Mendacity

Chapter 1

Landsbury Incorporated.

This was it.  This was the magazine company she had applied to several times over the past year and she’d finally landed her dream job.  Or at least started a goal towards having her dream job, which was becoming a freelance photographer and running her own studio, business, whatever one wanted to call it.  The building was huge as she walked inside and realized the building had multiple small businesses within it.  She went to the 30^th floor, where Landsbury Incorporated was located and spoke to the receptionist, who told her to take a seat.  Someone would be with her shortly.

“Hi, are you Macaria White?”

Jade green eyes slowly rose to meet kind brown orbs of a gentleman, dressed to the nines in a crisp suit. “That’s me.” She rose from her chair, wearing a rather outdated black pencil skirt and a long sleeved blouse, despite the fact it was at least 90 degrees outside.

“I’m Curtis.” He extended his hand, waiting for her to accept it and shook it firmly. “Pleasure to meet you, Miss White.  If you’ll follow me…”

“Just Macaria or Caria is fine.” She requested softly, wishing she had done something with her honey blonde hair besides leaving it down with a black headband in to keep it back.

“Very well.” Curtis lead the way to his office, opening the door and guided her in before shutting it to sit down in front of his laptop. “Okay, let’s get started with the rundown of how things will be done, shall we?  Then afterward, you’ll meet my boss, and yours.  Her name is Aya Franklin and she’s well-known throughout the magazine industry, infamous for her freelance pieces.”

“Okay…”

Curtis gave her the rundown on everything needed for the upcoming internship, which surprisingly paid.  It would definitely pay the bills and keep a roof over her head.  Macaria was struggling financially, so when she saw the ad in the paper for a freelance photographer needed, she jumped at the opportunity.  Three interviews later, all with Curtis, and she was finally hired, signing on the dotted line.  They were all standard documents, basically saying she wasn’t allowed to talk to anyone outside of Aya’s company without permission, the photographs she took were the property of Aya, things of that nature.

After everything was signed, Curtis began to explain the travel schedule, since they would be with the World Wrestling Entertainment for a while, when the door flew open. 

“Macadamia, right?” Aya didn’t bother correcting the name and planted her hands on her hips. “Hi, I’m Aya, your new boss.  Pleasure to meet you.  Now, let’s lay down some ground rules, mmkay?” She began ticking off the rules one by one on her perfectly manicured fingers. “First, don’t sleep with anyone.” Aya held up a hand when her new newbie photographer’s mouth dropped, narrowing her purple-tinted -they were contacts, obviously- eyes at the other woman. “I’m not calling you a whore, or saying you’re easy, so don’t get your panties in a twist.  But a lot of these guys will sleep with whatever ring rat they can find, and photographers too, and that’s just stupid for women like us.  Second rule, dress like a slut, you’ll be treated like a slut.  Third rule, this is my  assignment, so don’t do anything to mess it up or I’ll have you fired.”

She’d had to pay a lot of dues, some of them very disgusting and disturbing, to make it to the position she held today.  Nobody would jeopardize that for her.  Her name was well-known for aggressive journalism, as well as in-depth pieces and this was definitely new, even for her.  Wrestlers?  What would they bring her next?

“That’s it.” She announced before flouncing out of the room.

Aya’s personal assistant, Curtis, who would not be joining them on this venture, flashed Macaria a nervous smile. “I wish I could say she’s not always like that, but she is.” He said quietly, glancing back down at his tablet to make sure everything was in order. “It’ll just be you two unless she hires someone to carry her things.”

He was going on vacation; his nerves needed some peace and quiet, away from Aya.  She was good at what she did, but she was also a bitch to the highest degree and was not overly friendly towards her employees.  If not for the fact he made good money working for her, he would have quit.  Also, Curtis was a little afraid to quit.  Aya might flay him alive if he even thought about handing in his resignation.

“Here’s, um, your paperwork.  Everything has been cleared and you’ve already got a passport.”

“Are you done briefing her yet, Curt?”

“Uh, I was just finishing now-”

“Never mind, we’ve got to go.” Aya threw a manila folder onto the table, smiling slightly at Macaria. “That is who I’m doing this piece on, you’ll be taking pictures.  Isn’t he delicious?” She licked her lips playfully. “He’s used to photo shoots, I’m sure.  Just read his file, it’s what his company faxed us.  They really are trying to sell that crap, aren’t they?”

Curtis didn’t want to be curious, but he was. “What do you mean?”

“Just this whole character, gimmick thing.  I seriously doubt this guy is crazy.”

“What’s his name?”

“Legally Jonathan Good, but his character’s name is Dean Ambrose.  Curtis, enjoy your time off because when you get back, I’m working your ass off.  Macaria read about Ambrose on the flight, we have to go.”

Macaria nodded, keeping her mouth shut for fear of Aya snapping at her for no reason and followed the woman through the airport.  She couldn’t be phonier as far as looks went, but Macaria knew better than to speak what was on her mind.  Being an intern at Aya’s business proved to be both challenging, successful and stressful all at the same time.  She’d finally graduated and received her degree in photography, one of the best around their area in Las Vegas.  Being a photographer was all Macaria wanted to do, thoroughly enjoying capturing moments of the world through lenses and being able to manipulate them however she saw fit.  Always a professional as well. 

Studying up on Dean Ambrose thoroughly throughout the flight as Aya commanded, Macaria noticed firsthand how incredibly gorgeous he was.  His eyes were full of blue intensity, his hair a haphazard style that begged to be ruffled with fingers and…Macaria shook her head of those thoughts instantly.  Mixing business with pleasure wasn’t in her forte and never would be.  Not to mention against Aya’s rules.  Her attire consisted of jeans and t-shirts, nothing revealing whatsoever.  Granted, if it was hot outside she’d wear tank tops, but made sure they were high enough to where no cleavage was shown or any part of her body, not even her abdomen.  Once the plane landed, she merely followed Aya through the terminal, grabbed her bag and headed out toward wherever they were meeting Aya newest client.

~!~

“Ground rules.” Stephanie was trying very hard not to slap Dean as he made quite a show of straightening up, cleaning out his ears, and folded his hands in his lap as if he were going to pay her attention. “Do not torment the journalist.  She is here to do a job and you are going to be polite to her.  Do not threaten the journalist, that falls under being polite.  Do not think about doing anything to-” She groaned when he pulled her notepad off her desk and began taking notes. “Seriously?”

His pale blue eyes flashed with amusement as he just grinned up at the woman everyone dubbed as Princess.  He was getting his own piece in a magazine.  Stuck up people would be following him around for a while and that didn’t sit well with him.  Stephanie looked like she was thinking about canceling this whole shebang.  Dean could already tell… this was going to be fun.

“Any questions, comments, concerns?”

Did Dean really have a choice in the matter to do this?  He had recently gotten back from filming a movie through WWE Studios entitled 12 Rounds: Lockdown.  It was the third installment to the 12 Rounds franchise.  John Cena and Randy Orton had done the first two movies and now he had done the third.  It turned out well enough, he supposed, though he’d find out how good or bad it was once it came out.  Actually, it’d been last night when he returned at the Night of Champions pay-per-view and beat the hell out of Seth Rollins for trying to end his wrestling career.  Slamming his head through a pile of cinderblocks wasn’t fun to endure, though it’d all been to write him off WWE television.  However, Seth wasn’t the safest worker in WWE and hadn’t done the ‘foot stomp’ on his skull, off the announcer’s table, correctly. 

If Dean hadn’t been aware of what was happening, he could’ve been paralyzed permanently.

Not only was he irritated and chomping at the bit to get at Rollins again, but his best friend, Joe Anoa’i, who fans knew as Roman Reigns, was currently recovering from emergency hernia surgery.  He had been scheduled to face Seth at Night of Champions, but his hernia back from his NFL days had acted up and ruptured.  Dean had gone to see him in the hospital earlier that day, needing to check on his friend and wished him a speedy recovery before heading to the pay-per-view to take his spot against Seth.  Roman didn’t mind and made Dean promise to get a few licks in for him in the process.

Dean had made due on that promise, or tried to, but Rollins had escaped like always.  Seth had destroyed their group collectively known as the Shield.  Ambrose. Rollins.  Reigns.  They were known as the Shield – the Hounds of Justice.  They stood for something, believed in themselves and always had each other’s backs.  They were brothers – more than friends and closer than family – only for Seth to destroy it all because of his greediness.  Triple H of the Authority, who was Stephanie’s husband, had brought his group Evolution back to face off against the Shield.  He had talked in Seth’s ear, making him believe his own hype and on June 2, 2014, the unthinkable became reality. 

Seth had taken a steel chair to the back of Roman’s very bruised and swollen back, though the fans couldn’t see it due to the gear he sported.  He allowed Randy Orton to finish the job while taking a chair to Dean at LEAST 15 times.  Dean lost count after the 10^th and he had a very high pain threshold, but the match they had endured the previous night took A LOT out of him.  They had been ripe for the picking and Seth seized the opportunity, despite the fact the Shield decimated Evolution.  Seth wanted money, the spotlight solely on him and tried destroying his Shield brethren in order to accomplish that.  Everything that night had been unscripted, it wasn’t the first time the asshole had jumped script on them either.

WWE had set up Dean for failure, but he refused to let it happen.  So he came out in jeans and a beater, whooping ass and taking names, completely changing his look.  TAKING WHAT WAS HIS.  What he felt he earned, that he deserved, after all the years he’d endured and sacrificed in the Indy’s.  There was no way he could fail, not when each member of the Shield had finally become major Superstars in the biggest wrestling organization on planet earth.  One day, Dean would become champion, but for now, he would make Seth’s life a living, miserable hell.

Now the company wanted to capitalize on the publicity from the movie and do a spread of him in some freelance magazine.  WWE no longer had their own magazine, so they outsourced certain materials to various magazine companies to keep their product flowing.  He’d be answering a ton of questions he didn’t want to and having photographs taken, another huge nuisance to deal with.

“Just one.” Dean leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and eyed Stephanie somewhat shrewdly. “When am I getting another shot at Rollins?”

Even though the Authority was an on-screen heel group that was lead by her and her husband, backstage, Stephanie was just as big of a bitch, but only when the situation called for it. “Hell in a Cell is coming up in a couple weeks and I’m thinking about putting you two in a match with the actual Hell in a Cell.  You two need to resolve your differences because, after what happened last night and what Seth did to you on Raw, even though most of it was scripted, was uncalled for.  This animosity between the two of you has to diffuse somehow, so this is your final match with him for a while.  Then you’ll start feuding with someone else.”

“Who?”

“You’ll find out soon enough, but for now, just focus on Hell in a Cell.”

Smacking his gum, Dean rose from the chair and squared his shoulders, spitting it out in the nearby garbage can. “Will do, Princess.  Thanks.”

“Dean…” Stephanie’s tone held warning. “Please don’t fuck this upcoming article up.  It could be detrimental to your career if you do.” That was the only caution she would be able to give him.

“Just make sure I have that match at Hell in a Cell and I’ll be perfectly pleasant for the article, Princess.  Pleasure doing business with you, as always.” Mocking a bow, Dean walked out the door and headed to his locker room with an extra kick in his step.

As soon as the door shut, a wicked smile curved Stephanie’s lips and she sat down in her chair, knowing Dean didn’t have a clue what was really going on in HER company.

Deciding to take a small break, Dean sat down in his locker room and pulled his cell out to call his friend to check on him. “Hey bro, how’s it going?”

“Been better, man.” Roman’s deep voice resonated through the phone, sounding a little weak, but that was to be expected after having a life-saving surgery.

“Yeah, I can tell.  They doping you up with the good shit, I hope?”

Roman chuckled, looking up at the bag with the morphine in it and nodded. “Yeah.  I’m going home tomorrow, hopefully.  I hate hospitals, they always give me the creeps.  Anyway, what’s up with you?”

Dean blew out a breath, not sure if he should burden Roman with his current issues, but they were best friends for a reason.  That was the best friend’s job, right?  To listen?  Be supportive and let the other friend vent?  Dean didn’t have a lot of friends growing up in Cincinnati, Ohio and had a rough childhood that ultimately lead him down the path of professional wrestling.

“Man, they’re doing some kinda magazine spread on me or some shit.  It’s fucking stupid.” He leaned his head back against the lockers, not happy about it. “They gotta follow me around asking questions and snapping pictures.  I mean, do I really look like a people person?”

“Do you really want me to answer that?”

Dean snorted, cracking a smile and was glad Roman still had his sense of humor. “You gotta get back on the road, bro.  It’s fucking boring as hell without you here.”

“Hey man, you know if I could be there, I would.” Roman winced again, trying to adjust on the hospital bed and grumbled under his breath. “I hate this bed.  I wanna go home…” Now he was whining and it made Dean laugh. “Not funny.”

“I know, I’m sorry.  Look, I gotta cut this short, but I’ll call and check up on you later, okay?  I’ll hold the fort down while you’re gone, big man.  Just heal up and get back here to raise more hell with me.”

They ended the call as Dean tossed his cell in his bag and stood up, wondering what this new journey and adventure would lead him to.

He had to admit, it was somewhat intriguing.

Chapter 2

“For god’s sakes, Ambrose, you are a grown ass man and I am a wrestler, not a babysitter!”

“Glorified babysitter.” Dean corrected the poor gopher named Jamie Noble, who was standing at his side. 

Smirking as he tilted back in his chair, he wondered briefly why Stephanie had felt the need to send someone along.  He was perfectly capable of meeting people on his own, he did it all the time.  True, some of those people weren’t all that happy with the way the meetings went, but he for one thought they had gone great.  No dead bodies was always a positive sign of something going right.

“My job is to make sure you stick around to meet the journalist, after that, you’re on your own.”

His response was a two-fingered salute from the forehead, eyes scanning the crowd through his sunglasses.

Aya was always dressed like she had stepped out of the pages of a fashion magazine.  Designer jeans, designer knee-high boots, and a top that was a borderline expensive slut, while still maintaining just a hint of professionalism. “Do you see him yet, Mac?” Not bothering to check to see if her shortening Macaria's name had offended the woman, Aya kept her eyes peeled.

Mac?  Macaria rolled her eyes when Aya wasn’t looking and shook her head, holding her equipment bag, since they would start today with the snapshots. “No…wait, yes.” She gestured with her free hand at a table nearby. 

They were meeting in a coffee shop of all places and it looked like Dean – Jon – wasn’t alone.  What were they supposed to call this man?  She was confused, following Aya and kept her mouth shut.  Aya would take care of the introductions and if Dean – Jon – asked her something, she would respond.  Otherwise, Macaria was there to snap pictures and keep quiet.

Aya followed Macaria’s gesture, a leather satchel across her own shoulder.  It carried everything she needed in it, old-school pens and paper, and her little tablet in its cute case.  Her lips widened into an overly bright, practiced smile as she took in her subject.  His file was fascinating from one point of view, even if it was complete and utter malarkey.  From the other point of view, she knew it was all phony and wanted to know about the actual man, not the gimmick or character he portrayed on television.

“Mr. Ambrose?” She held out her hand once she was standing at his table. “I’m Aya Landsbury.”

One look was all he needed to determine this woman was probably deluding herself into thinking she was some high society, cutting edge, in the know journalist.  Dean was already imagining how the next few months were going to play out.  He was going to have to send Stephanie a bouquet of roses, minus the razorblades, for this.

“Who?”

Aya wasn’t amused. “The Journalist.”

“Right… the writer.  What magazine again?  Home and Garden?”

“Cute.  Mac, isn’t he cute?” Aya was trying to smile through her gritted teeth.

Macaria knew better than to respond to that and merely stood there, trying not to smile.  Smiling would have her fired.  Aya didn’t take kindly to being compared to any other magazine corporation.  Why did she agree to come on this journey again?  Jade eyes met pale blue and the 6’4 jean clad man stood to his feet, squaring his shoulders and extended his hand directly to her.  Macaria didn’t know what to do, but didn’t want to be rude and simply slid her hand into Dean’s – Jon –, their eyes never leaving each other.  He truly was more gorgeous in person and those eyes could melt the entire Arctic.  Professional, she had to remain professional, Macaria scolded mentally, and shook his hand cracking the barest hint of a smile.

“Aya is a phenomenal journalist and I’m sure you won’t be disappointed in her work, Mr. Ambrose.” Then she pulled her hand out of his and let Aya take over the meeting.

Aya was beaming at the recommendation from her photographer, wondering if Curt had coached the younger woman on how to be of use outside of taking pictures. “Mac is a fairly recent graduate.  She’ll be doing all your pictures, you probably won’t even notice she’s here until it’s time for an actual shoot.” Her annoying giggle grated on Dean’s nerves, without realizing it.

“Oh, I don’t know about that.” Dean was more interested in ‘Mac’ than Aya.  He could see life in those jade green eyes, a fire simmering but also controlled, and wondered what it would take to cause an outright inferno. “Mac, huh?  What’s it short for?”

Good question.  Aya was pretty sure it was Macarena or Macadamia, she always forgot. “Jon, may I call you Jon?  Do you mind if I use a tape recorder for our conversations?”

“First of all, it’s Dean…to you, Miss Journalist.  And no, use what you want, but if you, ah, interrupt me again,” He clicked his tongue at her, almost in a scolding manner. “I’m going to assume you’re rude, and I don’t like rude.”

She had no idea what to say to that.

“Macaria, Mr. Ambrose – I mean Dean.” She answered his question, quickly correcting herself, not wanting to anger the client like Aya apparently was doing.  ‘Mac’ did not suit her at all. “If it’s not too much trouble, I prefer to be called Maca or Caria for short.”

Macaria flashed another small smile in his direction before taking her seat at the table to prepare her camera equipment.  Aya wasn’t getting off to a good start with this client and she wondered how many more times she’d have to pull her employer out of the fire.  Where the hell was Curtis when needed?  Coffee, she needed coffee if she was going to get through the first day since she’d gotten shit for sleep the previous night.

Aya had realized she was going to blow this piece before it even got started and knew she needed to get things back on track.  While not necessarily the most important piece she would ever write, she did know that there were literally millions of wrestling fans, and the WrestleMania thing was highly popular.  She screwed this up and it would definitely haunt her for a while.  She made a mental note of the proper pronunciation of Macaria's name and smiled in what she was hoping a friendly manner, passing over her debit card to the photographer.

“Would you mind getting us each a coffee?  My treat?" She wheedled, smile broadening when Macaria just nodded and walked towards the counter, turning back to Dean. “Look, I feel like we started off wrong and-”

Dean leaned back in his hair and folded his hands behind his head, wondering if this broad was for real. “How’d you get this job?”

“I uh, wrote an article about-”

“No, no, no,” He waved his hands with each word, shaking his head. “I mean, how did you land me?”

“I’m good at what I do is how, Dean.” Aya would admit to being a little miffed.

His hands flew down to the button of his jeans. “So if I were to, uh, whip it out right now?”

Aya was saved by the return of Macaria and she could only stare at this mongrel, who was looking like he had never just... Dear god, he was crazy, that was the only explanation!

“Black, I love it black.” Dean took the cup meant for Aya, after Macaria had taken a sip of what was obviously hers, tracing his tongue around the rim, enjoying the steam.  He took a sip and then promptly turned to pour it out in the nearest plant, within easy arm’s reach. “No, no I hate it black.  Aya, mind getting us a new one?  Something, sweet, and…” He took a deep breath, amused that she was already rising from her seat. “Sticky?” He breathed out, his low, gritty voice reaching new depths of raspiness.

Aya needed a new game plan because he was not what she was used to and she wasn't about to be put off by some whacko with muscles and crazy curly hair. “Sure.” She beamed at him and pushed away from the table.

Macaria could entertain him for a bit.

Her long honey blonde tresses were currently pulled back in a braid hanging over her shoulder to keep it out of the way, face devoid of makeup.  Just a little chap-stick to keep her mouth moisturized.  Macaria wasn’t expecting Dean – Jon – to send Aya to grab new coffee for him and blinked, watching her stalk off angrily.  Oh boy, that wasn’t good.  She’d only seen Aya angry once, which had been on the plane, and NEVER wanted to see it again. 

Just who was this Dean – Jon – guy anyway?  And when would she stop referring to him as both the man and the wrestler?  Macaria did not miss the low raspy voice of his with a hint of grit and felt her panties dampen instantly.  It was a good thing she was a master at keeping herself in check or else Dean – Jon – would make her an instant target.  She didn’t realize she already was one, however, and sipped her cappuccino carefully as to not burn her mouth.

“While she’s occupied…”

Dean literally dragged his seat, not caring about the scraping noises the chair made until he was seated alongside Macaria.  Now SHE was interesting.  She was quiet for the most part, but when she had spoken, it was politely and to the point.  This woman had manners and wasn’t making an ass of herself.

“What kind of pictures have you done?  People?  Plants?  People on plants?” He cocked an eyebrow when she simply stared at him, leaning in until he could smell her drink on her lips.  She was drinking cappuccino, which was gross, but it did smell good. “Nude pictures?  We can definitely do those.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her before leaning back, rocking his chair until it was on two legs and looked around, rolling his head from shoulder to shoulder.

People on plants?  This man was demented and weird, but she found it refreshing.  Maybe she was weird and demented herself.  Who knew? 

“Cappuccino for you, and one for me.” Aya set them both down, frowning when she realized Dean had moved.

“So, how is this going to work out?” Dean asked, ignoring the drink and actually got down to business. “Are you two going to follow me around everywhere?”

“Basically, yes.”

“Taking notes and pictures?” He glanced at Macaria. “Sounds boring, I can be boring.”

“Somehow I doubt that, Dean.” Aya deadpanned, glancing at her wristwatch. “Consider this reality TV, only we’re using still shots and pens.”

“Let's get started then.”  He stood up, ready to go.

Macaria stood up, sliding her chair in and grabbed her gear, turning to fully face Dean – Jon – and suddenly got fed up with referring to him in her brain as two different names. “Before we start this, I need to know what you prefer to be called.  Dean Ambrose, Jonathan Good, Jon Good, Jonny, Deany?” Okay, maybe that was a little over the top and uncalled for, but Macaria had to lighten the mood somehow and merely smiled at Aya’s glare shot her way. “I need to know for the photographs.”

“For the photos?  They usually just call me sweet thing.” Dean informed her, sounding perfectly serious.  Though, behind the sunglasses, his blue eyes were filled with mirth.  This exchange was amusing. “You can call me Jon, or Dean, I’ll answer to both.”

“Isn’t Dean your wrestling character’s name?”

“Dean Ambrose, just another name for the man.” He jabbed his thumb into his chest. “It’s only a character if, at the end of the day, you go home and leave the crazy at the door.  I take the crazy into bed with me.”

Aya was definitely quoting him on that one.

It took every ounce of resolve inside of Macaria not to burst out laughing at Dean’s antics, deciding to call him Dean was the way to go.  Jon didn’t suit him – Dean definitely did.  He was far from a ‘sweet thing’, that much was obvious and Aya looked like she wanted to blow her head off.  Mentioning bed definitely made her a little damper, but Dean didn’t need to know that.  Macaria was definitely going to have to learn some self-control around him since there was a zero ‘fuck the client’ tolerance when it came to Aya.  They started off down the street with Macaria moving in front of them stealthily, snapping shots left and right while Aya asked Dean various questions.  When they arrived at the gym he’d be working out at, Aya left Macaria to snap pictures while she went back to the hotel for some R&R.

Technically, Aya was going to get her R&R, but also it meant to read and research.  She definitely needed more information about Jonathan Good – Dean Ambrose – than what had been in that measly little file from the WWE.  She would also pump Macaria for any information she found out later.  Aya needed to know about Dean, so she could figure out a way to talk to him, get to know him, without either of them going insane.  

Or in his case, even more crazy, if that were possible.

“Your boss is a shrew.” Dean stated bluntly to Macaria once he had emerged from the men’s locker room at the gym.  He would’ve invited her to join him, but... it wasn’t a private gym.  If there had been other guys there, she might’ve gotten thrown out.  Invitation denied. “So... how does this work?  You’re just going to hang around and take pictures of me while I lift weights and stuff?” He reached around to rub the back of his neck, wondering what the purpose of pictures of him sweating, and looking gross, would do for anyone.

Macaria didn’t comment on what he said about Aya, agreeing mentally and knowing better than to voice her thoughts on the boss. “Basically, yes.  We need a scope on everything you do each day from now until the night after your big event.  WrestleMania, is it?”

This would take several months to complete.  She watched Dean nod, smiling softly and readied her camera.  The thought of this man working out in front of her, dripping with sweat and looking edible, had Macaria’s senses reeling.  Aya was punishing her, she simply knew it, and for what she didn’t know.

“I’ll only snap a couple today and leave you to do the rest of your workout.  You won’t know I’m here.”

“Oh, I'll know you’re here, you seem very hard to miss.” Dean wasn’t entirely convinced about this.  It was one thing to take pictures of him posing all slutty like in a towel or something, but like this was just weird. “You can stay…” He added, settling himself on a weight bench, deciding to hold off on anything that would make his junk bounce all over the place.  No need for her to get pictures of that just yet.  Dean needed to break her in slowly, not scare her away right off the bat. “You never know, I might do something impressive that needs to be documented on film.”

He started his workout, well aware of her, but also rather impressed with how she seemed to just melt away.  Macaria probably would have managed to lose him in a crowd or something, if he hadn't been hyperaware at the moment.  It was just... weird.  Him being the target for something this major, at least the picture aspect.  After a while, he closed his eyes, listening to the sounds of the gym, of the people, trying to pinpoint where she was by sound alone since she was definitely a quiet one.

The way his arms flexed and bulged while doing a CrossFit workout had Macaria needing an ice cold shower.  She made sure to make the shots impressive yet ‘PG’ rated since his junk wasn’t exactly in place all the time in those basketball shorts he wore.  Black.  The man looked great in black.  His hair was slick with sweat while he took the medicine ball and began lifting it up before slamming it back on the mats repeatedly.  Dear god, his body was chiseled out of stone and she noticed the scar on his upper right shoulder blade, wondering where that came from.  Macaria made a mental note to do some research on him on her own time without Aya knowing, curious about this new client.

Chapter 3

Amber eyes blinked rapidly.

Stephanie McMahon had just finished giving her all the script changes for certain wrestlers within the company, such as Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose.  Now she had to go to her office and execute every single request; whether she liked it or not.  Nyla Miller had been working as a scriptwriter for the WWE for almost 12 years now and enjoyed her job, for the most part.  Except now that Stephanie was calling the shots with some of the wrestler’s scripts, it had taken a turn for the worse.

Roman Reigns was the perfect example.  Nobody in the company called him by his birth name; people generally didn’t call each other by their birth names because of how much they lived vicariously through their characters on the road.  The large Samoan wrestler had a twice as large presence about him and, when he came to her office and growled at her about his script a few times, she honestly couldn’t say anything to him.  He didn’t know the changes were Stephanie’s doing and, each time he visited her small office, Nyla felt smaller and smaller around the giant Samoan.  Once Nyla got to her office she swept her dark chocolate brown waist length hair up into a ponytail and got busy making the requested changes.  Roman was out for the next couple months, so at least she wouldn’t have to deal with his temper for a while.

However, deep down, she was worried about him and had heard what happened.  Ever since the Shield had debuted in the company, they had lit a fire within WWE.  Something had been missing for a long time, since the Attitude Era, though she hadn’t been around back then.  She had started with the company at the tender age of 23 toward the end of 2003.  It was known as the Ruthless Aggression Era, where new stars had risen up the ranks to try to make names for themselves.  Wrestlers like John Cena, Randy Orton and David Batista, for instance.  Even though she was a veteran at her job, Nyla had seen a lot of wrestlers come and go, but those three had managed to become huge stars.  Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose’s skyrocket to stardom reminded her so much of those men as far as their successful rises to the top.

The problem now was Stephanie had dug her heels in, putting pressure on certain wrestlers to see who would break, and who would stand tall, at the end of the day.  Stephanie had been on a major power trip since her father, Vince McMahon, had placed her and her husband, Triple H, in charge while Vince had decided to take some much-needed vacation time away from the company.  Bad move.  But who was Nyla to argue with her boss?

Glancing up at the clock, Nyla broke out of her thoughts when her cell phone vibrated on the desk and smiled at the name flashing on the caller ID.  A small five-minute break wouldn’t harm anything.  She refused not to answer this call, but wouldn’t do it inside the arena.  Sending a text that said, ‘I’ll call you right back’, Nyla saved her work, shut her laptop and made her way down the hallway toward the back entrance.  It was her favorite place in any of the arenas and, since she’d been working for the company over a decade, Nyla knew most of them inside and out.

Once outside, she let the warm Indian summer breeze rush over her and called the person back. “Hey sweetheart, how’s it going?” She managed to slink between two trucks and kept her voice down.

“Hey, Mom!  Sorry for calling, but I had to tell you I got an A on my spelling test today!” Her sweet little girl’s voice echoed in her ear excitedly.  Neela had recently turned 9 years old and Nyla swore she was going on 16 with her attitude sometimes.  Right now, she was being an angel, but she definitely had her moments where she was a terrorist.

“That’s wonderful, sweetheart.  I’m so proud of you.  Are you being good for Grammie and Poppie?” Nyla asked, leaning back against the truck and listened to Neela tell her about going to the zoo over the weekend.

School had recently gone back in session and Neela loved it, having missed her friends.  She lived with Nyla’s parents, Benjamin and June Miller, her grandparents, due to Nyla’s insane work schedule.  They had full custody of Neela, just for emergency situations and whatnot.  Nyla was rarely home, only getting 2-3 days off a week, depending on the circumstances.  Whenever the company went overseas for their tours, she got those couple weeks off to be with her daughter, but those were few and far between, only coming up three or four times a year.  It wasn’t enough time and Nyla knew she was missing out watching Neela grow up, but she had to provide for them as well as her parents.

The money was simply too good in WWE, along with the benefits.

“Momma, when are you coming to see me again?  I miss you…” Neela tried not to cry, wanting to be brave for her mother, but honestly, she missed seeing her.

Nyla’s heart broke, the guilt eating away at her insides and swallowed past the lump in her throat. “Soon, baby, soon I promise.  As a matter of fact, Wednesday is when I’m coming home to see you for a few days.  How does that sound?” She chuckled at Neela’s squealing her ear and wiped a few stray tears from her eyes.

A few minutes later, Nyla hung up with her excited daughter and headed back into the arena, hoping nothing last minute came up to where she had to cancel that flight home.

~!~

“All done, see?  That wasn’t so bad, was it?” Macaria closed her camera up and put it back in the protective case, while Dean wiped the sweat off his face with the towel.

Before she could put the camera away entirely, Dean had stopped her and taken it from her, turning it in his hands to examine it. “This is one expensive piece of equipment.” He whistled, looking up in time to see the panic on her face and knew he was right in his assumption.  It had probably cost her an arm, leg, and firstborn child to acquire this piece of equipment.  Dean wondered idly if she could even afford another one should it break. “Pose for me, Macaria.” He rasped out her name, flicking his hair back off his forehead and smirked when she just looked at him almost blankly. “Come on, pout for me.” He held the camera up and began snapping pictures. “Give me something…tch…something sexy.”

“Please be careful with that.” She begged, not above it when it came to her camera.  Macaria wasn’t a poser and hated having her picture taken, chewing her bottom lip nervously.  She nearly jumped when he roared ‘YES’ and began snapping pictures, looking away from the camera shyly. “I don’t like my picture taken, Dean.” The murmur was soft and loud enough for only him to hear, a strand of honey blonde escaping the braid to fall over her face. “I don’t know how to be ‘sexy’ either.” Nobody had touched that camera, not even Aya, so Dean doing it had her heart racing along with her anxiety.

Dean could practically smell the anxiety coming off of her and the way she looked, reluctantly, at the camera.  Or, more to the point, through it, at him.  Her jade eyes were definitely expressive, even with how timid she seemed about having her picture taken and it was crazy.  She was gorgeous with her long, honey blonde hair.  It was braided, but he could tell when it was down, it would be heavy and insanely long.  Probably too long to be practical, but it was still sexy.

“You ever think about modeling?” He asked curiously, circling her, noting the redness in her cheeks. “You should, ah…” Lowering the camera for a moment in order to meet her gaze, Dean slid his tongue along his bottom lip momentarily. “You should take your hair down for me.” Camera was back up and he was taking pictures of her face as she considered that, finally stopping. “Maca, we are out of film, darlin’.” Bummer.

“No, we’re not.”

What was she doing?!  This was her opportunity to snatch the camera away from Dean and get out of there!  Had Macaria lost her mind?  Maybe.  Her cheeks were still flaming red from Dean snapping pictures of her, showing her shy side.  She wasn’t anything special to look at – just a simple girl who loved photography.  Nothing more, nothing less and definitely nothing compared to what Dean experienced daily.  Snatching the camera from him, she clicked a few buttons and a new roll replaced the new one.  It was a high-tech camera, top of the line, which is why she’d gotten the job with Aya in the first place.

“I should be taking pictures of you, not the other way around.”

“Now – now, Maca, what fun is that?” Dean chastised playfully, making another clicking noise with his tongue.  Something that was a habit of his, one that had worked out quite well for him, actually.  His distinctive way of speaking had been a serious boon to his promo cutting abilities. “Why don’t you hand that back to me, hmm?”

He didn’t wait for her to answer and simply reached for it, taking it easy from her without damaging it.  Dean was going to venture a guess she had let him take it, not because of his superior size and strength, but because it was an expensive piece of equipment and she was afraid of it being destroyed.  When he looked through the lens and seen the ‘drop it and you’re dead’ look in her beautiful jade eyes, he grinned.

“That’s it, babe, nice and angry.” He practically growled out the last word, snapping a photo before the look disappeared.

Did he really just call her babe?  This was getting out of hand now.  Macaria had to take control of this situation, but she had no clue how to do it.  Leaving her here alone with Dean wasn’t a smart move on Aya’s part; what had the woman been thinking?

“Dean…”

She groaned when he bounced around her enough to stand behind and pulled out the hairband that bound her hair together in the braid.  This man was determined to get his way, that much was obvious.  Macaria could feel her cheeks burning again, turning deep crimson and tried keeping her eyes away from the camera, but it was no use.

“I can do it.” She murmured when he tried unraveling the braid, wrapping a hand around his wrist stopping him from touching her hair. 

Her breath was stolen when their eyes locked again – a mixture of pale blue and jade.

He was a free spirit and his moods changed just as rapidly as his actions did and Dean would never apologize for his ways.  Currently, Macaria was seeing him in a great mood, a playful mood, though when she touched him, his mood shifted.  He stepped away from her and let her begin taking down her hair, his eyes never leaving hers.  Macaria had a lot of hair and he could envision her laying on a bed with black silk sheets, those honey blonde tresses covering her nude body and splayed across the sheets. 

Lord knew there was enough there to cover her several times over.  Dean couldn’t resist, he reached out with his free hand to take a tendril between his fingers, having to feel if it was as smooth as it looked.  Her hair was wavy from being in the braid all this time and reached just above her waist.  Completely straightened, it would go way past her backside.  Her hair had a natural curl to it, but nothing like Curly Sue.

“Now do you see why I keep it in a braid?” Macaria murmured, enjoying his fingers playing with her hair for a moment or two. 

The sexual tension between them was real and fierce, more intense than anything she’d felt before.  It’d been a while since Macaria had sex and she couldn’t help wondering what it would be like to sleep with this gigantic specimen in front of her.  No doubt he probably packed a punch in bed.  Taking a chance when some of his damp curls slid over his forehead into his eyes, Macaria reached up to brush them away before sliding her fingers down the side of his face until her fingers reached the slight stubble outlining his jaw.

Now, THIS – this was interesting and arousing.  Dean had to think of some very horrible things because he was wearing basketball shorts.  They weren’t going to hide anything if he popped a boner right here in a very public gym.  Not that he overly minded; Dean was proud of his dick, it was great, but other people might take offense, like Macaria.  Maybe.  She seemed to like touching him.  He closed his eyes as she traced his stubble, opening his mouth to catch her fingertip between his lips when the digit was close enough.  Nibbling for a second before stopping, he gazed down at her intensely.

“We should get the hell out of here,” Without even thinking about it, Dean was looking in all directions before rolling his head along his shoulders, feeling something in his neck crack quite nicely. “Before I make a scene.”

Jolting out of whatever trance she was in, Macaria pulled her hand away and stepped back, giving them both some much-needed space and breathing room. “Y-Yeah, yes you go that way and I’ll leave.  I got enough shots for now.  See you later, Dean.”

She hightailed it as fast as she could, with camera in hand, out the door to her vehicle and sped off toward the hotel.  What the HELL was she doing?!  Macaria was breaking Aya’s rule of sleeping with the client!  Granted, it hadn’t happened yet, but from the simple touches and looks they gave each other, it was only a matter of time.

