Mark

Coming back to Alexei's house gave him bad memories.

The memories of Cassandra, growing up the black sheep, and feeling unwanted. Mark left earlier because of his new warehouses but he stayed out longer and decided to drink until he couldn't see straight. Well, he hadn't decided to drink so much, but it happened. It took shot after shot before the aching place in his chest stilled.

Talking to Tammy tonight, aggravated a lot of issues that he avoided focusing on, for years. Mark couldn't believe he is in this situation again with Alexei, where the woman he loves can't choose between them.

It hurt hearing Tammy admit everything about the brand. Mark knew she hadn't withheld the truth on anything he asked. The truth felt cutting deep in his heart. Yet, he already knew he wasn't recalibrating. The warehouses are doing amazing and since Alexei isn't going to be friendly, Mark knows he will have to use the family.

It wasn't supposed to be real, Mark taking over the family. Of course, he idolized the idea because of years of being put down and hearing everyone talk shit on his father, but Mark wanted to run things with Alexei. Mark wanted Alexei to stop acting better than him.

Mark found his way up the stairs and right to Tammy's room. He had a feeling something was off but once he opened the door and didn't find her there, it was clear. Instinctively, Mark knew she was with Alexei. His insecurity couldn't handle it. His mind whirls with thoughts of desperation, jealousy, and anger.

Mark thought about the way he desperately looked to Cassandra to want him. Everyone seemed to find him a burden. His family never felt like his family, so when Cassandra showed interest in him; Mark glowed in it. No one ever told Mark he was smart or held him. Cassandra was his all, even though he didn't completely understand what was wrong with them being together. Cassandra hadn't been the first woman he'd been with, even at that young age.

Now Mark feels that same need to see Tammy choose him. Deep in his heart he truly believes she will. No one ever has chosen him before. Tammy may be having a hard time understanding how she feels about Alexei, but she loves him. Tammy isn't going to choose Alexei. There is no way, in this short time Alexei and Tammy could be strong.

Mark still holds faith that if he can keep his insecurities and jealousy in check, that Tammy will make everything alright. Tammy is weak, not dumb. He's told her enough to make her believe she can be honest with Alexei and try to bring them together. She has a good heart. She will try to fix things between them.

Unless. . . her good heart falls in love with Alexei Smirnov. Why does everyone fall in love with Alexei Smirnov? Mark knows why. . . it's the same reason he loves Alexei and wants things back to normal.

Mark feels the tears on his face when arms surrounded him. He is thankful for the comfort but moves out of it summoning his strength.

"It's alright Mark. " Amber says with a small smile. "You and Lexie always fight over girls."

Mark scoffs and wipes the tears away. "There's something different about Tammy. "

Amber laughs but Mark doesn't take it as her being callous. That is just Amber, she's happy and bubbly. 
"I can see some differences between her and the others but in the end, she's not that different. I'm sure she will come back to you."

Mark looks up at Amber. "So, she's with him?"

Amber nods and her blue eyes seem sympathetic. "I went into Lexie's office and watched the monitors. They didn't have sex. They just talked but she's still in there. "

Mark stands.

He is ready to fight Alexei again. Mark has so much rage inside and he didn't care about anything but letting it out. All Tammy thinks about is sex, so why isn't she screwing Alexei. Mark remembers when he realized Cassandra only used him for sex. Cassandra would take Alexei out and try to force Alexei to love her. She didn't watch movies and all of that with Mark.

Amber stands from her squatted position on the hall floor with Mark. Grabbing his arm, she tugs taking his attention. Mark stops, grinding his jaw to see what Amber wants.

"You think marching in there and acting crazy is going to make her want you? Did it work before?"
Amber's eyebrows are scrunched and serious. "You need to sober up and talk to her in the morning. "

Mark knows she is right.

They both knew she is right because they have been through this before. Mark knows Tammy still didn't see him the same since his last fight with Alexei. He knows he showed too much aggression and anger. Sometimes, Mark catches Tammy looking at him and trying to figure out who he was. Sometimes, although he tries to pretend, he sees Tammy look at him like she's afraid.

"I don't know how I'm going to sleep without her and knowing she's in there with him. " Mark felt tears that he couldn't let fall.

"Come on, I'll make some coffee and stay up with you. If she has feelings for you, they will still be there in the morning no matter what happens tonight with Alexei." Amber began walking towards the steps and Mark felt helpless but to follow.

Tammy

The sun pours into the room and the warmth of the rays touches her face.

Tammy stirs in between sleep and awakening. The smell of fresh linen filling her senses. She is going to move when she feels Alexei laying on her chest. Slowly, she moves to somewhat upright positioning.

Alexei's hair spread out over her chest, and shoulder, away from his face. His cheeks are tinged pink. Alexei is fully at peace, at rest. This is a manner she hasn't seen him. He always is guarded and looking at him now makes Tammy wonder if Alexei will regret her being here.

The regret builds deep in her consciousness.

Fingers idly found their way, tracing Alexei's face and running through his hair. Alexei frowns in rest at the light disturbance. Tammy smooths the lines and he returns to a peaceful expression. A maternal feeling course through her and Alexei stirs to a slightly more comfortable position.

With a sigh, Tammy left his bed. She walks slowly to her room. Tammy heads straight away to the restroom relieving herself and taking care of hygiene. For all the rest she did get last night, her conscious still isn't at ease. Mark had been on her mind all night.

