Siblings with Benefits Lex Talionis Ch. 02

"I..." She started but I cut her off.

"You're going to see your parents Megan. I'll help you with it okay?"

"Okay." Megan said quietly then after leaning up to kiss my cheek whispered;

"Thank you little brother. Thank you for always loving me."

With that Megan rolled over and pressed her back into my chest.

"I just want to be peaceful Mark." She whispered.

I didn't like how that sounded. Megan had never struck me as suicidal, but now that she had slipped again...

"You'll find it sis, but it's not in drugs, the answers inside Meg, you can find it, I did."

"Your answers rage Mark," Megan began quietly. "And not just the fights you get into, it's in everything you do, the way you push at school, at karate, even the rough sex you have all the time it's all driven by rage and hate. I don't have that Mark," She sighed. "All I am is sad and empty."

"All those things get it out though Megan, try painting your amazing at it."

"I can only paint when I'm stoned these days."

I had no answer for that and it didn't matter anyways as Megan went back to crying softly again. As I laid there holding her I felt the tears burn in my eyes as well; tears of frustration. For all the things I had accomplished, and for all that I was capable of I couldn't do a damn thing for the person who meant the most to me. Years ago Megan had reached me when no one else could; had drawn me out and turned me around, gave me a chance to have a great life and here I was unable to help her.

As Megan's crying subsided I kissed the back of her neck and whispered;

"Go to sleep Megan you know no matter what, I'll always love you."

Part 3; Mark sends a message.

It was eight o'clock on Friday night and I was standing outside the door at Club Baby Head checking ID's and tossing anyone who looked like they were already drunk or stoned out of the line. There was a band playing at 8:30 so after a few more minutes the line had disappeared and I was sitting on the stairs smoking a cigarette and wondering if it would be Megan or Cynthia I would be fucking around with later on as Megan was supposed to be going to dinner with Tommy and then getting dropped off at Doug and Denise's but you never knew when things would change.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little concerned about her going out with Tommy, but on Wednesday he had come by Mitch's and told her that he'd like to see her again. Megan knew I didn't want her around him at all, but I also knew that despite his issues with drugs Tommy did care for my sister. Love might even be the word although if that was the case it was Tommy I felt bad for because quite honestly Megan walked all over him.

Megan agreed to go out with him, but pretty much as a date; no going back to his place and no bars or parties just dinner maybe a movie and to her parents. Tommy happily agreed, but of course I added the extra incentive that if Megan wasn't taken straight home then he and I would have a nice long talk. Megan going to Doug and Denise's was also her way of trying to give me some space.

This was her idea as I never minded spending time with my sister especially when she was acting like her old self which she had been this week. On the other hand the more I thought about it the more it made sense. Megan had been staying with me for a week, and I had been turning Cyn down left and right even when she invited me back to her place. Of the two of us Megan had always been more conscious of how we appeared to people and she felt it might start to look funny if I wasn't doing anything, hell I even turned Robin down this week telling her I was sick.

No Megan had a point, besides Denise was thrilled with the idea of Megan spending a couple of days back at home, and who knew, if Megan could keep going the way she had this week maybe eventually they would offer her to stay. Of course I also had to admit that as much as I enjoyed my sister, it wouldn't be a terrible thing to spend a night with Cynthia, have some hot sex and maybe even take her out to breakfast tomorrow morning. Cynthia had been damn good to me this week; covering one of my shifts and doing everything she could to make sure I could be with Megan as much as possible when I was working so I could keep an eye on her.

I sighed as I ground the cigarette out onto the cement step. It had been a long week but a good one in the sense of it seemed like Megan was getting back on track. The week had not started off well as on Sunday and Monday Megan was sick. Apparently it was the first time in awhile she hadn't had anything as she had the shakes and every time she ate she'd throw up. I shook my head at the thought of once when I asked her through the door if she was okay she had come out and given me the disturbing answer of "Yeah this happens all the time."

By Tuesday she was better and as I had promised I took her to the mall and bought her some clothes. Later that day I called Denise and told her Megan was back and on Wednesday I took her over there for lunch which went surprisingly well. I think Denise had warned Doug because he said very little during the few hours we were there. I was relieved however to see that he was genuinely happy to see Megan and just before we left shocked me by taking me aside and thanking me for bringing her to see them.