“I’m fucked.  I’m so fucked.  I’m beyond fucked.  I’m really – REALLY fucked.” She muttered, babbling to herself and turned the radio up, trying to do something – anything – to get Dean Ambrose off her mind.

What the hell was that about?  Dean was never going to understand dames, not that he had really tried all that much in the past.  Generally, there was just too many issues and he was not a baggage man.  Shrugging, he headed for the showers, desperately needing one.  He was rank and had some issues that Rosy Palm and her five daughters needed to help him out with.  Macaria had all but scampered the hell away and he wondered if it was because he had unnerved her.  Technically, she had started the touching thing first; all he had done was mess with her hair.  He smirked slightly, wondering what Aya would have to say about some downtime at a beach.

Chapter 4

Later that night, after a few hours calming herself down and taking a cold shower, Macaria was back to herself and followed Aya inside the arena to meet up with Dean.  They stood outside a room labeled DEAN AMBROSE in black bold print and Aya knocked before walking inside.  Macaria tried not to let her eyes move to Dean, but it was hard considering he was currently doing pushups on his FINGERTIPS.  Holy fuck that was hot, she thought, swallowing hard with her hair once again braided over her shoulder.  It was the simplest style to go with being a photographer and all.  She was dressed in black dress pants and an emerald long sleeved top since it was cold outside, having to follow the WWE’s dress code, according to Aya.  It made them look more professional.  Nothing showed though, not even a hint of cleavage and once again her face was devoid of makeup, unlike Aya.

Damn but he was good-looking; Aya motioned for Macaria to get out her camera and do what she was being paid: take some damn pictures!  That camera should have been out the moment they stepped foot in the arena, as far as she was concerned.  She could have easily blended in with all the other women, who were caked in makeup, though she didn't acknowledge the fact that they needed it due to being on live television.  Whereas she just had a heavy hand when it came to her airbrushing makeup.

“Is this how you prepare for a match?”

“Sometimes.” He breathed through his reps.

“What else do you do?”

“Blow shit up.  Watch movies.” Each sentence was short, Dean was busy breathing through his exercise. “Fuck.”

That last one she couldn't print and Aya completely missed the smirk he managed to shoot Macaria.

Macaria didn’t miss it, wishing Dean wouldn’t do that because she had a hard time focusing on anything else.  No!  She was a professional, damn it!  She could do this.  It was her time to shine and show just how talented of a photographer she was.  The picture snapping began while Dean continued his reps with the pushups and Macaria could see the desire swirling through Aya’s eyes.  No doubt she would try to land Dean in bed.  She wouldn’t be the one to tell her boss he wasn’t interested and thought her a shrew.  Then again, maybe Dean was the same way.  Macaria didn’t know the man from a hole in the ground, after all.  She stepped back when he finished his reps, bare from the waist up in a pair of tight-fitting blue jeans that showed just what religion he was.  The temperature in the room had escalated drastically and Macaria suddenly regretted not wearing a short-sleeved top.

Once he was done with his workout, he popped up and stretched.  The lighting in the room caught the sweat on his body, casting some interesting, gleaming shadows along his bare chest and down his abs.  When he was done stretching, he reached for a bottle of water, locking his pale blue eyes on the women.  Dean didn't break his stare as he drained the bottle, crushing it in his fist.

“So, ladies…” His head tilted to the side briefly as he studied Macaria, noting that she looked rather…flushed. “Need some cold air, babe?”

“Babe?” Aya glanced back at Macaria and then back to Dean, purple eyes narrowing.

“Babe, a generic name for a woman.  You’re a babe too.” He clarified, almost teasingly, though pale blue was glossing into ice as he realized Aya was the type of boss to send someone, like a photographer, away if she thought they were getting in her spot of being lead. “Or a virago.”

Aya had no idea what that meant, but the way he said it, it just rolled off his tongue and she smiled up at him. “Got time for a few questions?”

Dean just called her boss a shrew without the woman realizing it, using a different word Aya no doubt thought was a compliment.  He was slick, she’d give him that.  Why did he insist on calling her babe though?  Macaria shook her head while Dean pulled out a steel folding chair for Aya while he continued pumping himself up for the event that night.  The show was called Raw and it was always live on Monday nights, or so Macaria assumed.

“Just Maca or Caria, please, Dean.” She requested softly, not wanting her boss getting angry for being called a babe. 

Aya was full of herself, good at what she did, but had an ego the size of Mount Rushmore, possibly larger.  Definitely larger.  Macaria snapped a few more pictures and took a break while Aya began questioning Dean, wanting his full attention on her.

Dean knew Aya would have no problem shipping off his lovely little photographer, if she thought the other woman was in her way, so...with the interests of himself at heart, he would play Aya’s little game.  At least for now.  He did love games, especially when there were established rules he could eventually bust all to hell.  Aya was shooting off what had to be the most repetitive questions ever from some standard list of crappy journalism.  If this woman was as good and established, as people liked to tell him, where the hell was the good stuff?  Dean could see he was going to get bored of this really quick.  Maca was going to have to be his little diversion.

“Tell me about your childhood.” Aya requested, more of an order than anything. “You lived in some pretty shady places growing up.  You lived in government-funded places, public housing projects, in rough neighborhoods-”

“Someone’s been on Wikipedia…” He singsonged, dropping down into a metal folding chair, staring at Aya intently.

When Aya called for a break to take an important phone call, it once again left Macaria and Dean alone.  This wasn’t good, not after what happened earlier that day at the gym. “You know, even though she’s a shrew, you could go a little easier on her.” She commented, leaning against the wall sitting Indian style with her laptop, trying to upload the pictures thus far from her camera.  It wasn’t a smart idea to talk to this man or defend her boss, but at the end of the day, Aya signed her paychecks.  If she wanted to continue having a roof over her head and food in her mouth, Macaria had to find a way to make things easier for her boss.

“If I do that, she might lose her cutting edge and best in the biz credibility.” Dean remarked it so innocently, and sincerely, he almost believed himself. 

He snorted when Macaria just gave him a look that informed him she could see quite clearly through the drivel he was spewing.  He grinned, getting to his feet and slowly ambled towards her, proving that his painted on jeans had just enough give to stick his hands in his front pockets.  Slouching slightly, his shoulders rounded as he stared down at her, wondering if she really wanted him to go easy on her boss.

“Afraid of the virago, are we?” He was staring down at her, and it was a long way down, though she didn't seem to be intimidated. Crouching down, legs apart, forearms resting on his bent knees, Dean studied her thoughtfully. “She doesn’t appreciate you, so why bother, hmm?”

“I’m not afraid of anyone, especially her.  I just…She’s my boss and I have to do what my boss tells me if I want to get paid.  If you want more in-depth questions, tell her.  She’s not a mind reader, even though she tries to claim it.”

Not to mention, Macaria hadn’t worked that long with Aya, really wishing Curtis would’ve joined them on this journey because at least he’d be able to keep her from breaking rules – Aya’s rules.  Looking up at Dean, he still towered over her even in a squatted position.  Macaria wished he would put a shirt on or something to cover his bare chest because it was making the moisture pool between her legs again.

“And I bother because I love what I do for a living, just as I know you do too.  I don’t like her, don’t respect her, but she does have one hell of a company and it’s a foot in the door to get to where I really want to be.  So go easier on her and…I’ll owe you, I guess…” Macaria regretted those words as soon as they left her mouth.

Almost as soon as she said those magical words, Dean reached out to take her hand and shook it. “Deal.” He’d do her a solid and claim a return on it, eventually, his mind already swimming with ideas. “Do you want me to go easier on you, Maca?” He then asked, his eyes hooded as he regarded her. “Or do you like it rough?” Blinking, he pushed away from her, getting back to his feet properly and looked around the room.  He suddenly had a surge of energy rushing through his muscular body and more exercise was not an option. “Hey, let’s go grab some chow.” Without waiting for her to say yay or nay, he reached down to grab her hand and haul her to her feet, fingers threading through hers without thought.

She didn’t know how to answer that easy or rough question, not knowing what he meant.  It didn’t matter since Macaria was being forced to go to catering with him, wondering what was going through this man’s mind.  They called him the Lunatic Fringe and she could see why.  Dean was hyper and had small quirks about himself nobody else had, making him a very interesting character.  When they arrived in catering, a few pairs of eyes turned to her and Macaria did her best to blend in with everyone, taking a plate Dean handed her while he loaded his up.  This wasn’t a good idea, she thought, remembering the boundaries Aya laid out for her.  However, she didn’t know Stephanie McMahon, one of the bosses of WWE, had laid out the same rules for Dean…somewhat.

“Wow, are you really going to eat all of that?” Macaria blurted out and immediately covered her mouth, both of them sitting down at a table a little ways from everyone else in the room.

“Uh, nope…but probably most of it, definitely like…” Dean closed one eye, surveying his loaded plate with the other. “Eighty percent, for sure, the rest is for you.”

Because she had hardly taken jack from the table, and he held his plate over hers to scrape off her twenty.  Stephanie had indeed laid out rules for him, but they had been about Aya.  Stephanie had ordered not to literally screw the journalist or some such nonsense.  That was not a problem.  Dean wanted the photographer anyway.

“You have to remember, I don’t have the appetite of a giant or a small army.” Hell, there was NOTHING small about this man, even his fingers were lengthy.  Christ, now she was thinking about his hands being in places and…NO! “Thanks.” Macaria began munching on a chicken drumstick, pleased with the catering WWE provided.  That was one good thing at least. “So, since you won’t talk to my boss, and you seem to want to spend time with me, why not tell me something about you nobody else knows?”

The research had been done and Macaria had watched a few clips from his Independent wrestling days.  Honestly wondering if some of the stuff regarding his childhood he said in promos was true.  Curiosity killed the cat, as the old saying went.

“Whatever you say will stay between us, I promise.”

Sure, off the record and all that.  Dean might've thought she was a fine piece of tail and definitely interested in pursuing her, but he hadn't been born yesterday.  She worked with a journalist, nothing was sacred.

“Like what?” He asked finally, around a mouthful of what was some type of grainy bread. "My first kiss was in the 3^rd grade, she screamed afterward.  Or maybe that was me…” If she wanted to know about him and expected him to believe her 'between us' thing, Macaria would have to do some trading back and forth.

“Mine was high school.  And it was a prank.  I kicked the guy in the nuts afterward and, since he was the captain of the football team, he couldn’t play in the championship game.”

Macaria grinned at the memory, proud of herself and chomped on more chicken.  Even though she acted shy, if a man tried to physically harm her, Macaria knew how to take care of herself.  Self-defense and kick-boxing classes worked wonders for that sort of thing.

“You moved fast – 3^rd grade?  God, I feel like a prude now.  Thanks, Deano.” She laughed because it reminded her of the dinosaur from the Flintstones. “Anyway…”

“I only kissed her because eating worms was not an option,” Dean remarked, a serious tone to his voice. “Inner-city kids do a lot of growing up quick.” A lot of copying of stuff they saw older kids doing, other people doing in their oh-so-lovely neighborhoods.  He had indeed grown up damn quick.  Dean grinned at her own story, wondering if it was meant to be a harmless prank or done out of spite. “Any reason for the prank, for possibly costing this guy the, uh, chance to play in a game that important?”

“It was meant to be mean because his ex-girlfriend hated me.  I was a loner in high school and she was the lead cheerleader.  Same old song and dance.  They thought they’d get the best of me and instead, I got the best of them.”

Macaria rolled her eyes, dipping a carrot in some of Dean’s ranch sauce since she was out.  It sounded like Dean had a rough childhood from what he offered and Macaria’s heart went out to him.  It couldn’t be easy; the stuff he spat in his Indy promos about his mother being a whore on the streets in order to put food on the table was probably all true.  She couldn’t imagine and had grown up in a semi-decent place, with a single mother, who worked 3 jobs in order to support her and her lamebrain, deadbeat sister that still sponged off of her.

“So about what happened earlier at the gym, I was out of line and I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”

Dean had to digest that, wondering if he had heard her right.  Because of issues with another girl, she had cost a guy what could have been his ride to college.  That was pretty awesome actually, nobody would ever accuse Dean Ambrose of being a saint because he sure as hell wasn’t one.  He had grown up in an environment that did not allow for 'take prisoners and be merciful' attitudes.

“Wait…” He blinked, she had switched gears on him pretty quick. “Were you sucking on my finger?” He could have sworn it was the other way around and saw just a hint of pink appearing in her cheeks.

“I – um – I touched you first though and I shouldn’t have done that.”

Wow, the temperature in catering had kicked up a notch, or several, and Macaria lowered her gaze to her food.  She wanted to pretend it never happened because, if Aya found out, she would lose her job and be sent back to Vegas with what was left of her luggage.  Aya was called ‘the Dragon’ for a reason throughout the company.

“W-We should head back before Aya returns and finds us gone.” Standing from the table, Macaria tossed her half-full plate of food away and walked out of catering to get some kind of Dean-free air, even if it was for a couple seconds.

Only because it was her second day of getting to know him, Dean would let her get away with walking away from him AGAIN.  Next time, however, -he was dead sure there would be a next time because Macaria seemed very skittish- he was going to chase after her and he doubted she’d be able to walk away when he was done.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t.”

“Hey Princess, you said not to mess with the journalist and I’m not going too.” Dean crossed his heart, smiling at Stephanie. “You have my word.”

She made a low growly noise as she studied him, finally nodding.

Loophole, Stephanie hadn’t mentioned a thing about the photographer.

Chapter 5

“Knock – knock, gorgeous…”

Nyla looked up at the soft tap on her door, which was half open, to begin with, and saw Seth Rollins standing in the doorway.  The Authority’s golden boy.  Stephanie and Hunter’s handpicked future World Heavyweight champion, who had recently won the yearly Money in the Bank contract.  It wasn’t on his own merit though, he’d had assistance from the Authority’s Director of Operations – Kane.  They had completely destroyed Glen Jacob’s character, but the man didn’t seem to mind trekking around in a suit and tie without his mask.  However, in matches, he still wore his mask sometimes, when the ‘Demon’ was released and Nyla thought it was ridiculous.  Saying that aloud would surely get her fired, however, so Nyla kept her thoughts to herself and cracked a hesitant smile at Seth.

“What can I help you with, Seth?” She asked politely, saving her work to give him attention.  Seth wouldn’t have it any other way.

He smirked at how cordial she always was towards him and planted his Money in the Bank briefcase on the table. “Always down to business, eh?  You wound me, Nyla.” He clutched his chest in mocking dismay, his dark eyes boring into her. “I think you need a break from this…”

No, she didn’t and could the underlying tone in his voice, the hidden meaning. “Seth, I’m really busy…” Nyla frowned when he closed her laptop lid and lifted it, setting it on the floor beside the table.

“And I’m telling you it’s time for a break,” Seth ordered, keeping the smile on his face and moved around the desk to tower over her. “Stand up.”

Sighing, Nyla obeyed his command and rose from her chair, trying not to be hesitant.  With Seth, his temperament varied and, after what happened at Night of Champions, he hadn’t been the best mood.  She sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, suddenly realizing he’d closed the door behind him and looked up in his dark chocolate eyes.  Seth always had a motive when visiting her at work and her assumptions were right as his hands began working the buttons on her blouse.  It took everything inside of Nyla not to push him away and run out the door screaming, not wanting any part of him to touch her. 

How weird was that considering they were dating?  Albeit it was a forced dating, but…everybody in the company thought they were a happy couple.  Nyla had been approached by Stephanie, a few months back, right after Seth had turned his back on the Shield and split them up.  It had all been unscripted; nobody knew it was coming or saw it for that matter.  The very next week, Stephanie called her into the office and informed her of some changes that were coming to the company.  Vince had left a little while ago for his long vacation from WWE to be with his wife, but things hadn’t gotten bad…until Seth’s betrayal.

“Seth wants to take you out for dinner.  And you will accept if you value your job.  We need people we TRUST in this company, people we can rely on.  You’ve been here the longest, Nyla, and I’d HATE to have to let you go because you simply can’t follow instructions and do as you’re told.” Stephanie had said all of this with a cold smile on her face and glacial eyes. “You will do whatever Seth wants.  Make him happy and write what we tell you and everything will be fine.  Or else, things might get messy.  You wouldn’t want us to tell a certain someone about your precious little secret now, would you?”

In a nutshell, Nyla was forced to date Seth Rollins since she was considered to be in the Authority’s ‘circle’.  That precious little secret was Neela…and who her father was.  She had been dumb and stupid when she first started in WWE, which resulted in having Neela secretively.  She had no idea how Stephanie found out about it, but then again, she had to report a reasoning for her extended year vacation back in 2004 into 2005.  It was to have Neela.  It was kept secret through Vince and Linda, at the time, when they were heavily involved in the company still.  Now, it was being used as blackmail to bend Nyla in ways she never thought was possible.

“I’ve been busy lately, I know, baby.” Seth murmured, unfastening the final button on her blouse and pushed it down her arms to let it float to the floor at her feet. “Let me make it up to you now.”

“Seth…”

This was nothing more than a power play, to show her he still had full control over her and Nyla was powerless to stop him.  She had to protect her daughter, by any means necessary, even if it meant allowing this piece of garbage to use her body as he saw fit.  He claimed to care about her and wanted her, but sex with him was always callous and it was almost as he was being forced to do this as well.  Knowing the Authority, that was the exact reasoning – someone to keep their personal writer in line.

Never once had she been turned on by him.  Seth always had to force her body into submission and tonight was no different.  He turned her around, after removing her bra, skirt and panties before planting her where he wanted her.  Bent over her desk, spread eagle and all Nyla could do was grip the edge.  She heard the zipper of his dress pants slide down echo around her and felt tears sting her eyes, wishing there was some way out of this nightmare.

“So beautiful, such a delicious pussy…” Seth growled, smacking her backside and heard her whimper out, thinking she enjoyed it.

On the contrary, Nyla hated having her backside struck, even during sex and gritted her teeth.  If she started crying, it would anger him and then he’d really hurt her during this bout.  Sucking it up, she managed to soft moan when he smacked her backside harder, knowing that’s what he wanted to hear.  He groaned in satisfaction and gripped her hips, not bothering to check to see if she was ready.  Seth didn’t care if she was or not.  All he cared about was getting his dick wet, reaching his end and emptying his seed inside her body, claiming her all over again.  Nyla was pretty dry, so when he thrust inside of her, it hurt and she had to grip the desk as tightly as she could, squeezing her eyes shut.  The dryness didn’t seem to bother him.  He kept thrusting, thinking he was rocking her world when, in fact, he had done the opposite.  She gave him some half-hearted moans and that was enough to fuel him on, otherwise, Nyla remained quiet.

“Oh yeah baby, oh fuck you feel so good wrapped around my cock…” Seth growled, gripping her shoulders tightly to give more leverage to his thrusts and didn’t care he was hurting her.

Her midsection would be bruised since she was pressed tight against the edge of it.  Being bent over a desk like this wasn’t as comfortable as people made it sound.  Now if she was into this, and wanted him to fuck her, it would be a different story.  However, that wasn’t the case, which is why she allowed him to do the work and just stayed still.  There was no meeting him thrust for thrust or urging him on, no flipping her hair back because of how good it felt to have his cock inside of her.  Hell, Seth didn’t even know what a g-spot was and never, ever hit hers.  Never once had she climaxed for him either, not in the several months they’d been forcefully dating.  He did all the dirty talk during their sexual bouts while she remained quiet and just answered when he asked her a question if she enjoyed it.

One other thing about Seth was he didn’t last long and had zero stamina when it came to sex.  Even hard, he wasn’t long, big or thick, feeling like a toothpick screwing her.  That was the best metaphor she could think of, which was probably why it hurt to have sex with him every time, besides the fact she wasn’t turned on.  Within 5 minutes, he exploded inside of her and, thankfully, she had gotten her tubes tied directly after having Neela, refusing to have another child by a wrestler again.  Maybe one day she’d have them untied if she found someone worthwhile, but for the unforeseeable future, there would be no more children, especially an offspring of this rapist.

“Goddamn baby, that was so good…” Seth rumbled, releasing her tensed shoulders and figured she was feeling the after-effects of their quickie.  His lips caressed her neck and shoulders for a minute while his cock softened, already out of her body. “Mmm…” Tucking himself back in his pants, Seth smirked at her slowly rising from the desk and retrieved her clothes for her. “Such a good girl, letting me fuck you in your office…”

She shuddered, unable to suppress it and took the clothes from him to start redressing, needing to sit before her knees gave out.  Such a good girl, eh?  No, she was a good whore – the Authority’s whore – and nothing more than that.  Eventually, Vince would come back to the company, unless he croaked.  If that happened, everyone, the Authority didn’t like or approve of was screwed.  Herself included.  She would have to quit the company and already planned on doing it when her contract was up in 3 years.  If Nyla would’ve known how everything would’ve turned out, a year ago, she never would’ve re-signed with the company.  It was an iron-clad 4-year contract, unbreakable, and at the time she wanted something permanent to where she knew she wouldn’t lose her job because of Neela and her parents.  That was a decision she regretted making, wishing she would’ve only gone for the standard 2-year contract instead.

“That’s me, I guess…” Nyla tried to sound upbeat about it, but all that came out was sorrow and she cleared her throat, keeping the smile on her face. “Thank you for that surprise, Seth.”

Gripping her chin, he drew her against him before she could pull her blouse back on and gazed into her cool amber eyes. “Hmm…no need to thank me, baby.  Happy to do it.” Not really. 

He only screwed her because of Stephanie’s request and wouldn’t deny the Princess anything.  Besides, it wasn’t like he couldn’t get his dick wet with someone who actually appreciated and WANTED to be with him.  Seth wasn’t stupid.  He was called ‘The Architect’ for a reason and had a good, solid head on his shoulders.  It was obvious Nyla wasn’t happy with this arrangement and she was only giving herself to him out of fear.  However, when Stephanie said jump, he asked how high and she wanted to send Nyla a reminder of who was in charge.  Who owned her, in other words.

“Go in there, bend her over her desk and fuck her senseless.  Make sure she KNOWS who owns her and who is in control.” Stephanie had ordered, simplifying it in a blunt tone. “And Seth, make it hurt a little.  A little pain always goes a long way with pleasure.”

What was he supposed to say?  No?  That wasn’t happening, not when he was on the verge of becoming World Heavyweight champion and reaching his ultimate goal.  If he had to dip his dick in every woman Stephanie ordered him to, he would.  Seth would sell himself like a cheap whore if it meant holding the gold in WWE – the biggest wrestling organization on the planet.  Everything he did would be worth it and he knew Hunter had to do some pretty awful things in order to make it big here too.  This company was FULL of whores, even the people behind the scenes – they had all done something despicable a time or two to get to where they were today.  There was no reason Nyla should be any different than the rest of them.

“Was there anything else you needed from me beside a quickie?” Nyla asked cordially, sitting down in her chair and crossed one leg over the other.  She knew better than to open her laptop to resume working until he left.

Nyla wasn’t stupid either.  She knew Seth screwed around on her with other women and didn’t overly care.  She didn’t love him, respect him and only screwed him out of fear, just as he assumed.  It was all done out of fear…fear of losing her job, fear of Neela’s sperm donor finding out about her, fear for her life since Stephanie had also threatened that.  It was rape – and she endured it for the sake of protecting her family and her secret.

“Yeah, Stephanie wanted me to tell you some last minute changes are coming regarding me and Ambrose’s feud.” Seth watched her pull her blouse back on and buttoned it up, giving her body a quick scan.

The woman did not have big enough boobs.  If she’d gotten a boob job and actually cared about her appearance, maybe he’d think differently about her.  As it was, her boobs were way too small for his liking and she didn’t show nearly enough skin.  Stephanie called her a prude and Seth agreed with her, a prudish whore anyway.  Always blouses and pencil skirts with pumps.  Seth wondered who Nyla Miller was OUTSIDE of the company and had a feeling it was like black and white, day and night with her.

“Oh really?  She gave me these changes I’ve been working on…” Nyla wasn’t surprised when he snatched them from her to read them over, nodding his head in approval. “Yeah, that’s all great and everything, but she’s gonna send over another idea too.”

Nyla had to fight against becoming annoyed because Seth would go right back to Stephanie with a complaint. “Very well.  Will she email it to me or send it over with someone?” She asked, keeping her voice carefully neutral and calm when really, she felt like ripping her hair out.

Like he would know that information?  Seth snorted, shrugging his shoulders and already headed for the door with his Money in the Bank briefcase in hand. “Don’t know.  I guess you’ll find out soon enough.  I gotta bounce and I won’t be staying the night with you tonight.  Need a night to myself.” In other words, he needed to find an actual woman who wanted him instead of the prudish whore he had to order to fuck him.

“Okay, enjoy your night.” Nyla felt a wave of relief crash over her at his words of spending the night alone and almost cried out in joy.

“You too.  I’ll call sometime tomorrow.”

The moment Seth walked out, closing the door behind him, Nyla buried her face in her hands and cried her heart out to the silence, wondering how much more of this abuse she’d be able to take.

She was on the verge of crashing and burning.

Chapter 6

Aya didn’t come back to the arena for the rest of the night, claiming she had a headache and demanded Macaria to gain some information on Mr. Ambrose.  That wasn’t happening, but it was a nice try.  So Macaria hung out in Dean’s dressing room and watched the show, waiting to go out to the ring to snap some shots of Dean in action.  However tonight, there was no match for him since this was his return after being gone for over 30 days.  Dean had done a movie called 12 Rounds: Lockdown, which would be released sometime next year.  One of the main reasons they were doing this magazine spread in the first place on him.

Macaria didn’t understand anything going on.  There was a match with two men named John Cena and Randy Orton.  Wrestling was never her forte and she’d never been a fan of it.  It just never appealed to her.  However, hanging out with Dean was slowly making her into a fan, simply because of the muscular eye candy.  Tonight, Dean had a plan for the people known as the Authority and the man he had deemed their ‘golden boy’, Seth Rollins.  He looked like a slimeball and the slight blonde on one side of his hair looked atrocious.  She had seen pictures of them from various magazines as a group called the Shield, where the man had HALF his head bleach blonde and the other black.  It was actually a pretty cool trend and fans all over the world had adopted the look.  That wasn’t the case anymore and Macaria ventured a guess the man was tired of frying his brain cells with so much bleach. 

There was no reason to go out to the ring to snap photographs of Dean because WWE would take care of the in-ring action.  His interaction with fans was something she did want to capture though.  Macaria would do it at live events called house shows, where it wasn’t on live television and the wrestlers tended to go a little crazier than usual.  It made sense, they had to act a certain way on television while completely going balls to the wall for fans and throwing caution to the wind at the house shows.  Usually, they were Friday-Sunday unless there was a pay-per-view event, which happened once, sometimes twice, a month.  Then it was just Fridays and Saturdays for house shows.  Her days off would be Wednesdays and Thursdays, just like Dean, since she was following him around, along with Aya.

Speak of the dragon, Macaria answered her cell on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Did you find anything out from that mongrel?” Aya demanded irritably, busy drying her nails from a fresh manicure.

“Not really, no.  He doesn’t…communicate very well.” It was a lie, but Macaria had promised Dean she wouldn’t mention anything they talked about to Aya.  She wouldn’t break that promise.

Aya scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Ugh!  What good are you if you can’t even get SOME information out of him?!  Please tell me you at least did your JOB and snapped photos?”

“Yes, I got quite a few I think you’ll like.”

Aya highly doubted that. “Just remember, Mac, you work for ME, not him and not the WWE.  What I say goes.  This is MY ass on the line, not yours, you got it?  Just do your job, snap pictures and leave the rest to me.” She ordered, waving the nail stylist off when she swapped her hands to dry. “And if he HAPPENS to drop some juicy gossip, you’ll let me know, won’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ugh!  Don’t call me that!  It makes me sound like an old hag, which I’m NOT!”

“Sorry…Aya.”

“Much better.  Gotta go.”

Macaria put her phone down and had to wonder, how Aya would gain knowledge from Dean, when she wasn’t here to retrieve it in the first place.  She had just contradicted herself by saying to leave the rest to her besides snapping photos.  Fine, she would leave the rest to the dragon and watch her be slain by Dean since he had zero interest in conversing with her.  It seemed as though he wanted to converse with Macaria and she had no idea why.  Jolting out of her thoughts, Macaria turned to look at the monitor just in time to see Dean in action. 

He’d been hiding under a black table that was supposed to have cinderblocks under it, much like what happened over a month ago.  Instead, they got Dean Ambrose and he went right for Seth, chasing him out of the arena after the Authority goons had to hold him back.  Once the show ended with Dean and John Cena standing in the ring, the crowd was in an uproar over Seth escaping their clutches again, thanks to the Authority.  Dean growled, unable to wait to get his hands on Seth, but he had a plan in mind for the so-called Architect for Smackdown!.

“So since the Virago left you hanging without a ride, I’ll give you a lift back to the hotel to grab our things and then we’re hitting the road.”

Macaria recoiled, blinking at him. “I’m sorry, what?  What do you mean we’re hitting the road?”

“Normally, after Raw is over, I hop in my rental and drive to the next town unless I have a flight scheduled.” Dean explained, already guiding her down the hallway with his hand on the small of her back.  Purely platonic way, of course. “Little Rock is where Smackdown! is tomorrow night for the taped show.  It’s taped every Tuesday.” Didn’t Aya go over this with her?  Apparently not. “It’s only a 2-hour drive from here, maybe a little more.  A hop, skip and jump, practically.  No reason to take a plane when we can drive, you know?”

Aya would not enjoy this gig because she hated driving.  It seemed like this particular job would require a great deal of traveling in vehicles instead of planes. “I don’t think…”

“Look, you wanna get some shots of me outside of the ring, yeah?  What better way to do that than traveling with me?  You guys are supposed to follow me.  I don’t care if your idiot boss does, but you…I don’t mind.” Dean’s blues twinkled down at her mischievously, wiggling his brows and walked into his dressing room. “Or do you think Virago will be pissed you’re traveling with me alone?”

That…was a very good question. “I don’t know.  I mean, it IS my job to take photos of you everywhere you go, but I think she wants me with her at all times…” Macaria couldn’t believe that lie came out of her mouth and saw the knowing look on Dean’s face. “Okay – okay, if that was true, she’d be here.  I’m just…nervous about this.  Maybe I should call her first…ask permission?”

Dean snorted with a shrug. “Do what you gotta do, Maca.  Hell, if she fires you for simply doing her job, what does that say about her?”

That was a good point. “I’ll still call her and let her know what’s going on.  I’ll meet you outside.” Making sure to shoulder her camera equipment, Macaria left and went outside through the back entrance to make the dreaded phone call to the dragon.

“What?” Aya answered on the third ring, the sounds of people and music surrounding her. “What is it, Mac?!”

“I just…wanted to let you know that Mr. Ambrose asked me to go to the next town with him.  I figured you’d want some snapshots of him driving and doing things outside of the ring…” Did Aya even take this job seriously?  Where the hell was she?  It wasn’t Macaria’s business, but she also felt this was incredibly unprofessional too.

“Sure – sure yeah, whatever.  No sex.  Don’t forget that.” Aya dismissed her, laughing at the man whispering in her ear and felt her body melt against him.  Just because Macaria couldn’t have sex did NOT mean she couldn’t. “I will call you tomorrow, Mac.  Don’t let me down.” If anyone was screwing her assignment, it would be only her.

The call ended abruptly, like always, and Macaria could only stare at her phone, shaking her head.  If Aya didn’t start taking this seriously, she had a feeling the woman would lose this entire article.  Pocketing her cell phone, Macaria looked up at the starry night sky and jumped when she heard a voice behind her, turning to see it was Dean.

“Everything squared away?”

She smiled at him and nodded, letting him lead her to the rental – a Nissan Rogue.  They were nice vehicles and a lot more roomy than people realized because of the shape of them.  Dean opened the hatch, tossing his bags in and went to take her equipment, but Macaria stopped him.

“I’m gonna snap some shots of you while you’re driving, if that’s all right.” She spotted the pack of smokes he’d pulled out of his pocket and decided none would be with him smoking.  WWE was PG-rated, after all. “In-between your smoke breaks, that is.”

“Do I detect judgment in your tone?” Dean smirked, closing the hatch and slid behind the wheel while she buckled up in the passenger seat. “We’ll make a quick stop at the hotel before jetting out on the highway.  Hope you don’t mind fast food.”

“No McDonald’s, that’s all I ask.”

“Oh come on, they have the best fries…” At her firm repudiation, Dean decided to humor her and honestly, McDonald’s didn’t sound good anyway.

Once at the hotel, Dean went to his room and Macaria went to hers, which were on opposites sides of the building, and different floors.  Aya’s room was just a few down from hers, so it was no surprise when the elevator dinged and she stepped off to find her boss in a…precarious position.  The black sequined skirt she had on was bunched up around her waist, her top was nearly off, unbuttoned and her mouth was devouring…Seth Rollins?  The blonde in the black hair was recognizable anywhere.  Aya was getting ready to have sex with Seth Rollins, the man Dean wanted to rip apart.  That was far too coincidental and Macaria couldn’t believe Aya was falling for it.

“Oh, Seth…” Her moan echoed down the hallway as his lips continued moving down her neck, clinging to him for dear life.

He smirked, hearing the desire in her voice and knew she wanted him.  His dick was hard in his pants while keeping her pinned against the door, his hands reaching every piece of flesh he could get them on.  Instead of going out to find a piece of ass HE wanted, Stephanie had other plans for him.  Just like Nyla, Seth was their personal gigolo to sway certain people to the Authority’s side, all women of course.  He didn’t swing the other direction and no amount of money in the world would change that.  Stephanie ordered him to pursue Dean’s journalist and it wasn’t hard to do or to coerce her back to the hotel.  Aya was a bitch in heat, an attention whore and it only took an hour to coerce her back to the hotel for some private time.

“Want me to fuck that pussy, baby?”

“Mmm yeah, give it to me…”

Seth smirked, massaging her breasts and pressed her further into the door, not moving to unlock it yet.  She had given him her keycard since he had her locked around his waist and against him. “Answer a question first…” He murmured, his mouth moving down to her breasts, which were pressed against his beater covered chest.

Aya’s mouth watered, her brain in a passion haze and had no idea what Seth’s actual motive was. “What do you wanna know, handsome?”

“Tell me about your piece on Ambrose.  I wanna know what it’s about.” Seth ordered, pinching her nipples and rolled them between his fingers, glad she hadn’t worn a bra.  She hadn’t worn panties either, so he could literally fuck her right in the hallway now if he wanted. “Tell me and I’ll grant you the privilege of fucking me.”

While they spoke, Macaria had managed to get closer and hid behind a trashcan, camera out.  She had it set for her drive with Dean, jade eyes narrowing at what Seth was asking her boss.  Aya writhed against him, caressing his arms and it made Macaria sick just how needy she was.  Grant her the privilege of screwing him?  Was this man for real?  He was truly full of himself and Macaria felt an ounce of remorse flood through her for what she was about to do.  It was the only way to show Dean she wasn’t blowing smoke up his backside when she showed up the pictures of Seth and Aya practically screwing in the hallway.

“It’s not a big deal.  Just for some stupid freelance magazine that revolves around the fake shit you guys do in the ring.” Aya slid her tongue out to wet her lips, not seeing the annoyance cross Seth’s face and caressed his muscular, rock hard chest. “Goddamn, you’re built like a brick house.  I bet you’re huge…” Reaching down, she stroked the hardened bulge with her hand and felt her eyes darken further, which were brown behind the purple contacts she had in. “Mmm, open the door, I wanna suck your dick…”

This woman was blunt, but Seth found himself turned on by it and slid the keycard in the slot, pushing open the door. “It’d be hotter if you did it where we could get caught…” He growled, seeing the slight hesitation in her eyes and watched her wiggle out of his arms to drop to her knees in front of him.  Right in the open doorway. “Fuck, you’re gonna do it?  Right here and now?” His dick was pulsating by now.

“Of course, that’s what you want, isn’t it?”

Aya stroked him with her hand, watching him nod and shrugged before beginning to lick him up and down like a lollipop.  He was small enough to fit in her mouth, so she sincerely hoped he knew how to work it in the bedroom or this night would be a colossal disappointment.  Seth wasn’t sure this was a good idea anymore because Aya had called his bluff, looking back and forth up and down the hallway to make sure nobody was coming.  However, when she began driving him fully in her mouth, the trepidation was gone and he buried his fingers in her hair, beginning to fuck her mouth.

“Oh yeah…Ohh yeah…”

Macaria had snapped more than enough photos, put her camera away and managed to make it inside her room to grab her unpacked bag and toiletries.  When she walked back out, it was just in time to see Seth explode inside her boss’s mouth and Aya swallowed him whole.  They actually did something like that in a hotel hallway.  Her boss really was a whore!  Macaria knew they weren’t paying her any attention and managed to make it down the hallway back to the elevator, then thought better of it and took the back staircase.

