee, okay?"

"That's alright," I said, moving toward the coffee maker, "I can get it myself. You look a little busy at the moment."

After I poured myself a cup of coffee, as well as refilling her cup, I sat down and smiled, watching my beautiful Kate as she finished making our breakfast. I never before in my life, knew the feelings I had when it came to how I felt about Kate. She was beauty, grace, elegance, and sweet kindness all in one package. I silently thanked God for giving her to me, even though I felt like I didn't deserve something as beautiful as her.

"Earth to Mark," Kate giggled, snapping me out of the daydream and setting my breakfast plate onto the table in front of me, "I asked you if you were nervous about what you've got to do today?"

"I'm sorry, baby," I smiled, "I was daydreaming...and yes, I'm a little nervous, but Uncle John told me that my ass would be covered just in case Mike Dodge tried something sneaky."

"You be careful, baby," she sniffled, jumping from her seat to hop into my lap and hold me closely to her breast, "I don't want to lose you. Do you understand?"

"I understand, my love," I softly replied, gently kissing her lips, "Everything is going to just fine, I promise."

~~~~~

I made the call to Mike, knowing that every word of our conversation was being not only listened to, but taped as well.

"Mike," I said, when he answered the phone, "I've verified that the money is in place, now I want you to listen, and listen closely, alright?"

"I hear you, buddy," Mike pleasantly replied, "Where do you want me to meet you, and at what time?"

~~~~~~

STONES RIVER BATTLE GROUND MURFREESBORO TENNESSEE 30 MILES SOUTH OF NASHVILLE 4:00 PM

I waited in the car I'd rented ten days earlier for Mike to appear, and before too long, I saw his black Lincoln Continental rolling down the road behind the battle field right on time.

"Hey, Mark," he smiled, once he was out of his car, "Did you bring the product?"

After opening the rear passenger's side door on the driver's side of my car, as well as popping the trunk so that he cold see the one hundred kilos of cocaine that were within, I looked at him and said, "I told you I would have what you wanted."

"That's great," he smiled, reaching up to scratch his head, "Will you be kind enough to help me load it?"

"No," I snottily quipped, "I took risk of sneaking that shit back in to this country so; I'll be damned if I'm going to help you load it...you can do that yourself."

Suddenly I heard a man scream, and as I turned my head to see what direction it came from, I saw a man dressed in camouflage, and carrying what I could plainly see was a high powered rifle with a scope on it, falling from a not too distant tree and landing on the ground, dead."

As soon as I turned back around to face him, Mike had a forty-five caliber weapon drawn and aimed at me, and with an evil grin on his face, he thrust the weapon into my stomach and growled, "Load the fucking product, or you're a dead man. Do you hear me, asshole?"

You're even dumber than I thought you were, asshole, "I replied, right before I quickly disarmed him, and then with a hard chop to his throat, I sent him to his knees, temporarily stunned, "Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention that I have an Uncle in the DEA, and you're under arrest, you son of a bitch," and with that said, as well as while he was still trying to regain his breath, I delivered an extremely hard, spinning back kick, where it landed right between his eyes, knocking him out cold.

"YOU CAN ALL COME OUT NOW," I shouted, and then reached into the glove compartment of my car, retrieving a full roll of duct tape, and then using it to bind Mike Dodge's hands behind him.

I was suddenly surrounded by cars with red lights flashing atop of them, and then FBI, and DEA agents came scrambling out of the woods with their weapons drawn, yelling, "GET ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEAD."

"I'm Agent John Sheppard's nephew," I barked, standing still, "And if it weren't for me, you assholes wouldn't have Mike Dodge so, back the fuck off, now."