Thursday was gorgeous and I took Megan to the beach where we spent a good part of the day including getting clam cakes and ice cream like we used to when we were teenagers and Doug and Denise would take us. Of course needless to say the nights were incredible; round after round of hot sex, and afterwards falling into each other's arms, as if we had just made love and curling up for the night.

As always both of us were sleeping through the night and the mornings were even better as since there was no school we slept in and took our time playing and enjoying each other. I also managed to get Megan to go to Kodak to talk to a councilor about some outpatient programs and went to an NA meeting with her. Tommy had also come with us and I found myself hoping he was serious and not just going along with Megan. If he straightened out it would go along way with keeping Megan together.

All in all it had been a decent week. I was also thrilled that the voice had not acted back up after I had shut it down on Saturday. Usually Megan being around caused enough stress to have it making an appearance. As I sat watching the traffic go by I wondered if the voice ever got mad and stayed away on purpose as I knew damn well it could get out whenever the hell it wanted to. Then again whenever it kept showing up I would take the sleeping pills like they were pez so maybe it was learning. I grunted to myself I sounded like a loon even thinking like this.

"Hey Mark!!"

I turned to see Derek one of the other bouncers sticking his head out the door and I instantly jumped up. Most of the time when they called me in it meant there was going to be some kind of fight. Lately there had been some trouble with gangs and instead of dealing with one asshole at a time they had begun causing trouble in packs. Last week Derek, myself and another bouncer named Rick had mixed it up with five of them.

"You need me?" I asked already feeling my adrenalin begin to pump.

"You got a call, some girl says it's an emergency she sounds pretty upset."

Oh fuck me, I thought as I raced into the club and quickly made my way through the crowd to get to the phone behind the bar. There was no doubt it would be my sister, unless it was Cyn and there was... no Mitch was there tonight. Taking the phone from the bartender with a sinking feeling in my stomach I took a deep breath;

"Hello?"

"Mark!! Oh my god Mark!!" It was Megan and she was crying.

"Megan where are you?"

"I'm at Rhode Island hospital I..."

"Sis are you okay?" I felt my heart begin to pound in my chest.

"I am but Mark they got Tommy and they hurt him and Oh my God!!!"

"What?" I asked in surprise. "Who hurt Tommy?"

"Oh Mark, it was Carson and a couple of his guys they beat... and their looking for me and oh shit Mark! I gotta get out of here!"

"Listen Megan stay right there." I began, trying to sound as calm as possible. "I'm coming okay? I'll pick you up."

"Mark I..."

"Do not leave!" I snapped into the phone and hanging up told Rick who was hanging around flirting with Mandy the bartender that I had to go.

I practically ran from the club and getting into my car drove like a maniac getting to the hospital in less than ten minutes. Parking the car I went into the emergency room assuming that that's where Tommy would be if he had gotten jumped. I had just reached the information desk when I heard Megan call out my name. I turned to see Megan coming towards me and my heart stopped;

Megan was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. There was blood on the t-shirt. As she approached I became aware of the sound of a door swinging open somewhere in my mind.

"Stay calm Mark whatever it is we'll take care of it."

I nodded feeling oddly comforted by the confidence behind the voice and ran to meet my sister. Megan threw herself in my arms sobbing.

"Oh I'm glad to see you!"

I held her tight and let her sob into my chest before pushing her away.

"Where's Tommy?"

"He's in there." She nodded towards one of the screened off booths against the wall.

"Let's go." I said to her.

"I can't go back in there Mark." Megan shook her head. "I can't see him like that anymore I..."

I grabbed her by the hand and pulled her with me towards the back. When Megan was scared these days her answer was to run and I wouldn't take any chances. We reached the stall and drawing the curtain aside I ushered Megan in and entered behind closing the curtain behind me. I stopped and felt my stomach turn as I looked at Tommy. Both of his eyes were swollen closed and his bandaged nose was obviously broken. There were large swellings on both sides of his jaw and a bandage across his forehead that already had blood oozing through it.