“Everything all right?” Dean asked, wondering what took Macaria so long and blinked when she practically shoved the camera in his face. “What the fuck?”

“Take a look at those.”

Dean’s eyes widened as he saw picture after picture snapped of Seth and Aya in the hotel hallway, with their tongues down each other’s throats, before moving onto Seth’s pencil dick down Aya’s throat.

Chapter 7

“That is…”

“Fucking sick.  I know.” Macaria finished for him, taking the camera back and shook her head, shuddering at the memory of Aya and Seth Rollins together. “He really is an asshole, isn’t he?”

Dean snorted, lighting up a cigarette and got back into the rental with Macaria in tow. “You don’t know the half of it.  We trusted that mother fucker.  We trusted him and he betrayed us.” He realized she probably didn’t know who he was talking about and cleared his throat. “The other guy I’m talking about is Roman Reigns.  He’s currently out on injury, but should be back in a couple months.”

“Yeah, I know who he is.  I mean, not majorly, but I did some research on you, per Aya’s orders and saw you guys were known as the Shield.  I thought all of this was scripted and…phony, for the most part.” Macaria had assumed everything ran like a smooth-oiled machine in WWE since they were a billion dollar company, but it was obvious that wasn’t the case.

This woman had a lot to learn about the business she was in if she planned on staying in it longer than a couple months. “Yeah, it’s SUPPOSED to be, but shit gets out of hand and…feuds generally spill from the ring to the back.  In and outside of the ring.  We had no idea Seth was in bed with the Authority.” He took a long pull from the cigarette, letting the smoke filter out of his mouth and nose slowly, cracking a window.

“But I thought the Authority was just a storyline too?” Macaria was really confused now, jade eyes wide in wonder.

“That’s what they WANT you to think.  They WANT people to believe it’s all storyline and people’s careers and lives aren’t really being fucked up, at their hands.” Dean wasn’t stupid, he knew this whole journalism idea was a diversion to try to keep his attention off Seth and it wasn’t working. “That’s probably why the Authority sent their golden boy after your boss…because she’s doing the piece on me.  You know what’s even MORE fucked up than this?”

There was more? “I’m afraid to ask…”

“Won’t tell you until you do.” Dean singsonged, winking at her and flicked ash out of the window.  Hitting the highway, he knew neither of them had an appetite after seeing those pictures.

Rolling her eyes, Macaria decided to give him a bone and folded her arms in front of her chest, her camera at her feet on the floorboard. “Okay, I’ll bite, what’s more fucked up than my boss fucking your former partner?”

“There’s a writer, the Authority’s personal writer, and her name is Nyla Miller.  Stay away from her.  She’s bad news and only writes whatever the Authority tells her.  They’ve also put her in charge of mine, Roman’s and a few others storylines, no other writing is allowed to touch them.  And they’re all wrestlers the Authority despises and wants to keep under their fucking thumb.” Dean took another long drag, keeping as calm as he could, even though his blood was boiling. “And she’s also supposedly fucking Rollins too.”

“Oh my god, really?  What kind of person would do that?!”

Dean shrugged, rolling the window up now that they were going 70 miles an hour down the highway toward Little Rock. “Don’t know.  Don’t care.  Makes me wonder if they’re in an open relationship though.  He can fuck whoever he wants, she can too, but they stay together for some reason.” He didn’t want to overthink it or analyze what went on in the woman’s mind, rubbing his temples.

“Different strokes for different folks.”

Dean raised a slow brow at her. “I say that a lot, actually.” What were the odds of meeting a woman who had the same mindset as him, the same thought process and even the same adages?

“And that shocks you?”

“Kinda, yeah.” Dean chuckled, finishing his cigarette and tossed it out the window, feeling marginally better. “Man, I really hope I can still have sex dreams tonight after seeing those disgusting pictures.”

Snorting, Macaria had no doubt in her mind he’d be just fine. “At least YOU didn’t have to watch it happen in order to take the pictures, okay?” She shuddered, knowing it would be burned to her memory for quite some time. “I figured you wouldn’t believe me since we don’t know each other that well.  Needed proof.”

“Hey, you can use those pictures against her now, if she tries to fire you.” Blackmail was a beautiful thing.

Macaria shook her head, folding her arms in front of her chest and leaned back in her seat, staring out the window. “I’m not the blackmailing type, I’m probably just gonna delete the photos…”

“No!” Dean hadn’t meant to howl that out and make her jump out of her skin, but he was shaking his head repeatedly. “No, don’t delete those pictures.  Keep them.  Save them for a rainy day.  You NEVER know when you might need them.  I know you’re not the blackmailing type, but if it means your survival, that’s a different ballgame.”

Maybe he had a point.  She couldn’t deny it was a good idea to have some kind of leverage against Aya. “Okay, I won’t delete them…for you.  I’ll keep them only for you and I’ll delete them when you think I should.” For some reason, she trusted Dean and didn’t understand why.

He didn’t either, but Dean rarely questioned anything that happened in life, believing everything happened for a reason.  Good and bad, it didn’t matter. “Smart girl, at least you’re not a virago like your boss.” Putting the pedal to the metal, Dean continued speeding down the highway and made small talk with Macaria, both avoiding any nonsense regarding Seth and Aya.

~!~

Nyla was on her way out of the arena for the evening, deciding to drive to Little Rock tonight, just to put distance between her, Seth and the Authority.  Being forced to bend over and take it up the ass, so to speak, had her feeling extremely low.  Nyla just wanted to get on the road and breathe fresh Seth-free air, for a change.  Lately, she felt suffocated by the Authority and the only silver lining was Seth only came for her once or twice a week.  Most of the time it was at house shows, but for some reason, tonight, he’d come for her and Nyla could tell it was a clear cut message from Stephanie.  Just one more day…one more day and she’d be on a plane headed home to see her beautiful baby girl and parents for 2 glorious Authority-free days.

“Nyla!”

She stopped at the sound of Stephanie’s voice and turned to see the woman’s head poking out of the window of her limousine.  Backing up, Nyla stood in front of the window and waited for it to roll all the way down, plastering on a smile. “Yes, Stephanie?” Calling her Miss McMahon wasn’t tolerated; Nyla had learned that when Stephanie decided to come back to television several years ago.

“Did you make those changes I gave you?” Stephanie asked promptly, cutting right to the chase and had a glass of champagne in hand, a cruel smile curving her lips.

“Yes, ma’am, I did.” Nyla answered quietly, trying not to show how much it bothered her because it meant Dean could be screwed out of another title opportunity with Seth.

Stephanie was very good at reading body language and didn’t care what Nyla thought of the Authority.  The woman WOULD do what she was told and follow instructions or her little secret would be revealed.  As long as she was kept under thumb, Stephanie and Hunter would slowly but surely take over the entire company.  Vince wouldn’t be able to do anything about it once they had all the ‘important’ people beneath them.

“Where are you headed now and where’s Seth?”

“I’m driving to Little Rock tonight and I don’t know where Seth is, ma’am.” Nyla answered without hesitation, knowing better than to lie to her boss and dictator.

Stephanie smiled knowingly, just testing Nyla to see if she would lie or tell the truth. “Would you like me to tell you where he is?  I’m sure he wouldn’t mind if you…joined in on the fun.” Her voice had dropped somewhat before giggling wickedly.

“No ma’am, he told me he needed the night to himself.”

“Oh, I’m sure he did.  You see, he’s currently with the journalist we hired to do that little article spread on Ambrose.  You know the one that will generate a load of publicity for the company because of the movie he just finished for us?” Stephanie said ‘us’ as if the company was already hers and had no problem claiming it. “And I’m sure they’re having a GREAT time if you catch my drift.”

Nyla knew exactly what Stephanie referred to and, the fact he had screwed her earlier in her office and was now dipping his dick in another woman, did not sit well with her.  It was time to get another checkup to make sure she had no STD’s or anything since the man refused to wear a condom whenever he came for her.  This was nothing more than a ploy to push Nyla to see how far she could go before breaking, shattering.  This was nothing more than a game to Stephanie.

“Does that bother you that he’s fucking someone else right now?  Because if it was me, I would be FURIOUS, considering everybody in the company knows you two are together.  They weren’t exactly keeping it quiet at the hotel either, from my understanding.” As a matter of fact, one of her gophers from J&J Security, Seth’s personal lackeys, Joey Mercury, had informed her of his activities for the evening.

“I already know I can’t do anything about it, ma’am.  I don’t control him.” Hell, she didn’t even have control over her own life and was close to a breakdown from everything the Authority, mostly Stephanie, had done to her.

Stephanie snickered, ignoring Hunter’s warning to leave their writer bitch alone and waved him off. “Honestly, Nyla, you act like it’s the worst thing in the world to be attached to Seth Rollins and us.” She gestured to her and Hunter, who stuck his big fat head out of the window to look at her. “You should feel privileged and honored we personally chose YOU to be in our corner.” Albeit with blackmail, but sometimes pressure had to be put a person to make them do the RIGHT thing and Nyla had so far.

Having her golden boy force her into sex out of fear and having her daughter and parents threatened on a daily basis was supposed to be a privilege and honor?  Not to mention, pissing wrestlers off left and right, they didn’t deem worthy in their company, like Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, by writing crappy storylines for them was supposed to be a privilege and honor as well?  Nyla felt sick to her stomach and could only nod, forcing a smile on her face and shouldered her purse.

“Was there anything else you needed from me, ma’am?”

Her cordial tone was grating on Stephanie’s nerves and she decided she was done playing with her toy for the evening. “No.  See you tomorrow night for more fun, Nyla.” Seth would be paying her another visit; this bitch would break, no matter what Stephanie had to do.

“Was that really necessary, Steph?” Hunter demanded, once the window was rolled up and Nyla had walked to her rental. “She’s on our side and has done everything you’ve asked of her.  Why don’t you step off her a little before you completely break her?”

“That’s the point, Hunter.” Stephanie shot back, narrowing her icy blues at him. “Unless, of course, you’re starting to feel sympathy for our toy?” She stroked his facial hair, raising a perfectly plucked brow.

“No, but at the same time, she’s a veteran writer and I think it wouldn’t look good if Vince finds out about her quitting because of his daughter.” Hunter pointed out, folding his arms in front of his chest and could see the color slowly drain out of his wife’s face. “Not saying she’ll quit…”

Stephanie recovered quickly with a scoff. “Her contract is iron-clad, or did you forget that?  For the next 3 years, she’s our bitch, Hunter, and I will break her any way I see fit.  Seth is great for that and doesn’t mind doing the dirty work for me.”

Hunter sincerely hoped this didn’t come back to bite his wife in the backside and finished his glass of champagne as they drove off to the hotel.

Nyla couldn’t drive at the moment, too busy retching on the side of her car facing away from the arena.  Seth was screwing the journalist that hadn’t even been in the company 2 days!  After forcing her into submission in her office and humiliating her, now he was doing it publicly.  What the hell was she supposed to do?  Everybody would find out about his night with the journalist and then start questioning why Nyla was still with him.  A cheater.  A scumbag.  Dean had pinpointed Seth Rollins to a T.  He truly was a scumbag and Nyla hated him with every fiber of her being, hot tears trekking down her cheeks.

Once there was nothing left in her stomach, Nyla shakily pulled out a tissue out of her purse and wiped her mouth off, sniffling.  Eating after being raped hadn’t been the best idea, but Nyla had to show nothing bothered her.  Stephanie had eyes on her almost at all times, spies, and if anything was out of sorts, she was informed immediately.  Nyla suddenly couldn’t wait to get home and already planned on calling Stephanie to take some of her vacation days, so she had 5 days off instead of a measly 2.  There was no reason for her to be at the house shows to be tortured further by the Authority and Seth.

Taking a separate tissue to dab her eyes, Nyla saw her phone light up and pulled it out to see who was calling her.  It wasn’t her daughter.  The name on the caller ID made her blood boil, teeth gritted.  That mother fucker had screwed another woman and was now calling her?  Probably Stephanie’s doing since the confrontation hadn’t gone in the woman’s favor, Nyla deduced.  On the fourth ring, she answered, after slipping behind the wheel, and shut the door.

“Hey baby, just checking on you to see how you’re doing.” Seth was currently on his back with Nyla on speakerphone and having his dick swallowed by Aya’s eager mouth.

Nyla had been with him a while and could tell Seth was still with that journalist, feeling her stomach turn and roll again. “Fine.  I’m just leaving the arena now…how’s YOUR night going?” She could NOT keep the coolness out of her tone, even if a gun was pressed to her temple.

“Mmm wonderful…relaxing and stimulating.” Seth hissed out that last word, gripping Aya’s hair and pulled, hearing her moan in response. “Why don’t you come to my room and we can have a little party, hmm?”

“No thanks, not interested.  I’m on my way to Little Rock.  I shouldn’t talk while driving.  Talk to you later, Seth.” Before he could respond, she hung up on him and tossed her phone in the passenger seat, not caring about the consequences of doing that.

Oh, she would pay for that later, but right now, Seth was too busy focusing on getting ready to force Aya to swallow every drop of his seed.

Chapter 8

Singing songs off-key was just one of the things that made Macaria wish she’d never gotten into a vehicle with Dean Ambrose.  The man had a HORRIBLE singing voice!  She also never laughed so hard in her life and called him crazy.  Dean was a lot of fun to be around and Macaria wanted to take more road trips with him in the future.  She had done her job as well, snapping some shots of him while driving and he’d even behaved during them.  No funny faces or anything, he had given her a couple of really nice photos.  In return, she had to kiss his cheek and the stubble against her lips sent shivers throughout her body.

“Thanks for riding with me tonight, Maca.” His cheek still burned from her soft kiss and Dean had reached up to rub it gently.

She smiled back at him. “No need to thank me.  I had a great time with you, Dean.  You make road trips a lot of fun.” It’d been a long time since she’d laughed as hard as she did with him. “Well, good night…”

“Wait.” Dean hopped out of the car and closed her door for her, backing her up against it. “It’s late…”

“Yeah, and?”

“Maca, it’s not safe for you to go up to your room alone.  I’m walking you up and don’t argue with me, babe.” Dean slid his finger down her cheek with the back of his hand before moving to pop the hatch on the Rogue.

That was a surprisingly chivalrous thing for him to do and offer, or rather demand, and the butterflies erupted in her stomach. “Fine – fine, lead the way then.”

“See?  I knew you’d see it my way.” Dean chortled, shutting the hatch with the bags in hand, hers included, and locked up the Rogue.  He guided her inside the hotel, both checking into their separate rooms and heading up the back stairs since they were both on the second floor.

“Thank you for walking me to my room.” Macaria slid her keycard into the slot and pushed open the door, allowing him inside for a moment to set her bags down.  He refused to let her carry them on her own for some reason. “I suppose I owe you another kiss on the cheek?”

“Only if you want.  I won’t fight you on it.” Dean remarked, not expecting anything from her and watched her walk up to him, trying like hell not to sport an erection. 

Why was she so beautiful and why was he so entranced by her?  They didn’t even know each other and, yet, he felt an intense attraction he couldn’t explain or fathom.  Macaria had a natural beauty and aura about her, a purity and maybe that was why he was fascinated with her – her wholesomeness.

Reaching up, Macaria leaned up on her tiptoes and lightly brushed her lips against his stubbled cheek for a second time, letting them linger for a second longer than necessary. “Thank you for tonight, Dean.” She murmured near his ear, slowly stepped back and felt her breath catch in her throat at his darkened eyes. “Good night.”

It took EVERY ounce of willpower inside of him not to pin her to the nearest wall and fuck her senseless.  Dean had to get out of there because now his cheek was burning again and his dick was hardened in his pants.  It was definitely time for some Rosy Palm loving once he got back to his own room.  What he didn’t realize was Macaria planned on doing the same thing in her own shower, her panties drenched just from kissing his cheek twice.

“Night, Maca.”

As soon as he left, Macaria stripped out of her clothes and went straight for the bathroom, starting up the shower.  It’d been a LONG time since a man affected her this intensely and this magnitude.  It sucked Macaria couldn’t do anything about it either.  She could…she had the pictures to keep her job going, but blackmail was beneath her.  Sex with Dean, the man she was working closely with, wasn’t a good idea and it did go against Aya’s rules.  Her fingers would have to do the job for her for a while until either she exploded and threw caution to the wind or played ball like the boss wanted.  Unraveling her hair from the braid she had it in, Macaria brushed it out quickly, not wanting to deal with tangles after her shower.

Stepping under the warm sprays, Macaria wasted no time in soothing the ache between her thighs and slid her fingers down her stomach until they reached her sex. “Dean…” His name poured out of her mouth in the softest of moans as Macaria pressed a hand against the shower wall to pleasure herself, her eyes closing, envisioning him doing this to her instead of her fingers.

~!~

At that moment, Dean was in his own shower with his hand wrapped around his throbbing cock, hissing out.  Macaria was quite a woman and he’d had a lot of fun with her tonight on that impromptu road trip.  He was thinking of sending Aya some flowers as a way to thank her for leaving Macaria and him alone.  Dean wanted more of that; he wanted Macaria as his, period.  Gritting his teeth, he began pumping his hand up and down, wanting more than anything for his hand to be Macaria’s pussy wrapped around him, stroking him.

“Macaria…” He growled out her name, sliding his fingers through his hair as the shower sprays cascaded over his head down his body. “Mmm yeah, so fucking tight…” His eyes were closed, pumping his hand harder and faster to bring himself over that fine razor edge.

He would have her.  It was only a matter of time until their sexual tension exploded and they came together.  He felt the sparks in her soft lips against his cheek and jade eyes had smoldered over just the slightest.  Macaria was fighting this though because of her virago boss.  Dean had to find a way to deal with Aya, so he could have his way with Macaria, but he had no idea how to go about doing it.  It did help Aya made it clear she didn’t give a flying hell about this project.  All she wanted to do was have her 15 minutes of fame by screwing almost every wrestler on the roster.  Why else would she have jumped on Seth’s dick so quickly?  Then again, Seth was a whore as well, which was why his fiancée had left him high and dry, after finding nude photos of him with another woman on his phone.

The man was an idiot when it came to women.

~!~

The following morning, Macaria woke up to a text message from Aya and rolled her eyes heavenward, heaving a sigh.

Won’t be at the show.  Something came up.  Try to get some info for me and pictures.  I’ll be in touch.

“What a fucking joke.” Macaria muttered, glancing at the clock and saw it was just after 10 AM.

She wondered if Dean was awake and chewed her bottom lip, deciding not to bother him right away.  Aya was going to blow this job because she wasn’t doing it.  They had several months to get this all done, so she thought dragging her feet was the best thing to do.  Hell, Macaria may as well be the journalist at this rate because she’d found out a great deal from Dean.  None of it would be shared with Aya either.  If the bitch wanted to find out information on him, she could do it herself.  Yawning, Macaria slid from the bed and stretched her arms in the air, her stomach rumbling with hunger.

Food was needed.

Since she’d taken a rather long shower before bed last night, Macaria simply pulled on a pair of black capris and a short-sleeved rainbow striped top that had different colors in it.  Her hair was pulled up in a messy bun on top of her head in a fanned style and she slipped on her brown sandals before grabbing her keys off the dresser.  Hotel food did not sound good.  Maybe there was a diner somewhere in Little Rock she could frequent since she didn’t have to be at the show until 5 PM.

Plenty of time to kill.

Opening her door, Macaria let out a small yelp at the sight of Dean standing in front of her with his hand up. “Oh my fucking god, you scared me!” She exclaimed, smacking his arm none too gently and glared at his amused response.

“Damn woman!  I didn’t mean to scare you, but you should’ve seen your face…” Dean couldn’t help it, he was laughing so hard he had to stumble back before she co-cocked him in the face. “Chill – chill, I was just coming to see if you wanted to start the day.”

“And here I thought I’d be disturbing your rest by calling to see if you wanted to get breakfast with me.” She muttered good-naturedly, trying to keep the glare on her face and failed.  He was too damn cute for his own good with that boyish smile and beautiful blues. “What are you doing up this early anyway?”

Dean snorted, sliding one of his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Please.  I’m always up by 8 AM, no matter what time at night I go to bed.  I’m hardwired that way.” Living in Vegas had given him a new perspective on life and he missed home a lot, hardly able to wait to hop on a plane tomorrow morning for his 2 days off. “Wait, you were gonna call and invite me out to breakfast?  Where’s the Virago?”

Not it was her turn to sneer. “She texted me around 8 this morning, while I was still sleeping, and said she won’t be at the show tonight.  Something came up.  And I bet you anything I know exactly what that ‘up’ is.” Aya was getting her jollies off with Seth Rollins. “Though, that makes no sense considering Seth is supposed to be on the show tonight, right?”

“Yeah, I think.  The Authority’s baby boy wouldn’t miss a televised event.  If it was a house show, he probably wouldn’t give two fucks skipping it.” Dean replied honestly, not caring one way or the other if Aya showed up because it meant he got more time with Macaria. “Well, at least you’re doing your job and that’s all you should be worried about.  So, let’s get some food and then I’m going to the gym for another workout.  You can get more eye candy photos if you want.” He wiggled his brows at her, remembering the last time they were in a gym together.

“Let me grab my camera and then we can get going.”

A few minutes later, they walked out of the hotel and started the day off, with Macaria once again finding enjoyment spending time with Dean.

~!~

“DEAN AMBROSE JUST STOLE THE MONEY IN THE BANK BRIEFCASE!!”

Seth was absolutely livid and going out of his mind in the ring, ripping at his hair and everything.  The entire Authority was shocked by these turn of events and Dean was in the crowd, holding the briefcase up with his tongue sticking out.  Seth thought he would interfere in his match and beat him down, with his goons J&J Security, but Dean was ready for him.  He was prepared for this to happen and now he had Seth’s property.

“THAT WASN’T SCRIPTED!!  THAT WASN’T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN!!” Stephanie shrieked at the top of her lungs, ripping Seth’s script from him to read it.

Nyla was all smiles while typing away on her laptop in her office, hearing Stephanie shrieking down the hallway like a banshee.  She was tired of being pushed around so, secretively, she redid Dean’s script, left it at the hotel for him to pick up by the staff and made sure to give an anonymous name.  The Authority wouldn’t know what she did; she knew how to cover her tracks and it stated, in Dean’s script, he was to steal the Money in the Bank briefcase. 

When her door was thrown open, Nyla’s head snapped up and the smile was already off her face, her eyes wide. “W-What’s going on?” She stammered out, playing the part perfectly and saw how enraged Stephanie was.

“Copies.  I want copies of ALL the scripts tonight, Nyla.  Somebody fucked with them and I wanna know who it was!” Stephanie snapped, not appreciating the clueless look on the woman’s face. 

Didn’t Nyla watch the show?  Didn’t she just see what transpired?!  Glancing at the monitor, her teeth gnashed at the sight of it turned off and Stephanie was on the verge of blowing her stack at their personal writer.

Shuffling through the scripts, Nyla handed over Seth and Dean’s scripts, which were the ones she’d sent Stephanie earlier that morning – the revised ones.  The ONLY one she had changed was Dean’s and he had the solitary copy.  Stephanie flipped through both of them, her face growing redder by the second while Seth looked ready to erupt himself.  That would teach billionaire this bitch to have a man screw her and then cheat on her OPENLY, humiliating her and soiling her reputation!

“Ambrose jumped script!  Look, right there it says you were supposed to gain the upper hand on him and beat him down in the ring tonight!  HE STOLE FROM US!” Stephanie screamed, slapping the scripts on the table and knew she couldn’t be angry at Nyla since the woman had simply done her job. “Nyla, thank you for keeping copies of these.  I suggest you keep doing that from here on out.  I’m going to talk to the other writers and see if any of them had anything to do with tonight’s treachery.”

Nyla nodded stiffly, watching Stephanie stalk out, with J&J Security, Kane and Hunter hot on her trail.  That left her and Seth alone, which made her somewhat nervous.  She had nothing to say to him, planning on making up some kind of excuse if he decided to try to bend her over the desk again.  There was no way she’d allow this man to force her into sex again, not after finding out about the journalist.  If he wanted her, he’d have to wait at least a week and, since she was on the verge of taking 5 days off, Seth would have to get his dick wet some other way.

“Can you believe this shit?!” Seth seethed, feeling like bashing Ambrose’s head into the wall repeatedly and eyeballed Nyla, not entirely convinced she hadn’t done something. “Look, about last night…”

“No need to explain anything to me, Seth.” Nyla stood up to walk around her desk, picking up the splayed scripts all over the floor. “I already know what happened and who you were with.  Stephanie was kind enough to tell me on my way out of the arena last night.”

Why would Stephanie do that? “She ordered me to do it, to get information on Ambrose and you know I had to do what she says…” Seth didn’t know why he was justifying his actions to a nobody like Nyla and squared his shoulders. “You sound jealous…”

Nyla had to bite back a sneer, rising from the floor with scripts in hand and planted them on her desk, a cool smile on her face. “No, not at all.  And if you were planning on fucking me tonight, you can forget it because I’m on my period.” Flat lie.  She watched him recoil from her instantly, a look of horror on his face.  What a tool! “Just thought I’d let you know that…”

“I’m good, thanks.” Seth disparaged, shuddering and didn’t want to be anywhere near a woman that was bleeding like a stuffed pig. “I’ll find companionship with Aya tonight.  I know she’s more than ready for another round or several with me.”

Since when did he last more than a few minutes?  Then again, she gave him absolutely NO satisfaction or inspiration to make it last as long as possible.  Seth was probably a decent lover, but Nyla had zero interest in him and only bent over for him because of Stephanie, out of fear.

“You have fun with that.”

“Oh, I will, don’t worry.  You’re welcome to join us if you want.” Seth offered with a smirk, not missing the total disdain on her face at that suggestion. “See you later, baby.”

Nyla did not care who he spent his evenings with because she had a flight to catch to see her family and bolted out of the arena, while Stephanie was preoccupied, trying to solve a mystery she wouldn’t be able to.

Chapter 9

Whoever left his revised script at the front desk of the hotel was a genius.  Dean knew there was only one person who wrote his scripts, so someone must’ve stolen his in order to change it.  Who though?  Who cared enough to screw Seth the way they had?  Which writer did he owe many thanks?  He didn’t care if it was scripted or not; stealing Seth’s Money in the Bank briefcase was a beyond brilliant idea! 

“Come on, we gotta go, Maca!” Dean crowed, grabbing his bag and her hand, dragging her out the door toward the arena exit. “Princess is on a rampage and we gotta skedaddle out of here.”

“W-Wait, what?!” Macaria had NO idea what was going on, barely having time to grab her camera and bag, wondering why they were running out of the arena. “Dean…”

“Not now.” Dean tossed their belongings in the back of the car, including her camera bag, but Macaria had a hold of her actual camera, thankfully. “Come on, get in and I’ll explain.” He still had the Money in the Bank briefcase and tossed it in the back seat, barely waiting for her to shut the door as he squealed tires to race out of the parking lot.

It took Macaria a few minutes to buckle her seatbelt, due to all the sharp turns Dean was doing while laughing. “Okay, do you MIND telling me what the hell THIS is about?” He had basically kidnapped her out of the arena and given her whiplash with his reckless driving!

“Didn’t you watch the show?” Dean jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, taking another turn after blowing another stop sign.

“Yeah, but…you were supposed to take the briefcase, right?” Macaria eyed him, seeing him nod and didn’t see what the problem was.

Dean started laughing again at the memory of Stephanie screaming and carrying on, acting like someone who needed to be put in a straight jacket.  And they called HIM a lunatic?  He had NOTHING on the McMahon Princess!  Once he stopped laughing, Dean finally pulled out a cigarette and lit it up, his blues glittering through the darkness in the car.

“Princess didn’t know it was gonna happen.  Someone changed what was SUPPOSED to happen on my script and left it for me at the hotel with the staff.” Dean informed her, glancing in the rearview mirror back at the briefcase, and to check to make sure they weren’t followed. “Tomorrow is our days off, so we’ll go back to the hotel, grab our shit and then find a cheap motel close to the airport to hide out for the night.”

Macaria chewed her bottom lip, not knowing how she felt about sharing a room with Dean. “I really don’t understand this industry at all, so I’ll just go along for the ride.  Just make sure the room has two separate beds.”

“Afraid I’ll bite?” Dean shot back, stopping at a red light and took another pull from his cigarette, flicking ash out the window. “You can get your own room altogether if I make you that uncomfortable, babe.”

“No, it’s not that, but…” Temptation.  The temptation to fall into bed with him was too strong.

“But what?” Dean slammed on the gas as soon as the light turned green, speeding toward the hotel as fast as he could.  Breaking speed limits was an understatement, but no doubt Stephanie would be hot on his trail. “If this is about your boss…”

“Partially, it is.  I’m afraid of losing my job, so maybe we should part ways at the hotel.  I have no ties to you as far as the briefcase goes…”

“True…” Dean stroked his chin thoughtfully. “However, people saw you leave the arena with me rather quickly.  So, to the Authority, you’re guilty by association.  You can take your chances though.  I’m sure they won’t fuck with you, but I can’t guarantee it.”

That ultimately lead Macaria to go with Dean to a small, deserted motel on the outskirts of town.  He did take her request under advisement and made sure the room had two beds.  Dean lead her down the outside hall to their room, unlocked it with an actual key and pushed open the door, letting her in first.  Macaria had texted Aya to let her know she took off to catch an earlier flight home after the show and would see her on Friday for the house shows.

See you then. Was the simple, direct response.

“Pick a bed.”

Dean kicked his boots off and pulled the drenched in sweat beater over his head, tossing it to the side.  He hadn’t showered, just wanting to escape the arena and he knew he smelled horrible.  A shower was definitely in order, followed by food, which he would leave for Macaria.  There was a pizza joint not far from the motel and most of them stayed open until the early morning hours.  He hoped anyway because he really didn’t feel up to leaving the motel until morning.

“I’ll let you have the one by the window, so you can smoke.” Macaria took her bag and unzipped it on the bed near the door, pulling her sleepwear out.

Dean couldn’t help himself and peeked over the bag, a smirk curving his lips at the sleep shirt and cotton shorts. “Now I know you’re not THAT modest, Maca.  You don’t have to wear shorts with that long ass shirt.” How would that be comfortable to sleep in? “Be as comfortable as you want.”

“And how would you know I don’t wear shorts with a sleep shirt, Mr. Ambrose?” Macaria retorted in a cool tone, turning to fold her arms in front of her chest.

Chuckling, Dean shot his hands up in defense and stepped back, the smile never leaving his face. “Whatever you wanna do.  Just doesn’t seem…comfy to wear shorts with a long nightshirt that goes down to your knees.  What’s the point since everything is covered anyway?”

Groaning, Macaria hated his sound logic and reasoning, waving him off to go back to sifting through her bag. “Don’t you have a shower to go take?”

“Yeah, wanna join me?”

Macaria dropped the fresh panties she just pulled out and snapped wide, bewildered jade eyes up at him with a dropped jaw. “N-No, no I don’t!  Get out of here and go clean yourself up!” She was flustered beyond belief, her cheeks turning crimson and heard Dean’s parting hilarity.

There wasn’t a doubt in his mind she wanted to take him up on that offer.  It was a completely serious offer too.  He would not mind having the beautiful honey blonde in the shower with him.  Hell, she’d been in his showers ever since he met her and didn’t even realize it yet.  Granted, it was all fantasy and envisioning, pretending, but Dean found himself wanting the real thing.  All in due time it would happen.  Eventually, she wouldn’t give a damn what Aya had to say or thought and throw caution to the wind with him.  They had until after WrestleMania, which was months away – plenty of time to get the honey blonde to come to her senses and join him for several showers.  Smirking at the thought and possibilities, Dean wasn’t in any hurry and stepped under the sprays, letting the warm sprays wash away the night’s grime and sweat.

No matter what, he would not be able to wipe the smile off his face, knowing Seth Rollins was going out of his mind, worried what the Lunatic Fringe would do to his briefcase.

~!~

Nyla pulled up to the cabin around 10 AM the following morning and cut the ignition, stepping out.  The smell of the woods surrounding her was soothing as her eyes closed, feeling at peace for the first time since she was home last.  Stephanie had kept her on the road for one excuse or another, refusing to give her any days off to go see her daughter.  Even though she was a writer and, in no way part of the Authority on television, Stephanie would not give her time off to go home.  Well, Nyla was through with being pushed around by them for the time being and had taken her 2 days off that were WAY overdue. 

Grabbing her bags from the trunk, amber eyes moved to look up at the cabin again just as the door flew open, a 9-year-old sprinting at full speed toward her.  Nyla dropped her bags instantly, scooping her daughter up in her arms and swung her around in circles, clutching her for dear life to breathe her in.  Neela was the spitting image of her mother, besides one feature and that was the eyes.  She had her sperm donor’s eyes – crystalline blue.  Dark chocolate brown hair mirrored her mother’s, same facial features as well.  Granted, as Neela got older, Nyla recognized certain attributes from her sperm donor, but they were few and far between…thankfully.

“Oh, I missed you so much, Nee Nee.” It was the special nickname she gave her daughter and Nyla had called her that since birth.  Even when she was in her womb, unborn.

Neela couldn’t stop the tears as they flowed down her cheeks, clinging to her mother for dear life.  She hated being away from Mom for long periods of time and never knew when she’d be coming home.  Apparently, according to her grandparents, Mom’s boss was cruel and only allowed her to come home when it was convenient for them.  That didn’t sit well with Neela, but she had to deal with it since she was only 9 years old.  All Neela wanted to do was travel with her mother for her job, even bringing up the possibility of having an on-road teacher for school, but her mother was steadfast in keeping her here.  It was getting harder and harder to watch her leave each time and 2 days a month, or months, wasn’t nearly enough time between mother and daughter.

“I’m so glad you’re home, Momma.” Neela whispered, burying her face in her mother’s neck and refused to let her go.

“Neela, who’s…oh my god!” June immediately took off in a run toward her daughter and hugged her tightly next, just as Benjamin stepped out on the porch. “Oh my baby, my baby is finally home!”

“Mom, you shouldn’t be running like that…” Nyla scolded, finally managing to pry both of them off her long enough to grab her bags.

Benjamin was there to help out, grabbing one of them and gave his daughter a one-armed embrace. “Good to have you back home, kiddo.  How long we have you for?”

“Five days.”

“Really?!” Neela squealed happily, jumping up and down with a bright smile on her face, crystalline blues sparkling. “I’m so excited!”

Nyla hadn’t called and told Stephanie yet, deciding to do it on Friday morning when she was supposed to rejoin the Authority on the road.  With the Money in the Bank briefcase stolen, there wasn’t a doubt in her mind she would be preoccupied and not worried about her writer being there to keep under her thumb.  That was one of the main reasons she had changed Dean’s script at the last second and swapped it for the one Stephanie instructed her to write.  Distractions were the key to get more time with her family, even though it took 2 hours to drive here from the airport.  They were literally out in the middle of nowhere and Nyla preferred it that way, though Neela’s school was only 10 minutes away.

“I was afraid you wouldn’t make it.  I’m so glad you did.”

June could tell Neela was starting to get a little depressed because she rarely saw her mother.  Skyping, calling on the phone and texting wasn’t the same as seeing her parent face to face.  Since she didn’t have a father figure in her life, as great as the grandparents were, Neela needed her mother.  When they had a moment alone, June was going to sit her daughter down and explain her concerns, hoping they could figure a way to get her to come home on her 2 days off every week instead of once a month or every 2 months. 

“Put your bags in the laundry room and I’ll take care of it all.” June instructed once they were inside the house and Neela immediately dragged her mother to sit down on the couch.

For the next hour, Neela showed her mother everything she’d done at school recently, proud of being a 4^th grader.  Nyla didn’t understand the math at all, wondering why they couldn’t just do regular old school math and didn’t comment on it, just voicing how proud of her daughter she was.  All straight A’s, the kid had a bright future and a solid head on her shoulders.  Nyla had been the same way throughout school and never had a problem with academics.  However, when she’d gone for a degree in journalism, instead of going into the medical field, her parents hadn’t been thrilled with her choice.  They supported her, regardless, but always wanted her to pursue the medical field due to the jobs never running out and being secure.  June was a retired nurse of 40 years, starting at the tender age of 20, though back then schooling wasn’t nearly as rough and detailed as it was in today’s society.

It was both a blessing and curse she’d gone into journalism because of the job she had with WWE now.  However, Nyla wished she would’ve listened to her parents, after getting pregnant by a WWE Superstar, keeping the pregnancy a secret from him, along with the child in general, and now she was nothing more than Stephanie toy to play with and Seth Rollins’ whore.  The medical field would’ve never put a label on her, but at the same time, she wouldn’t have traded Neela for anything or anyone in the universe.  She loved her daughter with everything inside of her; it was the only good thing to come out of her job with WWE.