However, some idiot, clearly a rookie, wearing a jacket with FBI printed on the back went to grab me as he hatefully said, "I told you to hit the ground, asshole," but before he could get a good grip on me, I'd disarmed him, as well as had him lying on the ground beside the now unconscious Mike, when Uncle John pulled a up, and after jumping out of his car with his badge in hand, and yelled, "EVERYBODY STAND DOWN, NOW."

~~~~~~

After he regained consciousness, Mike Dodge was whisked away by three federal agents, and I was standing by when that FBI rookie jerk walked up to me and hatefully growled, "You're lucky that you're John's nephew. I was getting ready to kill your stupid ass, you fucking punk."

"Is that right," I laughed, still jacked-up from the adrenaline "Why don't you take off that badge and gun right now, rookie? I'll kick your ass again."

"You two need to take it easy," Uncle John said, stepping between us. Then looking at the FBI Agent, he sarcastically told him, "I'd back off it I was you. It's going to be hard enough on you when I tell your superiors in Washington that you threatened a civilian who was the key to taking down a major drug cartel in this country."

"Did you hear what he said to me?" the agent scowled, "According to the constitution, the fact that he threatened a federal agent is cause enough for him to face charges on that alone."

"Back off, and shut up," Uncle John, snarled, "You threatened him first...and besides, you're lucky that I don't turn him loose on you. He'd break your snot-nosed ass into a million pieces so; I'm giving you a lawful order to back the fuck off and leave this man alone, now, or face the consequences."

"Yes sir," he quietly replied, and then turned and walked away.

~~~~~~

"You did it, Mark, you helped us bring down some very bad guys...Man, your Dad would be so proud of you," Uncle John proudly said to me, once I'd turned the rental car back in, and we were on our way back to my house, "Oh, and don't forget that your cousin, Tabitha, will be at your house when you get there."

"That's right," I grinned, excited at the prospect of seeing my sweet, pretty cousin, "I'm glad you reminded me, because with all that's happened today, I almost forgot."

~~~~~~

"MAARRRRRKKKKIIIEEEE," my cousin, Tabitha, loudly squealed, jumping into my arms the moment I walked through my front door, "Oh, my God! Let me look at you, sweetie, wow, you look great, and I've missed you so much."

"So do you," I grinned, holding her at arms length after hugging her, "It's good to see you, too, pretty girl."

"Hi, baby," Kate smiled, giving me a quick kiss, "I understand that Mike Dodge is history."

"Yes, he is," I victoriously replied, "Have you heard from your Aunt Linda yet?"

"Oh, that reminds me," she grinned, "She said that she'd be here around seven o'clock to personally thank you."

"Thank me," I asked, "Thank me for what?"

"For helping her find a way to get rid of Mike without it costing her an arm and a leg, for starters," Kate began, "You see, I found out when I talked to her this morning that she and Mike have been having a lot of problems lately. She said that for the past three years or so, Mike had been coming late with liquor on his breath. That didn't bother her so much as the strange perfume she smelled; and then it all came to a head about a week ago when she found lipstick on his underwear."

"So, she really didn't know about the cocaine then?" I asked Kate.

"No, she didn't," Kate began to laugh, "Not until Mike tried calling my Mom a little while ago to get him outta jail," and then she began to really laugh hard, "It serves his stupid ass right that she's not there."

~~~~~~

Sara had been out shopping for groceries when Tabitha arrived. However, don't think for a second that Kate didn't hesitate to tell Tabitha everything that had been happening with me, half of which I really don't think Tabitha needed to hear. What is it with girls, especially girls that are either your spouse, or part of your family? I'm not trying to sound mean, and I know Kate would never do or say anything to ever hurt me; but I think there's a time when a person should talk about their self, and then there's a time that they shouldn't. Hell, all the girls in my family, Kate included, don't hesitate to tell everything they know...chuckle...I don't think they do it on purpose, that's just the way they are.

"So, tell me cuz," Tabitha smiled, placing her arm around my waist, and because she's only five feet, four inches tall, looking up at me and batting her big pretty blue eyes, "When are you and Kate going to get married?"

"I don't know," I teased, "You're gonna have to ask her, not me."

"Chicken shit," she grinned, smacking me on the ass, "I'm surprised you even had the guts to ask her." "Oh, he's asked me, alright," Kate grinned, "We just haven't set a date yet, that's all."

"Ah, I see now," Tabitha giggled, poking me in the ribs, "So, when are you going to marry her, you big dummy?"

"You shut up," I laughed, "If I thought it was any of your business, I'd tell you, Miss Nosy."