"Oh Tommy." Megan whispered crying.

I approached the bed and realizing Tommy's eyes were so swollen he couldn't see leaned over a whispered;

"Tommy, its Mark can you hear me?"

There was no response and I almost walked away when Tommy whispered;

"Mark?"

"Yeah Tommy, who the hell did this to you?"

Tommy swallowed and let out a deep breath.

"It... it was Carson and t-those t-two guys he's always with."

Carson was a small time coke dealer. His brother Keith was the real deal running a lot of drugs through south Providence, but where Keith was a business man and smart with his dealings his brother Carson was a bit of a loose cannon who acted more like a thug. Carson himself was a skinny little shit but he always had some muscle with him. Carson I had met but had never seen his entourage.

`

"Why would they do this to you?"

I figured I already knew the answer but needed to know where my sister fit in. Tommy looked like he was trying to say something when Megan spoke from behind me.

"I owe Carson Fifteen Hundred Dollars."

"You what?!" I exclaimed turning around to look at her.

Megan put her head down and all I could think of was how much fucking coke that was. Another disturbing thought that crossed my mind was that no dealer would let that big of a tab run up. Either Megan had gotten a lot at once or... my heart sank as I whispered;

"You stole from him didn't you?"

Megan looked up at me with tears running down her cheeks.

"I... I was at a party and was out of money. I tried to get Carson to front me but he knew I didn't have money and I was there without Tommy." She wiped at her eyes and continued;

"Of course Carson said that you know he would be willing to work something out and..." She sobbed.

"Oh this will not be good Mark"

"I went in a back room and I... I fucked him." She put her head down so she didn't have to look at me. "We did a couple of lines and we went back out. But before I left I saw him take a few packets out of a paper bag on the table, after we went back out I slipped in and took a bunch out and then left the party."

She put her hands up in a helpless gesture.

"Someone must have seen me because he came by Betty's and told her to tell me that I owed him the money and to bring it that Friday. That's the real reason I went to New York."

I put my hand to my left temple which was already beginning to throb. This was big, oh was it big.

"So." I said trying to stay calm. "They found out your back and went looking for you at Tommy's?"

Megan nodded. Then started crying harder.

"Tommy picked me up and we were supposed to go right out, but he had said how much he missed me so we went to his place and fooled around. We were getting ready to go but Tommy wanted to shower, he asked me if I'd mind taking his car and picking up cigarettes so I went to the store." Megan shook her head.

"I ran into a friend and talked for a few minutes. When I got back Tommy's door was broken in and he was on the floor like that so I called the rescue." Megan sobbed again.

"Mark they missed me by like ten minutes."

With that Megan threw herself in my arms again.

"They... Carson told Tommy to tell me that if I don't call him by midnight and tell him when I'm bringing the money they'll.... Oh Mark they said they'll hurt me Mark and they won't just beat me they'll..." She broke down into sobs again.

I closed my eyes and had a sudden vision of my sister lying in that hospital bed her face unrecognizable, and hurt in worse places that that. In the dark recesses of my mind I heard the dog slam into the attic door. I took a deep breath and held Megan closer. I had to think there had to be away out of this.

"There is Mark well really there's two ways, but the choice will be Carson's."

Keeping one arm around Megan I leaned over to Tommy and whispered in his ear:

"Tommy you're going to be okay and I'll..."

Tommy interrupted me saying softly;

"Just keep Megan with you Mark please."

I swallowed hard, touched that after taking a beating like that one that he had gotten because of my sister that his first thought would be of her. Leaning over in his ear so Megan couldn't hear I said;

"Tommy when I'm done Carson will wish he was you."

Megan was quiet on the way home, however she was practically sitting in my lap as I drove and I could feel her shaking. Unlike my sister I found myself getting calmer with each minute that passed. I would get involved and help my sister, the voice was right there was two ways and if everything went well it would be the easier path that Carson would choose. If not then Carson would learn the hard way that no one would ever hurt my sister.