After Neela was finished showing her everything and caught her mother up, she asked to watch a movie with her while Grandma June went to make them some lunch.  Halfway through the movie, Neela fell asleep and Nyla lifted her with ease to settle her on the couch, covering him up with a blanket before going into the kitchen to assist her mother.  June was a cancer survivor and Nyla was afraid it would come back since it was an aggressive kind.  So far, everything looked good with scans and whatnot, but she also didn’t need her mother waiting on her hand and foot while she was home.

“Mom, sit down and let me do that.”

“Hush up and sit down, Ny.  I got it.” June ordered, waving her cutting knife at her and continued chopping up tomatoes. “I need to talk to you about Neela anyway.”

“What’s wrong?” Nyla frowned, taking the BLT from her mother she’d whipped up and set it on the table with a side of hash browns.

June eased herself into the chair with her own plate of food, having already given Benjamin his and asked him to go to his den to watch television.  She wanted to talk to their daughter privately. “Neela is becoming depressed because you’re not home that much anymore, Nyla.  I don’t know what’s going on at work, but you need to make it clear to them you have a daughter who NEEDS her mother home more than 2 days a month or once every 2 months.” She didn’t mean to scold her daughter, but June hated seeing the pain on her granddaughter’s face every time she ended a call or Skype chat with her mother.

If only her mother knew the truth and what she’d been going through lately. “I’ll talk to them.” Neela was an upbeat, happy little girl, so if she was getting depressed, something had to change in her schedule soon.

June eyed her daughter shrewdly, not believing that. “Really?”

“Yes.  It may take a few months to get everything squared away, but I’m gonna try my best to get this fixed as soon as possible.”

“Good because Neela needs her mother more than the WWE needs you.”

Chapter 10

Her 2 days off were pretty boring, uneventful and all she did was download the pictures before developing them.  Her house was COVERED in photographs of Dean, all of it surrounding her.  It wasn’t the most professional way to do things, but until she could afford to get her own studio, her apartment was the only place to develop the photos.  Surprisingly, Aya did not contact her once during the 2 days she had off and it made Macaria wonder if she was all right.  Seth Rollins must’ve really been good in the sack if she hadn’t bothered checking in to ‘demand’ information on Dean or anything regarding the project.

Aya was currently in the throes of passion and being fucked in every way known to man by Seth Rollins, drowning in ecstasy.  He was relentless and had kept her in his hotel suite for the past 2 days, claiming her over and over.  Hell, she’d even let him ride her ass and that had been quite the experience in itself.  Why couldn’t she do a piece on him instead of Dean Ambrose?  She had a high sex drive just like Seth and was sure her vocal cords would never be the same again from how many times she screamed his name.  Seth was taking his aggression and frustration, his anger, out on her willing body, not able to do much else until Raw came around on Monday.  He WOULD reclaim his property one way or another from Ambrose!  Also, any new information about Aya, he demanded from her and used sex as a bargaining chip, which she caved to instantly.

When Friday morning arrived, Macaria was excited to get back to work…and Dean.  No matter what she did, she couldn’t get him off her mind.  It did not help her job revolved around him, staring at pictures of him for hours on end.  What the hell kind of trick was fate trying to pull on her now?  Aya had finally contacted her, after her plane landed, and informed her she would see her at Raw to resume her part of the project.  Macaria didn’t believe that for a second and honestly didn’t care, preferring to have alone time with Dean anyway.  She found herself missing him and being away from him was cruel.  Macaria could already feel herself falling for this man and it wasn’t an option, not if she valued her job. 

Dean was like a piece of meat she desperately wanted to sink her teeth into, but knew it was bad for her in the end.

Throughout the house shows, Macaria had been ringside for Dean’s matches and took some amazing shots of Dean with fans.  She loved watching him interact with them, especially children.  There was one particular little girl that was dressed just like him, except instead of a beater, it was a Dean Ambrose tank top.  She couldn’t have been more than 7 years old and the way she shyly held her sign out, she made herself, for him to sign was adorable.  Capturing those moments meant more to her than what he actually did in the ring because it showed he wasn’t a lunatic, just a regular human being like everyone else.  That interaction had happened after he beat Seth Rollins in a match and once again escaping with the Money in the Bank briefcase.

Sharing a motel room with on the outskirts of the two towns they traveled to for the house shows felt astoundingly natural.  There was always two beds and Dean remained a perfect gentleman the entire time.  They ate pizza or whatever fast food they would stop to get and talked about anything that came up, sharing a few laughs.  When Dean fell asleep, Macaria found herself watching him for at least an hour to help her drift off to sleep, envisioning what would happen if she climbed into bed with him, crawled on him and kissed him breathless.  All she wanted to do was feel his lips against hers and that thought process did not help matters any.

Chicago, Illinois is where Raw emanated from this week.  It was one of Dean’s favorite cities to perform in because the crowd was always super electric.  She had been informed by one of the officials, upon arrival with Dean, she could go out to the ring with the rest of the photographers if she wanted to.  Dean would be a huge part of the show, so of course, Macaria jumped at the chance.  She had no idea what she was in store for and made sure her camera was ready to go. 

Naturally, Seth had kicked the show off with the Authority, demanding for Dean to hand over the briefcase and he’d challenge Seth to ‘come get it’ on the huge Titan Tron.  John Cena had come out from the back attacking Seth, who cost him the WWE World Heavyweight title at Night of Champions, after sneaking back into the building Dean chased him out of earlier that night.  Dean and John were chomping at the bit to get their hands on Rollins and Cena had taken the opportunity with Seth’s guard down, due to his briefcase being stolen by Ambrose.  However, Seth was too fast for the veteran and escaped through the crowd before he got his backside handed to him.

“I’m busted.  I’m busted.  Hey, are you guys really security?  Cause I could swear you were Rosebuds last week.”

Macaria had to fight really hard not to start laughing while snapping shots of Dean in the ring, shaking her head.

“All right, all right, all right, I’ve had my fun, I’m sorry, all right…here, take your briefcase back.” Dean had his hands up in the air, backing away from the briefcase set on a table, which also had a bunch of merchandise he’d given to the crowd for free earlier in the segment. “I don’t want any problems.  Just take it.  Take the case, Seth, you’re Mr. Money in the Bank.  Take your case, I’m sorry.” Rolling out of the ring, Dean went through the crowd while Seth slowly made his way inside the ring to check out the damage done to his slight dented briefcase.

Macaria wondered what the hell was going on, raising a brow behind the lens and had moved around the ring to follow Dean.

What happened next was great television and unexpected.

Seth Rollins being sprayed in the face with green slime was possibly the funniest thing Macaria seen in her life.  The LOOK on Dean’s face as he stood in the crowd, the fans touching him, was PRICELESS.  His jaw was dropped, trying his best to act shocked and appalled, but the mischief twinkling in his eyes was a DEAD giveaway.  He had set Seth Rollins up to be slimed!  The dropped jaw turned to full-blown laughter.

“I had nothing to do with that, I swear, I’m sorry!” Dean was lying through his teeth and howled with more laughter; even J&J Security couldn’t contain their mirth at the humiliating situation.

“LOOK AT ME!!  I LOOK LIKE A JERK!!  I LOOK LIKE A JERK!!”

Back in her office, Nyla was laughing so hard, tears streamed down her cheeks at the INFURIATED Seth screamed, ranted and raved in the ring.  His face was COVERED in green slime, even in his hair and on his crisp suit.  Dean had just proven one thing: Seth was TRULY a slimeball AND a jerk!

However, the fun had to end sometime and it did later that night.  Macaria stayed in the back for the main event that resulted in leaving Dean laying in the center of the ring with John Cena.  Seth had curb stomped them both right on the top of his briefcase, the same briefcase that slimed him earlier that night.  Macaria was truly worried for Dean and battled with herself to leave his dressing room, but remembered his warning.

“The Authority won’t hesitate to use you against me, so stay here.”

It was the right thing to do, as hard as it was.  Macaria was only a photographer and had no business being out there during matches on live television.  When Dean managed to make it back to the dressing room, she was on her feet instantly and had to help him sit in a steel folding chair.  He’d taken quite a beating out there and it made Macaria wonder just how ‘phony’ wrestling actually was.  There was a great deal of pain on Dean’s face and she had no idea how to help him, only doing what he requested like getting him some water.

The same thing happened on Smackdown! the next night in Milwaukee.  Dean was left laying in the middle of the ring, after being assaulted by the Authority.  He wasn’t happy about it, but there was nothing he could do since his tag partner, John Cena, decided to bail on him.  Fucking prick!  It’d been a while since Dean had a beating of that magnitude and it both lit a fire inside of him and, of course, hurt like a bitch.  Seth was a pussy and he couldn’t wait to be locked inside of Hell in a Cell with the man where there was no place to run and no place to hide.  THAT would be his ultimate revenge.

~!~

Stephanie looked over Nyla’s shoulder while she wrote the upcoming script for Raw, tapping her foot impatiently.  Nyla wasn’t typing as fast as she usually did because Stephanie unnerved her.  After grilling ALL the writers about the last minute script change for Ambrose, she had gone back to Nyla, convinced she was responsible for it.  Even though her copies clearly showed the changes Stephanie ordered to be made, she wasn’t convinced Nyla wasn’t behind the treachery.  So, she told Hunter she would be overlooking all the scripts Nyla did from here on out and watching her like a hawk.  If she couldn’t be there, someone from the Authority would take her place.  Nyla was not to be left alone with the scripts any longer after this stunt.

Personally, Hunter thought his wife had lost her mind and made it clear he wanted no part of this.  It was one thing to have the writer on their side, but to physically, mentally and emotionally break her the way Stephanie was…Hunter was afraid of repercussions.  Nyla had been in the company a VERY long time and that longevity came with certain stroke.  Vince trusted Nyla; she was his top writer and he went to her for everything regarding the writing team.  If she were to quit, even if her contract was iron-clad, it would be a BULLSEYE and Vince would come back in a heartbeat to find out what happened.  That COULDN’T happen or their plans to take over WWE completely would be foiled.

It took some convincing, but Stephanie had decided to give Nyla another chance, hoping she would redeem herself in the Authority’s eyes.  Hunter could be very convincing when he wanted to be and, honestly, she had to be careful with how far she pushed Nyla.  Instead of punishing the writer for something she didn’t do, Hunter rewarded her by giving her the days off she requested when she first started in this business.  Stephanie wasn’t happy about it, but Hunter wanted to keep the writer happy and in their good graces.  However, that didn’t stop her ‘relationship’ with Seth, though he hadn’t come for her due to being involved with Ambrose’s journalist.

“Seth, you are to wine and dine her.  There will be no more abuse from you if you value your career in this company.” Hunter informed the young man, planting his hand on Seth’s shoulder and giving a warning squeeze. “Now, Stephanie doesn’t need to know about this.  I will deal with my wife.  And as far as this journalist you’re screwing around with lately – it ends.  She doesn’t have shit on Ambrose and we can’t afford to waste time on her.  You need to put your focus and attention on Nyla.”

“Hunter, I’m not sure it’s gonna work.  She doesn’t like me and I barely tolerate her…” His whiny voice grated on Hunter’s nerves, without Seth realizing it.

“Figure it out then.”

Grunting, Seth hated the fact he was being controlled by the Authority, but his paychecks were a lot bigger and he was making a name for himself.  He was no longer the small man in the Shield, a third wheel – he was The Architect Seth Rollins.  If wining and dining Nyla is what it took to make the Authority happy, so be it.  Hunter keeping things from Stephanie did bother Seth a bit, but that was the man’s problem.  He had his own dealing with Ambrose and now romancing the writer, who hated him. 

Great – his luck really couldn’t get any worse at this point.

Raw was in Brooklynn, New York.

Roman Reigns had been out of action for 2 weeks.  Tonight, live from the Barclays Center, he spoke out via satellite and assured everyone he would be back to action soon.  The doctors were happy with his progression, he was able to move around a little more and the surgery had been a success.  He made it clear he would be back soon to kick ass and take names; the interview was short and to the point.

Nyla’s heart went out to the Samoan, knowing he was aching to get back to the company to kick the Authority’s backside.  Hell, she wanted that to happen too.  Seth had come to her earlier and asked, very politely, if she’d go to dinner with him.  Knowing better than to turn him down, Nyla had no choice and accepted, blinking at the soft peck he gave her.  It made her wonder what Seth had up his sleeve and her anxiety was through the roof.  Hunter had come to her earlier and explained the changes that would happen, but it still didn’t make her feel any better.  Nyla found herself entranced by watching and hearing Roman on the monitor, wondering how much longer it would be until he returned.

However, his return meant Stephanie would be on her about screwing him in the scripts again like before.  Nyla didn’t want to do it.  She didn’t want to hurt Roman more than she already had.  Her daughter was on the line though and she knew, if the roles were reversed, Roman would do all he could to protect his own.  He had a daughter named Joelle and she was 6 years old, only a few years younger than Neela.  Nyla was in a tough spot and couldn’t afford to lose her job, not for a man who despised her because of her controlled script writing.

If only Roman knew the truth of the situation.

Sighing heavily, Nyla took a break from the scriptwriting to head out to the arena to call her daughter, not wanting to miss her nightly talk.

Chapter 11

“Hey, where are you, Mac?”

The dragon had finally come out of her sex-induced coma, apparently. “At a signing with Mr. Ambrose.” Doing my job, she added mentally, managing to keep the cool tone out of her voice.

“Oh, right.” Aya did not seem interested in the slightest, studying her nails after getting another manicure done. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Ambrose lately…” She pointed out, wondering if her employee would lie to her. “Anything you’d like to share?”

“WE are supposed to be following him around for this project and he knows that, so I’m only doing my job.” It wasn’t a lie; Aya had made it clear during their first flight together what would happen and what she expected.

“Yes, I’m aware of that.” Annoyance laced Aya’s voice now. “However, there was nothing said about sharing a motel room with him…repeatedly.” Seth had told her everything during their rumbles in the sack. “I don’t appreciate being defied, Macaria.”

Blackmail was the only way out of this. “Aya, I’m gonna be frank with you.  You suck at this job.  You really do.  Here I am, busting my ass for you and taking pictures left and right, doing MY JOB I was hired to do and you’ve been sexing it up with Seth Rollins.”

“EXCUSE ME?!”

Macaria didn’t want to do this, but she had no other choice and held her camera up. “I caught you with Seth Rollins a few weeks ago.” Weeks Aya hadn’t bothered spending with Dean and getting to know him for the article she would be printing shortly before WrestleMania next year. “And I have the proof.”

Snorting, Aya stood up from the chair and walked outside to have this conversation privately. “Oh really?  And just what PROOF is that, you little bitch?  You’re fired, you’re so fired!” There were a million photographers like her and Aya would have no problem finding another one that wouldn’t get into her personal business.

“Pictures.  I snapped quite a few pictures of the two of you outside of your hotel room.  You seemed to have forgotten I was only a couple doors down from you.” Macaria had to play ball if she wanted to survive in this world.  Dean had taught her that in all the time they had spent together recently.  It was now one week until the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view and the official match had been made the week prior when Dean won a match against Cena to solidify it.

“Y-You’re lying!” Aya squawked, purple-tinted eyes wide and felt her nerves begin to set in.

“Oh am I?  Check your phone in 30 seconds.”

Sure enough, 30 seconds later, Aya received a photo through a text message from Macaria and felt her stomach twist violently.  It was her and Seth with their tongues down each other’s throats just outside her hotel room.  Then there was another with her on her knees in front of him, sucking him off.  Aya could not believe this!  She covered her mouth with her hand and knew this rookie had her in the palm of her hand.  If she fired Macaria, those pictures would be revealed to the world and her credibility as a journalist would go down the drain!

“Okay – okay…” Aya had to regain control of the situation. “Do whatever you want with Ambrose.  I’m not interested in him anyway.” She was only half-lying since Dean was a hot piece of ass, just not as a scrumptious as Seth Rollins.

“You need to get your head on straight, Aya, before you completely blow this piece.  Mr. Ambrose keeps asking where you’re at and I’ve been covering for you.” That lie tasted wonderful coming out of her mouth. “I suggest you stop sexing Seth Rollins up and get your head in the game or else we’re both going to lose out on this opportunity.  If I were you, I’d head over to the signing immediately.”

“I want those pictures, Macaria.  All of them.  I don’t know you and I don’t trust you won’t reveal them and destroy me.” Aya was good at negotiating and, as soon as those pictures were destroyed, she would be able to get rid of Macaria.

Macaria laughed, wondering if Aya had lost more brain cells being with Seth Rollins and shook her head. “Absolutely not.  I will get rid of them AFTER this project is finished and I’m paid in full from you.  You will not fire me because all I’ve done is cover for your ass this entire time and do my job.  I really don’t like blackmailing people, but I also won’t be controlled either or disrespected.  Treat me as an equal, do your job and, on your spare time, I don’t give a damn who you’re with, what you’re doing or WHO you’re doing.  Mr. Ambrose and the WWE, in general, deserve your full attention with this project.”

“So my rules don’t matter, then?”

“Your rules do matter because you are still my boss and I agreed to them.  I’m not interested in fucking Mr. Ambrose or any other wrestler in the WWE.” Another lie, only this time it didn’t taste so good.  Bitter, if anything. “I’m here to do a job and get paid and keep a roof over my head.  I want this project to succeed because, contrary to what you’ve done, you are one of the top journalists in this country.  I don’t know how, but you are.  So start ACTING like it.  The signing just started, so you have time to get over here and you can start questioning Mr. Ambrose on his 20-minute break in between the signing.”

Aya had to admit, and it was a very hard pill to swallow, but Macaria sounded completely professional and hadn’t lost her temper once.  She was cool, calm, collected and stated the truth, nothing more – nothing less.  In a way, Macaria reminded Aya of a younger her; the fire and passion in her voice was something she’d been missing for years.

“There is one more thing I should tell you, Aya.” Macaria figured she owed the woman something for hiring her. “Seth Rollins is only using you.  He’s currently in a relationship with one of the writers in the company.  The only reason he’s been screwing you is to try to get information about Mr. Ambrose.  If I were you, I’d tell him to stick it up his ass, go fuck his girlfriend and focus on doing your job.  I’m just a rookie, I know that, but…you getting involved with a wrestler in a company you’re freelancing for doesn’t look very good on your part.”

Not knowing what to say to that bit of information, Aya normally would’ve snapped on Macaria, but…she made a lot of sense and she had blackmail with those pictures.  Macaria was an excellent photographer and Aya had no doubt in her mind the pictures would be completely clear, showing her and Seth together.  Snapping on the rookie photographer wasn’t an option.  Aya wasn’t exclusive with Seth and knew there was a chance he was already taken when going to bed with him.  That part didn’t bother her, but what DID bother her was this rookie photographer telling her what to do with her life and to do her job correctly.

“Fine…fine, I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Good, see you then.” Macaria hung up and blew out a shaky breath, hating confrontation and using blackmail against her boss, but there was no other choice.

Maybe now Dean would get the respect he deserved from Aya.

Sure enough, 20 minutes later, Dean had looked up just in time to see Aya sauntering into the building, designer clothes and Jimmy Choo shoes to boot.  What the hell made her decide to show up after 3 weeks of nothing?  If she thought Dean would simply start answering her measly questions, she had another thing coming and would have to EARN his time.  Aya would have to sweet-talk her way with Dean if she wanted to get anywhere with him.  Macaria had been doing her job the entire time, her camera FULL of various pictures of him throughout the past 3 weeks.  When she waved at him, he just shot a look in her direction and continued on with greeting fans, snapping pictures with them and signing his John Hancock.

“Dean, I’m so sorry I’ve been MIA on you lately…” Aya had tried talking to him during his 20-minute break and was shunned, frowning.  That did NOT happen with men, usually. “Look, I know what you must think of me, and you have every reason to, but…”

“But what?  You decided it was a good idea to hop into bed with my main enemy and be used like a stupid fool?  He only wanted information on me and that’s why he pursued you.” Dean did not sugarcoat anything or hide the fact he was ticked off at her audacity. “And you took the bait.  So tell me, Virago, what exactly did you tell Rollins about me, huh?” Nothing.  She had nothing to tell Seth that the sellout didn’t already know about him.

They had rolled together for almost 2 years as the Shield and spent every waking moment together.  Sharing hotels in order to save money when they first debuted, traveling by driving and flying…they were constantly together.  Besides their days off, they did their own things – well, Seth did while Roman always invited Dean back to his home, welcoming him into his Familia.  His mother, Lisa, was the sweetest woman on planet earth and treated him like a son, never closing the door in his face or bringing him down like his own mother.

“I know I made a mistake, but…”

“You made SEVERAL mistakes, Miss Landsbury, not just one.  If it wasn’t for Macaria, I would’ve had the company get rid of you when you stopped showing up to do your fucking job.” Dean was blunt, folding his arms in front of his chest and towered over her, making her feel extremely small. “She convinced me to give you another chance when you decided to get your head out of your ass and actually DO your job for this article or whatever the fuck it is.  Unlike you, she’s been doing her job and, in my eyes, she deserves a better boss than a whore, who can’t keep her legs closed.”

Aya blanched, not believing the way he was speaking to her and had to get a handle on this situation quickly. “I apologize, Dean.” Her voice had grown softer, her eyes not leaving him. “It won’t happen again.  I am done with Seth Rollins and I’m here for you and you only.  Please give me another chance to write this article about you.  I promise I am the best at what I do, even though I’ve been unprofessional lately with my actions.” Pleading with him was the only way to salvage what little dignity she had left.

Eyeballing her astutely for a few minutes, silence stretched between them and Dean contemplated on what to do.  He wanted to get rid of Aya, truthfully, but if Aya went, so did Macaria.  He liked Macaria and wanted her around.  Unfortunately, that meant keeping Aya around and he found himself slowly nodding, not taking her hand when she extended it.

“If you want my respect, you have to EARN it, Miss Landsbury.  I don’t give it away for free, unlike SOME people.” Dean blatantly referred to her, twirling his finger to jab at her just in case she didn’t get the message. “I’ll give you another chance because I’m feeling generous today.  And I’m assuming Macaria told you about the pictures she has on you too.  It was MY idea for her to keep them.  She was going to delete them and I stopped her because I knew you’d try to pull some bullshit on her about hanging out with me.  Try to fire her for sharing rooms with me and whatnot.” The guilt-ridden look on her face spoke volumes and Dean merely rolled his eyes. “It makes me wonder why you care what she does in her personal time though?  I mean, as long as she’s getting the job done, who gives a fuck what she does or WHO she does?  Kinda makes you a hypocrite since you told her she wasn’t allowed to fuck any of the wrestlers and then you turn around and do it.”

It did not take a rocket scientist to figure out Dean had feelings for the rookie photographer.  Aya didn’t like that.  She wanted Dean’s attention on her and knew she’d have to work for it going forward.  Macaria had been holding out on her with information and now she couldn’t pump her employee for it because the bitch had blackmail on her.  Aya would have to actually work for this article and rubbed her hands together in front of her, feeling lower than dirt at the verbal lashing Dean was giving her.  All the control she possessed and had on Macaria was gone – now Macaria held all the power, temporarily.

“So let me spell this out for you, so you can understand, Miss Landsbury.” Dean lowered his voice, glancing over his shoulder to make sure they were still alone. 

Macaria was doing her job, looking beautiful and happier than ever.  She really did have a passion for photography, but he’d never asked her why she did.  It was time to rectify that when they were back at the hotel later tonight.

“What is it, Dean?”

“If you even ATTEMPT to fire Macaria from this project, and don’t give her the props she deserves, I will personally make sure you NEVER freelance ever again.  And that is going to stay between me,” He paused, pointing to himself and then at her, his blues nothing more than ice. “And you.  You got me?”

Aya swallowed hard, knowing he meant business and had come too far in her career, building the empire she had, to let some rookie destroy it all.  She would play ball and do what Dean said, do the article and then fire Macaria once the pictures were destroyed.  All evidence of her and Seth’s affair had to be obliterated and then she could do whatever the hell she wanted to Macaria.  They were freelance for a reason, they didn’t work strictly for WWE, but had to follow their rules while on the road.  There was no rule stating they couldn’t fornicate with the wrestlers; Aya had tried to do that for Macaria’s benefit, but it was obvious Dean had a thing for her photographer.

“Yes Dean, I understand perfectly.  If you wouldn’t mind, I’m going to leave you to your business here and maybe tomorrow we can pick up where we left off with the questions?” Aya suggested calmly, pure professionalism in her voice and eyes. “And I promise I won’t ask you the boring questions you’ve been answering all along.” No, she wanted to dive deeper into this man and find out what really made him tick.

If only she’d been around because Dean had told Macaria quite a bit already.

“If I feel up to it, I’ll let you know, Miss Landsbury.” He refused to call her by her first name as before, seeing that grated on her nerves and smiled coldly. “Remember our deal, don’t fuck this up.  If you want me to talk to you about the article, you’re gonna wait until I’M ready to do it this time.” Maybe he’d make HER wait 3 weeks like she had with him; an eye for an eye as far as Dean was concerned.

“Ambrose, you’re back up.”

Aya could only watch him walk through the curtain to resume the signing and stormed out of the building, barely able to keep the tears in her eyes.  She had royally messed this up and now she had no idea how to fix it.  Macaria had noticed her boss run out of there like her backside caught fire and smirked, continuing with doing her job.

Chapter 12

Going to dinner with Nyla had to be the most boring evening Seth had ever spent in his life. 

She remained silent, sitting there with a stoic expression on her face and he had no idea what to talk about.  They didn’t like each other.  They didn’t want to get to know each other.  Both were being forced into this because of the Authority – nothing more.  This was strictly business and Seth felt uncomfortable, sitting there across from her at a fancy Italian restaurant, dressed to the nines in his tailor-made Armani suit, sipping wine. 

Nyla had declined wine and went straight for hard liquor, a vodka martini with extra olives.  If she was being forced to have sex with Seth tonight, she would be rip-roaring drunk to get through it.  Something told her Seth preferred the journalist whore over her and that was fine; she really didn’t want to have sex with this man after finding out he’d already dipped his dick in a woman he barely knew.  God only knew how many other women he’d screwed, and those were the ones Nyla DIDN’T know about.

“Don’t you think you’ve had enough?” Seth remarked, after watching her down a third vodka martini like it was water.

Nyla rolled her eyes with a snort. “Not nearly enough.” She was only slightly buzzed and their dinner hadn’t arrived yet, which was steak with the fixings. “Do tell me something, Rollins, why do you do it?”

“Why do I do what?” Seth didn’t bother hiding the annoyance at her question and watched her lean forward in her chair a little.

“Why…do you do what they tell you to do?” Nyla kept her voice down to where only he could hear, tracing the rim of her martini glass thoughtfully with the pad of her thumb. “It’s obvious you don’t want to be here with me.  You’d rather be with Dean Ambrose’s journalist.”

Aya…Seth had to admit he did enjoy tumbling around the sheets with her and she sucked his dick better than any woman ever had. “Nyla…I’m trying here, okay?  I’m trying to…work things out with you and you’re not making it easy.”

Why should she?  He was the one who cheated on her, even though they were in a forced relationship. “Trying to do what, exactly?  Wine and dine me?  Is that what Hunter instructed you to do instead of bending me over my desk and fucking me like an animal?” Vodka martinis had really loosened her tongue. “Or better yet, sneaking into my hotel room in the middle of the night and waking me up to your dick inside of me?”

Seth did not want to have this conversation with her in the middle of an Italian restaurant and had to down the rest of his wine, pouring himself another refill. “Let’s just go back to being silent and tolerating each other, hmm?”

“Aww, what’s the matter, Rollins?  Cat got your tongue?  Tell you what – how about I make it really easy for you?  I’ll stand up right now, bend over this table and you can have your way with me, like always.” Nyla went to stand and he shoved her down none too gently back in the chair, making her blink up at him.

“You’re pushing your luck.” His face had grown red with anger and all Nyla could do was smirk up at him, her amber eyes nothing more than hardened gold.  Seth wanted to slap the smirk right off her face, but doing it in front of all these people would only cause a scene. “I’m TRYING to be nice about this and pissing me off the way you are is NOT going to end well for you.  So just sit there, enjoy your steak and have another vodka martini.”

“You don’t wanna be here any more than I do, Seth.  You despise me as much as I do you.  All you want to do is make the Authority happy – Stephanie and Hunter.  I’m not stupid and I wasn’t born yesterday.” Nyla refused to let him play the nice act and try to weasel his way into her panties, folding her arms in front of her chest.

There was no point denying what she said because it was all true.  Seth was tired of playing this game, but he had no choice. “You’re right.  I’m only doing this because they ordered me to.  I don’t really care about you.  I don’t like you.  I don’t respect you.  I’m using you for your body and fucking you when they order me to.  That’s it.  You’re only being used and I’m making sure you stay under the Authority’s thumb as long as possible.” Seth watched the color drain from her face at his harsh words and smiled up at the waitress bringing their food. “Finally, I’m starving.”

Nyla was no longer hungry, her stomach turning violently and couldn’t look at the steak dinner in front of her.  The way he’d been so callous with his words…Seth had never confessed the reason why he kept pursuing her and now she knew why.  She’d been calling herself a whore – Seth’s whore – the Authority’s whore – and it was spot on.  As long as she was a good little whore for them, and did as she was told as far as the scripts went, nothing bad would happen.

“So, what happens after we’re done here?  You take me back to your room, fuck me and send me on my way?” Nyla wanted to be prepared, nibbling on a carrot and immediately set her fork down, her appetite completely gone. “That’s all I am to you, isn’t it?  A means to an end – a way to keep your golden boy status with the Authority.”

“Yeah, pretty much.” Seth didn’t sound sorry or remorseful at all, a smile crossing his face while eating his steak. “Mmm this is so good, you should try yours.”

“No thanks…”

“Now come on, Nyla.  I brought you to this beautiful restaurant out of the kindness of my heart, so the least you can do is eat your food.  You’re going to need your strength for what I have planned tonight.” Seth informed her, waving his knife at her to point at her plate. “Eat. Now.  That’s an order.”

Forcing herself to eat was a chore, especially since it was steak.  Done to perfection, but still hard to eat because of zero appetite.  Seth had cleaned his plate, finished off the rest of the wine and paid the bill.  He grabbed Nyla’s hand, guiding her out of the restaurant and into the waiting limousine.  Hunter had really pulled out all the stops for him.  There was no way he was taking her back to his hotel room and soiling his bed.  He’d rather soil the inside of the limousine with their inevitable sexual activity.

“On your knees.”

“What?” Nyla wasn’t sure she heard him right, amber eyes wide in both confusion and fear.

“On. Your. Knees.  You’re my whore, remember?  Time you start acting like it, listen and do as you’re told.” Seth growled, pointing at the floor of the limousine and shoved her down when she didn’t move right away. “That’s it, on your knees.  Good thing you wore a skirt tonight, baby…” With one quick yank, her panties were torn from her body and left it a shredded mess beside her.

Nyla knew the words she’d spewed at him earlier would come back to haunt her.  She was a little soberer ever since eating that steak and wished she would’ve kept drinking.  This might’ve been easier to deal with in a drunken stupor and she had to bite back a cry of pain as his fingers jabbed inside of her roughly.  Her body shuddered against him, not enjoying the invasion and Seth didn’t care, already unzipping his pants to push them down.

He was going to do it.  He was going to fuck her in this limousine right after they just got done eating!

“Gotta get you wet a little, baby.  Don’t worry, I can fix that.” Opening a compartment, Seth pulled out a bottle of lube and put a healthy dose on his fingers before gliding them back inside of her. “Mmm yeah, sucks I can’t get you wet on my own, but nothing some KY Jelly can’t handle.”

“Seth, please don’t do this…” Nyla whimpered out and gasped in pain when he ripped her up by her hair, his mouth hovered over her ear.

“You’re my whore, Nyla.  Whores don’t beg not to be fucked.  They beg TO be fucked.  Now start begging and screaming for me.” Seth shoved her back down, forcing her backside to lift in the air and slid the tip of his cock up and down her lubed slit. “You have to understand, we have no choice except to do this, baby.  This is what Stephanie and Hunter want.  Hunter wanted me to go easier on you, but…you just couldn’t accept the nice side of me.” He smacked her left cheek, then her right, repeatedly, until they were both rosy red. “You couldn’t just be a good girl, enjoy your dinner and share a pleasant conversation with me.” Now he’d taken his belt off and began hitting her, her screams echoing around the limousine.

The partition was up and it was soundproof, so nobody could hear her except him. “Seth, please don’t!  NO!” Nyla tried scrambling away from him, her nails clawing at the floorboard of the limousine and wished the driver would stop. “PLEASE!  I-I’m sorry!”

“No you’re not, but you will be,” Seth promised in a dark voice, tossing his belt away once he saw the red welts form on her backside, squeezing the cheeks to add more suffering. “Now you’re gonna stay put and let me have my way with you just like you offered in the restaurant.  And if you don’t put effort into this, I may just have to go to Stephanie and tell her you’re not trying hard enough in our ‘relationship’.”

Beating beaten with his hands and then belt had crossed a line.  Nyla had never been in so much pain in her life, not even when she was in labor with Neela.  Her backside was on FIRE, the welts stinging and it didn’t help with every thrust Seth produced inside of her, he slapped them with his hands.  All she could do was lay there and take the punishment he dished out.  Seth had never abused her up until this point and Nyla knew it was because her mouth had sent him over the edge.  She wrote checks her backside couldn’t cash and this was the result.  Being beaten and raped in the back of a limousine.

“Come on, baby, don’t make me do all the work now,” Seth grunted, pulling out of her and grabbed her by the hair again to turn her around forcefully.  Dark eyes met teary, bloodshot gold and he sneered, pulling her to straddle his lap. “Now ride me.  And you better make it good.”

Nyla had no choice.  If she didn’t please Seth, Stephanie would go after her family, her daughter; she didn’t have a doubt in her mind.  Reaching down between them, pushing her own pain away, Nyla slid his cock back inside of her willingly and gripped his shoulders, rising and falling on him.  Seth was staggered and knew it was because of his threat she had begun putting effort into this.  Gripping her hips, Seth began thrusting up inside of her as she slammed down on him, groaning.  Who would’ve thought sex with Nyla could actually be decent when she put effort into it?  The blouse she had on was buttoned up and he tore it open, the buttons flying in all directions.  The bra she had on had a clasp in the front instead of the back, so with his teeth, Seth unfastened it to free her breasts from its confines.

“Is this…good enough for you?” Nyla rasped out, tearing his own shirt open to caress his hairy chest and gasped as his hands collided with her sore backside.

“Yeah…keep going.” Seth ordered, his breathing ragged and bent down to take a nipple in his mouth, swirling around his tongue while her hands buried in his hair, her body tilting back. 

Her hips gyrated and rolled against him, feeling him go deeper and Nyla shut her eyes, trying to envision doing this with someone else.  Someone who didn’t rape her and force her to give her all in the bout – someone who wasn’t threatening her family’s lives.  For some reason, Roman popped in her head at that moment and Nyla began to relax further.  Roman hated her because of the horrible storylines she wrote him into, against her will, though he didn’t know that part.  Still, he was bounds and leaps better than Seth Rollins, those grey contact-tinted eyes of his always boring into her very soul whenever he’d come see her to yell at her.  His chest was massive, along with his arms and the way he carried himself…not to mention that sexy long black hair of his.

Nyla suddenly met his lips, forcing her tongue past his and tasted him, rising and falling faster to where she began to bounce. “Oh god yes…” It wasn’t Seth fucking her, it was Roman.

Not having any idea Nyla was picturing another man screwing her, he went with it and could feel his balls tingling, knowing he was close to climaxing.  He reached down between them, stroking her bundle of nerves and could feel how wet she was, the kiss never breaking.  Maybe this could work between them.  Maybe he could deal with being in a forced relationship with this woman, especially if she would put effort into it.  Seth found himself enjoying her crying out in pleasure instead of pain and slid his hands up her back beneath the blouse, which was halfway down her arms.

It wasn’t Seth’s hands, it was Roman caressing and touching her, his cock she was bouncing on, riding him for all he was worth.  It was the only way to get through this without completely shutting down mentally and emotionally.  Nyla could feel the coil within her belly form, threatening to spring free and broke the kiss to cry out, sucking in oxygen.  Just by the molten gold in her eyes, Seth knew she was on the verge of climaxing for the first time with him, without assistance, and growled, pulling her tight against him to bury his face in her neck.

“Yes, oh yeah…I’m there…oh god, I’m cumming…yes, YES!” Nyla cried out, reaching her end and her body shuddered against him, her juices flooding his cock just as the explosion erupted inside of her.  ROMAN, her mind screamed that name and Nyla kept her eyes shut the entire time, her body coated in a fine sheen of perspiration.

