Siblings with Benefits Lex Talionis Ch. 04

Mitch's was slow as hell that night and I was sitting at the bar shaking my head as I saw it was only eight o'clock I had come down at six and immediately gone over to Cynthia, who looked hotter than ever in a skimpy tank top that showed off her huge tits as well as leaving her flat tanned stomach bare, and short black skirt with knee high boots. Coming up behind her I wrapped my arms around her waist and whispered in her ear;

"Cat's away, would you like to play?"

Cynthia's answer was to reach down behind her and give my cock a hard squeeze through my jeans as she tilted her head up and kissed my cheek.

"Damn straight I do." She said.

I spent the first hour cleaning the tables and then shot some pool with a couple of the regulars before finally giving up and sitting at the bar reading Crowley's Book of Lies At one point I looked up as I heard Cynthia loudly clear her throat and when I did she flipped her skirt up, showing me black lace thong that left her full round ass all but bare. I made a show of slapping one of my hands hard against the other and Cynthia immediately straightened up and gave me an adorable little pout.

I winked at her and went back to trying to concentrate on the book, Crowley fascinated me, but after every couple of paragraphs the words would be replaced by the image of spreading Cynthia's ass and burying my tongue in her red haired pussy. I had just reached over the bar and, grabbing the bottle of Jack poured myself a shot, when the phone rang and the night went to hell.

Cynthia grabbed it on the second ring and as soon as I heard her say;

"Yeah Tommy, he's here hold on."

As soon as I heard Tommy's name mentioned I felt all too familiar sinking feeling in my stomach. It'll be okay, I told myself, maybe he's just making sure I don't mind if Megan stays after I kicked his ass a couple of weeks back, just wants to let me know he's not into anything and my sister will be fine with him.

"Mark it's for you." Cynthia called out leaving the receiver on the bar.

I took a deep breath and, as I walked behind the bar, continued to reassure myself; Megan was doing great, she had promised me it would be different this time. Still I found myself picking up the phone as if it were going to bite me.

"Yeah Tommy?"

"Hey listen, Mark," Tommy began, and this time my stomach plummeted, I could tell in his tone something was wrong. "Is Megan with you?"

I swallowed hard and said softly;

"She's supposed to be with you Tommy."

"Yeah well she hasn't shown up for the meeting yet and I..."

"The meeting was at fucking six!" I snapped into the phone. "You decide to call me two fucking hours later?!?"

"Whoa, hey Mark," Tommy was all but stuttering. "She called and said she was going to dinner with her folks and she would meet me for the eight o'clock one. It's only a few minutes past." He paused and sighed;

"I already tried their house and Doug said she left there before he even got home, Denise said around three."

I closed my eyes and tried to stay calm. As I did Tommy continued;

"Megan told Denise she was going to see me."

Five hours I thought, she had a five-hour head start.

"Tommy does she still have your car?"

"Yeah why?"

"Report it stolen now."

"Yeah but Mark I don't want her to get in..."

"She's already in trouble you asshole and I'm sure she's heading for more, now call the fucking cops. I'll be there in ten minutes."

"Hey Mark," Tommy sounded panicked. "This isn't me man! I've been clean I..."

"I'm not coming to beat you, you fucking pussy!" I yelled at him. "I'm coming to pick you up so you can take me to some of the places she parties, maybe we can catch her."

"Oh," Tommy said with obvious relief. "Well I know some places but you know Mark she was hanging with some bad ass motherfuckers, I mean they can really handle themselves I..."

"Hey Tommy, ask Carson if I can handle myself. I'll be there soon, now call the police."

I hung up the phone and turned to Cynthia, who looked at me shaking her head.

"Is your sister missing again Mark?"

"I'll find her." I told her. "Call Mitch if you need help later, I don't know when I'm coming back."

"Okay Mark," Cynthia caught me by the hand as I walked by and, as I looked at her, she whispered; "Be careful Mark, please."

"Oh trust me Cyn, I'm not the one who gets hurt, ever."

I got to Tommy's in record time and, as I beeped and waited for him to come out, I closed my eyes and called out in my mind;

"Where are you?" I hesitated and added; "I need you."

There was nothing.

I opened my eyes as Tommy climbed into the car.

"I called Betty and she hasn't seen her since yesterday," He began already lighting a cigarette with shaking hands. "I tried a couple of other people and so far no one's seen her since she came back." He shook his head. "She was doing great Mark, she really was."

