Sabella & Malcolm Ch. 06

"Do you think the Sheriff will listen to the Mayor?" Sabella asked Malcolm.

"Mayor Jones is the Sheriff's Uncle," Malcolm said, "and he enjoys his job and the perks that come with it too much to risk it, even for his nephew. If he says that the Sheriff will leave us alone, then the Sheriff will leave us alone."

"I want to thank you guys for getting it done so quickly," Mark said to the contractor.

"You made it worth our while, Mr. Jamison," the contractor said.

"Yeah, but you guys still did the work, and you did it quickly and professionally," Mark said. "I'm giving you a bonus to pay your employees, who worked on this project. I want them to know I really appreciate the long hours they put in."

"They'll appreciate you rewarding them for their hard work," the contractor said.

Mark walked into Sabella's house after paying the contractor to find his wife and baby daughter resting on the couch in the living room. Regina was lying on the couch their daughter lying on her chest.

"How are my girls?" Mark asked leaning over, giving his wife a kiss on the lips waking her and his daughter a kiss on the cheek.

"Your big girl is tired," Regina replied, "and your little girl is ready for her nap."

"Thank you," Mark said realizing how his wife had without question supported his efforts to bring his sister back home.

He thought his love for her couldn't grow any deeper, but it had, when she without question supported him and believed his sister when she told them what happened to her.

"You don't have to thank me," Regina said. "Sabella was my friend before she became my sister-in-law. Our bond was formed before I married you. I know she wouldn't lie about something like this. She loves you too much to put you through the worry and stress something like this would cause you. She goes out of her to make sure you don't have to worry about her."

Mark knew that his wife was right. He and Sabella lost their parents a year ago when they were killed in a car accident caused by his father falling asleep behind the wheel.

The loss of their parent was still fresh for both him and Sabella and Sabella wouldn't add to his pain by lying to him.

Mark pulled out his cell phone and started to dial Sabella's cell phone number.

"Are you going to tell her what we found out online?" Regina asked.

"I have to," Mark said stopping himself before he pushed the button that contained the last number of Sabella's cell phone number and would connect him to his sister. "If I don't she won't be able to protect herself."

"You know Sabella will want to leave Malcolm's home once she finds out," Regina said. "Where will she go? Malcolm is the only person she knows and Sabella isn't going to want to leave the house because just like you, she probably feels that the key to getting back her some how involves the house."

"Everything you're saying is true, Regina," Mark said, "but I have to tell Sabrina what I found out. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't tell her."

"Maybe you should talk to Malcolm," Regina suggested. "Tell him what you found out and let him explain things to Sabella."

"I'm not willing to risk his reaction to finding out, we know," Mark said. "If I tell Sabella she'll stand a better chance of protecting herself."

"If you tell her you might force her out of the only place she feels and is safe," Regina said. "You're going to put her in a position where she really has no choice but to leave. You're going to force her to give up the only place, she feels safe Mark. You might even force her into the arms of the very danger you're trying to protect her from."

"What would you have me do, Regina?" Mark asked.

"Talk to Malcolm," Regina said. "He doesn't know what you know Mark. By talking to him, you can come to your own conclusion about the type of man he is."

"And if I don't get a good vibe off of him?"

"You tell Sabella what you then you tell her to get into her baby and get the hell out of there," Regina said. "I'm simply asking you to make a little effort to gather more information on the situation before possibly force Sabella out of his home."

"Alright," Mark said redialing Sabella's number, "but if I don't get a good vibe off this guy I'm telling Sabella to get the hell out of Malcolm's house."

"I wouldn't expect you to do anything less," Regina said.

Sabella was still in the kitchen with Malcolm and Mabel when her cell phone began to vibrate. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, flipped it open and answered it.

"Hello, Mark," Sabella said.

"Hello, sis," Mark replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay," Sabella replied. "How are you, Regina and my little namesake?"

"I'm fine, Regina is fine," Mark said, "and your little carbon copy of yourself is taking a nap, and she is fine."

Sabella chuckled.

"I had your roof fixed," Mark said.

"You didn't have to do that," Sabella said. "I was going to have it fixed when I returned home."

"I had to do it," Mark said, "if Regina, I and the baby are going to stay here. I also paid off your mortgage," Mark said deciding to tell her everything.

"Why would you do that?" Sabella asked.

"It seems that your friend, Gloria and the real estate company she works for are running a scam where they sell houses that appear to be well made and well maintained to unsuspecting people looking forward to moving to Tyler. The people buy the houses without getting time inspected..."

"only to find out once they move in that the house isn't as sturdy as they claim, and it needs a lot of work done to it to make it habitable," Sabella said finishing what her brother was about to say.

"Yes," Mark said. "Your house has been sold five times. The real estate company Gloria works for always bought it back each time."

"At a loss of course to the person they sold the house to," Sabella said. "I can't believe, I fell for such a scheme."

"Gloria took advantage of your trust," Mark said.

"She took advantage of my stupidity," Sabella said her voice holding a hint of anger.

"You considered her to be your friend," Mark said. "You didn't expect her to con you. You expected her to be honest."

"This is my fault, Mark," Sabella said. "I expected her to protect me, so I didn't worry about protecting myself, and I got taken."

Mark remained silent because there was nothing he could say in response to what Sabella said.