However, when she pulled back and opened her eyes to see Seth Rollins smiling back at her, Nyla felt her heart drop in the pit of her stomach.  Reality crashed over her at who she’d actually been screwing and couldn’t believe how this night had turned out.  Seth slid the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip before softly kissing her, his dick sliding out of her after growing limp.  All Nyla could do was kiss him back, knowing she would have to hold the tears at bay until she was alone in her room at the hotel.

The only silver lining to this evening was Nyla had found a way to get through sex with Seth Rollins by picturing his former Shield brethren, Roman Reigns.

“Baby, I don’t know about you, but I think we need a repeat upstairs in my room.” Seth had completely changed his mind about her, thinking she actually enjoyed being with him. “Mmm, what do you say to that?”

Nyla wanted to tell him to go to hell because he had started off raping her and then threw Stephanie in her face in order for her to comply. “Okay.” Seth helped her out of the limousine a few minutes later, after managing to cover up her up with his jacket.

An hour later, after satisfying a now sleeping, snoring Seth a second time, Nyla slipped out of the bed to go to the bathroom, turning the water on and let the tears flow freely down her cheeks.

If only it really was Roman Reigns she was with.

Chapter 13

“So wait, you’re starting the match ON TOP of the cage instead of inside it?  Isn’t that a little…crazy?” Aya frowned, not liking the thought of her current client possibly falling off a cage and killing himself.

“Crazy is my middle name, Aya, or haven’t you figured that out yet?” Dean remarked with a grin, having an extra kick in his step today.

He was looking forward to bouncing Seth’s head on every portion of the huge cage.  It was a cage match with the volume turned up and Dean wanted to do something different.  Granted, he had stolen the idea from Mick Foley, the Hardcore Legend, who had done an unforgettable segment with him and Seth that past Monday.  Dean would never forget it and, although he looked calm as a cucumber, on the inside he was marking out.  The atmosphere was electric and the segment created even more intensity for this upcoming fight.  Seth had destroyed the Shield, all for his own personal gain and wealth, and he would pay for it all tonight.  Dean knew the goon squad would show up in J&J Security and already had a plan for them, hoping they did join their leader.

Macaria was worried for Dean’s safety, but hadn’t voiced her concerns because of Aya.  Even though she had blackmail on the woman, she was still the boss and her rules still stuck like glue.  No fornicating with the client.  It made sense because, if things went sour between her and Dean, there would be massive repercussions.  Aya was protecting herself and her company; it wasn’t vindictive the way Macaria originally thought.  As much as she wanted to be with Dean, even if it was for only one night or the months she was here, Macaria didn’t think it was a good idea to get involved with someone she had to work closely with.  Feelings and all that malarkey would eventually surface, rear its ugly head, and she didn’t need the drama.

While Dean taped up his hands, Macaria snapped some shots of the technique and smiled at the eyebrow raise he shot her.  She smiled back at him, waiting for him to continue and snapped some more, making sure the words written on the tape were clear.  CHOOSE HELL.  CHOOSE was written on his left taped hand and HELL on his right. Macaria could tell he was ready for this and stepped back to allow him to do his pre-match stretches and warm up.  Why he did pushups on his FINGERTIPS was beyond her, but it was incredibly sexy to witness.  It also showed his strength and she was tempted to snap photos of those bulging arms, but refrained.

When it was time to head to gorilla position, Dean slid the kendo stick holding over his head to strap across his chest and headed for the door, but Macaria stopped him. “What is it?  You can’t go out there tonight…it’s gonna be dangerous.” Even if the Authority told her it was all right, Dean would not let her get hurt and had pulled her aside quietly to talk to her about it earlier.

“I know, I just…” Macaria hated the feelings she was developing for him because she couldn’t act on them.  Jade green eyes full of concern locked with twinkling pale blues and Dean reached out to glide a finger down her cheek. “Be careful out there.  Come back in one piece, okay?”

Dean hadn’t meant to touch her, especially in front of Aya, but he couldn’t help himself.  That damn magnetic attraction had grown stronger the longer he was around Macaria. “I got this, Maca.  You have nothing to worry about.  I’ll be okay.  Cheer me on, babe.” He kissed the top of her head and stalked out the door, getting into character on his way to the ring.

“You know that’s not going to end well, right?  And my rules still stand.” Aya reminded her in a patronizing voice, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Besides, why would he want a thing like you when he’s surrounded by more beautiful and successful women?”

“I already told you I’m not interested.  He’s a friend and I’m worried about him.  There’s nothing wrong with that.” Macaria retorted, grabbing a chair to plant in front of the monitor to watch Dean’s match.  As much as it bothered her, Aya did have a point.  She was just a ‘thing’ and had zero success in life, besides this internship with Aya, which would be terminated once the blackmail was destroyed.

“Keep telling yourself that.  I’m not sure if you’re trying to convince me or yourself with that bullshit, Mac.”

“It’s Macaria, Maca or Caria.  I don’t like being called Mac.  I’m not a fucking computer.” With the blackmail, Macaria had no fear in telling her boss what she really thought and scowled, reaching over to turn the volume up on the monitor.

“Fine, fine…Mac.” Aya couldn’t resist and smirked, wondering if the woman would be petty enough over a nickname to reveal what she’d done with Seth Rollins.

Ignoring her, Macaria turned her attention to the monitor just as Dean came out to the ring.  He went inside the cage and then walked back out before beginning to scale it.  Macaria hadn’t paid attention to his talk with Aya, tuning them out, so she had no idea he was starting this match ON TOP of the structure.  The anxiety she felt for his safety had increased tenfold and Macaria suddenly wished she hadn’t eaten in the cafeteria earlier.

Insane was the only word to describe the match itself.  Macaria nearly lost it when both men soared about 16 feet from the side of the Cell onto the announcer’s tables.  Simultaneously.  Without realizing it, tears formed and slid down her cheeks as Macaria watched both Dean and Seth be put onto stretchers.  The match was over.  It had to be.  Macaria could only watch as they lifted the cell up enough to wheel their bodies around the cell toward the ramp.  That was when Dean suddenly got up from his stretcher and went after Seth, their bodies not strapped down since they wanted to get them out of the carnage of the announcer tables.

“How the HELL are they standing after that?!” Aya squawked, staring at the monitor in shock with wide eyes, covering her mouth with her hand. 

Macaria had the same expression on her face.

Even the commentators were astounded by the passion, desire and thirst from Dean Ambrose.

They both cringed when Dean slammed the door shut, after tossing Seth inside the cell and screamed for the officials to lock it.  They were having this match, regardless of going through the announcer tables!  All Macaria could do was silently pray, not believing the intensity of this match and could tell even Aya was engrossed in it.  Dean looked right at home in that cell while Seth was merely trying to survive.

~!~

Meanwhile, in her office, Nyla could only watch with bated breath, knowing what the outcome of this match would be.  It wouldn’t be good either.  Dean didn’t receive a copy of the script revision, so he thought he would win this match.  No, the Authority wouldn’t allow their golden boy to be beaten by Seth.  She didn’t know how it happened, but toward the end of the match, Dean brought out two cinderblocks.  The same kind that Seth drove his skull through to send him packing to shoot a movie.  The blocks had been pre-cracked beforehand, to make them crumble easier, but Dean still suffered head trauma, thanks to Seth not doing his curb stomp move correctly.

Suddenly, the lights went out just as Dean was about to curb stomp Seth through the blocks, having positioned his head just right.  When they came back on, there was a lantern in the middle of the ring with smoke billowing out of it…and a hologram.  It looked almost like a ghost, even though people knew better.  The sounds of someone’s voice echoing around the arena blasted through the speakers and Nyla had a hard time hearing what was said.  It sounded like some kind of gibberish.

Her eyes shut when Bray Wyatt came up from beneath the ring and bulldozed Dean, knocking him flat.  The lights remained off with just the lantern as he delivered his move Sister Abigail to Dean, driving his head to the mat.  Then he backed up and allowed a wary Seth to cover Dean for the victory, the fans all staring on floored, pissed off and shocked.  Nyla couldn’t help it; she started crying and buried her face in her hands, knowing it was because of her this happened.  She could’ve denied Stephanie’s request to change the outcome of the match, but had done it to protect herself and her family.

This was the only way for the Authority to get Dean Ambrose’s mind off Seth Rollins for a while.  To protect their golden boy from the Lunatic Fringe.  Dean was leaps and bounds better than Seth Rollins in every way, but the Authority wanted to keep him down and away from the backstabber.  The whole time Nyla revised the script, she cried and had to force herself to keep going, force her fingers to keep typing on those keys.  She didn’t want to screw Dean, she didn’t want to help Seth, but what other choice did she have?  Stephanie had her over a barrel with her secret and the father could never find out the truth.  He would never leave her alone and would pursue her, even try to take Neela way from her, if he was vindictive enough.

That was not a risk she was willing to take.

The crowd was unhappy, booing heavily and Nyla had to turn the monitor off, not interested in watching the aftermath.  There was no way Seth would be in any condition to have sex tonight after all the hell Dean had put him through.  There was at least one silver lining to this horrible night.  Deciding to head out, before Dean could hunt her down, Nyla packed up her things and rushed out of the arena, heading straight for the hotel.

When Seth came for her and saw Nyla was nowhere to be found, he actually breathed a sigh of relief, too tired to chase her down.  Stephanie would have to get over it for a night.  He was hurting from the top of his head to the tips of his toes from crashing into that announcer’s table, along with everything else Dean had done to him.

~!~

“What is god’s name are you doing here?  No, better question, what in god’s name are you doing out of bed?”

Dean smiled sheepishly, trying to ignore his body screaming at him and held up some boxes of pizza, along with a six-pack of beer. “Figured we could both use a drink after tonight.  And I know you haven’t eaten yet.” They had their own hotel rooms ever since Aya got her head out of her backside and started doing her job.

“Christ, get in here,” Macaria mumbled, taking the pizza from him and let him carry the beer into her room, kicking the door closed behind her. “You should be resting after that hellacious match tonight.”

“Yeah well, I told you I’m indestructible.” Dean had been through worse than what Hell in a Cell had to offer and sat down on the bed, grimacing at the pain zipping up his side. “I’m fine…”

“You’re not a very good liar, Deano.” Macaria smirked at his groan and leaned back against the headboard, taking a slice of pizza from the box.

Dean chuckled, scooting back on the bed to sit beside her and ate his own piece of pizza. “Deano, eh?  Hey, that dinosaur was awesome, so I consider it a compliment.” He winked at her eye roll and finished off his first slice before cracking open a beer, handing one to her.

Why was he here?  Why did he want to hang out with her, of all people?  Macaria still didn’t understand it, not after being around him for a straight month and couldn’t help letting Aya’s words enter her mind.  She was a nobody, a thing, and had nothing to offer him except herself.  Hell, she could barely afford the one bedroom studio apartment she had in Vegas.

Dean could feel the unease oozing out of her pores and turned his head to fully look at her, seeing she had taken her hair down. “What’s wrong?” He set his third piece of pizza back in the box, after taking a bite out of it, not caring since it was just the two of them. “You’re anxious.”

“It’s nothing.” Macaria went to take another bite and sighed when he took it away from her, also setting it in the pizza box beside his piece.

“Try again.”

Macaria shook her head, sipping her beer and refused to talk about what was on her mind.

“Maca, I thought we were getting to know each other and you trusted me enough not to lie to me.” Dean tried not to sound hurt, but he couldn’t help it and sighed heavily, taking a long pull from his beer.

“That’s just it.  Why DO you want to hang out with me?” Now her jade eyes were observing him, a slight edge to her voice. “You just went through hell, literally, in that match and yet, here you are eating pizza and drinking beer with a nobody like me.  I don’t get it…”

“A nobody like you?  Macaria, is that what you think of yourself?” Dean had no idea why, but that severely pissed him off.  He set his beer down on the nightstand beside him and took hers to do the same before yanking her by the upper arms against him. “I’m only gonna say this once, so pay attention, darlin’.  You are NOT a nobody to me.  And I like you.  I thought that was more than obvious.  That’s why I’m here instead of laying in bed with the aches and pains.  It’s better to relieve them with someone instead of doing it alone.  Don’t ever call yourself a nobody because you’re FAR from it.”

Startled, Macaria felt tears swell in her eyes and fought with herself to throw caution to the wind and kiss him.  Just to feel his lips against hers once would be enough. “I-I’m just a photographer though.  I’m not successful and I’m only average as far as looks go.  I don’t wear makeup or wear fancy designer clothes…”

“Woman, you think I do?  Have you SEEN what I wear to the ring?” Dean laughed humorlessly, not releasing her and only slightly decreased the hold on her upper arms, his pale blues building electricity. “Maca, I wear the same fucking shirt day in and day out, sometimes a straight week, just because I don’t think to change.  Same with pants.  The only thing I DO change is my boxer/briefs and that’s because I practice good hygiene.” He hoped anyway. “Look, I don’t know who put these thoughts into your head, but you are NOT a nobody.  Not to me.”

“Dean…” Macaria wanted to believe him and reached up to caress his face with the back of her hand tenderly, seeing the truth swirling through his beautiful blues. “You’re not nobody to me either, just so you know.”

Dean grinned, feeling better and slid his hands down her arms to squeeze her hands briefly before grabbing their food to resume eating. “You know, just because Aya isn’t MIA anymore doesn’t mean we have to stop rooming together.  I actually don’t like traveling alone.” That was a confession he’d never admitted aloud until now.

“It can get lonely, huh?” Macaria leaned her head against his shoulder, once they were both seated back against the headboard again and finished their slices of pizza. “Okay, but we need separate beds.  We can share this one tonight…one night only.  Deal?”

Dean smirked, having a feeling before she left, they would be sharing more than one bed together, but kept that to himself. “Deal.”

Chapter 14

Despite Hunter’s warning to stay away from Aya, Seth found himself outside of her hotel room, knocking.  It was late and she was probably sleeping, but he had to see her.  Nyla had taken off and, even though he won tonight, he still felt edgy and needed to soothe it somehow.  Sex would do the trick, even though his body was achy and sore from head to toe.  Damn that Ambrose!  Seth knocked again, frowning when there was no answer.  Just as he began walking away, the door opened and his dark eyes snapped back to look at disheveled Aya.

“Seth?” Aya rubbed her tired eyes, having just over an hour of sleep under her belt, her voice thick with sleep. “W-What are you doing here?” A loud yawn followed as she tried stifling it and failed.

“I don’t know.  I shouldn’t be here, but I am.” Seth rubbed the back of his sore neck and stepped up to her, closing the distance between them. “Mind if I come in?”

Aya was more awake very quickly and folded her arms in front of her chest, shaking her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I know why you wanted to fuck me in the first place.  And I’m not amused.  I don’t appreciate being used.” She was tempted to tell him about her own photographer blackmailing her, but decided against it.

His eyes narrowed at her defiance as Seth’s upper lip curled into a snarl. “Oh really?  Would it matter if I was using you or not?  Let’s be honest for a minute, Aya, you would’ve dropped your panties and let me fuck you with or without motive anyway.  You wanted me.”

His accusation made her own dark eyes blacken with anger and Aya gritted her teeth, keeping her lips pursed tightly together. “Be that as it may,” She paused, talking through her teeth and did not move an inch from the doorway. “You still used me and deceived me.  And just so you know, I don’t give out information on my clients.  It’s strictly confidential between us, so whatever information you thought I’d have on Dean Ambrose was a waste of your time.”

Who told her that?  Had Hunter gotten to her and talked in her ear?  Seth wouldn’t put it past the dick to do something like that. “Look, if I was here for information, I’d simply ask you for it.  No need to use sex to coerce it out of you.” Anymore, at least since Seth had tried during their rolls under the sheets. “I saw you in the club that night and figured you’d want to have some fun with the Architect, baby.  I still wanna have some fun with you.”

“Even though you’re dating a writer within the company?” Now her hands were planted on her hips, keeping her resolve as strong as possible. “I’m a lot of things, and I’ve done a lot of despicable things in life to get to where I am today,” Aya was far from a saint and didn’t regret a single thing she did in her life. “But one thing I’ve NEVER done, at least to my knowledge, is cheating with a taken or married man.  I’m not a homewrecker.  There are some lines I won’t cross, so if you want your dick sucked, go find your girlfriend to do it for you.”

Seth chuckled, suddenly shoving her back into her room to where she stumbled and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. “She’s not my girlfriend…and we shouldn’t have this conversation out in the hallway with prying eyes and ears.” Quick as a cat, Seth had his hand planted over her mouth before she could start screaming for help and slammed her against the door, his body pressed to hers. “We’ve only made people THINK that way.  I’ve been ordered to ‘date’ her, as in showing the public and our coworkers we’re together.  And yes, I’ve fucked her under the orders of my bosses.  The sex isn’t good with her.” The limousine sex had been all right, but it wasn’t mind-blowing the way it was with Aya. “I was told by my bosses to stay away from you, and I’m not doing it because I don’t WANT to.  Now I’m going to pull my hand away, please don’t scream.” He really didn’t want to hurt her.

Knowing better than to try getting away, since his knee was planted between her legs, preventing her from moving, Aya felt his hand leave her mouth.  She would admit, she was a little scared at the intensity in his dark chocolate eyes.  Aya had never been manhandled before, not against her will, so this was a new experience she wasn’t sure if she liked or not.  Her heart pounded furiously in her chest and, for some strange reason, her panties were damp.  Was she turned on by this?

“Why are you being forced to date this writer then?” Aya demanded in a much softer voice and felt his hands slid down her sides to caress her hips. “What’s the purpose?” She was a journalist for a reason and her curiosity burned at the moment.

“Because they wanna keep her underfoot, under their thumb.  She’s their personal writer and only does certain wrestlers’ scripts.” Seth had no reason to lie to her, feeling her resolve weaken and moved his hands back up to massage her breasts.  No bra, he could feel her skin through the thin material of the negligee she had on.

“Like Dean Ambrose?”

If Seth wasn’t thinking with his dick, he would’ve known what Aya was doing and choked her out.  She was fishing for information. “Yeah, he’s one of them.  Roman Reigns too.  Dolph Ziggler…a few others…” He grunted the names, tweaking her nipples between his forefinger and thumbs, his mouth sealing to the side of her neck. “Whatever the Authority wants, the Authority gets, Aya.  And what I want right now is to be balls deep inside that sweet pussy of yours.”

The Authority…was that Stephanie McMahon and Triple H’s group she’d seen on television?  Did that mean whatever happened on television was also reality behind the curtain?  If that was the case, it was scandalous and newsworthy.  Aya swallowed hard, knowing it wasn’t a good idea to go to bed with this man again.  He was taken, even if it was by force.  Seth was too good at what he did though, too persuasive and Aya couldn’t resist him.  She wanted him and had a feeling Macaria fought the same battle with her feelings for Dean.  However, she wasn’t acting on them because of Aya’s rules and, honestly, Aya didn’t want her getting hurt by a wrestler.  This would not end well with Seth.

“You gonna make it good for me, Seth?” Aya’s voice had dropped to a seductive pitch, deciding to give into him for the time being. “Are you sure you’re up to the task after what you went through tonight?”

He pressed his hard cock against her, rubbing against her panty covered sex and smirked at the moans flying out of her mouth. “What do you think, baby?”

“They told you to stay away from me…” Aya reminded him, making one last-ditch effort to dissuade him from having sex with her. “You sure this is worth the risk?”

Seth slammed his mouth on hers, lifting her to where her legs encircled his waist and carted her to the bed, dropping her down on it precariously. “Yeah…spread those thighs for me and let me show you how much I want you.” As long as they were careful, Hunter wouldn’t find out about his defiance against the Authority.

“Oh, Seth…”

~!~

Dean was livid.

Dean was on his way to Nyla Miller’s room to have a chat with her about this ridiculous script!  Since when did he have to feud against Bray Wyatt?  His feud with Seth was FAR from over!  He wasn’t even close to getting a fraction of revenge on this little golden boy scumbag and now he was being put in a completely different feud?!  No, this would not fly with him.  Now he understood why Roman had yelled at her a time or two, deep down knowing it wouldn’t make a damn difference.  Nyla was in the Authority’s pocket and, whatever Stephanie and Hunter wanted to be written, she did it, no questions asked.

Banging on her door, Dean didn’t bother waiting for a response and pushed open the door, seeing her in front of her laptop typing away. “Hey, bitch!” He slapped the script down on the table in front of her and slammed the door shut, breathing somewhat raggedly. “We need to have a little talk about this bullshit you call a script.”

Nyla jumped when the slamming of the door echoed around her small office, swallowing hard.  She knew Dean wouldn’t be happy with the revised script and there was nothing she could do to change it.  Her hands were literally tied.  The fact she had purposely not given him a revised copy of the script from last night’s show, thanks to Stephanie’s insistence on letting him be surprised, left her feeling hollow inside.

“What can I do for you, Mr. Ambrose?” She asked cordially, shutting her laptop to give him her undivided attention and lifted the script in her hand. “You don’t want to feud with someone different?  You’re not tired of the same bullshit with Rollins?”

“HELL NO!  Do you have ANY idea how much bullshit that asshole put me through?  Roman is out right now, as you well know, so I have to pick up the slack to give that scumbag beating after beating for betraying us!” Dean growled, not amused with how tranquil and passive her voice was while speaking to him. “You’re going to fix this.  And you’re going to fix this NOW or we’re gonna have some issues.”

It wasn’t the first time Nyla had been threatened and it certainly wouldn’t be the last.  She pushed the script toward him on the table and shook her head, folding her hands. “I’m sorry, Dean, but there’s nothing I can do.  This is the direction the company wants to go in.  They want something new and different for you, which is why the script was changed at the last minute last night.” Boy, that lie tasted bitter coming out of her mouth.

“You mean with Bray Wyatt?  They want me to feud with a backwoods, down at the bayou, Deliverance mother fucker?” Dean snarled at her firm nod and felt like tearing his hair out of his skull or blasting her in the face.  He wasn’t sure which would make him feel better, even though he didn’t hit women anymore, not since leaving the Indy’s.

“Yes.  They think it will be a good feud for you to move away from Seth Rollins and onto other things…” Nyla felt her heart nearly leap in her throat when Dean planted his hands on her desk, nose to nose with her now.  She could FEEL the anger radiating from his body and tried her best to keep herself composed. “This is what the company wants and there’s no changing it.  Maybe after your feud with Bray, you can go back to getting your revenge on Seth…”

“No wonder Roman thinks you’re a cunt.” Dean hissed, his eyes nothing more than blue fire and slowly backed up, clenching his fists tightly at his sides. “Fine…fine…I’ll deal with Bray Wyatt.  I’ll send him back to the fucking bayou and hole he crawled out of and then…I AM coming for Seth Rollins, no matter what you write for my character.  BELIEVE THAT!”

Nyla cringed when her door was slammed shut again, so hard the hinges nearly broke off and the walls shook, tears welling in her eyes.

She didn’t know what hurt more – Dean’s anger about his script and feud with Bray Wyatt or what Roman Reigns really thought of her.

~!~

Randy Orton had gone off the deep-end and RKO’d Seth Rollins in the center of the ring.  His temper erupted after Seth had pointed out his shortcomings at Hell in a Cell against John Cena.  THAT was not scripted to happen!  Nyla gaped at the monitor and couldn’t help laughing at the fed up look on Hunter’s face while Stephanie shrieked at Randy.  It was hard not to laugh considering Seth deserved to be left laying in the ring.

Even Macaria enjoyed the beginning of the show while Dean paced like a pissed off bull, his entire body tensed.  He had a match tonight and didn’t care who his opponent was, planning on destroying them to vent his frustrations out.  The Authority screwed him and there was nothing he could do about it.  He would have to suffer through this feud with Bray Wyatt and wasn’t looking forward to it.  When it was his time to go out, Dean ordered Macaria to lock the door, not trusting the Authority after what happened.  He would not put it past them to hurt anybody associated with him, just to ‘teach him a lesson’.  Aya had called earlier, claiming she wasn’t feeling well and she promised to meet up with them tomorrow for more journalism.

What nobody knew was, at the moment, Aya was slowly uncovering the hidden secrets within WWE.

After going off on a rampage on the microphone about what happened at Hell in a Cell, how he dragged Seth to hell, Dean felt the anger boiling inside of him all over again. “AND YOU DON’T SCREW WITH DEAN AMBROSE!” He screamed, making it clear he would get his revenge against Bray and completely ignored his opponent in the ring, Cesaro.  They were friends in the back, but right now, Dean didn’t give a flying fig about this match or him, in general, not when his mind couldn’t stop replaying what transpired at Hell in a Cell.

Macaria hadn’t known Dean very long, but in the short amount of time she had, she’d NEVER seen him this pissed off.  The veins in his neck were bulging out and her eyes widened when he began beating the hell out of Cesaro with the microphone.  Cesaro tried to escape, but Dean was on him like white on rice, beating the living hell out of him with an interesting weapon of choice.

After Dean was finished, he went back to the ring, screaming for Bray Wyatt and cut another short promo. “I don’t do magic tricks.  I’m not much for smoke and mirrors; I’m standing RIGHT HERE!  So Bray Wyatt, why don’t you come out here, SO I CAN KICK YOUR ASS!” Dean shouted, slamming the microphone down in the ring and kept pacing, dying to get his hands on the man who screwed him last night.

Bray suddenly came on the Titan Tron, the arena dark except for the thousands of cell phones lit up.  Bray called them his ‘Fireflies’. “I know you because…I am you.  I’m going to dismantle your mind and feast on the spoils.  Run, Dean, run.” He warned before the segment ended with Dean standing in the ring, looking enraged.

Chapter 15

Trick or Street Fight.

Macaria loved Halloween.  It was her favorite time of year – fall in general, actually.  The ring was surrounded with all kinds of goodies, pumpkins, skeletons and weapons.  There were candy-corn colored kendo sticks, which she thought was very creative.  The company had pulled out all the stops to make sure this match was entertaining.  They also allowed Macaria out at ringside for this match since it was so unique and different, wanting her to get some good shots of it for the upcoming article.

Dean dominated most of the fight that ended with a pumpkin being put on Cesaro’s head and Dirty Deeds delivered.  The pumpkin came off, so his head hit the mat instead of pumpkin.  Apparently, Dean noticed it because he put another pumpkin on the man’s head and delivered it correctly after the match ended.  Then he took half a skeleton, climbed on the rope and held it up, kissing its cheek.  Macaria was full of mirth while staring up at him, shaking her head at how crazy he was in the ring.  The crowd absolutely loved him and it did her heart good to hear his name being chanted.

When he came through the curtain known as gorilla position, Macaria could see him holding his side and didn’t know what to do.  Since she was ringside, she followed him to the back after getting clearance from the other camera crew of WWE.  They were no longer live and taping the event.  She gasped when he dropped to one knee, holding his side and rushed to him instantly.

“Dean, what’s wrong?  Do you need medical attention?” Macaria had planned on snapping some photos of him coming through the curtain, but one look at him, and the pain on his face, and she put a kibosh on that idea.  The amount of concern and worry in her voice wasn’t masked by anything, jade eyes wide with the same emotions. “Talk to me.”

Dean was used to pain, or had been, still was, sort of.  There were policies in place in this company, to ensure nobody got hurt too badly, so he hadn’t had to really worry about damaging anything major like he had in the Indy’s.  Tonight however...well, he hadn’t expected Cesaro to fight back as much as he had.  Kendo sticks to the ribs weren’t fun as he began laughing.

“This morning, I had breakfast naked from my balcony.” The honey blonde beauty hadn’t specified what he was supposed to say, so he went with whatever popped in his head first, finally raising his head to meet her concerned stare.  It was true.  She had left to go have a meeting with Aya and he’d gotten out of bed, naked, and ordered breakfast.  How much pain Dean was in displayed in his eyes, that was something he couldn’t hide. “Cesaro has one hell of a swing with that damn kendo stick.  I pissed him off last night with the microphone, apparently.” His ribs were killing him now that the adrenaline had worn off from the night.

Despite the pain in his eyes, Macaria smiled back at him and felt his arm wrap around her waist for leverage, his breathing quickening while his side throbbed. “What can I do?  Tell me what to do to help.” She wasn’t above pleading at this point, keeping her voice low and quiet while freaking out on the inside. 

Spazzing on him wasn’t an option right now, not when the man was in pain.  She had watched the footage of him hopping in the back of that vehicle, along with tossing a luggage case from it on the ground, so Macaria assumed he was all right.  He seemed to be anyway.

“And thanks for the visual image of you being naked eating breakfast.  I’ll have to remember that when I wake you up for Aya in the morning.”

“That’s some cold lovin’, Maca.” He groaned, using her to leverage himself into a sort of sitting position.  Sitting being his backside, resting on his calves, Dean was basically recline-kneeling and exhaled slowly as he tilted his head back. “You should get some pictures of this.” He advised, his eyes closed, feeling his ribs being stretched slightly from his position and gingerly began feeling them, pretty sure it was all bruising and agony but nothing broken.

“No.” Macaria frowned at his suggestion and shook her head, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth again. “That’s the last thing I’m worried about.  I got plenty of shots of you from today.  Fans don’t need to see you in agony.”

Walking over to the nearby cooler that was in every dressing room, Macaria grabbed some ice along with a towel and wrapped it up, placing it against Dean’s throbbing ribs after pushing his hand away.  What was it about this man that made her want to help him, that made her gravitate in his direction?  They didn’t know each other, but somehow she already felt a connection with Dean she hadn’t with any other man.

“Are you gonna make it or should I write my eulogy?”

“Why does it have to be your eulogy?  Can’t it be mine?  You can tell the world how you always wanted to jump my bones, but then broken ribs got in the way and I died before our love could be consummated.” That ice felt fan-fucking-tastic and Dean could have kissed her for being so brilliant.  His plan had been to basically sit there in agony until it eventually stopped hurting or he passed out.

“You fool, I meant yours.” Now her cheeks were burning crimson again because it was true, she did want to jump his bones.  This man made her crazy, flushed and aroused all at the same damn time!  How was that fair or even possible? “You know, Romeo and Juliet never got to consummate their love either.  I guess I better start writing MY eulogy out too.”

Macaria had to joke back or else this would become very awkward, not moving the ice from his ribs since he was breathing a little easier.  Good, that’s what she wanted to see.  Maybe she could get him into the shower and cool herself off before she erupted like a volcano and made a complete ass out of herself.

“Can you stand up now?”

“Romeo and Juliet were fu-fucking idiots.” Dean muttered through clenched teeth, letting his head loll forward, hair hanging down around his face.  He felt her trying to tug him into a standing position and wondered if she was serious.  There was no way this little thing was going to get a guy of his size up on her own. “But I don’t want to, Mom…” He whined, reluctantly pushing himself upwards with one hand, the other going to his ribs. “You got a degree in nursing too, Maca?  I think I need a personal, at-home, nurse.”

“You are a piece of work, Dean.” Macaria could only shake her head at his antics, even in pain he was in a joking mood.  It was used as a diversion from the current pain he was in. “And what do you need a personal, at-home, nurse for, hmm?  You give me one legitimate problem and I’ll think about it.” She didn’t bother answering him about the nursing degree because, in truth, she used to be a CNA before switching to photography for a career.  Macaria knew a little bit about injuries and could tell Dean’s current position wasn’t doing him any favors. “There we go, that’s it.” She pressed the ice a little more into his ribs and felt his hand cover hers, an electric shock rushing up her arm.

“Hey, I could always use a hot nurse to help me deal with my morning wood and blue balls.  Pretty sure one ‘em counts as a legitimate medical crisis.”

Dean knew he was asking for either a slap across the face, a punch to the ribs, or something, but he couldn't help himself.  He wasn’t so much trying to joke and make her laugh as he was trying to keep himself distracted.  When she pressed the ice a bit more into his ribs, he covered her hand with hers to stop her.

“Not so hard now, darlin’, you gotta wine and dine me before you play rough.” Which was him basically telling her that hurt.  Even after she went back to being gentle, he didn’t let go of her hand, squeezing gently.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to do it that hard.”

Once Dean was fully on his feet and breathing somewhat regularly, Macaria pulled back from him, leaving the ice for him to hold.  She didn’t know what to do at this point.  His ribs were bruised, there was nothing to do besides ice them and try to get some rest.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Once again, Macaria stepped over the boundaries and, if Aya found out, her ass was grass.  Then again, what if something happened to their client and she could’ve prevented it?

“I’m taking you back to the hotel.  You’re in no condition to drive and I don’t care if you’re ‘trained’ to do this shit, you can barely stand on your own two feet.  So where’s your stuff?” This would get her some brownie points with Aya, right?  Right.

“Bossy little thing, aren’t you?”

Gesturing to his bag, his stuff floated about the room randomly.  While she seemed fine with grabbing his stuff, Dean did his best to get into street gear, which wasn’t really working so well.  He had a feeling he was going to be wearing his boots for the rest of the night because, bending over to unlace them, was not in the picture.

~!~

Macaria currently sat in their hotel room on the edge of the bed while he showered, after helping him get his boots off.  When he asked for assistance with his jeans, she shoved him into the bathroom and slammed the door shut, not about to go THAT route.  The sound of the shower did things to her body, lit her on fire and Macaria was tempted to join him.  What if they did have sex?  What would happen after that?  Maybe it was better to get it out of her system now and what Aya didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

Toying with her braid, Macaria contemplated a few more minutes and before she knew it, a half an hour had passed by.  The bathroom door opened with Dean stepping out, steam rolling out behind him and it looked like he was moving much better than before.  The towel wrapped around his waist was low and little rivulets of water slid down his chest, arms and back.  Macaria immediately averted her eyes to the carpeted floor and hadn’t released her braid, feeling incredibly awkward and aroused right now.

“Feel better?” She asked, taking a swig of water while Dean sifted through his clothes with his back to her.

“I feel loads better, I’m great with pain management methods.”

He grinned at her through the reflection in the mirror on his dresser as he continued rummaging through his bag.  Setting out what he figured he'd need before procuring a lighter and crumpled pack of smokes, Dean desperately needed a nicotine fix.  He would quit soon, hopefully.  Hotels had a no-smoking in the rooms policy, that was a policy he tended to ignore.  He lit up his smoke and closed his eyes, enjoying that first deep inhale before letting the smoke curl out past his lips.

Macaria walked over and hopped on top of the dresser beside him, making sure not to sit on any of his belongings.  Her eyes immediately went to the side he was holding at the arena earlier and could see the faint bruising developing around his ribs.  She wanted to reach out and touch to see how tender the area was, but resisted, once again battling with herself on whether or not to take a chance.

“Anything you want me to do?”

Either Macaria was the most innocent, naïve woman he had ever, and would ever, run across or she had either not gotten his measure, or had gotten it and still asked that.  All things considered, Dean had a feeling she hadn’t given it much thought, but would probably regret it in a second.  Hell, he was down with bruised ribs and all to go for a tumble with her under the sheets, his eyes moving to that long honey blonde hair.

“Is 'anything' open to anything I want or are there boundaries?” He smirked, glancing at the window, which was still cracked from his earlier cigarette.  When she gave him a look, he cleared his throat. “Mind helping me wrap them?” Dean gestured to his ribs, the towel sliding down precariously.

“Not at all, as long as you keep the towel where it needs to stay.” For both of their sanities, Macaria added in thought, staying where she was because it put her eye-level with his chest.

 Dean handed her the bandage tape and Macaria began the process of wrapping, being careful not to bump into his sore ribs.  She had no idea what the tape would do besides keep the pressure on the ribs, not seeing a need for it.  Dean apparently did, who was she to argue?

“Make sure you keep the ice on your ribs.” She instructed softly, the scent of his body wash, and him in general, combined with cigarette smoke, infiltrating her senses.  When she finished, Macaria pulled back and set the tape on the dresser, stopping Dean from walking away by grabbing the front of his towel to keep him standing in front of her, their eyes locked again. “Anything could mean a number of things.  It just depends what you’re looking for and what you want from me.”

“I don’t know yet.  A good time, for both of us.” He reached out to run a finger down her cheek and then across her lips. “You’re different, there’s something different about you.” Macaria wasn't afraid of him like others and she wasn’t a crazed fan looking for 15 minutes of fame.

With perfect timing, his towel dropped and he mentally facepalmed himself.

The moment his towel dropped, Macaria slapped a hand over her eyes and leaned back against the door, doing everything in her power not to look.  Not even sneaking a peek could happen right now. “O-Okay, all right, just please cover up.”

“Just no, uh, no nudes, if you’re gonna snap pictures of me.”