Tammy wishes this was a regular circumstance because she could just end it all. The confusing feelings and attachments would cool off from distance. She isn't in the position to force any boundaries between the two of them. Mark can change the terms of her safety and use his hand to make her life miserable. Alexei says that's the kind of person Mark is. She needs to get Alexei to help her.

********************************
Tammy pulls on leggings and a fresh black crew tee. She gathers her hair with a scrunchy into a pineapple. Then she sat on the bed with her head in her hands. At this very moment, she felt so weary.

"I see you finally came out of the lion's den." Amber walks into the room.

Actually, for the first time, Tammy is grateful to see Amber. Amber hadn't been around as often as she'd thought. "What do you mean?"

Amber raised an eyebrow looking so much like her brother. "I saw when you went to Alexei's room."

"Yeah. It wasn't like that though..." Tammy says more to herself than to anyone.

Amber giggles. "I know because I know my brother but I doubt that Mark knows that. He was freaking last night. I had to talk him down from recreating that fight scene with Alexei. "

"Mark came home?" Tammy's core shook. Mark knew and he was upset.

She'd fucked up. 

Amber folds her arms nodding. "He was drunk as fuck. I think maybe more than that. He's in the kitchen drinking coffee. I think he stayed up all night. I told him I would come to get you when you left the room. "

"Amber, I don't know how to get out of this mess. I don't want anything to happen to either one of them, but at the same time I'm worried about myself." Tammy is so worried and needs advice she doesn't hesitate to relay her position to Amber.

Amber nods. "It's not going to be easy to get out of. You know that they both have their issues. If so were you, I would get Alexei on my side. At the end of the day, Alexei and I can get Mark together. However, If you hurt my brother. . .none of us will be able to reach him. "

Tammy frowns. "I guess I should go downstairs."

Amber nods. "Also, be careful Tammy. I have never grown up under the delusion of who my cousin and my brother are. I haven't seen them care this way over a woman in a long time."

Tammy stops and examines Amber. How much of what Tammy thinks she knows about the younger woman is a facade? Amber isn't putting Tammy at ease.

"I admit I have been reckless. I now understand the seriousness of the two of them and I don't want to be dragged into it. I want to leave. I want to go home." Tammy makes her intentions more clear in hopes Amber will offer encouragement.

Amber chuckles dryly.  "Oh Tammy, your time is never going to be up. I thought you were smarter than this.
I hope that you play your hand well."

"You sound like you have the answer." Tammy is frustrated. Hearing

Amber is putting Tammy in such a high anxiety mode.

Amber shook her head.
"No, I don't have the answers for you. I do have advice. Choose with your head because both are going to need you just as much. The both of them want you just as selfishly and both have everything it takes to break your heart and get you killed."

With that, they made their way into the kitchen. Surely, there sits disheveled Mark. He still has on the same clothes he left in. His hair looks as though he's run his hands through it many times. Mark looks at Tammy with red, watery eyes. Amber immediately leaves them.

Tammy didn't know how close she should get.

"I'm not mad because you went to him. " Mark broke the silence.

His gaze continues to stare into the cup of coffee in front of him. Tammy can tell he is in deep thought. Tammy held her breath but Mark says no more. His silence and obvious sorrow stung her heart.

"Mark, what's going on? "
Tammy sat next to Mark at the island. "Why can't you end this and we go back to the US? We can go back to the apartment. You can burn these suits, ties; and just we can be in our own world. "

Mark looks away from her.
"I thought about it. I wanted to walk away from everything. But, it wouldn't be enough and eventually, I'll be hungry and I will want more. I'm sorry, I'm very selfish. I want my cake and to eat it too." Mark sighs. He seems to mirror the defeat Tammy felt inside.
"All I could think about, was forcing into the bedroom and tearing you from him. However, as I said, I - I know that it won't solve anything. I know that Alexei has feelings for you and I know that you have feelings for him, even if you want to deny it. I also know that I can't just leave with you right now when I have so much that I've been setting up for my business. and as much as I love you I know my business is my priority. "

Don't cry. Don't cry, Tammy chants to herself. "Where did you go last night?"

Mark raises an eyebrow.
"Don't ask questions you don't want answers to."

Tammy watches Mark walk away after planting a hard kiss on the top of her head. Once she knew he couldn't see her face she allows angry tears to fall. "Mark, do you care about me at all?" she asks keeping her voice even.

"I care Tammy and one day I want to make all this up to you. However, I need you to understand this, I will never be perfect, and don't test me using Alexei. I will break you before I lose you. " Mark's words make the kitchen feel small and her head hurt.

Mark is gone and Tammy looks out of the window. Mark wouldn't stop at anything to be head of the family. He will sacrifice her life for his vision. This is the moment she knew, Tammy needed to get out of here.

Her leg bounces with anxiety.

The problem right now is going to be figuring the way out. It could at least seem hopeful if they were still in the states. At the moment the realization of how far away from home she is is beginning to hurt her mind. Across seas and needing a plane or a boat to get out of here isn't ideal. Tammy stifles tears.

Her heart is so heavy because of the night with Alexei. Amber's words still dance in her mind, and now Mark's perspective makes everything that much more bleak. Amber is right, that Tammy's life will never be the same.

Tammy's head is cradled in her hands because she doesn't know what to do. Sitting in the kitchen feel foreign but she couldn't go to the bedroom and have so much of Mark's presence all around her when she misses who Mark used to be. She is missing who they were together and knowing things will never be the same. Tammy bites her nails as a knot forms in her stomach. Something bad is going to happen and Alexei already warned her that she couldn't help both men. No, Tammy has to save herself.