"Does Malcolm know about your cell phone?" Mark asked a few seconds later.

"Yes," Sabella replied wondering why her brother would ask such a question.

"I need to talk to him," Mark said.

"Why?" Sabella asked.

"To ease my mind about you staying with him," Mark replied. "I just realized you've been there with him a week, and I know nothing about the man. I just want to talk to him to ease my mind."

Although she didn't understand the logic of her brother's request Sabella did as he requested and let Malcolm know that he wanted to talk to him.

"My brother would like to speak to you," Sabella said holding her cell phone out to Malcolm.

"Why would he want to speak to me?" Malcolm asked looking at the phone as if it were a rattle snake.

"He wants your assurance that I'm safe here with you," Sabella said. "It's because of the situation and the fact that he doesn't know you. It's just to ease his mind."

Malcolm's hand slowly reached out for the phone.

"It's just like a regular phone, Malcolm," Sabella said teasing him. "It's not going to bite you."

"Hello," Malcolm said his voice shaky realizing he was talking to a person that hadn't actually been born yet.

"Hello," Mark replied, his voice shaking just as badly as Malcolm's at the thought of knowing that he was talking to a man from the past who could possibly be no longer alive. "I'm Mark, Sabella's brother," he said introducing himself to Malcolm.

"I know," Malcolm said. "I'm Malcolm Matheson, the man she's staying with."

For some reason, that statement made Mark want to reach through the phone, grab Malcolm by the neck and strangle him.

"Hold on a minute," Mark said as he moved the phone away from his ear to gain control of his anger.

He knew anger had no place in this situation because Sabella had no choice. She wasn't staying with Malcolm because she wanted to. He didn't want to anger Malcolm because he needed the man to be honest with him.

"I told my sister, I wanted to talk to you because I wanted your assurance, she would be safe with you," Mark said after placing his cell phone back up to his ear, "but that wasn't the only reason I wanted to talk to you."

"Okay," Malcolm said looking over at Sabella, who was looking at him and listening intently to his end of the conversation, he was having with her brother.

"Has, Sabella told you about something we call the Internet?" Mark asked.

"Yes," Malcolm replied sensing that the one word answers he was giving Mark was the best thing for him to do at this point.

"Well, I did an Internet search on you and the Double M Ranch in Tyler, Texas, and I need to talk to you about what I found out," Mark said. "I need you to tell me whether or not what I found out is true."

"I can do that," Malcolm said.

Malcolm listened as Mark told him what he found online about him and the Double M Ranch. As Mark spoke visions and memories of his childhood flooded Malcolm's mind.

Visions that he had managed not to forget because he couldn't forget them, but he'd managed to accept them because they weren't his fault, he didn't create the memories.

"I have two questions for you," Mark said after he told Malcolm what he found.

"Go ahead," Malcolm said.

"Is what I read true and is my sister in danger?" Mark asked.

"Yes," Malcolm replied to the first question.

"No," he said to the second one.

Mark wanted to demand that Malcolm give him proof that Sabella would be safe, but he knew that in their current situation, there was no proof that Malcolm could give him.

So, he did what he had to do and accepted the determination, he heard in Malcolm's voice when he said that Sabella wasn't in any danger.

"I'm trusting you," Mark said his voice trembling as he fought the helplessness he felt because of the situation and his desire to threaten Malcolm and tell him if anything happened to Sabella he would pay because it would do nothing to help the situation, and he could surely put Sabella in danger depending on how Malcolm reacted to being threatened.

"And I'm giving you my word that Sabella is safe," Malcolm said hoping Mark could hear the truth of his promise as he spoke. "Nothing and no one will harm her as long as I draw breath, I promise."

"I suggest you tell Sabella what I found out online," Mark said, "because if she finds out on her own she might not give you a chance to explain. She'll be out of your house like a bullet shot from a rifle."

"Alright," Malcolm said after giving Mark suggestion some thought, "I'll do as you say."

"Thank you," Mark said, "for everything."

"You're welcome," Malcolm replied passing the phone back to Sabella.

"Do you feel better brother dear?" Sabella asked teasing her brother.

"Yes," Mark replied. "He's going to tell you something very disturbing. I want you to promise me that you'll listen to him, and if you feel the need to you'll call me after he talks to you."

"What is it, Mark?" Sabella asked.

"I think Malcolm should be the one to tell you," Mark said. "Just promise me you'll listen to him."

"I promise," Sabella said feeling uneasy because she didn't know what her brother was talking about but trusting him because she knew he loved her, and if she was in any danger he would've told him what Malcolm was going to tell her, himself.

"I've got to go," Mark said. "I want you to call me after your talk with Malcolm."

"Only if I feel the need to," Sabella said.

"Alright," Mark replied. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sabella said closing her phone ending the call.

"What is it, you have to tell me?" Sabella asked turning to Malcolm.

"Can you access this Internet on your computer?" Malcolm asked.

"Yes," Sabella replied.

"Go get it please," Malcolm said. "I think showing you will be a better way for me to explain things to you."

"How do you think she's going to react?" Mabel asked after Sabella left the kitchen to go upstairs to get her laptop.

"I hope she does as her brother said and gives me a chance to explain," Malcolm said.

"I hope she does too," Mabel said. "Because if she leaves, here she'll be in more danger than she knows."