Seeing this man naked would melt the rest of her resolve away and Macaria would throw all caution to the wind with Dean Ambrose.  She walked past him so he could gather himself, and refasten the towel around his waist, sitting down on the bed. “There’s no way I’m taking pictures of you in a towel for the article.  If you think your female fans are crazed now…” Macaria didn’t elaborate, kicking her shoes off before sitting Indian style. “So what do you wanna do?”

Chapter 16

“Woman, I was just hanging out and you told me to cover it up.” He remarked cheekily, knowing he should probably put some proper clothes on. 

Since he began traveling with her and sharing a room, Dean had tried to at least wear boxer/briefs in bed.  There were some nights he just didn’t feel like doing it though and he’d made sure he was under the blanket before removing them to sleep.  Most women would have been quite happy to see him nude, she seemed frazzled at the thought, which he didn’t know whether to take as a compliment or an insult.

“I don’t know…watch TV, I could rent a gaming system or something…I have Scrabble.” He had no idea why he had it, Dean just did. “Better turn around, Maca.” He was at the dresser and dropped the towel, reaching for a pair of shorts, the only concession towards being clothed he was making tonight.

She didn’t.  Macaria watched that towel drop and his glorious muscular backside was in her vision – her hungry vision.  She wanted him and he wanted her.  It was obvious.  No – yes – no – yes – no – yes…Her brain and heart were battling against each other and Macaria finally told them both to shut the hell up.  This would be done her way, though.  Taking a chance, she turned her back to him and removed her top, dropping it to the floor leaving Macaria clad in a dark blue bra.  It was cotton, simple with no lace or anything.  She enjoyed being comfortable.

“Take your time, Deano.  I’ll just make myself more comfortable…” Waiting until their eyes locked through the reflection in the mirror, Macaria slid into bed and leaned back against the headboard, remembering how much he enjoyed her hair down earlier in the gym. 

So that was her next move, slowly unraveling the braid.

It was like someone had changed the channel to softcore porn and he was hooked on it.  Dean had made it abundantly clear over the past month he very, very much liked her long hair when it was down.  He had no idea what his thing with it was, but it was sexy as hell.  It was rare to see a woman with that long and thick of hair, real hair, and he could feel himself already tenting his, mercifully loose, shorts.  His generally pale blue eyes were darkening as he took her in, taking in her bra and the way it molded to her luscious breasts.  Macaria had been hiding under those professional clothes and he subconsciously licked his lips.  Turning around, Dean leaned back against the dresser, watching as she unbraided her hair, eyes following those deft fingers and wondered what other magic they could perform.  He approached the bed, gesturing for her to move down towards him.

“Let me do it.” He requested in a low, raspy tone, watching as she complied, getting onto her knees and turning away from him, but within easy reach.  

Finishing with undoing her plait, he glided his fingertips gently through her silky tresses and then up her bare arms, feeling goose bumps under his palms.  Through his fingertips alone, Macaria felt the strength and her whole body flooded with newfound heat, eyes closing at the feeling of Dean’s touch.  Of course, she broke out in goose bumps.  That’s how much of an effect he had on her.  What was the point in holding back what they both wanted and craved?  Sex was sex and tons of people had sex while remaining friends afterward.

“Thank you.” She murmured softly, sliding her fingers through her the top of her hair to try untightening it from her scalp a little more. 

She didn’t move away from him, not for a second and slowly turned her head enough to sneak a peek at Dean, her eyes having to move up his chest until they landed on his face.  His eyes had changed color and she was sure playing with fire would end up getting her burned.  Macaria was passed beyond caring at this point. 

When she didn’t immediately look away, Dean slowly lowered his head, giving her the chance to stop what they both knew was coming.  He normally didn’t bother with wasting time, all about getting down and dirty, but he was willing to go slow if he had to.  For now.  He brushed his lips against hers, feathering tiny kisses against her beautiful mouth and when she didn’t recoil, Dean pushed the boundaries a little farther.  He traced her lower lip with the tip of his tongue, feeling her lips part and took that as all the invitation he needed, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her back against his muscular chest.

One simple kiss quickly turned passionate, especially with Dean’s skillful mouth and tongue.  She enjoyed his tongue against hers, the softest moans spilling out to let Dean know she enjoyed this.  Every second of it.  Her job was on the line, yes, and she had crossed so many boundaries coming to his room.  Why not go all the way?  The way he held her tightly against him, his strong hands splayed against her back, made Macaria’s heart speed up, pounding furiously against her chest.  For some reason, he hadn’t gone for her bra and simply guided her down on the bed, their legs entangled together.  It’d been ages since Macaria just made out with someone, the exploration and going slow.  Her long honey blonde hair pooled around her in golden waves and Macaria had her fingers delved in his damp curls, thoroughly enjoying this man on top of her simply kissing.

If she thought going all the way wasn’t on his mind, his hard-on pressing into her was obvious proof she would be wrong.  Dean wouldn’t lie, the idea of having his wicked way with her, just outright fucking her, until neither of them could see anything but stars, was tempting.  However, this going slow, old school making out thing was nice too.  When her hands glided up and down his back, his muscles rippled beneath her touch, responding to her caresses and he knew he was probably exhibiting his own goosebumps.  Dean was addicted to the taste of her mouth and could have spent all night just kissing and tasting her.  He did let one hand move to her bare stomach, gently dragging his knuckles along the contours of her body until his palm was splayed against her bare side, enjoying the feel of her skin.

After an hour straight of kissing and touching, only taking a few second breaks in between to regain oxygen in their lungs, Macaria pulled back enough to lock eyes with Dean.  She rubbed her nose against his, smiling while breathing heavily and stroked the back of his hair gently.  There was something about his hair, his eyes…come to think of it, everything…that pulled her in.  It was a magnetic, instant attraction.

“Roll on your side.” She commanded, hooking a leg over his made sure his injured side wasn’t pressed into the bed.  Her lips teased his neck and Adam’s apple, enjoying the soft stubble scratching against her skin before claiming his mouth again, their chests pressed tightly together. “So much for Scrabble, huh?”

“I'll play Scrabble... as long as I can use your body as the board.” He rasped out, his voice grittier than normal, running his fingers up and down her side.  

She was probably wondering why he hadn’t moved to her breasts.  Dean hadn’t once tried to cop a feel and, honestly, he was wondering why he hadn’t tried yet either.  Deciding to test the waters, again, he let his hand skim up her ribs and to her shoulder, playing with the strap of her bra.

“I want a picture of you.” He whispered against her lips. “Laying here in my bed, your hair down…lips swollen…” Sucking her bottom lip between his teeth, Dean growled softly from the back of his throat when she let out a moan.  His hand moved to cup her breast, feeling her nipple harden through the thin material as he molded her flesh into his palm.

“Take it.” Macaria breathed out, not about to deny this beautiful man anything and arched her body into his hand molding her breast. “Dean…”

Her leg tightened around his a little more while they continued kissing, her lips no doubt swollen from the long make-out session they were currently wrapped in.  The fact he didn’t try ripping her bra off already told her maybe Dean didn’t want to have sex with her tonight.  Who would after the brutal match he’d been through and been beaten with kendo sticks?  His mouth sealing to her neck, the spot just below her ear, made her eyes roll in the back of her head as her eyes closed, relishing this moment for as long as she could.

“G-Get the camera, I want a picture of you too…”

Aching ribs or no aching ribs, he was not going to deny that request.  She could take a million pictures of him if she wanted, so long as he got at least one of her.  Dean retrieved her camera, studying it.  It was definitely not a typical point, zoom, and click item.  This was some expensive equipment, but he had learned yesterday how to operate the basics.  He stared down at her, smiling in a very non-PG manner as he took in how she looked.  Her hair was tousled, hanging about her in waves that hid much of her delicious body.  Her cheeks were flushed and her lips…Macaria looked ravaged and her jade green eyes were stormy with passion.

“Lay down.” He ordered, his already low voice coming out husky, with just a hint of grit.  

When she did, he nearly came right then on the spot, wanting nothing more than to put down the camera and enact the fantasies that were building in his mind.  Not normally comfortable being photographed, Macaria followed his order and stayed put, her eyes never leaving him.  Even though it looked like she was staring into the camera itself, it was him she admired.  When Dean had a few shots, Macaria sat up and took the equipment from him, softly kissing his mouth.

“Your turn…” She mumbled against his mouth and dropped the camera, too addicted to his lips to worry about snapping a picture of him aroused.  Somehow they wound up with her straddled on top of him, being mindful of his aching ribs.  Then she grabbed the camera from behind and began snapping a few pics of him, tousling his hair with her fingers since she loved it haphazard. “Promise me these pictures and what happens between us stays between just us.  Even though I have the blackmail on Aya, she’ll find a way to fire me if she catches us together.  One of her rules was not to fuck the client that, unfortunately, means you.”

“Darlin’, you’re the one with the camera.  Those pictures even being developed are all in your hands.” He assured, after a moment, his way of letting her know she had the power to destroy any concrete evidence of this night. “I’d prefer you didn’t, I want those pictures.” Dean wasn’t one for porn, generally, but he had a feeling those images of her would be spank bank material, once this thing between them run its course. “Your bitch of a boss won’t find out.” He promised, really wishing it was her pants she had discarded instead of her top all of a sudden.  

His face lit up with an evil grin at the thought of his boss.  If only she had been a bit more clear in her instructions.  Not that he would have obeyed them anyway.

“Of course, I’m not going to destroy these pictures.” Macaria smiled, leaning down to brush her mouth softly against his.

How long would this last between them?  Dean didn’t seem like the relationship type of guy and Macaria wasn’t sure if she was either.  Whatever this was, they were having fun and nothing more.  Her vow not mixing business with pleasure flew out the window when it came to Dean.

“I have to be honest, I’ve never done something like this before.  Making out with a guy without fucking him.  It’s nice and different.  And before you say anything, yes I do want to fuck you.  I’m just enjoying the slowness of getting there and you’ve been very patient.” Her fingers slid down his muscular smooth chest, not going near the area of his aching ribs. “Still in the mood to move to the next level?”

It was weird, but refreshing, for the woman to be the one to bring up taking things to the next level.  It was also a serious turn-on.  If Dean thought he couldn’t become any harder, he had just been proven wrong.  He felt like he could, and would, burst any second and sent a quick prayer, to whatever gods lurked, that he didn’t pop one like some teenage virgin.  He’d never live that down.  Ever.

“Yes.” Dean hissed, all thoughts of his ribs out the window as other things took over, deadening the pain.  

Sitting upright, he forced her to sit in his lap, her legs draped over his hips and caught her lips with his again, his hands moving to her back.  First thing to go was her bra.  Was this really happening or was it a dream?  Macaria couldn’t decide and didn’t care, not wanting to be woken up if it was a dream.  Dean devoured her breasts with his mouth, suckling hungrily on her nipples while caressing the rest of her body with his hands.  God those hands were huge and warm, the roughness from callouses only turning her on further.  Before long, the rest of their clothes had been removed and Dean pushed inside of her, past her drenched folds, into her tight channel.

“Fuck…” Macaria hissed out, not expecting him to be so massive and clutched his shoulders since they hadn’t moved from the sitting position.  It hurt at first simply because she’d NEVER had a man of his girth inside of her and it’d been a while since she had sex.  But once the burning sensation disappeared along with the pain, Macaria experimentally rolled her hips against him and they both groaned at the friction. “O-Oh…Dean…”

Either she was still a virgin, which he was doubting, -that just wasn’t normal these days- or the woman had never been with anyone other than pencil dicks because she was tight.  Dean knew the female body was resilient and could bounce back, he knew that quite well, but this was beyond resiliency.  It was like she had been custom fit for him and then taken in a few sizes.  He probably should have given a little time to adjust, but she had just felt too good, her velvety folds welcoming him in and damn near refusing to let him leave.  When she began moving with him, he knew her pain had passed and Dean took that as he was free to truly let go and ravage her.

She would not be walking out of this room anytime soon, that was a fact.

Chapter 17

Another week passed by and Seth had only bothered Nyla once, asking a question about his script.  The Authority had him feuding, temporarily, with Randy Orton since Randy was adamant about destroying him.  They were on the verge of taking Randy out, but had to set up the perfect scenario.  Nyla didn’t mind writing Seth getting his backside handed to him…until Stephanie came to her with changes.  Nyla felt sick reading the changes and wasn’t surprised when Stephanie ordered her to keep this quiet from Randy.  The Authority would take Randy out tonight, after he had a match with Seth, if he couldn’t toe the line and do what was best for business. 

Nyla really wanted to warn Randy, even though she wasn’t fond of him.  Again, she was stuck and had no choice except to do what Stephanie ordered.  There had to be some way to warn Randy of what would happen.  Reluctantly, she had to type each letter one right after the other.  Just as she was about to stop and toss the changes away, her phone buzzed.  It was Neela, saying she loved her Mom and couldn’t wait to see her again.  She’d gone home to see her daughter and family for only 2 days, due to house shows, but at least she’d seen Neela at least twice a week.  Hunter made sure of it; Stephanie honestly didn’t care either way.

However, nobody expected the Chairman of WWE, the owner, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, came out to the ring to kick of Raw, with Stephanie and Triple H in tow.  This was interesting…and NOT scripted.  What was going on?  Nyla couldn’t pull her gaze away from the monitor and could feel her palms sweating with anticipation.

“Let’s raise the stakes, so what if we had something like this,” Vince paused, staring out at the crowd while Stephanie and Triple H stood together, remaining calm. “Team Cena versus Team Authority, but if Team Authority loses, then they will no longer be the Authority?  Which means the Authority will no longer be in power.  What’d you say let’s take a walk?” He directed that at his daughter and son-in-law. “I KNOW THEY CAN DO IT!” After Stephanie and Paul walked past him, he added a parting shot. “I hope, maybe not.”

Nyla dropped the bottled water she had in her hand, her eyes wide and could only stare at the monitor in shock.  If Team Authority lost at Survivor Series, they would be out of power?  Did she hear Vince correctly?  What would that mean for the company?  What would that mean for HER?  Did this mean she would finally gain her freedom and no longer threatened by Stephanie and Hunter?

~!~

WHAT THE HELL WAS VINCE THINKING?!  Seth was on the verge of exploding, clutching his Money in the Bank briefcase tightly against his chest and tore a hand through his hair.  It was bad enough he had a match against Randy Orton later that night.  If the man didn’t do what was best for business, he would be taken out by Seth.  Hunter had a soft spot for Randy, but Seth wanted him gone, personally.  He was over the hill and needed to step aside to let the new blood reign supreme in the company.  Seth was the future of the WWE and proven it when he’d won the Money in the Bank briefcase with the contract for a title shot anytime he wished.  Needing some air, Seth headed out of his dressing room and headed for the back exit, when he spotted Dean coming his way.  In tow was the delectable journalist he’d had the pleasure of being with several times since her arrival and the photographer.  She was plain compared to Aya and Seth wasn’t interested in her as much as the journalist, who would write the article about Dean.

Aya met his dark chocolate eyes, reading the intentions in them and flashed a secret smile before going back to talking to Dean.

Dean and Macaria didn’t catch the exchange between the two and had no idea they’d been sleeping together again.  However, they’d been a little busy and preoccupied with each other for the past week.  Dean couldn’t get enough of Macaria and, every time they had a moment alone, he took full advantage of it.  Mostly, since they were still sharing a hotel room together, that was where they completely let loose on each other.  They still had their conversations together, ate food and drank booze together, like normal, but the only difference was they were naked.  Macaria had quite a few marks on her body, all of them able to be covered up with clothing or makeup.

Aya was either naïve, stupid or way too trusting of her employee not to defy her wishes.  They were sharing a hotel room together for fuck’s sake!  The woman actually believed Macaria would keep a purely professional relationship with Dean.  It was laughable, really.  Dean had blown those rules out of the water and didn’t regret it for a second, thoroughly enjoying his time with Macaria.  The marks he’d left all over her body was proof of that.  He wasn’t even close to being done with her, possibly not ever, if he had his way.  Dean was already planning on trying to get her into the WWE permanently, after WrestleMania or before.  Macaria was too skilled at what she did to simply go back to working for viragos like Aya. 

He still had no idea what Bray Wyatt wanted with him since the man spoke in riddles.  Dean didn’t have a title, he didn’t have any ties to Bray at all, so why was this man bugging him?  It was grating on his nerves as he stopped to grab his script for the night, seeing he was in a match against Cesaro.  Again.  Apparently, the Trick or Street Fight, or being blasted repeatedly with a microphone, wasn’t enough for the Swiss.  That was fine, Dean would pound him into Swiss cheese and leave him laying, like the last two times they encountered.  However, he stopped in the middle of the hallway and felt his eyes ice over, gritting his teeth.  Bray Wyatt would come out in the middle of his match to watch him…that wasn’t creepy at all.  Rolling his eyes, Dean tossed the script in the nearby trashcan and kept going, with both Aya and Macaria sharing questioning looks.

Standing backstage with the two women, Dean continued pumping up for his match since it was directly after Vince’s, listening intently to the old man.  How cool would it be to never have to deal with the Authority again?  If Dean wasn’t too busy pounding Bray Wyatt’s skull in, he would’ve joined Team Cena in a heartbeat, just to ensure the Authority’s downfall.  When his music hit, he raised a brow since Vince hadn’t made it backstage yet and winked at Macaria before heading through the curtain.  Dean smiled at the Chairman, taking his hand to shake it respectfully and smirked at Stephanie and Hunter, who didn’t look pleased with that exchange.  Dean and Vince were on great terms; the Chairman was really into some of the things he did in the ring and supported him with the Lunatic Fringe character.  It was Stephanie and Hunter he had a major problem with, simply because they were protecting their golden boy, Seth Rollins, from getting the beating he deserved.

The footage cut to backstage where Stephanie and Hunter stood with Vince in front of a limousine, trying to urge him to leave politely.  Vince made it clear he was counting on them to succeed and win at Survivor Series.  When the limousine drove off, Hunter finally turned to his wife, demanding to know what that was about.  Stephanie was clueless, shrugging her shoulders and told him they had to figure it out.

After delivering a Dirty Deeds to Cesaro to win the match, his eyes locked on Bray and he went to get out of the ring when the arena darkened.  The lights came back on a few seconds later with Bray Wyatt’s sacred rocking chair moving of its own accord on top of the stage.  Bray was nowhere to be found.  Dean hated being played with, he hated mind games and didn’t look happy, though he understood somewhat the man he was dealing with.  Bray claimed to know things about him, secrets, and Dean wondered what the Deliverance wanna-be had over his head, if anything.

Macaria was wondering the same thing, hoping whatever it was, Dean could handle it.

“Where’s Aya?”

Macaria turned, frowning and didn’t see her anywhere, shrugging. “Beats me.  She was just here a minute ago…” She’d been too engrossed in watching Dean’s match to notice her boss had slinked off somewhere. “Come on, let’s get you showered and then get something to eat.”

Dean followed her down the hallway, tempted to grab her hand and thought better of it since they were sleeping together secretly.

~!~

Making sure nobody saw her enter his locker room, Aya was instantly grabbed from behind and pressed against the door.  Seth’s lips were on her neck instantly and she melted, feeling his hard cock pressing against her backside.  They couldn’t have sex, not until after the show since he was in the main event, but that wasn’t for 2 hours.  Aya didn’t know what drew her to Seth, but just a simple look shared between them in the hallway was enough to tell her he wanted her.

“Mmm got my message, eh baby?” Seth murmured in her ear, his hands sliding down her sides to massage her backside through the thin blue skirt she had on.

“Loud and clear,” Aya remarked, feeling him whip her around to face him and his mouth devoured hers, his hand reaching down beneath her skirt. “Seth…”

“These need to come off.  I need to taste you.” Seth growled, feeling her shudder against him and bunched the material in his hand before giving a quick yank.  Once again, another pair of panties were shredded by his hand and Aya didn’t seem to mind or care.

“You sure this is wise before your match?” Aya mumbled against his mouth and unfastened the buttons of her blouse as Seth lifted her to move to the sink, planting her on the counter.

His lips moved down her jaw to her neck while unfastening her bra, wanting to feel her full breasts in his hands and groaned. “You let me worry about my match and just enjoy what I’m about to do to you, baby.”

Aya cried out when Seth buried his bearded face between her thighs and clutched his hair between her fingers, her head lulling back.  This man knew what to do with his lips, teeth and tongue.  Just as Seth began thrusting his tongue in and out of her as hard, fast and deep as he could, devouring her pussy, the door to his dressing room opened.  Through a thick passion haze, Aya noticed it was another woman standing in the doorway and Seth was completely oblivious, continuing to pleasure her.

“S-Seth…Seth…s-someone’s here…” Aya panted out, squeezing his hair to try to get him to pull away from her pussy and heard him mumble something. “SOMEONE. IS. HERE.” She spoke a little louder and slower, his blackened eyes looking up at her bewildered, following her finger pointing over his shoulder.

Seth slowly turned around, his beard covered in Aya’s essence and slid his tongue out to wet his lips and felt his eyes widen at the sight of Nyla. “Shit.” He was busted, knowing there was no way to talk himself out of this.

Even though she didn’t have any feelings for Seth, the fact he was STILL screwing the journalist, after being ordered not to by Hunter, angered her.  Didn’t this dick realize it wasn’t just his reputation on the line?!  Seth didn’t care and only wanted to get his dick wet as much as possible.  Nyla couldn’t stand there looking at him a second longer and took off out the door, dropping his script in the process.  Seth cursed, thankful for his wrestling attire because the pants were tight, cutting off circulation to his dick.  He took off after Nyla and managed to catch up with her just outside of his dressing room, not bothering to stop to pick his script up.

“What the FUCK are you doing coming to my dressing room, Nyla?” He demanded, irritated he’d been caught with Aya and slammed her against the wall none too gently. “Don’t fucking walk away when I’m talking to you!  Now answer my question, bitch!”

Nyla trembled from both fear and anger, trying to push him away, but Seth refused to let her budge.  He wrapped his hand around her throat, keeping her pinned against the wall. “Let go of me!” She cried out, pressing her hands against the wall because he hadn’t started squeezing yet.

“Why, so you can go to the Authority and rat me out?” Seth demanded, pressing his body to hers and slid his nose against her cheek, feeling hot tears. “You’re not gonna say a WORD to them, understand me?  I will fuck WHO I want, when I want, where I want and HOW I want and you’re gonna deal with it.  And at the end of the day, I’ll fuck you too because you’ll let it happen.  Now, why don’t you be a good little whore, go back to your office and keep that pretty mouth shut?”

“Keep her pretty mouth shut about what, Rollins?”

Seth tensed at the sound of Randy Orton’s voice behind him, his hand still on her throat and turned his head to glare at him. “Mind your own fucking business, Orton.” He snarled, not appreciating being interrupted by the jealous veteran that couldn’t hold a candle to him in the ring.

Cracking his neck and hands, Randy heaved a sigh and planted a hand on Seth’s shoulder, flinging him away from a scared to death Nyla.  Seth hit the cinderblock wall with a loud thud, back first, and turned mystic blues onto the writer.  Randy folded his tattoo-sleeved arms in front of his chest, arching a brow and tilted her chin up to check the status of her throat.  Rollins hadn’t left a mark on her, thankfully, but that didn’t excuse the asshole for putting his hands on a woman.  Especially a woman he had a personal history with.

“Are you all right, Nyla?” He asked quietly, releasing her chin and saw her nod, his eyes turning back to stare at a seething Seth. “If I were you, boy, I would go back in my dressing room until it’s time to get your ass kicked by the Legend Killer.” Randy hadn’t missed a woman scurrying out of Seth’s locker room, trying to fix her skirt to the best of her ability and recognized her as Dean Ambrose’s journalist.

“And if I were you, I’d mind my own fucking business and go fuck yourself!” Seth snapped, holding his lower back and groaned out when Randy shoved him none too gently back against the wall. “What the fuck, man?!”

Randy was trying, really trying, to be nice to Seth – for Hunter’s sake.  They needed to be a team, after getting their aggression out of their system tonight, for Survivor Series.  Randy was going to win and beat the living hell out of this rookie for THINKING he was better in the ring than him.  Seth had spewed a lot of crap about him the past few weeks and mentioning his loss to John Cena in Hell in A Cell had been the last straw.  Grabbing Seth by the back of his neck, Randy launched him into his dressing room and slammed the door shut, sending a cold smile back at Nyla.

“I’ll handle this.  Go back to your office and put some salve on your throat.” Randy ordered in a softer tone, though his eyes were nothing more than icicles.

Nyla had no idea what made her do it, but she suddenly hugged Randy around the waist, feeling his arm wrap around her and sniffled. “Thank you, Randy.” It was brief, her voice nothing more than a whisper before she rushed back to her office, the tears not stopping.

Seth had just scared the hell out of her.

Chapter 18

“Get naked.”

Macaria laughed softly, setting her purse down on the dresser and felt Dean come up behind her, his strong hands on her hips.  They were warm to the touch, searing through the t-shirt she had on.  She’d worn a Dean Ambrose hooded sweatshirt and took it off on their way up to the room.  It was a standard room with two beds to give the illusion they weren’t having sex, only rooming together.  Dean brushed her thick braided hair over her shoulder, his lips pressing a soft kiss to the side of it.

“Mmm, don’t you want to eat first?”

Dean smirked at that loaded question, squeezing her jean covered backside and massaged her sides, nuzzling her soft skin. “Do you really want me to answer that, babe?”

“I didn’t mean ME…” Macaria’s face flamed red, knowing exactly what he meant and bumped her hip against him. “I mean, I wouldn’t mind if you eat me first, but…”

Chuckling, Dean turned her around and lifted her to plant her on the dresser, standing between her thighs. “I’ll eat you all night long, Maca.” His voice had dropped to a raspy, gritty tone, his hands caressing her jean covered thighs. “I think I need a picture of me eating you out, actually…”

“Wait, you want me to take a picture of you eating my pussy?” Macaria blinked, wondering if he was serious and felt her cheeks burn all over again, not sure she could pull it off. “You’re serious…”

“Damn right I am.  Why wouldn’t I want a picture of me eating my woman out and making her scream my name?” Dean captured her open mouth and kissed her hungrily, pulling her to press her chest against his. “It’s time to get naked, Maca…”

With swollen lips, Macaria reached between them to unsnap his jeans and slid the zipper down, slipping past his boxer/briefs to stroke his hardening cock. “Mmm, is this all for me, Deano?” She smirked at his groan, not stopping the stroking and his mouth met hers again, this time hotter and more passionate, harder. “Fuck first, food later.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Dean rasped out, removing her jeans and panties to get them out of the way and lifted her from the dresser, her legs encircling his waist with her hand still stroking him. “Goddamn, your hand feels fucking good on my dick, darlin’…”

“I bet my pussy feels even better.” Macaria murmured, her own tone low and seductive and closed her eyes as his mouth teased her neck again.

“I plead the fifth on that one.” Dean set her on the bed, removing her hand from his pants and quickly shed them, after kicking his boots off. “Remove your shirt and bra.”

Macaria obeyed, tossing her clothes on the floor along with the others and devoured Dean visually as he undressed the rest of the way.  There was something about the way he pulled his beater over his head that was incredibly sexy and alluring to her.  He guided her down on the bed, hovering over her and pulled the tie out of her hair, needing to see her beautiful honey blonde waterfall of hair.  She smiled, letting him unravel it with his nimble, long fingers and kissed her again, taking her breath away.

“Get that camera out.  You’re gonna snap some of me tongue fucking your pussy.” Dean followed her hand pointing at the dresser and pulled away long enough to grab it, handing it to her.  Screwing a photographer was the best decision Dean ever made in his life. “I better start hearing that camera, darlin’…”

Her eyes nearly rolled in the back of her head as soon as Dean’s mouth began teasing her nethers, the camera snapping pictures repeatedly.

A few hours later, they lay in bed with a box of pizza and some sodas, both naked and enjoying the afterglow of their sex.  Dean was busy going through the photos while eating a slice of pizza, their favorite kind of food.  It seemed he enjoyed the photos she’d taken, even though she would only develop them in the privacy of her apartment building.  Aya wouldn’t want them anyway since Dean wasn’t the one pleasuring her orally.

“You know, I never did ask you, but what made you decide to get into photography?” Dean’s curiosity had finally gotten the better of him and he couldn’t hold back the question any longer.

Now her jade eyes glittered, the biggest smile crossing her face as she recalled the first time she ever held a camera. “My grandma is responsible for my passion.  She gave me a camera, one of those disposable ones, when I was 5 and…I fell in love with it.  Every opportunity I could get, I would grab a camera on family vacations and whatnot and snap photos all over.  We went to Disney World one time, and I swear to you, I’m not kidding, my Mom literally had 50 rolls of film she had to develop.  That is expensive as hell to do when it’s $20 a pop.” Macaria giggled, remembering how her mother had a box full of the black rolls that held pictures she’d taken over the years.  That was before they had their falling out. “I don’t know why I love it, I just do.  I love capturing a moment…that one perfect moment when nobody is around or the person doesn’t even realize it’s happening.  The sun rising over the horizon and when it JUST reaches that peak, that momentary grace, and you snap that photo and then develop it, you’ve created something.” While she spoke, she moved her hands to illustrate her point. “Sunsets are even more breathtaking because of all the different colors the clouds become.  Here, let me show you something, Dean.”

Gently, she took her camera from him, flipping through the photos, which were sorted by day, and found what she was looking for.  She had to show him a specific picture she’d snapped a few weeks ago at one of the house shows.  It was him, in the ring, smiling at the crowd and clasping his hands together, going in for a bow like he normally did after a match.

“Do you know what I see when I look at this photo?” Macaria asked, gauging his reaction to the photograph and brushed some hair away from his eyes with the back of her hand. “I see a man who is in love with what he does for a living, who is so engrossed with his fans and you can see and FEEL the passion oozing out of his pores.  Just from this one picture, and it doesn’t matter that he’s sweating bullets or his hair is all messy…what matters is the love and admiration in his eyes while he stares out at the crowd cheering for him.  I LOVE capturing moments like these because they are timeless.  Photos are timeless.”

Dean could sit and listen to her talk about her love of photography for hours on end.  There was something about the twinkle in her eyes and the way her breath hitched, without her even knowing it, as she described the colors coming alive in pictures.  Her love of photography was clearly something she would never give up for anyone or anything on this planet.  He also enjoyed the backstory with her grandmother, wishing he had something like that.  His background wasn’t something to talk about or relive; in fact, Dean tried to keep those earlier years of his life locked away in a box in the far recesses of his mind.  From the snapshots he’d already seen her take, he sincerely hoped she never stopped doing this.  It was nice to meet someone who had the same passion for something in life the way he did for wrestling.

“You’re right about one thing, Maca.  I’m probably going to be 97 and wheeling my old ass to the ring, so I can get in it and beat the piss out of some young buck who was talking too much trash and taking jabs at the old timer.” Dean admitted with a grin, biting into his pizza. “I really hope you never give it up because you are damn good at it.  I just hope you get a job someplace where they actually appreciate you because the virago doesn’t.” He was telling the truth after the way he’d seen Aya disregard Macaria’s name and the way she spoke to her.

“One day, I hope to own my own photography studio and be my own boss.  This is just a job I’m doing now, an internship, to get more experience.  You have to have some kind of experience or nobody will take you seriously.  I’m sure you understand what that’s like.” More than she would ever know.  Dean had to wrestle in alleys, gymnasiums and spill buckets upon buckets upon buckets of blood in order to get to where he was today. “Everyone is passionate about something in their lives and I’m grateful to my grandma for showing me mine at such a tender age.  My parents and I don’t speak anymore because of my choice to pursue photography.  They wanted me to be in the medical field and I told them to fuck off.” She finished off her slice of pizza, grabbed another one and cracked open a soda.

“Well fuck, babe, we are just two peas in a pod.  I didn’t know my Dad and couldn’t stand my mother, so I think we’re going to get along just fine.” Dean took a soda for himself, knowing he’d be working all of this off in the gym tomorrow. “Hell, I can’t count on one hand how many times in my life I had a concussion or had to be stitched up.  Here’s a story for you – I sewed my own nipple back on my chest one night after a particularly nasty bout.” He chuckled at the face Macaria made with that confession, pale blues thoughtful. “That’s what happens when you don’t have proper medical insurance and you get too impatient waiting for someone to help.  In the Indy’s, you learn how to be your own doctor, you know, unless your head is accidentally removed and it needs to be resewn back on.” That got a giggle out of her. “You develop a high tolerance for pain, and the sight of your own blood being on you and your opponent becomes second nature.  But that’s the price you pay because this is what you want to do with your life.  And then you get the infamous call from WWE and they offer you everything from medical insurance, to clean socks and a cockroach free hotel, and you know you made it big time.  And it was all worth it.”

This man really had been put through the ringer in his career.  It made Macaria wonder how long he’d been doing this.  Anyone who had to sew their own nipple back on had a true love for this sport or entertainment or whatever one wanted to call it. “It sounds like things aren’t as good around here as they should be though.” She pointed out in a quieter voice, leaning over to softly brush her lips against his. “Is that where you got this scar from?” She slid her finger down the jagged line down his right shoulder blade.

“Yeah, barbed wire match in Germany with a good buddy of mine, Drake Younger.” Even though they put each other through hell in that match, they remained close friends and now Drake was down in NXT as a referee, after retiring from wrestling.

“Sounds brutal.” Macaria murmured, looking up into his eyes again and felt him pull her to where she straddled his waist. “Dean, aren’t we supposed to wait a little while after eating before going another round?”

“That’s swimming, babe.  Besides, I want more pictures…” Dean rumbled in a low, gritty tone and smacked her backside, making her jump to brush against him.

Unable to deny him anything, Macaria gave in and they proceeded to sex each other up with her snapping various pictures.

~!~

The Peep Show – Smackdown!

Macaria was able to go down to the ring while they set up the Peep Show and blended in with the other photographers.  There would be no match for Dean tonight, which was the reason why she’d been allowed to go down there to snap pictures of him.  It was just another different thing Dean did in the ring besides wrestle, a different dynamic.  However, there was a certain chill in the air tonight and she kept getting shivers down her spine for some reason.  Maybe the building was chilly for some reason and the temperature was off, but she highly doubted it. 

There was something in the air – an electricity she couldn’t explain.

Dean was a guest on the veteran’s show and hadn’t waited for an introduction, stalking to the ring with a purpose.  Christian introduced him, asking him some questions and finally got down to the reason why he was on the show.  Bray Wyatt.  Christian asked the tough question – what did Bray Wyatt want from Dean Ambrose?  Why did he attack him at Hell in a Cell and cost him the match against Seth Rollins?

“I don’t know, Christian, you tell me, you’ve been doing this a long time.  Why does anybody go after anybody?  Why does anybody have a target on their back?  Usually, they have something people wanna take away.  And that’s the interesting part, I don’t have anything to take away.” Dean had looked down while speaking and finally back up at Christian, trying to make sense of this situation himself. “Bray Wyatt doesn’t want a championship from me or anything like that, so what does he want?  See, I think Bray Wyatt likes to play mind games with people who can’t handle the volume turned up just a little bit,” While speaking, Dean did a hand motion to his temple, as if he was flipping a switch of some kind. “He’s a manipulator, who preys on weak-minded people.  And fortunately for Bray Wyatt, my mind is a very dangerous place to be.” That was an understatement. “Bray Wyatt thinks he knows me…and he doesn’t.  Nobody knows me.  See, I can play games too.  You know why I do this, Christian?  You know why I do this?  Cause it’s FUN!  I like danger.  I like fighting.  I like adrenaline.  I like riding the edge of a lightning bolt.  I get a sick thrill from pulling my broken body up off the mat and spitting blood and teeth, and throwing more punches!  And I’m not scared to go down any dark alley with Bray Wyatt!”

Just then, Bray’s music hit and out he came to sit in his patent rocking chair, with a microphone in hand.  He started going on and on about fixing and healing Dean Ambrose.  He’d done it with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan and now he wanted to do it with Dean.  Bray pointed out about the Shield breakup, how Dean lost all the safety and security he had within that group.  In Bray’s eyes, Dean had lost everything when the Shield split.

“You can be different, I can fix you!  Tell me I’m wrong!  What do you have to lose?!  What do you have to lose, Dean?” Bray challenged, standing from the rocking chair to start pacing at the top of the stage attached to the ramp.  He didn’t move down it though. “I mean, your own father turned his back on you.”

Dean froze from his pacing, his jaw tightening and his eyes turning to pure ice while staring up at the ramp at Bray Wyatt, lips pursed tightly together.  Those words had stopped him dead in his tracks.  What the HELL did Bray Wyatt know about his father, his past?

“Tell me, Dean, does he still send you postcards from prison?”

“Oh my god…” Macaria whispered to herself, covering her mouth with her hand and couldn’t believe how personal this had become.  Dean had NEVER once mentioned anything about his family since they’d gotten together, which hadn’t been very long, to begin with.