"I'm not being nosy," Tabitha said, pointing at Kate, "She's not Melissa Peters, Mark. She won't wait around forever while you try to make up your mind. Kate's too good to be treated like that," and knowing that she had just overstepped her boundary with me, Tabitha suddenly got this look of dread on her face.

Had it been this time last year that she'd said that to me what she just said, I would've immediately bitten Tabitha's head off and been done with it, making her not want to speak to me for God knows how many more years.

This time, however, and whether she intended it to happen or not, bringing up that terrible reminder of my past cut me deeper than anything that anyone could've said to me. Melissa Peters was a girl that I thought that I really loved, and I could tell that she really liked me, hence the reason I wanted to ask her out.

But because I was too shy...painfully shy, she got tired of waiting for me to ask her out, and started dating another guy, and, from what I heard, she married him.

Still though, as opposed to raising hell with Tabitha, which is what I'm quite sure was the reaction she was looking for, or perhaps trying to invoke, I simply grabbed my car keys off of the table where I'd just set them down.

"I'll be back in a little while," I quietly said, kissing Kate's lips, "I need to get outta here for a while and clear my head."

"Where are you going," Kate asked, "What's wrong, baby?"

"She knows," I said, pointing at Tabitha, "Ask her," and then I turned and walked out the door..."

~~~~~~

I got into my car, backed out of the drive way, and then took off. I love my cousin, but like I said earlier, sometimes the women in my family have the tendency to run their mouths when they should simply leave well enough alone. The reason I got so angry, was because in bringing up my past, Miss Tabitha forgot to mention that she and Melissa Peters were best friends.

Melissa really liked me and was simply going to ask me out instead, which would've probably been all the push I'd needed to talk to her. However, Tabitha told her that she should wait and make me ask her out first.

While Tabitha thought that she was trying to help me overcome my shyness, Melissa took it the wrong way and thought that Tabitha didn't want her to date me because we were cousins, and that was the end of that. Of course, she'd just started doing drugs in those days, which still gave her no excuse, but I can still remember being so angry with her that I didn't speak to her for a very long time. But what mystified me was why she was trying to open up an old wound...and in front of my beautiful Kate, too?

~~~~~~

"Uh, oh," Tabitha said, the moment I walked out the door, letting it slam behind me, "I think I just fucked up, Kate."

"Ya think?" Kate angrily snapped at first, and then not being able to stay mad at someone, which is one her beautiful virtues, she looked at Tabitha and said, "Look, why don't we sit down and calmly talk about this, okay?"

"Okay," Tabitha smiled, clearly relieved, "That would be nice, Kate, thank you."

"Alright then, tell me," Kate began, "Who is Melissa Peters, what does she have to do with Mark; and why did he get so upset?"

"Melissa Peters was my best friend when we were in high school," Tabitha told her, "Everybody knew that she and Mark were crazy about each other, and I was happy about it, too."

"I kinda gathered that much," Kate said, "The part about you and her being friends, I mean."

"Mark kept wanting me to get her to go out with him, because he was too shy to do it himself," Tabitha admitted, "I told him that it wasn't my place, and that I wasn't going to do it. I also told Melissa about it, too."

"Is that right," Kate grinned, "What did she say?"

"She thought it was adorable," Tabitha smiled, "So, Melissa decided to rescue Mark from being shy, and ask him out instead."

"That really is adorable," Kate sweetly smiled, "What happened?"

"Me, and my big mouth," Tabitha sadly replied, looking at her hands in her lap, and then raising her head and looking into Kate's eyes, she continued, "I meant well, I really did, But I was a little over zealous when I told her that she should make Mark ask her out instead, because it wouldn't be right if not."

"Uh, huh," Kate said, "How did Melissa react to that?"

"Badly," Tabitha began to sniffle, trying to keep from crying, "She misunderstood me and thought I was telling her that I didn't want her to date my cousin, and that wasn't the case at all. She got mad at me for trying to be manipulative, and never spoke to me again after that."

"I'm just trying to be truthful as opposed to hurtful," Kate plainly said, "But do you really blame her? I'm not taking your side of this feud between you and Mark, but I'm not taking his side either. I will say this though; I know Mark very well, Tabitha, and when he comes back here, and he will, I want you to at least thank him for being the forgiving, gentle man that he really is...agreed?"