I arrived at Mitch's and rather than go around the back which was an unlighted parking lot we went in through the front. If Carson knew Megan was back and not with Betty or Tommy then he would know she was with me. Megan said Carson would give her a day but you never knew if that was a trick. I found myself thankful that Megan wasn't with her parents tonight. I would doubt Carson would go to a house in that neighborhood but he did have a bit of a mad dog reputation.

"We know a thing or two about mad dogs don't we?"

As if in agreement I heard the dog slam its door again.

"Good doggie."

We entered the bar which had a pretty good crowd tonight and keeping Megan in front of me led her through the bar and into the backroom we went upstairs where Megan immediately ran over to the table she had all her clothes folded on and grabbing the duffle bag began to start shoving them in there.

"You're not going anywhere Megan." I told her calmly.

"Mark, you saw what they did to Tommy! I can't let the m find me and I won't get you in the middle."

"I'm already in the middle sis." As I spoke I walked over and taking her hand took her over to the couch and after making her sit down sat next her.

"Listen sis, you ran once. You run again and he catches you it's all over. You have one shot to make this right."

"But I don't have the money Mark! And Tommy's dad isn't giving him anything anymore!"

"Megan!" I snapped getting her attention. "Listen to me. Call Carson on his pager from here. Tell him you'll meet him tomorrow night."

"No! Mark please..."

"I said listen to me sis." I was still calm almost unnaturally so at this point and I knew it was the effect of the voice it thrived when we were in trouble.

"I don't have $1500, but I'm a month ahead of my rent and have another hundred. We're going to go there tomorrow and give him the $500 and tell him we'll get him the rest next month. He'll take it Meg it's better than nothing."

Megan shook her head.

"No Mark you can't go I won't let you! They'll..."

"Megan you go alone and you'll get hurt, you're scared and they know it. I go its different, Carson won't fuck with me."

"He won't be alone Mark."

"That's okay neither will you."

"Trust me sis I'm more trouble than I'm worth to him."

"But what about his brother Keith Mark? He's big time he..."

"Megan do you think Carson told his brother that some broad stole his property? Remember Carson fronts from Keith. Carson needs to come up with the money because trust me Keith will throw him a beating as quick as he would the next guy."

"I don't want you hurt Mark."

"I won't be Megan trust me." I put my hands on her shoulders. "I will not let anything happen to you sis ever, and don't worry about me. I can get this done the right way Meg. I give him the five and if I have to when he comes back from New York I'll borrow off of Alex and pay Carson off. But you're not going alone."

Megan looked up at me and said quietly;

"Those guys he has with him Mark their hardcore." She took my hand in hers. "Their dangerous Mark."

"So are we sis so are we."

Friday night.

It was nine O'clock and I was guiding the Lesabre through the side streets of South Providence looking for Carson's house, or more aptly the sham apartment he did his business out of. Megan had called Carson who was more than happy to hear from her. I had told her to simply say she was bringing the money. I also had her leave out the small detail of her little brother coming with her.

My sister was scared; she hadn't slept at all last night and three times today tried to talk me out of coming that she would go alone. I was no fool; my $500 would by her a bus ticket and another New York vacation. I on the other hand felt fine. I was immersed in an icy calm that allowed for no thoughts except that I would do whatever had to be done tonight. The $500 was in my pocket and the one thought I did have was that I hoped Carson would be smart enough to take it.

The Voice on the other hand seemed convinced he wouldn't, honestly I think it was more a case of the Voice not wanting him to. I had the eerie feeling that the voice felt as if this was some type of game, a chance to show what I could really do. As I found Carson's street and slowed down to find the number he had given us I found myself wondering what would happen if he didn't take the deal.

I was anticipating three; Carson and whoever his two groupies were. It would be indoors which would cut down on my being able to maneuver. On the other hand that meant that they would also be close to me. I had a black belt in Kenpo and was three months away from my Red in Tai kwon Do. Both instructors had referred to me as a prodigy and claimed that I had the fastest hands they had ever seen. More importantly I had no inhibitions about hurting someone, which was what stopped a lot of Martial artists from being effective in a street fight; the average person didn't want to hurt anyone.

"When we put them down Mark they'll need to stay there." The Voice piped up following my train of thought.