Bray laughed wickedly. “Tell me I’m wrong, Dean!  Tell me I’m wrong!  Prove me wrong!  PROVE. ME. WRONG!” He shouted into the microphone in his chilling voice.

Dean had heard enough and jumped out of the ring to go after Bray, stalking up the ramp to wrap his hands around the Deliverance wanna-be’s throat to strangle him.  The lights went out again, making him curse and when they came back on, Bray was right behind him, screaming ‘RUN!’ in his ear.  It scared Dean as he jumped out of his skin, the lights going out again, and when they came back on, Bray was nowhere to be found.

However, his laughter echoed throughout the arena while Dean continued looking all around him, his teeth gritted and his temper on the verge of erupting.

Bray Wyatt had just crossed a line there was no coming back from.

Chapter 19

The next several weeks were very hectic, to say the least.

WWE had their annual European tour throughout most of November.  Since Dean went, so did Macaria and Aya.  It was interesting being in Europe, touring the different cities, even though there wasn’t a lot of time to do it.  There was a show in EVERY town, city, whatever one wanted to call it.  The schedule was insane, not to mention all the media appearances and signings, charity events, and anything else the Authority could squeeze in.  Macaria was worried Dean would drop dead from exhaustion, but he kept trucking along and assured her this was a cakewalk.  Because of how busy he was, there was no time for them to really talk about what Bray Wyatt kept spewing about his past…his imprisoned father.  Dean had done a promo on Raw backstage, talking about Bray Wyatt and hoped the man was right when he said there was a special place in hell for both of them.

This situation really bothered Dean, though he tried hiding it.  Macaria hadn’t asked about it because, honestly, it wasn’t her business, but since they were sleeping together, albeit secretly, she wanted to help him through it somehow.  It didn’t help Aya had been a shark smelling blood with this new turn of events, trying to delve into Dean’s past as deep as he’d allow.  It wasn’t far.  Dean shut her down at every turn by either changing the subject or making an excuse to walk away from the questions.  It broke Macaria’s heart and she wanted to tell Aya to stop, but she was a journalist and this was her job.  She couldn’t very well tell Aya NOT to do her job since the woman was her boss.  Besides, she didn’t need Aya suspecting anything besides friendship was going on between her and Dean.

Luckily, coming up after Survivor Series, Raw and Smackdown!, the Superstars were all off for 5 glorious days to enjoy Thanksgiving with their families.  Macaria had no idea what she would do for Thanksgiving, not thinking much of it.  She had contemplated asking Dean what he was doing for the holiday, but didn’t want to destroy any plans he had.  Hell, maybe he wanted to spend Thanksgiving alone or he had a loving family member he always went to.  Macaria was on the outs with her own family, so it would be spent alone with a meal from a restaurant or something.  Technically, all her and Dean did was have sex, they had never established what they were and something told her that was all he wanted.  There was nothing wrong with that; Macaria knew that was a risk going into this and had to push her feelings on the backburner.

It was the Smackdown! before Survivor Series.

Everybody was exhausted in every way from the European tour, but they had to keep trucking.  At the very least, they would get 2 days off prior to Survivor Series, having a ton of a media to do during the weekend to promote the pay-per-view event.  Macaria planned on sleeping for her 2 days off and something told her Dean would do the same thing.  She still didn’t know where he lived, again not asking anything personal because of how much Aya had been drilling Dean thus far.

“Ugh!  Why won’t he talk to me?!” Aya complained, tossing her hands in the air and felt like pulling her platinum blonde hair out of her head. “Getting SOME kind of background on him would be nice for the article, you know?!”

“Maybe you should back off of him and let him come to you.  You’re pushing him too hard, Aya.  He’s going to end up clamming up completely…” Macaria cautioned, raising a brow at Aya’s curious expression and felt her stomach tighten suddenly. “No…no, don’t even think about asking me what I KNOW you’re going to.”

“You ARE close to him…” More so than her, Aya admitted grudgingly as she folded her arms in front of her chest. “I’m sure if you ask him some questions, he’ll answer them with no problems…”

Of course, he would, considering they were screwing each other nearly every night they were together, sharing rooms had become second nature.  Aya was eyeballing her with a perfectly shaped brow, which was probably stenciled on.  She didn’t say a word for 5 straight minutes, the silence deafening and Macaria felt as though she was being suffocated.  The tension was thick in the air between boss and employee while Dean was in a private meeting with the writers to talk about his segment tonight.

“Okay – okay FINE…” Macaria buried her face in her hands, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake by agreeing to get some kind of information for Aya. “I am making NO promises though.”

“All you can do is try your best.” Aya smiled with her perfectly white, polished teeth and clamped a hand on her photographer’s shoulder. “I really appreciate any help, Macaria.”

At least she said her name right instead of the ridiculous Mac nickname. “Uh huh…”

Just then, Dean stormed into his dressing room, a pissed off expression on his face and began rolling his shoulders, trying to calm down.  He had certain quirks and ticks nobody else did and Macaria frowned, wondering what had him so upset.  It must’ve had to do with his segment.  Dean had been demanding answers from the Authority about Bray using his personal past in their feud, on camera, and basically ignored him.

“Dean…”

“Aya, if you even THINK about asking me about my past again, I’ll shove this whole fucking article or whatever it’s called up your ass!” Dean snapped, not pulling punches or beating around the bush, his temper already on the fritz. “It’s NOBODY’S business what my past is like and I don’t WANT any of it in the fucking article!  I don’t give a fuck what the WWE wants, what the Authority wants…I won’t give you ANY information about my past, so you might as well give it up and stick to the now or my Indy days.”

Macaria swallowed hard at the amount of anger lacing his tone, not sure it was a good idea to ask Dean about his past after all.  The last thing she wanted was to tick him off and it was obvious he wasn’t happy about this upcoming segment or Bray Wyatt, in general.  Bray had really gotten under his skin lately and Dean wanted to rip him apart limb by limb.

“Maca, you’re out there tonight since it’s a promo I’m cutting.” Dean informed her evenly, not wanting to take his anger out on the honey blonde he’d spent what little free time he had with lately.

“O-Okay…”

Aya had snapped her mouth shut, grabbed her things and rushed out of the dressing room, tears in her eyes. 

Macaria didn’t like or respect the woman, but she also didn’t deserve to be snapped on for simply saying the man’s name. “Dean…” She placed a hand on his tense shoulder and felt him cover it with his own, but didn’t turn to face her. “You have to calm down…”

“She needs to back the fuck off, then.” Dean shot back gruffly, twitching for a cigarette and knew he’d picked a horrible time to try to quit smoking, chewing gum like crazy. “You know as well as I do what she was about to say, Maca.”

“No, actually I don’t.  And you don’t either because you’re not a mind reader.” Macaria remarked, folding her arms in front of her chest when he turned his head to face her, his hands splayed against the lockers.

“Why the fuck are you defending that Virago, suddenly?” Dean demanded, pushing away from the lockers to fully face her and squared his shoulders. “Did you forget what she’s been doing since coming here?  And WHO she’s been with?”

Macaria knew his anger wasn’t directed at her or even Aya, but she also wouldn’t allow him to talk down to her either. “No, I haven’t.  And that’s not what this is about.  You had no right snapping at her for NO REASON.  She didn’t give you any reason to snap and you were just looking for someone to take your frustration out on.  She’s here to do a job, even if she’s not very good at it.  And she’s my boss and you just made her cry.”

She was the LAST person Dean wanted to fight with.  With Roman gone, Dean didn’t have a lot of people to rely on or converse with and Macaria covered both those areas well. “Okay…okay…” He held his taped hands up, conceding for the moment. “I’m sorry…” Those words felt like nails digging into his tongue.  Dean did not apologize often, but Macaria did deserve it since he had somewhat snapped at her.

“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.  You need to tell Aya if she comes back tonight.” Something told Macaria the woman would stay scarce until Survivor Series since they were all heading home tomorrow morning for their 2 days off. “What’s got you so wound up anyway?  I know it has something to do with Bray Wyatt and mentioning your Dad in prison…” Those were the WRONG words to say to a man already on the verge of erupting.

Dean’s guard instantly went up, his figurative feathers ruffled. “My past is MY PAST.  Nobody else needs to know what the fuck I went through or what kinda fucked up childhood I had.  They need to just know I was raised by wolves and leave it at that.” He was NOT comfortable talking about his personal life, not even to the woman he shared his bed with lately.

“But you’re letting it eat you alive from the inside out, Dean!  Don’t you see that?  You’re going to wind up making a mistake in the ring and getting seriously hurt if you don’t talk about what’s going on in your head.  You can’t keep this shit bottled up, it’s not healthy!” Macaria tried to reason with him and frowned at how stubborn he was being, wishing he would confide in her. “Why won’t you talk to me?  Why won’t you open up to me?  I’ve opened up to you…”

“No, you’ve opened your legs for me to fuck you.” Dean regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth and somehow, it kept running away with him. “That’s it.  That’s as far as you’ve ‘opened up’, Macaria.  And something tells me you only did it for the fucking job anyway, so don’t pretend like you care about me!  NOBODY CARES ABOUT ME!”

Tears instantly filled her eyes as Macaria stared back at him, feeling her heart hardening at his cold words.  Was that how he really viewed her?  Did he actually believe she had slept with him because of her job?

“For all I fucking know, you’ve been telling Aya all the shit I’ve already told you!  I don’t know you!  Why the fuck would I open up to a complete stranger?!” Dean kept ranting, not thinking about the consequences at the moment and tossed a steel chair against the lockers, the veins in his neck and arms popping out from how tense he was.

Granted, Aya had asked her to find out information about Dean TONIGHT, but that was it.  Anything and everything Dean had told her about himself stayed between them.  Macaria was hurt because she promised him she wouldn’t say anything to Aya or anyone about whatever they said to each other.  She backed up toward the door, grabbing her camera bag in the process and cleared her throat, willing the tears not to fall from her eyes.  She would cry later in her own hotel room, already planning on getting her own, even if she had to go to the next town over to find a vacancy.

“Okay, you’re right.  You’re absolutely right.  I overstepped my boundaries and made a huge mistake with this.” How could Macaria be so stupid to jump into bed with this mongrel? “I actually thought you were a decent guy, but color me shocked, you’re not.  You’re just another asshole I let worm his way into my panties and fuck me.  Don’t worry, I won’t disappear like Aya did because, unlike her, I actually DO love my job.  And don’t worry, I won’t be bothering you any more or asking personal questions.  You made it perfectly clear what we were and it’s over now.  I’ll see you out there, Ambrose.” Before Dean could stop her, Macaria was gone and didn’t see the fallen expression on his face or the angry tears in his eyes.

If only she knew the horrors he’d gone through.

~!~

Dean Ambrose’s Survival Kit.

What the hell was that?  Macaria tilted her head as Dean came down to the ring, wearing his patent leather jacket, one of his t-shirts and skintight jeans, his hair wet to hang just a little in his eyes.  He grabbed the microphone as the crowd hushed and went on a tangent about not being an average, run of the mill, WWE Superstar and he didn’t care what people thought or said about him.  He was a survivor.  He survived and thrived in the WWE, no matter who or what got in his way.  The crowd absolutely loved him as Macaria took her pictures, trying not to think about his poisonous words, but they kept echoing in her head during his promo.

“Let me tell you a little story.  Story about when I was a young boy.”

That got Macaria’s attention, her eyes widening and had a feeling what he was about to say was true.  Why wouldn’t it be?

“My mother hands me a $20 dollar bill.  She says, ‘Walk down to the store, get me a pack of cigarettes and some scratch-off lottery tickets’.  So I’m walking down the street.  I run into a group of older guys and they wanna know what I got on me.  And they rough me up pretty good.  And they take my $20 dollar bill.  I go home to my Mom, empty-handed.  I tell her what happened.  She opens up a drawer, she pulls out a pair of brass knuckles.  She hands them to me and she says, ‘Well don’t ever let it happen again.  These brass knuckles are your survival kit’.  And I carry a survival kit with me everywhere I go.  To this day, my hands, my feet, my knees, my elbows, my head, my teeth.  I’m a walking, talking survival kit and I will bite, scratch, claw, punch and kick, whatever it takes.  At Survivor Series, I’m gonna break Bray Wyatt’s nose and his teeth – he’s never gonna wanna open his mouth again.  I’m gonna take this fist,” Dean clenched his hand together in a fist and began bouncing it off the microphone. “And I’m gonna bounce it off his skull over and over and over and I’m not gonna stop until both of his eyes are swollen shut and my knuckles are bleeding.  If Bray Wyatt wants to survive, all he needs in his survival kit is the ability to run – run and hide.  Hide in the shadows.  Run back to the woods or wherever it is you say you came from!  Bray Wyatt said a lot about me, about my Dad, about my past and a lot of its true, so what?  Yeah, he got under my skin just a little bit and that’s only bad for him because Bray Wyatt you’re not talking to some scared, lonely child, you’re talking to a grown man.” Now he was staring directly into the camera facing him, his eyes nothing more than blue fire. “Now I am the hunter and you are the prey.  At Survivor Series, you will be stalked, tormented, and ultimately, you will be PUT DOWN.” His voice had dropped an octave and became grittier and raspy, his anger showing through his words.

Suddenly, the lights went out and Bray was shown on the Titan Tron, behind bars of what looked to be a jail cell.  He had a cup and was running it along the bars, making a clinking noise and Macaria’s heart shattered for Dean having to go through this.  What the hell?!  Weren’t there boundaries within the WWE not to do this?  This was uncalled for and it was getting way too personal now!

“Hi Dean, it’s Dad, remember me?!” Bray’s eyes were wide and crazed, a sick smile on his face. “I’m the one who gave you life and then left you alone to rot in it!” He began laughing sadistically, gripping the bars. “And I came here, Dean, today, behind these bars, to remind you the apple does not fall far from the tree.  This – this is your future.  Forever trapped inside a prison of your own design.  Raging against these bars, begging for freedom!  That you will not receive.”

Dean looked ready to explode as Macaria stopped taking pictures, not wanting to capture this moment for the article.  Aya would be angry with her, but she didn’t care.  Maybe it wasn’t professional of her to stop snapping pictures.  Macaria would deal with the consequences or simply lie to Aya and say she ran out of film.  There was no way she could snap pictures of him, not now.

“I’m going to leave this cell, and then I’m going to leave you drowning inside a pool of your own filth.” Bray lowered himself again, pressing his face against the bars. “Just like Daddy did.”

The segment ended shortly after that, the lights coming back up and Dean could only leave the ring, scowling his way up the ramp to the back.

Chapter 20

Did you get any info out of him yet?

Macaria felt like snapping her phone in half, gritting her teeth and didn’t bother responding.  She had to go to the far outskirts of Knoxville, Tennessee in order to find a shabby motel that had a vacant room.  After paying a ridiculous room rental fee, Macaria took her key and went to her room, dropping her luggage on the carpeted floor.  At least the bed looked clean, though she wouldn’t be shining any blacklights around the room for fear of finding stains and other things.  This would have to do for the night and, tomorrow, she would be on her way home for 2 days off.

Don’t ignore me, Macaria!

NO, I DIDN’T AND I’M NOT FINDING OUT ANY INFO ON HIM FOR YOU!  DO YOUR JOB YOURSELF! Macaria was above caring about repercussions from Aya at this point, responding in all caps and tossed her phone on the nightstand, kicking her shoes off.

All she kept replaying in her mind was Dean’s hateful words toward her about only screwing him for her job.  She wasn’t a whore and didn’t sleep with just any guy.  Sleeping with Dean hadn’t been the smartest decision in life, but she had thrown caution to the wind, thinking he wasn’t a huge douchebag.  After tonight, even though he’d probably been talking out of anger, the way she viewed him was being no better than every other man on the planet.  It was so disappointing because she really thought Dean was different.  Tears spilled from her eyes and dripped into her hair as she lay on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  Why did her stomach hurt?  Why did her heart feel like it was breaking into pieces?

There was only one explanation and one answer to those questions. “I fell for him.” She whispered to the silence of the room and shut her eyes tightly, that revelation making the pain and anguish worse.

Her phone suddenly lit up and vibrated on the nightstand, her watery vision looking up at it, contemplating if she should answer it.  Sniffling, more tears slipped down her cheeks as she grabbed it to look at the caller ID and saw who it was, her heart breaking all over again.  It was Dean.  She didn’t know if answering was the best idea and wiped the tears from her eyes, clutching her phone tighter in her hand.  Macaria let it go to voicemail and finally answered when he called a third time straight.  Obviously, he wasn’t getting the message she wasn’t in the mood to talk.

“What?” She answered, hating how badly her voice cracked and mentally cursed.

“Where are you?” His deep, gritty voice resonated in her ear and sent shivers throughout her body.

Shutting her eyes, Macaria had to stay strong and stood up from the bed, coughing a few times. “Does it matter?” Her head hurt as she began unraveling her braid, which was something he normally did for her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“You made it perfectly clear how you feel about me at the arena, Ambrose.  Or did you already forget what you said to me, accused me of?” Macaria remarked coldly, proud of herself for standing her ground instead of melting into a puddle at his feet.

Dean rubbed the back of his neck, knowing he only said what he did in the heat of the moment. “Look, you were pushing me to talk about my past and…I went off.  I admit it.  I went off because it’s not easy talking about my past…I didn’t mean what I said…” Part of him did wonder why she had slept with him so willingly, though.  It was part of his constant paranoia, not knowing who to trust, ever since being stabbed in the back by someone he used to consider a brother.

“Didn’t mean what you said, huh?  So you don’t think I’m fucking you because of my job?” Macaria could FEEL his hesitation and shook her head sadly, already having her answer. “That’s what I thought.”

“Would you just…”

“Dean, I thought you were different.” Fresh tears formed and began falling down her already streaked cheeks. “I don’t just jump into bed with any guy.  And I thought you were different…”

“Macaria…”

She sniffled, rubbing her temples and leaned her head back against the headboard, trying her best to stop the tears. “For the record, I didn’t tell Aya a single thing you’ve told me.  She kept asking me and I never once told her anything.  Tonight, she asked me to ask you about your past and I was gonna do it, but then I saw how bothered you were and decided not to do it.  I only asked you to talk about what was eating you up because it’s not healthy to keep shit bottled up.  Then you accused me of fucking you because of my job.  I don’t fuck anyone for a job, I have more self-respect than that.” A hint of anger laced her tone.

Dean hated hearing how thick and croaked her voice was, knowing she was crying because of him.  Those tears she shed were because of his temper. “Come back to me.  Let’s talk and work this out.  I don’t like you being by yourself, Maca…” Not while they were on the road with the Authority on a rampage going into Survivor Series.

“Come back to you and do what?  Open my legs so you can fuck me?” She tossed the exact words he’d spat at her earlier right back at him and hoped they tasted good. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.  I’m taking these next 2 days to myself to reflect and get my head on straight.  I’ll see you on Friday for the media for Survivor Series.”

“Maca…”

“Good night, Dean.” Macaria pressed the end button and set her alarm, so she would get up in time to catch her flight home.

“DAMN IT!” Dean growled, tossing his phone on the bed and took the beer in his hand, tossing it against the wall as hard as he could. “FUCK!”

~!~

“Momma, do you have to go back on the road?” Neela asked softly, being tucked into bed by her mother and received a kiss to her forehead.

“Yeah, baby, I do.” It broke Nyla’s heart every time her daughter asked this question.  It never got easier. “But guess what?  I have another whole 5 days off coming up next week and I’m spending all of them with you.” She tapped Neela’s nose, making the little girl smile.

Neela’s mystic blues lit up. “Really?!  Grammie and Poppie are making a HUGE Thanksgiving dinner and they were hoping you’d be home.  I’m so glad, Momma.” She hugged her mother tightly around the neck before settling back down. “I can’t wait for my Fall break to start.” She only had this week to go and starting Monday, she was on break for a straight week.

Nyla chuckled, nuzzling her daughter’s head and breathed her in, not believing these past 2 days flew by as fast as they did.  There was never enough time with Neela; Nyla already planned on telling WWE to shove their contract renewal up their backsides when her 3 years was up.  She had to be home more with her daughter and would bring her on the road if it wasn’t for the Authority.

“I love you, Nee Nee, never doubt that.” She whispered, watching her daughter’s eyes slowly close and kissed her forehead again before reluctantly leaving the room.

Just as Nyla walked into her own room to finish packing, her phone went off and Nyla didn’t recognize the number at all.  Something told her to answer it. “Hello?”

“Nyla, it’s…Randy.” His voice sounded off and for good reason – he was still recovering from the beating the Authority gave him.

She shut her eyes, suddenly recognizing the number she had deleted out of her phone years ago. “What do you want, Randy?  You sound…weird.” That wasn’t the word she wanted to use. “Are you…okay?”

“Recovering, yeah.  Listen, I called to warn you about the Authority.  We go way back and I know what they’ve been doing and forcing on you.” Randy coughed a little, his head still hurting from the curb stomp he’d taken on the steel steps from that piss ant Seth Rollins. “Whatever they have on you, get rid of it.”

That was not possible. “I can’t.” She whispered, settling down on the bed and could feel the tears welling in her eyes. “And even if I could, I wouldn’t.”

“What is it?  Stephanie wouldn’t elaborate on it with me…” Randy had a sinking feeling it had to do with him and had wracked his brain, trying to figure it out. “Whatever it is, you have to stand against them, Nyla.  They will use you up and then get rid of you and go back on their word anyway.”

Nyla knew he was only doing this because the Authority had kicked him out and put him on the shelf for a little while.  Long enough for Survivor Series to come and go, with no distractions for Seth.  Randy never did anything out of the kindness of his heart and she had learned that the hard way.  All he wanted from her was a good time and resulted in her having a broken heart and needing time off to have a baby she knew he didn’t want.  Neela was Randy Orton’s daughter.  That was her deep, dark secret Stephanie held over her head, threatening to expose it to Randy.  As far as she was concerned, Randy was not father material, never had been and never would be.

“Don’t worry about it, Randy.  Just…get better and focus on yourself.  Good night.” Nyla ended the call abruptly and turned her cell phone off, not wanting anymore calls for the rest of the night.

She had a 5 AM flight to catch to St. Louis, Missouri, where Randy Orton lived, conveniently enough.  He wouldn’t be at the show, however, not unless he managed to make it inside the arena undetected, which was highly unlikely.  Sighing as she laid down in bed, Nyla said some prayers and could only hope tomorrow night this nightmare ended with the Authority.

~!~

“The Lunatic Fringe has come unhinged!!”

“Somebody’s gotta stop this lunatic!!”

Dean had made good on his promise to the world to hurt Bray Wyatt and that was exactly what he did.  Bray had brought a steel chair into the ring near the end of the match and Dean had taken it, blasting him in the gut and then back.  That started a whole slew of torture for Bray as Dean literally BURIED him under chairs, tables and finally pulled out a ladder to set up in the ring.  He ascended to the top and stared down at the carnage, stretching his arms out while breathing heavily.  It had been a war between them; they had amazing chemistry in the ring together and, even though Bray won via disqualification, Dean was the true victor.

Macaria watched all of this with wide eyes from the back, alongside Aya, both completely enthralled with both the match and aftermath of it.  Dean had poured all of his sorrow, pain, anguish, anger, sadness…every negative emotion had been shown in the match.  It had been funny when Dean began mocking Bray by going to the turnbuckle and flipping himself back while hanging onto the ropes, sticking his tongue out.  That was something Bray Wyatt usually did.  The match was great, the fans ate it up and cheered for Dean loudly, chanting his name.  This feud was far, FAR from over, though.

Throughout the past few days, Macaria hadn’t said more than a few words to Dean while following him to countless media appearances to gear up for tonight’s event.  She didn’t know what to say to him.  Her 2 days off hadn’t helped much because she developed the rather…racy photos they had taken together.  Their sex life surrounded her and she had to go to her room a few times, just to get away from them.  What was she going to do with those photos now that she and Dean were on the outs?  Macaria had thought about destroying them and decided against it, crying throughout the process.

When Dean came back to his dressing room, his eyes locked on her just as hers lifted to meet his and Macaria felt her mouth go dry.  He looked delectable all sweaty and hot from his match, an animalistic aura about him.  Aya congratulated him on her way out the door, excusing herself to make a few phone calls, or so she said.  Macaria didn’t care what her boss did or who she was with as long as she did her job and showed Dean the proper respect.  That left them alone for the first time since Tuesday.

The silence was deafening.  Dean peeled his beater off and tossed it to the side, the sweat now glistening on his chest and all Macaria wanted to do was give him a tongue bath.  This was torture for her, far more than developing their racy photos together in her apartment.  Still, she wouldn’t make things easy for him either, even if all she wanted to do was help him out of those tight jeans and let him screw her until they both passed out.  Dean could read people pretty well and saw the desire boiling in her eyes; she still wanted him and he felt the same way about her.  The arena wasn’t the time or place though, not with Aya lurking around.

“Getting your own room again tonight, Maca?”

Macaria looked down at her camera to pretend to fix something on it and sighed heavily, nodding. “Yeah.  I think it’s for the best.” She hated those words coming out of her mouth and heard his derisive snort.

“Suit yourself.” Dean was too tired and agitated to fight her, refusing to beg a woman to come into his bed. “I’m taking a shower.” Then, he would plop down and watch the Survivor Series match that would possibly put the Authority out of power.

Macaria heard the door to the bathroom slam shut and winced, contemplating if she’d made the right decision to get her own room or not.

~!~

“THE AUTHORITY WINS!!  THE AUTHORITY WINS, THANKS TO BIG SHOW TURNING ON CENA!!”

Nyla gaped at the monitor, covering her mouth with her hand and could NOT believe what just happened.  The Big Show had turned his back on Team Cena by knocking the leader of the team out cold.  WHAT THE HELL?  Stephanie and Hunter were ecstatic at ringside while Dolph Ziggler was left all alone, picked apart systematically by the Authority’s dogs.  Seth had gotten the ultimate victory by pinning Ziggler to eliminate the final man on Team Cena.  Tears streamed down Nyla’s face, feeling as though her world was crashing down around her.  That big 500-pound asshole had just cost Team Cena the win!  The Authority remained in power and absolutely nothing would change, it would only get worse from here on out.

Before Seth could come to drag her away back to the hotel for celebratory sex, Nyla packed her things and headed out, needing a drink.  She turned the corner and bumped into another woman with a camera in hand, eyes wide at who it was.  Dean Ambrose’s photographer.  Nyla had never asked what her name was, but it was obvious the woman was annoyed. 

“Sorry,” Macaria mumbled, recognizing the woman as being the scriptwriter for the Authority.  Dean had warned her to stay away from Nyla Miller. “Nyla, right?”

“Yeah…you’ve heard of me?” Nyla wasn’t surprised at her affirmed nod and swallowed hard. “Probably all bad shit, I’m guessing.”

Macaria would not lie to her and nodded. “Your boyfriend is screwing my boss.” She wasn’t stupid and knew Aya hadn’t stopped sleeping with Seth.

“Believe me, I know.” Nyla muttered, honestly not caring about Seth sexing it up with the journalist because at least he was occupied and leaving her alone.

“You’re okay with that?”

“Don’t really have a choice in the matter.” Nyla couldn’t elaborate on what that meant, not to a complete stranger and stepped aside. “Nice meeting you…”

“Yeah, you too.” Macaria watched her walk off dejectedly, tilting her head and wondered why Dean would warn her away from a woman that carried herself so sadly. “Hey, Nyla, wait up!” She jogged to catch up with the scriptwriter, shouldering her camera equipment and the amber-eyed woman turned to face her.

“Yeah?”

“Look, I probably shouldn’t be doing this, but…you look like you could use a drink.  And I could use one too.  Let’s go get a drink together and vent about our shitty lives.” Macaria suggested, placing a hand on Nyla’s shoulder and felt her heartbreak at the tears in the woman’s eyes. “Come on, my treat.  I’ll pay all night long.”

“Now how fair is that?  I’ll pay half of the tab.” Nyla countered, not believing this woman had just befriended her when she was linked to Dean Ambrose. “Are you sure you wanna do this?”

Macaria nodded without hesitation and wrapped an arm around the woman’s shoulders. “Wouldn’t have offered if I didn’t, Nyla.”

“I didn’t catch your name.”

“Macaria – call me Maca or Caria, if you want.”

“Okay, Caria.”

Together, the women left the arena and headed to the nearest bar to knock back a few drinks.

Chapter 21

“I can’t believe the Authority won.  I was so sure Cena would pull it off.  Silly me for hoping.” Nyla muttered, shaking her head and downed another shot of Tequila.  Vodka martinis weren’t strong enough after the catastrophe that happened tonight.

Macaria was muddled, taking her own shot and set the glass down, ordering refills for them from the bartender. “I thought you were part of the Authority though?” Dean had told her so and warned her to stay away from this woman.

“That’s what everyone thinks.  What they don’t realize is it’s against my will.” Nyla admitted, keeping her voice low to where only Macaria heard her and felt her eyes widen. “Oh shit!  I shouldn’t be talking about this…”

“Hey,” Macaria placed a hand on Nyla’s shoulder with a soft smile. “I won’t tell anyone anything you tell me, not even Ambrose.  What you say will stay between us.  You have my word on that.” She didn’t work for the company, so a lot of the people within WWE saw her as an outsider and stayed away from her.

That was true. “I don’t know you though.  I shouldn’t spill my guts to a stranger, Caria.” The nickname seemed to roll off her tongue easily enough. “I don’t have any friends in the company because I don’t know who I can trust and who I can’t.”

The Authority had purposely isolated this woman.  She had no friends, no confidants, nobody to talk to or vent her frustrations out with.  Whatever they had over her head scared her and Macaria hadn’t missed the fear in Nyla’s eyes at her confession.  What did she mean it was against her will?  How could she be with the Authority against her will?  Did they have some kind of blackmail on Nyla the way she had on Aya?

“Look, I may be a stranger, but keeping shit bottled up like you are isn’t healthy.” This was déjà vu for her since those were the exact words she had said to Dean, which caused their fight. “It’s up to you though, I won’t push or prod in your personal life.”

For some odd reason, Nyla felt she could trust Macaria and had no idea why.  Maybe it was her desperation to have one friend she could rely on and trust.  Nobody in the company was trustworthy because of the Authority and the situation she was currently in.  Taking another shot, Nyla shut her eyes and hoped she didn’t regret this, sucking in a shaky breath.

“Okay, I’ll tell you.  But if you tell ANYONE, I will make you regret it.”

Macaria smiled at the threat, taking her own shot. “I’m all ears, girl.  Lay it on me.”

Nyla’s heartbreaking story tore at her heartstrings as Macaria listened intently, not saying a word and kept encouraging her with hand motions to continue.  The woman had a hard time getting through everything, including admitting who her daughter’s father was.  THAT was shocking.  What was even more shocking was the fact Nyla was in her 30’s and didn’t look a day over 20.  The woman was a knockout, beautiful and smart – hell, she could be a WWE Diva!  Dark brown tresses and amber eyes that really popped with the liner she wore…why hadn’t the company offered her the chance to be with the other Divas?  Macaria had noticed quite a bit, keeping her eyes and ears open, but nose to the ground because of her outsider status.

“Come with me.”

They’d only had a couple shots with some beer chasers, both only slightly buzzed.  This conversation wasn’t meant to be around people as Macaria took Nyla’s hand and pulled her out of the bar, after paying the tab.  Drinking and driving wasn’t a smart thing to do, but luckily, the hotel was only down the street.  They would talk on the drive there and then once in one of their rooms, Macaria had questions that needed to be answered.

“So let me get this straight,” Macaria broke the silence between them on her way back to the hotel, stopping at a red light. “You’re only with Seth Rollins because you’re being ordered to fuck him by your bosses?” What kind of sick company had Aya signed up with?

“Pretty much, yeah.” That felt really good to get off her chest, to tell SOMEONE about what was going on. “Vince doesn’t know anything Stephanie and Hunter are doing.  He’s on an extended vacation right now…”

“But he was back a couple weeks ago to throw the gauntlet down to the Authority.” Macaria pointed out, feeling confused all over again and pressed on the gas when the light turned green. “So is he back now?”

If only, Nyla thought wistfully, and shook her head. “No.  I wish he was because Stephanie and Hunter wouldn’t be pulling the type of shit they are now.” She was sure of that. “It’s really not Hunter so much as Stephanie that’s forcing me to do this.  Hunter does whatever his wife wants; she owns him and carries his balls in her purse.”

Macaria had no idea why, but she started laughing. “His balls in her purse, eh?  Damn, that poor bastard probably feels castrated on a daily basis then.” They laughed together, high-fiving. “She sounds like a really big bitch.”

“That’s an understatement,” Nyla muttered, sliding fingers through her hair and hoped there was more alcohol at the hotel waiting. “I still can’t believe that big 500-pound bastard betrayed John Cena tonight.  Fuck.  They were so close to getting rid of the Authority too…”

“Wait, you didn’t write that match out?”

“No.  It was all unscripted and nobody knew what was going to happen.  The Authority wanted it that way.” Nyla confessed, scrubbing a hand down her face and stared out the window deep in thought. “Park in the back, we can take the back entrance just in case we run into any of those goons from the Authority.” Seth Rollins, to be more specific.

“Do they do that a lot?  Shit being unscripted?” Why wasn’t Macaria surprised at the woman’s nod?  That did not bode well for this feud going forward between Dean and Bray Wyatt. “So tonight’s ending to Dean’s match…”

“Unscripted.”

“Christ,” Macaria mumbled, pulling into a parking spot and cut the ignition, trying to push her worries of Dean in the back of her mind. “Come on, we’ll up to my room and talk some more.  I got Tequila and beer up there waiting.”

The girls stepped out of the car and headed inside the hotel, taking the stairs. “By the way, I’m not the drinking and driving type, but I honestly felt I could make the trip safely.” Macaria informed her new friend, not wanting Nyla thinking she did it a lot.

“No judgment here.” Nyla had more important things to worry about and focus on, following Macaria to her room.

It was no surprise to find Seth and Aya together, again, since Aya’s room was only a few doors down from hers again. “You wanna do something about that?” The two were so engrossed in each other, they didn’t even notice the two women watching them.

“Ugh, no thanks.  Just open the door and give me a beer.” Nyla grunted, rolling her eyes at the journalist moaning Seth’s name as it echoed down to them. “They really should have a little more respect and suffocate each other behind closed doors, though.”

“Believe me, I’ve tried warning Aya on several occasions, but she won’t listen.  If she gets fired, it’ll be her fault.” Macaria shrugged, pushing open the door and allowed Nyla to walk in first before entering afterward, kicking it shut. “Now you said beer, right?”

“Y-Yeah…” Nyla was redder than a cherry and had her eyes GLUED to the floor, a hand over her eyes.

On the bed was a naked Dean Ambrose, who had covered himself up and he was also flushed and red, electric blues wide.

“DEAN?!  What the HELL are you doing here?!” Macaria shouted, more surprised than anything and stepped in front of Nyla, her jaw dropped at the sight.  Had she known Dean would pull a stunt like this, Macaria would’ve gone to Nyla’s room instead.

“I-I uh, I just…” Dean was so flustered, he couldn’t form a sentence and tore a hand through his unruly dry curls, clearing his throat awkwardly. “Waiting for you…”

“Yeah, I can fucking see that clear as day!” Macaria turned to look down at a mortified Nyla and couldn’t help laughing.  They were outed by Dean’s moronic actions, so now Nyla had something on her, in case their friendship went up in smoke. “Nyla, let’s go to your room.  I’ll bring the beer and shit with me.  Can you give us a minute and go to the bathroom?”

“S-Sure…” Nyla flew into the bathroom and shut the door, trying to get her cheeks to stop burning.  She had seen more of Dean Ambrose than she EVER wanted to.  Though it was interesting to discover Macaria and Dean were together, or so she assumed.

Macaria turned her attention back to Dean and folded her arms in front of her chest tightly, brow raised. “You asked me if I was getting my own room tonight.  I told you yes, so what?  You decided it would be a good idea to come to my room to surprise me with your nakedness?”

“Didn’t expect you to bring someone back with you,” Dean grumbled, embarrassed beyond belief and slid out of the bed to slide back into his jeans. “Especially with that Authority bitch in there.  What the fuck are you thinking, Macaria?” He wasn’t happy to see Nyla with Macaria and pulled out a piece of gum to pop it in his mouth.

“Let’s get something straight, Ambrose, you don’t tell me who I can and can’t hang out with.  You can advise me to stay away from people, but that doesn’t mean I’ll listen.  And Nyla ISN’T one of them, contrary to what you believe.  She’s actually a really cool woman and needs a friend since she doesn’t have any in this company.” Macaria snapped, planting her hands on her hips and stepped back when he took one forward, holding her hands up. “I brought her back here to get the full story on what the hell the Authority is doing to her.  She needs help and she’s been crying out for it for months, but nobody has noticed.  It took a stranger, me, someone who doesn’t work for this company, an outsider, to notice something wasn’t right with her.”