During the next three hours Tommy and I hit over a dozen clubs and several houses where he knew people partied. There was no sign of Megan at the clubs and no one at any of the first few houses had seen my sister. The fourth place we stopped however belonged to a guy named Butch who was one of the bigger dealers on the East Side and, as I stood there looking around, Tommy asked him if he'd seen Megan. Butch nodded and said he'd run into her at the gas station and had invited her back for some "fun" as he put it.

Tommy tried to ask him another question but Butch told him to screw it, wasn't his fault Tommy couldn't keep his girlfriend on a leash and he was done talking. Butch quickly changed his mind as a moment later I had his arm up behind his back, an inch away from breaking it.

"I'm not Tommy you prick," I hissed in his ear. "Where the fuck is my sister?"

"H-hey man easy!" Butch whined into the wall that I had his face pushed into. "Look she came back here and she asked if I had any candy, so I mean, well, I asked if she had any, so we did a few lines and fooled around and next thing I know she starts getting all fucking freaky, saying she fucked up again and something about facing people. I tried to get her to calm down but she got dressed and took off."

"When?" I asked. Please let it not been too long ago.

"Shit man, maybe around six."

Over four hours ago and she was in a car.

"Hey man," Butch continued to speak into the wall. "I hope you find her, I mean I was just having fun and..."

"Hey Butch?" I asked.

"Y-yeah Mark?"

"Go fuck yourself."

With that I pulled his head from the wall and slammed it back into it. I did it once more before I stepped back and let him fall to the floor.

"Jesus Christ Mark!" Tommy snapped. "What the hell's wrong with...?"

Tommy never finished as I swung and hit him in the face, sending him sprawling.

"Find your own way home you piece of shit." I told him.

Tommy looked up at me wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Mark I didn't do this, I..."

I reached down and grabbing his collar stared into his eyes and said softly;

"You set her on this path. Everything she has done since is on your head." I nodded and then added; "If they ever find my sister dead of an overdose Tommy, you won't live to hear about it."

I quickly stepped back as I could feel myself wanting to start swinging and knew full well I wouldn't be able to stop. The dog was growling in its room and there was a part of me that wanted to let it out. I walked outside and, getting into the car, waved at Tommy who had followed me out as I peeled away. I needed to calm down, I shouldn't have hit Tommy, it wasn't his fault, but I needed to take it out on someone.

Once again I looked into my mind and sought The Voice, it would know what to do; it always did. As had been the case before I could feel no trace of it. I felt another wave of nerves go through my stomach as I realized that this time I really would be alone. I arrived back at Mitch's where Cynthia was waiting for me; she looked upset as if she had been crying. I went up to her and, before I could even ask, she started talking;

"Mark! Megan was here and..."

"When?"

"A couple of hours ago but," Cynthia shook her head. "Mitch came in a few minutes after you left and sent me out to Baby Head to get a few bottles of things we were low on. I told him what was going on and he said he would watch for Megan."

"So what happened?" I asked already knowing it wouldn't be good.

"I was gone about an hour, when I came back in Mitch said Megan had come strolling in like nothing was wrong and when he told her you were running around worried about her she rolled her eyes and said she had just run into an old friend and went for dinner and then she went upstairs."

Cynthia put her head down.

"I went right up there and started knocking but there was no answer so I went out back and there was no car." She put her head up and I could see she had tears in her eyes. "I think she got her stuff and left."

"Oh you stupid fuck!" I snapped out loud.

Megan had played it perfectly; she had known I would go looking for her and had come by and, seeing the car gone, had come in. It had worked out even better for her that Cynthia was gone.

"I'm sorry Mark," Cynthia said. "I shouldn't have gone, I wouldn't have left her alone, I..."

"It's not your fault Cynthia." I told her quietly. "She would have found a way or, if not, just left without her things."

I turned and walked towards the backroom.

"I'm going upstairs."

"Mark?"

I turned to her.

"Why don't I come up tonight and keep you company, you look like you could use it."

I looked at her and wanted to tell her yes. I didn't want to be alone, and Cynthia would stay all weekend if I wanted her to. As I continued to think however I realized that this was where the problem was in the first place; needing someone. I had loved Krissy and ended up breaking both of our hearts, I loved Megan dearly and now, for the second time in less than two months, Megan had hurt me, now Cynthia wanted to get close to me. I shook my head and said;

"Thanks Cyn, but I need to be alone."

