Demand (pt.42)

"What the fuck do you mean Lolita is missing!"Quinten yelled into his cellphone as he paced in a room."I'm sorry,i don't know where they are Quin we're still searching,but every lead comes up empty." Quinten stopped pacing,"Shes still alive,i know it.Find her." The man on the phone said,"Understood.We contacted the hospital and the roses and money were received.Someone said they seen her leave the hospital with a local rapper,someone named Scribe." Quinten started pacing again,"Find out everything on him-" The man interrupted,"We already have.Scribe and Sam have known each other for years.Word is they are best friends.Hes single.They were together at the race where she got into the accident.Someone said they herd them say 'I love you' and another person said that they haven't separated since the accident." Quinten didn't know what to say.
Could she have moved on that quick?Maybe he was just taking care of her?Had things been different it would be him caring for her.Was he trying to make a move on sympathy! Was he going to hurt her! Had I hurt her by not being there for her?For not calling her yet? Shit.
The man on the other end of the phone broke into his questioning and asked,"Whats the deal with this one Quin? Why put so much security on her? Is she worth it?" Quinten wanted to say that she hadn't judged him,that she saw him as a man and not a monster that he was forced to be.He knew that this man wouldn't understand."Don't question me.Report back when you know something of use to me." Quinten said coldly and hung up.
He felt alone,in this big house in the center of the woods. Away from the big buildings of New City. This house could have been forgotten along with the disappearing memories of Charlie,but lucky for him,Charlie had brought him here last year. Their little getaway from the stresses of life in the game. He remembered sitting with him on the couch and telling him he didn't want this,and to his surprise Charlie had said the same. Charlie spoke of how he wished he could have brought his family here and lived right. Quinten was the only one who knew of Charlies addiction,remembered how he told him each time he would take too much he would mistake his daughters for Minerva once he realized he stopped and left the room. He spoke of how he would wake up the next day and try to make it up to them,but knew deep in his heart he couldn't replace anything he had done. Quinten didn't want to believe it,Charlie was so carefree and impervious when they were in New City. But here,Charlie wasn't godly,he was just a person with huge flaws. Quinten wanted to tell Charlie he was going to do what his little sister would have wanted,but Charlie vented to him,he wanted to help him.He couldn't do that if he left to be on his own.
Quinten shook off the memories of Charlie before he got choked up and went to the fridge and grabbed a beer and threw himself on the couch. "What do you think beer,should I call her?" He said looking at the bottle. He smiled as a bubble traveled from the bottom to the body then to the foam in the neck of the bottle. "Take that as a yes." He grabbed his cell phone and looked at her name in his contacts. What if shes with Scribe? What if he answers? What if their together? ...What if she is waiting for my call to tell me she will wait forever for me? He had to know. He hit call.
Meanwhile Samantha was in Marcus' apartment. They were arguing about who was the father and taking coin bets on if they were or not as they watched TV together in his bedroom.
..Christina and Ruben have been together since high school,and were overjoyed when they found out two years later that they were pregnant with their first child Becky.After Becky turned one Ruben started denying Becky,Why is that Christina? The girl looks at the host with tear filled eyes and says,"I cheated on him with his best friend." ...
"Shes a hoe.Bet fifty cents its the best friends baby."Samantha said with a smile. Marcus looked at her and smiled back,"Your on."
..Christina gets up and walks over to the monitor and says,"Look at those eyes and ears that's all him!" Another woman's voice yells,"You know that's not his baby Christina stop lying!" The host looks around then says, "who was that?" Christina sits in her chair and cries,"His new girlfriend." The host rubs her shoulder and says,"Lets bring them out to try to get to the bottom of this."....
Samantha looked at Marcus and said,"I don't know now.The plot thickens." Marcus laughed,"Why do we always do this?" Samantha laughed then held her side in pain. Marcus looked on in alert,"Are you okay? Whats wrong? Can I get you something?" A tear fell from her eye and she shook her head no and looked at the TV.
...The host stood up and grabbed an envelope,"Well whoever the father is needs to stand up and be there for Becky." Both men and Rubens girlfriend agreed. "Ruben in the case of  one year old Becky..You are the father!" ...
Samantha looked over at him with a face of loss. Marcus shot her a half smile and said,"Triple or nothing?" Samantha smiled and nodded. "Marcus?"She asked in a regretful tone. "Yeah,Sam?" She grabbed her cup off the table and handed it to him,"Please?" He took her cup and left the room to fetch her a drink.