"Agreed," Tabitha gently smiled, "How soon do you think he'll be back?"

"I can't tell you that," Kate chuckled, "It depends on how pissed off he was when he left here..."

~~~~~~

When I left the house, I drove to a bar that was roughly twenty minutes away, and had consumed two drinks by this time. And after that small bit, I found myself a lot calmer than I was when I left the house. So, after paying my tab, I got up and left the bar, headed for home.

As I drove back to the house, the first thing I wanted to do was to ask Tabitha to forgive me for treating her the way I had, regardless of what she'd done. I should've acted more like an adult, as opposed to reacting like I did. I also wanted to sit down and talk to Kate about that part of my past; I only wondered what she was going to think.

I didn't think it mattered, because of the fact that it had happened so long ago. But if that was the case, then why did I react like I had...walking out the door like a teenaged girl who just found out that her prom date canceled to take another girl instead? That when I realized that the only thing that had been hurt was my pride, which for guys means that it's an ego thing, huh guys? Come on, you know I'm right...anyway, back to the story.
~~~~~~

I loved Tabitha, I really did. We were very close growing up, and when it boiled right down to it, I guess it pissed me off because Tabitha knew just how to piss me off, and never hesitated to do it at every given opportunity.

All of the women in my family were very pretty, beautiful even, and Tabitha was no exception. Hell, when she was younger, her Elven features were so distinctly precise, that she looked like she literally could've come directly from "Rivendell", of J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of The Rings" trilogy, and she had guys lined up, every one of them just waiting for the chance to ask her out. Plus, Tabitha was not only a good student, but also a very good gymnast in both high school and college, and she even had the world laid at her feet until she made some wrong choices and got addicted to cocaine.

But now that she's been off of that crap for almost five years, her beauty has started to come back to her and is still there, but only slowly resurrecting itself, restoring the former beauty that she once was. Still though, she's also a member of my family and I love her very much. That's still not to say that I don't get pissed off at her every now and then.

~~~~~~

THIRTY MINUTES LATER

It was getting dark and I knew that, at some point, I was going to have to go back home. I figured I'd driven around and needlessly brooded about something I had no control over for long enough so; with that in mind, I drove home.

~~~~~~

"Kate, come look," Tabitha smiled, looking out of the front windows, "I can see Mark coming up the driveway...he doesn't look very pissed off from here; but I'd better apologize to him as soon as he walks into the house just to be sure."

"That's pretty smart," Kate grinned, "Maybe you should stay a few days longer than you had originally planned. That way I can find out more ways to be able to handle Mark, you seem to know him pretty well."

"I should," Tabitha girlishly giggled, "We grew up together, and he's more like my older brother than he ever was a cousin."

~~~~~~

I saw Kate and Tabitha briefly looking trough the front windows in the living room, making me chuckle and shake my head. The reason for laughing was that no matter how much a woman denies it, they all worry about their significant other, regardless of how long they leave for, making one more of the many reasons I find the opposite sex so endearing; well, most of them anyway...

~~~~~~

After I got out of my car and walked into the house, Tabitha was immediately there, wrapping her arms around me and giving me what would've been an almost crushing hug had I not been bigger than her.

"Please forgive me, Mark," she quietly began to sniffle, "Sometimes I stick my foot in my big ass mouth, and I'm so very sorry for hurting you. You know I wouldn't do that for anything and that I love you so much...don't you?"

"Of course I do, Tabs," I gently replied, placing my arms around her tiny waist, returning her hug, "You're my family, and I love you. That what families do, sweetheart."