"Yeah but Mark..."

"Good night Cyn I'll see you tomorrow night."

I went upstairs and immediately saw the note pinned to Megan's unfinished painting. I walked over and pulling it off read it;

Mark, once again I'm sorry, but the tormented journey of my own soul continues. No matter what I do I feel empty. I tried little brother, I really did, but I need something to help me get through and don't want you to have to see it. I'll call you soon, please don't hate me. Megan.

Feeling numb I walked over to the couch and sat down. Turning Cyn down had left me completely alone for the first time I could remember, no Megan, no voice. After a half hour or so I went into the bedroom and laid down staring at the ceiling. I closed my eyes even though I knew it was useless and spent the next hour or so trying to fall asleep. Finally giving up I got up and, after lighting several candles around the room and sitting cross legged on the bed, began to meditate.

After awhile my mind began to relax and I found myself thinking about fate, destiny and where my sister and I had gone wrong. The obvious answer was that we were weak and unappreciative of the second chance that life had given us. Megan's weakness of course was more glaring; her addiction overcoming her once again. Now that I thought of it, perhaps it had been fate that had caused her to steal from me. Had my sister not done that I would have never gone to the Green Bar and run into Max.

Following that train of thought, I realized that The Voice had been right; Max had been put there as a reward, a way to exorcise my demons. I had thought Max a test, but now I knew that the true test was my sister being sent back to me to talk me out of it. I had failed that test, allowing my love for my sister, and fear for my future to stop me from achieving my revenge. Now it made sense; once Megan had caused me to fail, she fell again. Fate had used her to test my will and I had come up wanting, failing to practice Lex Talionis, the law that my beliefs were based upon.

I was getting ready to open my eyes when, for the first time in over two weeks, I felt that odd sensation of being watched;

"It's not too late." The Voice whispered.

"Where were you?" I asked out loud.

"Waiting for you to man up and grow a pair!"

"I'm sorry I was weak." I whispered. "You were right, I failed."

"It's not over yet Mark," The Voice said calmly. "We can still get him, we know where he is."

"Yeah," I said then, unable to help it, blurted out. "I'm worried about Megan."

When I said it I expected the Voice to either start screaming or threatening to go away again, instead it said quietly;

"I know Mark, I am too."

"I thought you hated Megan." I said.

"That's not true Mark," The Voice answered. "I love Megan she's our sister."

"But you always tell me to forget about her."

"Because I'm the part of us that knows where to draw the line Mark." It sighed. "I'll tell you what Mark, we'll take care of Max and next time Megan comes back I'll help you help her."

"How?" I asked.

"Not sure yet Mark, but I have never failed you have I?"

"No."

"Okay then, you get me Max and I'll help our sister, deal?"

I took a deep breath and nodded. I felt better already; The Voice was back and I had another shot to make things right. Who knew, maybe when I passed my test fate, as a reward, might bring my sister back and let me help her.

"Maybe Mark," The Voice agreed. "But you have to take it all the way with Max."

"Kill him you mean?"

"Nothing else will do Mark. Can you do it?"

I found myself smiling.

"The dog can."

I felt The Voice smiling back at me.

"Very true, but not at first Mark, Max needs to know why he's dying, so we will have to stay in control for awhile."

"Toy with him." I whispered.

"We have a lot of pain to make up for Mark. It can't be quick."

"Oh," I said smiling at my reflection in the mirror. "It won't be."

"That's better Mark, you can't fight destiny." The Voice laughed. "Now why don't you call downstairs and tell that little pig to come up and take care of you."

"I did want her up here." I told it.

Once again I had the impression that The Voice was smiling. I was smiling as well; it was good not to be alone.

"Then take what you want Mark."

Part 7: The trap is set.

The Green Bar opened at noon but I wasn't able to get there until twelve thirty. It had taken me until this morning to realize that, afraid Megan would find it, I had flushed the coke I had bought from Keith down the toilet. I called Keith at ten and he was more excited to hear from me than he had been the first time. I made him even happier this time, buying twice as much; unfortunately I couldn't meet him until eleven thirty and I found myself hoping that Max's connection hadn't already gotten there.

