Part 2
Chapter 5
Mark picked up the ringing phone," Rutherford."
"Santiago just left Holloway's house. He was in there for a good long time." The cop laughed.
"Just don't let him out of your sight. And Peters?"
"Yeah?"
"Be careful. This man is extremely dangerous. DO NOT let him know you"re on his tail."
"Don't worry he wont have a clue."
Mark sat up in bed," Shit, Trinity, I thought you'd be smarter than this."
He made his way inside the bathroom and began splashing water on his face. "God help me! I can't get her out of my mind! Every time I close my damn eyes she's there invading my head." After he finished with the water he got dressed. Since Peters was going to be tailing Santiago he figured he would keep an eye on Trinity's place just in case something was to go down. In truth he knew he just needed to see her again. Somehow she had gotten into his system and he was having trouble getting her out. If he ever would.
Almost every light was out, except one, at Trinity's apartment. That one window leading into her bedroom was where Mark found her once again crying. His gut twisted. He wanted to help her so badly it hurt. But he didn't know how far inside Santiago's operation she was. All his research told him was that she was a good citizen, not even a traffic ticket on her record. She graduated with honors from Syracuse University majoring in Biology, so she was intelligent. The only thing he found was that she never got to go to med. school because of her mother's sudden illness. Even though Trinity had a full scholarship to the University of Buffalo, one of the state's leading med. schools. The fact that she passed up the opportunity to finish school to take care of her mother told him she was dedicated to her family. Not to mention the fact that her mother was the only family she had left, and according to her mother's medical records she had less than six months to live. Cancer was eating her alive.
"Maybe that's why she sits up there all the time and cries." Mark thought.
If only he knew.
If he knew the true reason she was crying now, he might not feel so sorry for her. She was crying because of the mess she had made out of her life. The fact that her mother would never see her graduate from medical school, if she even got the chance to go back. She cried because she didn't know if she would live to see another day. She had seen first hand that once Rob started wondering about a person's loyalty he usually ended up killing that person to be on the safe side. If he killed her she didn't know who would take care of her mother. Even though her mother is ill and only has a short time left Trinity wants to be there when her times comes.
"I have to get away from Rob." She breaking the silence of the room." But how can I?"
She looked down to the street and seen a strange car. Her defenses immediately raised, she raced out of the window and ran to lock all the doors and windows.
"SHIT!" Mark cussed himself. He was busted and he knew it. He sat in the car trying to plan his next move. Now that Trinity knew she was being watched he would have to be very careful.
Trinity didn't know what to do. She sat in the chair farthest from the window."How the hell did he find out where I live?" She asked herself. She realized then Mark Rutherford must know more about her than she thought. Although she hadn't broken any laws literally, she still knew a lot about Rob's operation and the crimes he had committed. She held the answers to a lot of unsolved crime in the city. Apparently both Rob and Mark Rutherford knew that. That in itself was a reason for Trinity to be nervous.
When the knock came at her door, at first, she didn't know what to do. She knew it had to be the cop. Trinity knew if he stayed in the hallway someone was bound to see him in her apartment building and talk. She figured she better let him say what he came to say and then get him out of here fast. She opened the door and quickly pulled him inside.
"Damn you Mark Rutherford! You're going to get me killed!"
"No I'm trying to save your life!"
Trinity closed all the blinds in her apartment," I've been through enough because of you already!"
"What do you mean? Did Rob hurt you?"
"What do you care?"
"I care alright!" He spat," If you knew how much you'd laugh."
"What are you talking about if I knew how much?"
"Don't worry yourself over that, a woman like yourself wouldn't care......"
"A woman like myself......." She interrupted," What the fuck do you mean by that?"
"Nothing...I forgot you're the virtuous one aren't you?"
"If you're asking if I fuck Robert Santiago," She turned her back to him, "Then your answer is I do what I have to to survive."
"Do you love him?"
"You don't love a man like him. You fear him. You do what you're told and don't ask questions. You ask question or even get caught talking with a cop and you're dead."
"Leave him." The statement came out as a plea.
"Why the hell do you care?" She asked again.
"Look, I'm here to help you, Trinity. I can get you out of this."
Tears welled up in her eyes, " Nobody leaves Rob. Nobody leaves and lives that is. The only way you get away from him is in the form of a body bag. I don't wanna go that route. I'm fine right here."
"Then why do you sit in your window sill and cry every night?" Mark asked, " It can't be because you're happy being his bitch."
His words struck home. That was exactly what Rob called her earlier and she knew he was right. She is his bitch, but Mark was right as well, she isn't happy about it.
"There's things you don't know about me. Why I do what I do. Do you have any family Mr. Rutherford?"
" Yes I do." He looked into her beautiful amber eyes," I know about your mother. I know how sick she is. Is that why you stay with Santiago?"
Trinity knew then that she was under investigation and the thought scared the hell out of her, but it also made her angry," So you're checking up on me? Investigating me? I haven't done anything. I told you I do what I need to so I can survive."
"You take blood money. Money people have been killed for."
A tear fell down her cheek," I do what I have to. Do you know how expensive medical bills can be, Mr. Rutherford?"
He knew that close to fifty thousand dollars had been spent on her mother's illness alone. That cost didn't include any utility bills or other house hold bills there may be concerning Ms. Margaret Holloway, her mother. Mark knew more about Trinity than even she could have guessed. He was being torn apart inside. He knew she was bad news to get involved with, but a part of him didn't care, a big part. He would gladly welcome her trouble if he could have her. He had to have her. Nothing had been the same since he met her. Honestly since he first had been assigned the case and seen her pictures.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
"I'm sorry Trinity. I can't help myself." Was all he said before he crushed his lips down on hers.
Trinity was blown away by the power in his kiss. She had never been kissed with such passion. It was the kind of kiss she had been waiting for all her life. He was the kind of man she had always dreamed of. He tasted of stale whiskey, but she had never tasted a sweeter taste. Their tongues danced as they made love with only their mouths. Mark was fast loosing control over himself. His hands roamed over the curves of her body. She moaned when his hand found one of her breasts.
"Oh God Trinity, I don't care I have to have you." He whispered in her ear with a light nip.
Reality came rushing back to her and she pushed him away. " I can't do this. Shit what am I doing?" She began to pace the living room.
"Please let me help you get out of all of this."
"I told you before there is no escape. This is my life. Deal with it, I have."
