Uncle Mark Long Way Down Novels & Stories

As soon as I stepped out of the airport, Alfred, my family's butler, was already waiting at the exit. He took my luggage with his usual respect. "Welcome back, Sir. Your father and mother are waiting for you at home." The black Bentley drove into the inner city. Looking at the familiar yet strangely distant streets outside the window, I once again remembered the days when I used to sketch blueprints in our rental apartment. Back then, Ruby was always dreaming about the capital city of Norcrown.

There it was… He saw a faint mark that was barely visible but was enough to tell him this was murder. His expression darkened and as he straightened, there was no hesitation left in him. “Marcus.” He called. Marcus turned his head slightly. “I’m here.” “Send for my aunt,” Andre said, his voice calm in a way that was far more dangerous than his anger. “Now.” Marcus didn’t argue. He nodded once and gestured to one of the guards, who hurried off immediately.

Jazz was sitting on the couch, watching TV. First he looked upstairs. Then he looked over at Jazz and moved his thin lips. “Has your sister-in-law returned yet?” “No...” Jazz looked up from the TV. Mark frowned, didn’t say anything and went upstairs. There was a slight chill between his eyes. The room was cold and empty. His long frame sank into the sofa. His large hand pulled and loosened his necktie with slight impatience. He then took out his smartphone, pressed the number, frowned, then dialed and waited.

I smile and nod. Liquid courage is definitely something I could use, he leaves my apartment and the door ajar, Emily turns to me “do you love Uncle Mark?” she asks and I’m taken off guard, this time my smile is a little forced “why do you ask?” she just shrugs “it’s just that dad always says Uncle Mark is lonely, dad sends me over to uncle Mark so he remains ‘sane’” she smiles sweetly. Lonely, Markus might like to sleep with half the New York but sharing his heart is not something he does, at least not with other women.

If he was out of the picture, maybe Aunt Maggie and I could finally live in peace. “Clara, please!” Uncle Mark yelled again. “You can’t let this happen to me!” I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, Uncle Mark suddenly moved. He took a step toward me, with those eyes wild with desperation. “Clara, listen to me—” Before he could get any closer, one of Mateo’s men grabbed him by the arm and shoved him back. “Stay where you are!” the guard barked. Mateo turned, narrowing his gaze on Uncle Mark. Without a word, he reached over and took a knife from the guard standing beside him. The blade looked so sharp like a butcher's knife.

Lucas was floating through the stars, relaxed and serene, and he had no concerns whatsoever for the body stuck back on the Earth. “You alive down there?” Mark finally croaked, and Lucas managed to raise his head. “I’m good,” he replied. “Any chance you might come up and see me?” “You’re really far.” “Want me to come down there?” Lucas looked around. He was mostly upside down, and his back was starting to cramp up. Not really an appropriate location for entertaining. “No. Give me a minute.” “Okay,” Mark replied, and he waited patiently until Lucas dealt with the condom and got himself untangled and turned back around.

The thought of his daughter being taken by that man filled him with an uncontrollable rage. Suddenly, Mandy’s phone rang again. Dwight picked it up and put it on speaker. The voice on the other end was sharp and sorrowful. It was Uncle Mark. “Thank you, Mandy,” Uncle Mark began, his voice laced with bitterness. “Thank you for sending my children to jail and for finally killing my father.” Dwight’s heart skipped a beat. “What happened to Grandpa Benson?” he asked, his voice thunderous. “He died,” Uncle Mark stuttered, barely able to get the words out. “He had a stroke. He’s gone.”

Even as the pain made me convulse, I welcomed the feeling of my soul being stripped free and reborn. When it was finally over, I let out a long breath. My body felt unbelievably light. Far away, Marcus was shopping with Clara and the kids, laughing together. Suddenly, his chest tightened, and the suffocating sensation nearly made him collapse. But it passed in an instant. Confused, he brushed it off when Clara called his name, and he soon forgot about it altogether. They went to Firefly Woods. They took family photos and walked along the beach together. They had no idea that somewhere in the city, I had already left the pack behind, dragging my suitcase into an airport terminal.

"You probably shouldn't have even told him you were retiring. He’s a ghost. He wouldn't have known the power had changed." Dad laughed for real this time, though it was weary. "He would have found out. Nothing escapes Michael Knox. Besides, I didn't tell him. Adam went running his mouth, hoping to impress the man. Adam thinks that once he owns the Greene Empire, he’ll finally be worthy of his uncle's respect." "His uncle?" I froze. "Yes. Michael Knox is Adam’s uncle. Not that he cares for the boy; they don't speak. Michael is straight to the point, no drama. He doesn't keep in touch with anyone."

The roar of the Serpent’s Tail river rose up from far below—a thousand-foot drop into churning, icy death. I fought weakly, but they pinned me down. Genevieve looked down at me with cold satisfaction. “Goodbye, Little Star.” She nudged me over the edge with her slipper. The world spun. Wind howled past as I fell, the jagged rocks below rushing up to meet me. In those final seconds, no random memories flashed. Only the ones that mattered, the ones that still burned. Caspian’s strong arms around me the night he first confessed he loved me, his voice rough with emotion.