I sat in my car for a minute and took a few deep breaths, making sure I would be calm when I saw Max. I had been getting used to seeing him, but a couple of weeks had gone by and I had to be certain I would be in control. Today the Voice had said we would play it differently, that when the time came we would end up pissing Max off and I had to be sure I could hold back if Max threatened me. Why we were going to piss him off I wasn't sure, but the Voice said that it would be important later on. I didn't understand, but no longer needed to. The Voice had been there for me for years. Unlike my sister it had never left me, from now on I would just trust it.

When I entered the bar Max was there sitting at the bar with a beer in front of him. I walked over and sat down on the stool next to him.

"Hey." I said simply, as I pulled out a pack of Marlboro's and, tapping one out, lit it. Max turned to look at me.

"Where you been kid? Haven't seen you in a couple of weeks."

"Busy." I answered as I waved the bartender Billy over.

"Hey let me get a smoke." Max said.

Without waiting for an answer Max grabbed the pack and took three out.

"Help yourself," I said sarcastically then snatched the pack away from him. "Things cost money you know."

Knowing me by now Billy brought over a beer and a shot of Jack.

"Fuck the beer, give it to him." I pointed to Max "And get me two more shots."

"Thanks." Max said, sliding the beer over to himself.

Billy brought over two more shots. I did the first one alone then taking the second in my hand slid the third to Max. and held mine up.

"Cheers."

Max picked up the shot and tapping my glass downed it.

"You into some money this week kid?" He asked.

I nodded.

"As a matter of fact I've been doing alright the last few weeks."

As I spoke I glanced over at him;

"I couldn't make it last couple of weeks, your friend still come by on Fridays?"

"Usually about 1." Max told me. "You're in time."

I nodded then, looking straight ahead, smoked in silence. As I did I could feel Max staring at me.

"Hey Mark?"

"Don't look at him."

"Hmm?" I continued to stare away from Max.

"Where did you come from?"

At this point I did turn to look at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

Max shrugged.

"Never saw you before, then you show up and keep coming back, now you're looking for a hook up."

"You think I'm a cop?" I asked. Max looked as if he were thinking.

"I don't know, you look pretty young, how old are you anyways 22?"

"Around that." I told him.

"What's your last name?"

"Let's get him going Mark."

I turned away again.

"My business." I replied.

"Hey," Max said grabbing my arm "Look at me when I talk to you."

I froze; I knew that tone, had been hearing it in my sleep for years.

"Not yet!"

I slowly turned my head towards Max.

"Move your fucking hand." I whispered softly.

Max stared at me, his eyes widening as if he couldn't believe what he had heard, as he stared I exhaled my cigarette directly into his face.

Max jerked his head back and as he did I yanked my arm free from his sweaty grip.

"What the fuck's your problem?" Max demanded.

"I don't like to be touched." I said "I also don't like twenty questions. Fuck Max, we hang out and have beer, you don't need to know shit about me."

"You know kid I've told you before about that mouth."

"Max, I just gave you cigarettes, a beer and a shot and you grab me like an asshole and start wanting my life story, I think you got the problem today." I smiled and continued;

"But I guess you're a little antsy aren't you Max? Waiting on your connection, has it been awhile?"

Max looked at me.

"I just wanna know your game Mark, you're here for somethin' kid."

Once again I shrugged.

"I told you what I'm here for today."

At that point Billy came over to grab the glasses and, before I could order more, Max sighed then finally said quietly;

"I know you don't I?"

I hesitated and I felt the Voice do the same. A minute later it laughed;

"Oh this is perfect! Play along Mark, see where it goes."

"What makes you think that?"

Max shook his head.

"More a feeling than anything, look at me for a minute."

"Fine." I said and locked eyes with him.

As I focused on Max's watery blue eyes I felt a strange burning sensation in my own and somehow knew the Voice was making them darker. A moment later I felt it again. Max squinted at me.

"Hey.." He began then stopped as I felt the burning again.

"What the hell was that?" Max asked.

"What?"

"Your eyes just changed color."

I laughed.

"You high already Max? Well, do you know me or not?"

"Maybe not, I'm just jumpy, got burned by a narc before."

Before I could answer the door to the bar opened and a tall thin black man came in. I smiled as I realized I knew him; his name was Jake and he sold for Carson, a nickel and dimer, but then again at a place like this that's all you could get. This was perfect, what would be the odds it would be someone I knew?