"You're the best, Marky," she suddenly began to cry, "You've always been the best..."

~~~~~~

Chapter Seventeen

"Your mother comes home tomorrow afternoon," I told Kate, as we lay in bed together that night, "Have you spoken with her yet?"

"Yeah, earlier," Kate grinned, "She said that she hadn't had that much fun in a long, long time, and to also tell you thank you, and that she loves you very much."

"Aw, that's nice," I smiled, spooning behind her, "Your Mom is a sweetie, I love her a lot, too."

"You ought to hear the stuff she says about you, Mark," Kate teased, "It would make you blush a whole lot worse than I've seen you do so far."

"Puh-leez," I playfully replied, "Your mother is not like that, and there's nothing that you could say that could possibly make me think otherwise."

"Look at me, Mark," Kate suddenly said, quickly sitting up in bed, while turning on the lamp so that she could look me straight in the eyes, and in no uncertain terms, told me, "I've never lied to you about anything, dammit, and I'm most certainly not about to start to now. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear," I defensively replied, "Damn, Kate, I didn't mean to make you mad."

"Then quit disputing what I tell you, fucker," she snapped, "Nothing pisses me off worse."

"Lighten up," I quickly told her, "I said I was sorry, what else do you want, my blood?"

"No," she said, her frown turning into a loving smile, "You're the one who needs to lighten up, Marky," and then she began to quietly giggle."

"Oh, hush," I smiled, "And don't call me, Marky, okay?"

"Maybe," she grinned, "What're you gonna do to make it worth my while if I do?" as she began to take her clothes off....

~~~~~~

The next morning after waking naked in one another's arms, we quietly made love, taking our time...being quiet so as not to disturb both Sara and Tabitha who were still asleep in the guest rooms just down the hall...

~~~~~~

"Good morning, sleepy head," I smiled at Sara, as she slowly came and sat down at the table, "I was wondering when you were going to get your lazy bones out of bed."

"Would you do me a big favor," she quietly asked, "Please, big brother?"

"Of course, I will," I knowingly grinned, watching her raise her head up off of the table as I sat the steaming cup of java in front of her, "Here, sweetie; this might help you wake up, pretty girl."

"Awww, how darling," Kate teasingly grinned, "You two are so sweet that you'll give me diabetes if you get too close to me...that, or I'll go into sugar shock, one of the two."

"Oh, shut up," I began to laugh, "You sound a bit resentful."

"Nah, not her," Sara giggled, "She's too busy getting laid by you at night to be resentful."

"So what if I got laid last night?" Kate absentmindedly replied, "It's better that not getting laid at all," Kate wasn't meaning to, nor was she trying to hurt anyone's feelings by what she'd just said.

However, Sara thought that Kate was speaking about her, making Sara suddenly snap back and say, "So what, are you saying that I'm a frigid bitch, or something? Because if that's the case then you can go straight to hell, you fuc..."

"No, Sara, honey no," Kate suddenly, yet gently interrupted, "I was talking about me...I was talking about what I cranky bitch I'd be if I hadn't got laid last night...I swear I wasn't talking about you, Sara, sweetheart; You know that I would never say something like that about you, or to don't you?"

"Of course, I do," Sara quietly giggled, "But it sure was fun watching you backpedal just now though."

"You sneaky little bitch," Kate grinned, making Sara wail with laughter, "And you can bet your pretty little ass that I meant that one; Missy."

"Fuck off," Sara laughed, "And stop calling me Missy. You know I hate it when you do that."

"Me, too," Tabitha giggled, suddenly appearing in the kitchen, "Marky used to call me that when we were little, and I hated it just as much as you do, Sara."

"Hey, Tabs, good morning," I smiled, hugging my favorite cousin, "How did you sleep last night, sweetie?"

"I slept very comfortably," she mischievously giggled, "Well, once you and Kate got finished fucking, that is. Damn, you two make enough noise to wake the dead," which of course sent Sara into a near paralyzing fit of laughter.

"That's it," Kate knowingly grinned, "I guess we're going to have to get our bedroom soundproofed, huh Marky," and of course all three girls laughed like fools when my face turned a bright color of red...

~~~~~~

THAT AFTERNOON 2:00 PM

"Hello there, handsome," Carolyn smiled, gently hugging me the moment she walked through our front door, "I really missed you two."

"Hi, Carolyn," I grinned, returning the hug, "Did you have a nice time on your cruise?"

"Oh, Mark," she warmly smiled, as she kissed my cheek, "Like I told Katie earlier, I haven't had that much fun in a very long time. Thank you so much for such a beautiful gift, baby boy."

"You're very welcome," I grinned, "I was more than happy to do that for you."

"So, tell me," she knowingly replied, "Mike Dodge is in jail now, yes?"