She grabbed her phone and looked at the time,Cyclo had been texting her all day that he had a surprise for her but didn't say when he would bring it over. Liliana and Gregorio  were Emailing her,because texting was too difficult. Liliana promised her she would deliver lunch to her and Marcus within the next five hours. Liliana was as furiuos as any biological mother would have been under the circumstances,but forgave her and made it her duty to provide food and anything she needed until she was better. It made Samantha happy to know that so many people cared for her. There had been too many times she had felt alone in this world. As she opened a text from her boss Alex that said,"Don't worry about work we are covering you fine.Just focus on getting better. I wanted to know if I could see you later?" Samantha was going to reply when her phone started ringing and in the caller ID it said Quinten.
Samantha was in shock. Marcus walked in and said,"Here's your water.Who's calling?" Samantha looked down and said,"Quinten." Marcus started breathing heavily and replied,"Ill be in the living room,handle your shit." Samantha watched him leave then answer.
"Hello?Quinten?" She said unsure. "Yes,how are you?" Quinten replied just as unsurely as she had. Samantha sighed,managed to adjust herself in the bed then replied,"I'm healing." Quinten didn't know what to say,"Um.Did you receive the flowers and envelope?" He smacked his head,why did he say that?of course she received it. Samantha smiled,"Yes,I did.The flowers were perfect,you didn't have to-" He interrupted,"I wanted to.I know how much your car meant to you." She rubbed her eyes as flashes of her car,the race,the accident burst in her head. "Thank you.So,where are you?" She asked hoping he would tell her. Quinten held his tongue almost telling her,"I'm,away right now." Samantha didn't want to beat around the bush,"Listen,I know why you left.I know that you put a hit out on Lolita.Why would you do that when you told me you were going to change!" Quintens heart sank to his stomach,"Who told you?" Samantha held back her tears,"Why? So you could put a hit out on them too!What were you thinking? After everything you told me i wanted to give you a chance but now-" Quinten spoke forcefully,"Now what Sam!?!" Silence. He tried to apologize,"Samantha I'm sorry i yelled,please tell me whats going to happen to us now?" Samantha shook off his words and said,"Nothing.You messed everything up that could have been when you put the hit out on Lolita!" Quintens anger returned,"Its that faggot Scribe isn't it! Your with him now! I have people watching you Sam you think I don't know!" Her stomach rolled. Her privacy was invaded. She put Marcus in danger. No,she wouldn't let nothing happen to him. Fuck that. "Call off your goons Quinten! How dare you have people watch me! And don't you ever disrespect Marcus like that,hes my best friend." She yelled into the phone.
Marcus rushed the room when he herd his name. He looked at her and seen her sweating and listening to the phone. He mouthed her,"Do you want me to talk to him?End this?" She shook her head and he sat next to her on the bed.
Quinten breathed then said,"I'm sorry.Its just i don't want to loose you Samantha,you don't see me as a monster,you see me as a man. I didn't see my life as worth living until i met you." Samantha let tears fall from her dark brown eyes. She wanted to believe him,and still wanted to save him from the life he was living. They were both troubled,had so many similarities. She remembered how he told her of his sister,his parents,his life. Then he remembered how he regretted what happened to Lolita."How could he regret something,then go and make plans to kill that person? No,he wont change,he wont change!" She told herself then replied to him,"Quinten i don't want you. I don't need you. I never believed in you. Leave me alone." Her words shredded him to the bone. He began to cry. If she didn't believe in him, no one ever would. Before he could get a word in he herd her hang up.
Samanthas heart hurt. What if he would have changed? Was the only thought in her mind. Marcus tried to hold her but she didn't want anyone to touch her and brushed him off. Marcus rose from the bed and grabbed a CD off his bedroom studio table then said,"Ima give you some time alone,Ill be at Henrey's apartment.Text me if anything." Samantha nodded. As soon  as she herd the front door lock,she let out every tear she could muster up.
Quinten felt like a piece of his heart was torn out of his chest. He dropped to the floor and held his face and cried hard. His tears and sobs were shattered when he herd a car door slam outside the house. "Who the fuck?" He said as he wiped the tears from his face and stalked toward the window. He grabbed his glock in the process and with his fingertip moved the shade to reveal his worst regret...