A Rose Amongst Thorns

Chapter Eighteen

Her mobile phone sounded. She looked at the screen. It displayed "unknown number."

"Is it done?"

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Proof should be coming through in a couple of seconds."

"Were you able to get the sample?"

"It wasn't easy but yes."

"What are the results?"

"We'll know in 48 hours."

"Good. Job well done. I'll call if I need you again."

She disconnected the call. I text message came through with a picture attached. After looking at the picture, she smiled and placed her phone back on her worktable. Putting her gloves back on, she knelt to inhale the chocolatey scent of the Encyclia phoenicium.

"Ah. Lovely."

She called out to her house helper.

"Yes Madame?"

"Have Arnault bring the car around. There's someplace I need to go. Has my son come yet? I'm expecting him for dinner."

"No Madame. He isn't here yet."

"Should he arrive before I return, let him know that I had to run an errand and will return shortly."

"Yes Madame."

"Back in Thailand, huh?"

"Clearly."

"Does the old man know?"

"Yeah." Mike pointed to his lip. "Can't you tell?"

"He's still hitting you, huh?"

"We all couldn't escape like you did."

"Well bro. I wasn't going to stick around and let him kill me like he almost killed mom."

Mike took out a clove cigarette, lit it and sat down on the windowsill.

"Why did you come back? You were free. Life in the U.S. couldn't have been that bad."

"You call working for that bastard being free? Bro as long as he has his claws in me, I will never be free. He has to die for me to be truly free. Distance doesn't make a difference. Besides I came back to claim what's mine."

"What's that?"

"Not what but who."

"Oh no. Are you fucking serious? Bro what is wrong with you? You need to leave him alone. It's over. You need to accept that. Stay the fuck away from him."

"I can't. I love him. I can't live without him. I need to get him back."

"He doesn't want you back. Let him go Mike. Move on with your life. You hurt him so much. What makes you think he wants you back after what you did?"

"I've changed. I'm not going to hurt him anymore. I just want to love him."

"Mike..."

"I've changed. I promise you."

"Bro I love you, but I don't think you've fixed that thing that's broken in you. The old man fucked us both up. Do you know long it took for me to get over all that shit? The beatings. The nightmares. The fear. It took years of therapy. Have you even thought about getting help?"

"I don't need to see a fucking shrink! Fuck you. What do you know? The first chance you got you ran away and left me there with HIM! Do you know what he did to me? When he was missing you, he would search me out and beat me harder saying I had to get it twice because you weren't there. He broke my arm. John...he..."