"Hi, Carolyn," Her sister, Linda, smiled, suddenly appearing at our front door, "I'm sorry for just showing up like this. But I didn't want to stay in that house while the DEA was searching it."

"Hi, Aunt Linda," Kate squealed, throwing her arms around her mother's sister, "We've been so worried about you. Are you okay?"

"Oh, Katie," Linda began sniffled, "I understand that your boyfriend is the one responsible for bringing my soon to be ex-husband to justice."

"He's a dope dealer, Ms. Linda," I plainly said, "And I'm very sorry that things turned out the way they did, but right is right."

"Don't you worry about a thing, Mark honey," she warmly replied, gently placing her arms around me and hugging me, "You did the right thing, and you have nothing to apologize to me for, sweet boy."

All of a sudden a large, black, SUV with dark tinted windows slowly drove by my house, the front passenger window slowly rolling down with the barrel of a weapon coming out of it.

"HIT GROUND, NOW," I shouted, to everyone as automatic weapon fire permeated the air, and my front window exploded from the rounds that penetrated it. We were lucky that no one got hit, and the only damage that was done was that the front of my house had been ripped apart from the weapon that had been used.

I immediately got on the phone to Uncle John after it was over and the SUV was gone, and no sooner had I hung up the phone from him than twenty Federal agents began showing up at my house, with Uncle John being the first person there.

~~~~~~

"Are you okay," Uncle John asked, "Did anyone get hit?"

"No, sir," I replied, my hands still shaking, "We're all fine, but whoever did this is a dead son of a bitch."

"What kind of vehicle was it," he asked, "And did you get the license plate number?"

"No, Uncle John," Kate sniffled, "Mark was too busy protecting us to see anything else," and then she laid her head on my shoulder and began to cry, "I was so afraid, baby" she told me.

"Shh," I soothed her, "Whoever did this is gone now."

"Too bad we didn't get to identify the damn vehicle," Uncle John gently replied, "Maybe we could've caught them."

"There's no need to identify them," Linda Dodge said, "That was Kara Wilkins' SUV, which tells me who the slut is that my husband, Michael, has been fucking..."

"I'm going to post some Federal Marshalls here to guard you guys," Uncle John said, "If whoever it was comes back, we'll nail their asses to the wall..."

~~~~~~

"Kara Wilkins has always been a slutty whore, Aunt Linda," Kate growled, "Wait till I get my hands on that fucking little cunt. I'll scratch her fucking eyes out."

"Katie," Carolyn scolded her daughter, "You need to watch your language, young lady."

"Horse shit," Kate spat, "I've never liked that little bitch...God help her if I get a hold of her."

"Which reminds me," Uncle John asked, "Do you know where I can find her, Missus Dodge?"

"I know where she is," Sara suddenly spoke up, "She's always at the Kappa Delta Sorority house on the Lipscomb University campus with all the rest of those snobby rich bitches she likes to hang out with."

"I'm going with you, Uncle John," I replied, placing my Walther PPK .380 pistol in my belt behind me in the back of my pants, "And don't you dare try to stop me, either."

"I hate to tell you this, kid," he solemnly replied, "But you're a material witness here so; there's no way that I can allow you to go with me."

"No problem," I flippantly replied, walking toward my car, "I'll just follow you then."

"We'll see about that one, boy," he replied, angrily gritting his teeth and drawing his weapon, "You're not going anywhere," and then we followed me to my car aiming his weapon at my tires. Before I had the chance to even react, Uncle John shot the tires on the front and back driver's side of my car.

"What the hell is wrong with you," I shouted at him, "Have you lost your fucking mind?"

"NO, you hard headed little shit," he angrily replied, "I'm trying to save your God damn life; now stay your ass here."

"What about my tires?" I spat, "Who the hell is going to pay for them?"

"I am," he said, reaching into his wallet and pulling out four, one hundred dollar-bills, "If I so much as think that you're following me, I'll have your ass arrested. Do you understand?"

"This sucks," I growled, "I hope you know that."

"I know, and I'm sorry, Mark," he apologetically replied, "But it's just the way things are..."

THE END...for now anyway.

I hope you all like this one. It won't be too long before I finish the end of this tale.

MoogPlayer