EIGHTY-EIGHT

Ruby turned over on the bed and saw Mack, still asleep.

She smiled as his eyes slowly opened, then he smirked and asked,"So how was it?"

"Hmm, I think you're beginning to lose your touch."She said and smiled.

"You want another try?"He asked.

She giggled as he kissed her again when there was a call on his phone which he ignored.

Ruby asked whether or not he should answer and he said,"It's probably some meeting they want me to attend, I'll go tomorrow."

He began to kiss her again when there was another call on the phone and Ruby picked it up...it was Clancy Rose's doctor.

Ruby placed her ear to the phone and listened carefully as he spoke, with a serious expression on her face, then dropped it.

Mack urgently asked what was wrong and he looked at him with tears in her eyes as she said,"Our baby can come home..."

***

At Mark's grave stone, I placed my hand on it with a smile, for the first time, I was actually happy that he was dead, at least he didn't have to live through the sufferings of life anymore.

Uncle George, as I preferred to call him now, placed a hand on my shoulder and said,"I'm sure my son would be proud of the man you grew up to be."

"Really? I've... I've changed so much..."

"And so did I, yet he always loved me even after I...I cheated on his mother..."

"With Deborah, right?"

He nodded, then I hugged him and said,"It's all over now and you have a second chance at life too."

"I just wish that I could meet Gloria one more time, to tell her how sorry I am."

"...you know one thing my wife told me? Don't wish it, live it."I said, then walked away.

He smiled as I left, then looked back at the gravestone, and placed one more freshly cut rose on the gravestone and looked at the grave which had been filled right next to Mark's years ago, then left, never to return...

***

Luis walked into the ornately furnished building and took a VIP seat elevated above the rest of the people and watched as they auctioned for various priceless items straight from the black market.

He didn't have to look for long when he found the man he was looking for, his brother...

He watched as Clark waited, impatiently tapping his feet and continually staring at an object on display and Luis knew exactly how to get him to talk.

Clark felt a sudden urge to jump off his seat in joy as the item he had been waiting, and saving for, was brought to the bid.

A person came to sit by him and he said,"Buzz off, I'm saving this seat for..."

"...Clementine, perhaps?"

Clark frowned his face when he heard that voice and looked to see his brother with that same stupid smile on his face.

Luis looked him up and down then said,"I see you never recovered from the whole... situation."

"And whose fault is it? I asked you to kill one kid, one pesky little kid and even that you couldn't do!"

"Like I said, I only work for myself."

"Not even when your own brother tells, begs you to do him a favour of something you actually loved to do?!"

Luis shrugged as the bidding master placed the first price on the floor, thirteen thousand dollars.

Luis asked what it was then Clark said,"It's none of your business."

Luis shrugged as the man reduced the price to twelve thousand dollars, then there was a buyer...for twenty four grand.

Clark looked at his brother, horrified as he smiled sweetly and waved at him.

Clark frowned and let it out, saying,"Twenty four and a half!"

Luis smirked then said,"Thirty grand."

There was a gasp in the hall as Clark increased the bid to a whopping thirty-nine grand, child's play for Luis as the price inflated to fifty grand.

Clark quietly yelled at Luis,"Why are you doing this?!"

"I want to see what it is, oh sixty five grand."

"Then I'm not letting you, eighty grand!"

"Oh little bro, you have no idea of how business works, do you? A hundred grand."

People were wondering what could be in that small box that could be worth so much, the glass casing the box was in was probably even worth more than it in fact.

Clark increased the bid to a hundred and twenty and Luis looked at him from the corner of his sharpened eyes with a smirk, then said,"Two hundred grand."

There was dead silence in the room and Clark was fuming, till he spoke again,"Two hundred and fifty grand!!"

The crowd gasped then began to clap when Luis said,"Well little bro, it seems you won, congratulations."

"Thanks, I really needed you to appreciate me for once."

"Yeah yeah whatever."Luis said then left.

Clark at that moment heard the people all talking about a cheque that would consume all his savings, property and even son's entire allowance yet still not be enough.

That son of a f-ing b*tch!!

Luis casually whistled with his hands in his pockets, walking out of the place when Clark came in front of him then went on his knees and begged, really begged, with people losing all their faith in the humble rich guy who didn't even come with a simple limo.

"Please help me."

"No."

"You caused this! You could at least help!"

"Actually you caused this, when you enter a game with me, I always win."

"Please help me, as a brother."

Luis had his eyes half closed, till Clark came up with a different approach,"My son would be taken away from me, or he'll never be able to survive."

Luis chuckled then said,"My first son is halfway across the world right now at who knows where and about survival? Do you know the number of two year olds I've killed? Don't get me started."

Luis began walking away when Clark blurted,"Fine, I'll tell you!"

He then smirked...