Dean frowned, not sure how to feel about that and could tell Macaria meant every word that came out of her mouth. “I need to talk to you too.  Don’t I matter anymore?  I came here to apologize to you.  I’m not…good with this kinda thing, Macaria.” He admitted, chewing his gum harder and ached for a cigarette.  Quitting really sucked; addiction sucked even more. “I don’t like this…I don’t like you being friends with someone from the Authority…”

“Even though she’s being forced into it?” Macaria regretted those words as soon as they came out of her mouth and saw Dean’s demeanor instantly shift. “Forget I said that.”

“No, how about we talk more about what you just said?” Dean stepped up to her, ignoring her raised hands and grabbed her wrists, pulling her against him to stare down into her deep jade orbs. “What are you talking about?  What do you mean she’s being forced?”

“I promised I wouldn’t say anything…fuck.” Nyla would never trust her again. “I can’t…”

“Yes, you can.”

“No, I can’t.”

“Maca, tell me what the fuck is going on.” It was an order, his voice gritty and rough as his hands slid from her wrists up her arms to grip her upper arms.

Shaking her head defiantly, Macaria broke away from him and needed to put space between them, her entire body lighting on fire just by his touch. “Look, I don’t know the full story.  I was going to get it before you showed up here in all your naked glory.  Just…let me talk to her and get the full story and then I’ll decide if I should tell you.  But Dean, what you THINK you know about Nyla is completely false and not at all true.  You need to keep that in mind when dealing with her from now on.”

Dean really hated being left in the dark and once again invaded her personal space, pushing her against the wall. “Fine, I will.  But Maca, you need to be careful.  You understand me?  Don’t wear your fucking heart on your sleeve and believe people’s sob stories.” He rested his forehead against hers, rolling it a few times and didn’t want to pull away from her. “And we’re not done – you and I.  Far from it, babe.”

“I’m still pissed at you.” Macaria wished some kind of malice entered her tone, but those words came out softly. “You had no right accusing me of what you did.”

“I know…” Dean could admit when he was wrong and slid a finger down her cheek to her jaw, heaving a sigh. “I’m sorry for what I said.  I didn’t mean it…” What was this woman doing to him?  She was driving him to his knees!

“But you still believe I only fucked you for my job, right?  You hesitated when I asked you that the last time we spoke on the phone.  And I can see the uncertainty in your eyes now.  You don’t trust me, Dean.” Macaria had to make this hard for him, had to find the resolve to push him away and escape the entrapment against the wall. “I can’t fuck someone who doesn’t trust me.  Because I trust you completely.”

He could feel his temper rising again, not wanting to admit she was right in her assumptions. “You shouldn’t.  I’m not a…good person, Macaria.  I have never been.” The pain swelled in Dean’s eyes all over again at those harsh words about himself.

Macaria could feel her resolving weakening against him, her heart breaking. “Dean…you’re wrong.  You ARE a good person.  I can see it and feel it, just like the people that come see you, meet you, do.” Reaching up, she stroked his face with the back of her hand and brushed some hair away from his forehead. “You let your mouth run away with you sometimes, but you’re only human and we all say shit we don’t mean when we’re pissed off.  I just wish…you trusted me.  I have never given you any reason not to.” Nyla was waiting for her and Macaria couldn’t keep her waiting any longer. “I have to go finish my talk with Nyla and find out what’s going on with her.”

“I’m not leaving.” Dean was steadfast in making things right with her, no matter what he had to do. “I’ll be here when you get back.” Then, he took a risk and cupped the back of her neck to bring her mouth against his, passionately kissing her.

Shivering, Macaria slid her hands up his bare chest and wrapped her arms around his neck, the kiss deepening. “I don’t know how long I’ll be…” She mumbled against his lips, breaking the kiss to receive some much-needed oxygen.

“Take your time.  I’ll wait for you.” Dean assured her, kissing her again and this time pulled back. “I’m gonna make this right, Maca.”

She sincerely hoped he did because, until she knew without a shadow of a doubt he trusted her, Macaria would not have sex with him again.

A few minutes later, she left with Nyla to head to her friend’s room, leaving Dean behind to wait for her to return.

Chapter 22

By the time Macaria got back to the hotel room, it was past 2 AM and Dean was out cold, the adrenaline worn off from his brutal encounter with Bray Wyatt.  She did not have the heart to wake him up and tell him to go to his own room.  Honestly, after hearing Nyla’s heart-wrenching story about everything she’d gone through, sleeping in Dean’s arms was a must.  That poor woman had been isolated and threatened by the owner of this company’s daughter…and he had no idea about it.  This wasn’t right, the way things were run in this company couldn’t be legal.  Blackmail was a powerful, vindictive thing and Macaria hated the fact she had to jump on that bandwagon in order to maintain her job with Aya.  However, it had also helped the woman see the light, partially, since she was doing her job instead of simply using her time screwing Seth Rollins.

Slipping out of her clothes and into a simple nightshirt, Macaria slid into bed to snuggle against Dean and felt him shift.  The moment the bed dipped, Dean reached for the warm body, soft body and buried his nose in Macaria’s hair, breathing her in. “Mmm, what time is it?” He rumbled in her ear, his voice thick with sleep and didn’t open his eyes.

“Shit, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She whispered, glancing at the clock and sighed at the 2:45 blinking back at her. “Quarter to 3 in the morning.  Go back to sleep, we can talk later.”

“Ride with me today to Indy.” He requested in a mumble, kissing her neck and tightened his arm around her waist. “I wanna know about your talk with Nyla…”

“Okay, now go to sleep.”

He chuckled softly, letting out a loud yawn and already felt the darkness overtaking him. “Bossy woman.” Spooning against her completely, Dean fell asleep within minutes and his soft snores echoed around the room.

The sound was soothing and put Macaria to sleep right after him, her alarm set to wake up around 10 AM to make the drive to Indianapolis for Raw.

~!~

Growling at the annoying sound of an alarm clock going off, Dean didn’t want to move from the warm bed and body he was against.  Cracking one eye open, he saw the beautiful honey blonde in his arms and smiled, remembering briefly she had climbed into bed with him earlier that morning.  She reached over to press the button on her phone, stopping it and slowly fluttered her beautiful jade eyes open to meet hazy pale blues.  Morning breath was a killer, but Dean risked it anyway and captured her mouth with his, pulling her against up against his.

“Easy, Deano.” Macaria gasped out after the kiss broke and caressed the slight stubble on his face tenderly. “That was a nice way to wake up, I have to admit.”

He chuckled, still trying to fully wake up himself and let out another yawn away from her. “Yeah.  Missed having you in my arms in the morning, babe.” Dean admitted, kissing the side of her neck and nuzzled her soft skin.

“Me too.” Macaria relished the feeling of his body on top of hers and stopped his hand from slipping beneath her nightshirt. “Uh-uh, you have to earn your way back into my panties, buddy.  And we don’t have time anyway.  We have to get up and get on the road for Raw tonight.”

“I’m sure I could coax you into a quickie, darlin’…” Dean growled, moving to where he was between her parted thighs, the nightshirt already bunched around her hips and he could feel his jean covered dick rub against her panty covered sex.  The friction was nearly his undoing. “Fuck…”

Macaria smirked, feeling the bulge and glided her lips along his stubble jaw, caressing his muscular chest. “Having issues, Deany boy?” She quipped cheekily, hearing him growl again and shivered, his mouth finding hers hungrily. “I know you wanna ‘fuck’ right now, but we can’t.  Now off me so we can get ready to leave.”

“Tease.” He hissed accusingly and suddenly dipped his head between her thighs to rub his nose against her panties, smelling her arousal.

THAT was nearly HER undoing. “Dean…” Her voice held warning as Macaria gripped his hair in her fingers and pulled, forcing his head up until mischievous pale blues met smoldering jade. “No sex until I say so.”

“You’re really gonna make me earn it, eh?” Dean could see how serious she was and groaned at her stubbornness, scowling. “All right, all right, I get it.  I fucked up and I gotta pay for it…”

“If you’re a good boy, I MAY let you have a little sample later tonight after the show…” Macaria teased a little more and his mouth met hers in a passionate, searing kiss that left her dampened panties soaked. “NOW who’s being the tease?”

“Turnabout, babe.” He pecked her nose and reluctantly stood up from the bed to get ready to head out. “All right, get up woman.  We need to get food on the way and I need coffee.” He didn’t feel right without his allotted three cups, loaded with sugar.

An hour later, they were on the road headed to Raw with coffee and food in hand, silence reigning between them while they ate.

“Okay, are you gonna keep me in suspense or tell me about your talk with Miller?” Dean demanded, once he finished eating and dropped his wrapper in the bag from his breakfast sandwich.  They were his favorite, nothing beat a breakfast sandwich for breakfast.

It was a very good thing Macaria ate because her appetite dwindled at the thought of Nyla’s situation, a frown crossing her face.  She had asked Nyla’s permission to talk to Dean about this and she said it was fine…as long as he kept it quiet.  The last thing she wanted was the Authority finding out she told someone about the blackmail and danger her daughter was in.  Nyla hadn’t told her who Neela’s father was, only that he was a WWE Superstar she’d had a brief fling with.  Sipping her coffee thoughtfully, Macaria tried to figure out how to start this off and decided to set the record straight with what happened at Hell in a Cell to Dean.

“Well, the first thing you need to know is Nyla has been forced to write shitty scripts and storylines for any wrestler and Diva in the company the Authority doesn’t deem worthy.” Macaria’s voice dripped with disgust. “What happened to you at Hell in a Cell was scripted…you just didn’t get the new script she was forced to change at the last minute.”

“Figures.” Dean snorted, not surprised by that and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. “Go on.  What else?” Then he held his hand up, stopping her from continuing. “Wait, what do you mean she’s being forced to write shitty scripts and storylines?  How are they forcing her to do anything?”

Macaria smiled sadly, knowing this would be hard for Dean to hear and let out a shaky breath. “Blackmail.  And threats.  Nyla has a daughter, Dean.” She saw a hint of concern cross his face. “Nyla had a baby with a WWE Superstar.  She didn’t tell me who, only that she never wants him to find out about her daughter.  Stephanie found out through the grapevine of WWE headquarters and now she’s using it to force Nyla to do whatever she wants.  If she doesn’t toe the line and do what the Authority says, no matter how despicable it is, they will go after her daughter and family.  She’s protecting them the only way she knows how.”

“Then why doesn’t she tell them to take this job and shove it up their ass?”

“I asked her the same thing.  Her contract is IRON-CLAD.  Unbreakable.  A year ago, she signed a 4-year deal with WWE and wanted to make sure it couldn’t be broken for any reason.  She was doing it to ensure she had a job with the company and couldn’t be fired because of hard times or whatever.” Macaria explained, clasping her hands in her lap and looked out the window. “That’s not even the worse part of this whole thing either.”

How the hell could get it worse? “Being forced to do a job a certain way in order to screw other people…I don’t see HOW it can get any worse, Maca…” His voice held doubt, brow arching questioningly. “How much worse are we talking here?”

Macaria wasn’t sure if she should tell Dean this next part, feeling her breakfast stirring in her nauseated stomach. “Stephanie has taken this too far.  She’s kept Nyla under her thumb and she’s using Seth Rollins to do it.  Nyla isn’t really with Seth in an actual relationship.  She’s…being forced to be with him.  And fuck him.  To keep her in line…”

Dean stared straight ahead and blinked, trying to wrap his mind around the load of information Macaria just laid on him.  Nyla Miller was only with the Authority and under their thumb against her will.  That was a very hard pill to swallow.  What the hell would Roman think about all of this?  There was NO WAY Dean wouldn’t tell him since he was slated to return next month at the TLC pay-per-view.  Big Show would be his new feud, which Roman wasn’t happy about, but it was what the Authority wanted.  Since they were still in power, thanks to the big bastard, there was nothing to be done about it.

“Fucking hell…” Dean grunted, breaking the silence that developed between him and Macaria, scrubbing a hand down his face. “So she’s only with Seth because of Stephanie’s wishes?”

“Yeah, and that asshole is fucking Aya still.  They were together last night in the hallway again, practically fucking each other with their tongues down each other’s throats.  I asked Nyla if she wanted to handle it or do something about it and she emphatically declined.” Not that Macaria blamed her. “He’s cheated on her countless times, saying he can because she’s just his whore for the Authority to keep under thumb.  It’s terrible the situation she’s been put in.  I wish there was something we could do to help her…”

Aya would never learn and Dean was fed up with her deceitful ways.  Macaria was the ONLY reason he hadn’t told her to take a flying leap, along with her article, off a short pier.  He knew if Aya went, Macaria would go right along with her since she was Aya’s employee.  Dean was in the process of trying to change that, but he had to figure out the right person to speak with regarding hiring new people to the company.  The opportunity would pop up eventually, he just had to be patient and wait it out.

“There might be.” He took an exit on their journey, being careful on the ramp and sped back up to 80 miles an hour, mulling this over in his mind.

“How?” Macaria asked curiously, seeing the gears in Dean’s eyes beginning to turn.

A little white lie wouldn’t hurt her. “I don’t know yet.  Give me some time to think this through and I’ll let you know.” As soon as he had a moment alone, he was giving his Samoan brother a call to check in and to let him know these sudden turn of events. “Did she tell you anything about why I suddenly went from feuding with Rollins to Bray Wyatt?”

“Not really, just that the Authority wanted you to do something different besides keep losing to their golden boy.” Macaria snorted, already knowing Seth had help beating Dean every single time they had fought.

“Sounds about right.”

That was fine.  The Authority could try to protect their golden boy, their baby boy, but eventually, Dean would get out of this feud.  It would take a while since they’d only had one blowout match and, thanks to his actions against Bray last night, their next battle would be at the TLC pay-per-view in a couple weeks.  2014 would finish with Bray Wyatt, but come 2015, it was a whole new year and Dean would find a way back to Seth Rollins to settle the score with him once and for all.  Contrary to what people thought about him, Dean was a very patient man and could hold a grudge forever, if need be.

They changed the subject to talk about other things, trying to get their minds off Nyla and lighten the calamitous mood.  After dropping their belongings off in their shared room at the hotel, Dean and Macaria rode to the arena together, deciding to have a late lunch there.  Unfortunately, Dean had a meeting with the writers to discuss tonight’s show, so that left Macaria alone to her own devices for a little while.  She had just finished making her plate, with a shredded chicken sandwich and some sides when a shadow cast over her.

“You should really watch who you hang out with in this company, girl.”

Slowly turning her head, narrowed jade met the blackened eyes of the golden boy himself, Seth Rollins. “Oh really?  And who do YOU think I should hang out with, then?  Let me guess, you?”

Seth was in a crisp black suit, his hair gelled to perfection with the blonde slowly disappearing with each day that passed by. “Well, I don’t wanna toot my own horn, but…” He straightened the collar of his jacket with a smarmy smirk. “I’m a lot of fun to hang out with.”

“Really?  Well, how can I pass up that opportunity?” Her voice dripped with sarcasm as Macaria grabbed some silverware, shaking her head. “Look Rollins, you may have gotten into my boss’s panties easily enough, but I’m not Aya.” That made his eyes darkened further, if it was possible, and the anger radiated from his body. “Also, you REALLY need to learn how to give somebody personal space.” Promptly, she stepped back with a plate in hand and smiled serenely up at him.

“You sound jealous of your boss taking a ride with the future of this company.”

Seth really did buy into all the crap Hunter and Stephanie filled his mind with, warping and frying his brain cells.  He really was full of himself. “No see, unlike her, I don’t find you the LEAST bit attractive.  Your hair looks atrocious, by the way.  Who the hell has a quarter of blonde in their BLACK hair?  It’s stupid.  And you have a very annoying voice too, not sexy at all.” Macaria could FEEL the rage building and didn’t care, taking a bite out of her potato salad.  She didn’t realize some of the Superstars and Divas had noticed their verbal exchange. “These suits you wear hang off you, practically, and you really need a different hair stylist altogether because it looks like your hair is sealed to your head with superglue.  Should I go on?”

“That is enough, Macaria.” Aya had arrived, overheard what her employee said to Seth and wasn’t amused, her arms folded in front of her chest. “Take a walk.  Now.”

Macaria snorted, rolling her eyes. “Gladly.  Oh and just so you know, the so-called future of this company just made a pass at me…while he’s still fucking you and in a relationship with Nyla Miller.” That made Aya’s purple-tinted eyes nearly shoot out of her skull.  She had missed that part, apparently, and only caught Macaria firing insults at her current lover.

Walking past them out of catering, Macaria started laughing at Aya’s shrieking voice echoing down the hallway, followed by Seth shouting back at her and went back to Dean’s locker room to eat her food in peace.

Chapter 23

Macaria was officially on Seth Rollins’ hit list.

Aya had screamed at him at the top of her lungs about putting the moves on her photographer, which he HADN’T done.  All he suggested was hanging out together and Macaria had lied through her teeth to upset her own boss!  Seth was livid, stalking back to his locker room, after Aya had stormed off and demanded him to use his hand tonight if he wanted to get off.  She wouldn’t be doing it for him.  Sex with Aya had been a distraction from Nyla, not to mention much better, but now that she was cutting him off, Seth groaned at the thought of having to resort to screwing Nyla again.

Hunter had already warned him to stay away from Aya and he hadn’t listened.  No doubt the incident in catering had gotten back to Hunter and Stephanie by now.  He pushed open the door to his locker room and stopped at the sight of a trembling Nyla in the hands of Hunter.  The COO of WWE did NOT look happy at all.  Seth took his jacket off and tossed it to the side, loosening his tie slightly.  Nyla had her head down, not able to look up at anyone in the room and clasped her hands tightly in front of her.  Hunter had come to her office, dragged her by the upper arm to Seth’s locker room and they had waited together until the man decided to come back.

“I don’t know if you’re hard of hearing or you simply don’t care or respect authority, Seth,” Hunter began, his voice chillingly low and calm, never a good sign.  His hand clamped down on Nyla’s shoulder, squeezing tightly until he heard a soft whimper escape her before releasing it. “But I don’t need to tell you how horrible it looks to have a member of the Authority berated by someone who doesn’t even work for this company.  She does.  Nyla has been with us for over a decade and she’s been loyal, done everything asked of her.  Why you can’t seem to work things out with her is beyond me, but you WILL fix this.  You two WILL stay together and make this work, or I will find a replacement for the future of this company.”

Seth cringed at the orders thrown at him and swallowed hard, knowing Hunter meant every word that came out of his mouth. “Okay – okay…” He held his hands up, refusing to watch everything he’d worked for crash and burn because of a whore. “Fine, I get it.  I’m…sorry…for embarrassing the Authority and myself…”

Hunter smiled, the light back in his eyes and nodded to show his acceptance. “Good, I’m glad because, if you even LOOK at Aya Landsbury again, I will replace you, Rollins.  Don’t let me down.  You are the future of this company, so start acting like it!”

“Yes, sir.” Seth mumbled, hating how he was being scolded like a 5-year-old and caught Nyla when she was shoved at him.

“Good…” Hunter’s eyes turned to Nyla, a predatory gleam in them. “Now fuck her.”

“W-What?!” They both exclaimed simultaneously with wide eyes, the same expression on their faces.

“You heard me, Seth.  I didn’t stutter.  I’m going to stand here and watch you fuck her and reclaim her as your own.” Hunter had told Stephanie he’d handle this, he just didn’t say how and could see the fear boiling in Nyla’s eyes. “Now Nyla, you just have to be a good girl and do what you’re told.”

How could they get away with doing this to her?!  Nyla shook her head, tears already falling down her cheeks and backed up from Seth and Hunter with her hands up. “P-Please…please don’t…”

“Come on baby, it’s nothing we haven’t done before.  We just have an audience this time…” Seth coaxed, knowing he had no other choice and grabbed both her wrists in his hands, pulling her against him. “We have to do this.  You know it and I know it.  Don’t fight, just let it happen…”

Nyla looked at Hunter, who nodded his head emphatically and twirled his finger for her to turn around to bend over for Seth.  What choice did she have?  Seth had embarrassed himself by pushing the journalist too far and she was paying the price for his insolence!  Slowly, through tears, Nyla turned and felt Seth guide her down on the desk, gripping the edge of it.  The fact Hunter was watching this happen sickened her, made her stomach turn and Nyla was shocked she hadn’t blown chunks all over the place yet.  Seth unzipped his pants and freed his already hardened shaft, reaching around to unsnap the button of Nyla’s gray pants before pushing them down her legs, along with her panties.  Not even bothering with foreplay or checking to see if she was ready, Seth pushed his cock inside of her dry folds and grunted, gripping her hips.

“That’s it, fuck the shit out of her, Rollins.  Make her yours, make her RESPECT the Authority.” Hunter growled, making sure the door was locked so nobody else could enter and folded his arms in front of his chest, watching Seth power in and out of Nyla’s rigid body.

All Nyla could do was stay perfectly still, silent tears falling with her cheek pressed against the desk, wondering when this humiliation would end.

~!~

Being buried under chairs and other weapons wasn’t as fun as Dean thought it would be.  Well, it was fun when it wasn’t happening to him.  Bray did NOT take kindly to what happened to him at Survivor Series.  Dean would’ve laughed if it didn’t hurt so much, his ribs killing him.  Nothing a little R&R couldn’t take care of.  Maybe Macaria could be his special nurse for the night and the thought made his eyes twinkle while the trainer looked him over.

“So, are you gonna live?” Macaria asked once Dean walked out of the trainer’s room, leaning against the cinderblock wall.

“Yeah, live to fight another day.  No flowers yet.” Dean winked at her, rolling his shoulder and stretched his sore side out. “Damn that Wyatt…” He chuckled ruefully, expecting the payback.  They really were a lot alike – Bray hadn’t been lying about that in his riddle-some promos.

Macaria hated it when he was beaten down on television, but there wasn’t anything she could do. “Come on, Deano, I’ll get you back to the hotel and give you a nice full body massage.  And maybe we can have a little fun if you’re feeling up to it.”

“Mmm, I do love your bedside manner, babe.” Dean rumbled, draping an arm around her shoulders and pressed her against him. “You’ll have to do all the work if we’re fuckin’ tonight.”

Macaria did not mind that, walking down the hallway gingerly with Dean back to his locker room. “First things first, you need to relax, so I called the hotel and asked if they had a room with a jacuzzi.  Surprisingly, they did and switched the rooms for us.  It costs a little more, but I figured after last night and tonight, you need a nice hot dip.”

“You know me too well, Maca.” Dean entered his locker room, surprised to find Aya waiting on them and rolled his eyes. “Overheard you had an incident with Seth tonight, Miss Landsbury.”

Great, did everybody know about that?  Aya felt the flush rise in her cheeks and couldn’t look Dean in the eye, or her smug-looking photographer, mortified by her actions. “Yes, he was coming onto Macaria and I stopped it from happening.”

That was only partially the truth. “He already knows what really happened, Aya.  I wouldn’t lie to Mr. Ambrose if I were you.”

Aya really hated this bitch she hired and couldn’t wait for the day to come where she fired her.  That would be a glorious day. “Fine, I screamed and yelled at him for coming onto you because I’m still fucking him.” There, she’d admitted the whole truth and stood up from the bench with notebook in hand. “I’m heading back to the hotel before I’m embarrassed even more.  I will see you tomorrow, Dean.” She didn’t acknowledge her employee and swept out of the room.

“Truly a Virago, that one,” Dean grunted, shaking his head and shed his tank top carefully, unsnapping his pants to peel them off. “I’m taking a shower and then we’ll head back.  I don’t need you gagging from my body odor and passing out.”

Macaria laughed softly, waving him off and sat down on the bench to start sifting through her photos. “Take your time.”

“You know, you could join me…” Dean offered, a smirk curving his lips at her head snapping up to meet his eyes. “The Virago left…”

“Hmm true, she did, but I also recall telling you I wasn’t fucking you until I said so.  I don’t feel like fucking you right now, so go clean up.” Macaria ordered, a smirk of her own forming and heard Dean mutter something incoherent under his breath, ignoring it.

~!~

“Oh, Dean…” Macaria moaned out, bouncing on and off his cock while his hands molded her breasts, pinching her nipples for added stimulation. “Mmm yeah…”

Holding sex back from this delectable man was a moot point.  Macaria wanted him, especially after that encounter with Seth Rollins earlier in catering.  It made her realize just how stupid their fight was and one of them had to swallow their pride.  Besides, Dean had apologized and, as long as he never accused her of screwing him for his job again, they would be fine.  The hot water surrounding them felt incredible, the liquid swishing all around the sides the harder and faster their bout became.  Neither cared about water splashing on the floor, both too engrossed in each other and the moment.  Macaria gripped his broad shoulders, her mouth meeting his and their tongues danced together seductively.  Sex in a jacuzzi with this woman was pure heaven to Dean.  They had come back to the hotel and Macaria directed him to the jacuzzi tub, telling him to get it going.  While he did, she undressed and then proceeded to help him out of his own clothes.  Once they were in the hot water and he was relaxed, Macaria straddled him to start massaging his shoulders and muscular arms, which didn’t last long.  Dean had kissed her heatedly and Macaria had reached down to massage his cock with her hand before slipping it inside of her.

“Fuck, Maca, make me cum…” Dean hissed out, caressing every inch of flesh he could get his hands on and leaned down to capture a nipple in his mouth.

Macaria’s head lulled back, soaking her hair completely and felt him power in and out of her, holding onto his arms for dear life.  She was supposed to do all the work, but sometimes, instincts kicked in and took over all other rational thought.  If Dean felt good enough to thrust in and out of her, meeting her own, who was Macaria to stop him?

“Mmm so much for holding out on me, eh?” Dean remarked in a guttural, low voice against her soft wet skin, moving over to the other breast. “Couldn’t resist my cock fucking your pussy, Maca?”

“God no…oh fuck, Dean…” Macaria moaned out uncontrollably, feeling him whip her back up to where their chests pressed together and once again, the bouncing commenced. “I love your cock fucking my pussy, only your cock…” She panted, enjoying the dirty talk they created together and hooked one arm around his neck while using his shoulder with her free one for leverage. “I’m so close, baby, so close…”

“Only my cock, I like the sound of that.  Damn right only my cock.  No other cock will ever fuck you this good and hard, and hit that sweet spot, darlin’…” Dean assured her, his voice grittier and raspy, the rumbling coming deep in his chest. “Now cum for me, all over my cock…drown me in it…”

It did not take long for Macaria to reach her end, climaxing almost violently against him as her body shuddered, crying out his name.  Dean didn’t stop thrusting, increasing the pace and the combination of her warm juices with the jacuzzi water took his breath away.  That was quite the rush and Dean felt himself give in, reaching his own climax, burying his cock inside of her to explode.  He roared out her name, his body tense and then shook, both trembling from the aftershocks of their releases.

“Come on, time to get you in bed.” Macaria murmured after a little while, once her breathing returned to normal and nuzzled his neck, just wanting to be close to him.

Dean chuckled softly, rubbing her back and kissed the top of her head. “You mean it’s time to get YOU in bed.” She was on the verge of passing out against him and Dean would rather sleep with her in his arms in a bed than a jacuzzi. “Come on babe, time for sleep.”

“Mmmhmm…”

Macaria was out before her head hit the pillow and Dean smiled down at her, brushing a strand of wet honey blonde away from her face.  She was so beautiful and fiery; Dean had heard all about her verbal castration of Seth and wished he’d been there to record it.  Someone had, one of the USO’s and they showed Dean, making him laugh his backside off.  This woman was the one for him, the one he’d been waiting for.  He couldn’t lose her; Dean had to find a way to keep her in the company even after the article ended.  He would deal with that when the time came, but right now, he had a very important phone call to make.  While Macaria was dead to the world, Dean slipped out on the balcony, after pulling on a cotton robe and had a back of crumpled smokes in hand.  An after sex smoke was always the best to have, eventually, he would quit altogether, but not tonight.

“Hello?” A low, gruff voice resonated in Dean’s ear.

“Oh shit, man, did I wake you?”

Roman turned his head, blinking blurrily at the clock on his nightstand and saw it was just after 1 AM.  Dean was in the same time zone as him, currently. “Somewhat, yeah.  What’s up?  Everything all right?”

“No man, everything is so fucked up in this place and I had to tell you about it before you make your comeback.  You gotta be prepared for the miles of bullshit you’re gonna have to sludge through like I have.” Dean took a long pull from his cigarette and closed his eyes, letting the nicotine work its way through his system.

Now Roman was wide awake, sitting upright in bed and slid fingers through his thick black hair. “What happened?”

“You’re never gonna believe what I’m about to tell you, big dog.  And it all revolves around Nyla Miller.”

Roman stayed silent and listened to everything Dean told him, his blood slowly beginning to boil, along with his Samoan temper.

Chapter 24

Destroying Bray Wyatt’s sacred rocking chair was the highlight of Dean’s night. 

Besides being with his woman in bed, balls deep inside of her, of course. 

Bray had come out to spew more gibberish out of his mouth, stuff Dean just didn’t understand.  He didn’t care and stalked to the ring, hearing enough of Bray’s malarkey.  Pulling Bray underneath the bottom rope, they began brawling all over ringside, throwing punches and kicks left and right.  Every appendage possible was used in the brawl until Dean was left in the ring, beckoning Bray inside.  He refused, so Dean went after the one thing he knew Bray loved – a symbol of his enemy.  His sacred rocking chair.  Picking up the chair, Dean began slamming it repeatedly on the mat and took a chair to it, busting it into pieces.  The crowd loved it, especially when he dragged a ladder that was in the ring to the center and stood beneath it, his face in-between one of the rungs, still begging Bray to fight.

“Now I get why they call him the Lunatic Fringe.” Aya muttered, shaking her head at the carnage Dean left in the ring and couldn’t believe he’d destroyed another man’s property.

“Yeah…” Macaria couldn’t take her eyes from the monitor, barely hearing what Aya said and felt her panties dampen instantly.  They were definitely having another round once they were back at the hotel later that night. “It fits him.”

Aya agreed with that, continuing with the notes in her hand while she mapped out how the article would go.  The first part of it anyway.  There would be three parts to it, all culminating at WrestleMania next year.

As soon as Dean and Macaria were in the security of their hotel room, clothes flew in all different directions, their bodies colliding almost violently.

Neither realized what awaited them the following night at the Smackdown! taping.

~!~

Nyla sat in her motel room, pondering what to do about the situation she was in.  Being raped by Seth in front of Hunter, with the sick mother fucker watching, had destroyed something inside of her.  Maybe it was her heart, a little bit of her spirit…she wasn’t sure.  She didn’t care.  Nyla had to get out of this, contemplating if she should call Vince to let him know what was going on.  Stephanie and Hunter didn’t know it, but she had Vince on speed dial and had to call him a time or two, back in the non-Authority days, about scripts for the Superstars and Divas.  Her only concern was, if she made this phone call if she took this risk, would her family be safe from the Authority?  Would Vince be powerful enough to stop them from whatever they planned on doing to Neela and her parents?

“Just do it.  Just get it over with and tell the old man what’s been going on.” Nyla coached herself, scrolling down to Vince’s name and went to press dial when a text message came through her phone.

Hang in there.  This will all be over soon. It read, the number not familiar to Nyla as she stared at it, blinking.

Who is this? She sent back, swallowing hard and looked around the motel room, hoping there wasn’t a camera somewhere in the corner watching her every move.  Seth and the Authority had no idea where she was, currently.

Five minutes passed by until another text message came through. Don’t worry about it.  Just know, you’re not alone in this, Nyla.

Nyla began shaking like a leaf, covering her mouth with her hand and another text came through.

Don’t be scared.  This isn’t Seth or anyone from the Authority.  I’m a friend and I’m going to help you.  That’s all you need to know.

How did they know she was scared?  This was becoming too creepy and Nyla knew only one other person, besides Macaria, knew what was going on with the Authority. Is this Dean Ambrose?  Because if it is, it’s not funny to freak me out like this.

Another stretch of silence passed by.  Then another text message flooded in. No.  Dean told me what’s going on though and what’s happened to you.  He wants to help.  So does Macaria.  And I’m gonna help you.

Who the hell was this?  Granted, she’d given Macaria permission to tell Dean what was going on, but who did Dean tell?  She was clueless, frowning at the sweet words and could feel her heart pounding like a beating drum in her chest.

Nothing can be done.  The Authority has full power and my reputation is destroyed already. As she texted those words, tears slid down Nyla’s cheeks as she leaned back against the headboard, staring up at the ceiling in the darkened room.

Not for long.  I promise you that.  Now get some rest.  I’ll see you soon, Nyla.  Good night, sweet dreams. A little emoji popped up along with the text message, which was a picture of a moon and stars.

Nyla didn’t know how to respond and was tempted to call Macaria to demand who Dean had blabbed her secrets to.  It was too late.  Someone within the company obviously, but who?  She laid down in bed, snuggling against the pillow and cried, feeling more alone than ever.  If only she could believe there really was someone out there who could help her with the Authority.  To put a stop to their power game and destroy them from the inside out.  To stop Seth from coming for her whenever the Authority ordered him to.  Nyla didn’t want this kind of life anymore and the only reason she hadn’t tried offing herself was because of Neela.  She had to stay strong for her daughter, for her parents, her family.  If this guardian angel and friend of Dean’s was willing to help her, Nyla would do almost anything to get out of her situation with the Authority and Seth Rollins.

~!~

Closing his eyes, Roman leaned back in his chair in the comfort of his home in Pensacola, Florida, chomping at the bit to get back on the road.  Dean had told him everything that was going on with the Authority and Nyla Miller.  Something always told him her arrangement with those assholes wasn’t right and now he knew his suspicions were right.  She’d been threatened, bullied and sexually assaulted in order to be kept under thumb by the self-proclaimed King and Queen of WWE.  That was fine.  Roman promised they would have their own Game of Thrones, remembering that promo like it was yesterday.  It hadn’t been all that long ago either, only months.  Triple H and Stephanie would rue the day they EVER messed with Nyla Miller, he would see to it.  First thing he had to do was get back to the company and Roman already had his return slated at the TLC pay-per-view.

It was time for the hound to take back the yard.

His thoughts turned back to Nyla, picturing her in his mind.  She was beautiful, no doubt about it.  Dark brown hair was always pulled back in a professional bun, her attire the same.  Skirt suits or pants, depending on the weather, but damn did he love when she wore those skirts.  They molded to her backside perfectly and Roman had caught a glimpse of her bending over every now and then.  The woman had dangerous curves and those suits shaped to every one of them, showing her hourglass figure.  Those skirts went to mid-thigh and the pumps she wore on her feet had just enough heel to really make her backside stick out.  All Roman wanted to do, on several occasions, was kiss her glossy lips to see if she tasted as sweet as she looked.

A frown marred his features suddenly as he stood up to walk over to stare out the window, brows dropping.  So many times he had barged into her office, after the Shield split, thanks to the Authority crap and yelled at her about how ridiculous his script was.  He wanted a piece of Randy Orton and only got a couple matches with the pussy.  That’s exactly what Randy Orton was to him – a pussy.  However, Roman had been watching lately and what he did to Seth Rollins was commendable, but that man still deserved to get his backside handed to him by Roman.  He felt terrible for the way he’d treated Nyla Miller and had no idea how to make it up to her, or to help her, like he’d promised in the text messages.  Dean had gotten into Macaria’s phone to grab Nyla’s number, since the women were friends now, and given it to Roman.

He meant what he said – just a few more weeks and he would help Nyla anyway he could, not sure how to do it yet.

Now, Roman just had to figure out how to do it and wondered if his family would help with this.

~!~

The scene was horrific.

Dean had gone out for a promo on Smackdown!, bragging about destroying Bray Wyatt’s rocking chair.  Everything was fine until he was blasted from behind by Bray after the lights had gone out.  Bray didn’t stop the assault, screaming about his rocking chair and it looked almost like the man would cry.  Macaria actually screamed out, gripping her hair between her fingers at the sight of Bray taking a steel chair and pressing it to Dean’s throat, slamming it down as hard as he could against the steel ring steps.  Dean couldn’t breathe, gasping and rasping for air, clutching his throat while rolling around on the mats, almost convulsing.

“Dean!” Macaria felt like she couldn’t breathe, tears streaming down her face and ignored whatever Aya said, bolting out the door toward gorilla position.

Wasn’t this all scripted?  Aya wasn’t so sure anymore and watched impassively as they loaded the man’s body onto a stretcher to cart him out of the arena.

“Move out of the way!  Dean, Dean, we got you!  We’re taking you to the hospital right now, man!” The trainer informed him as a breathing mask was over his mouth and nose.  Dean managed to nod, his eyes wide and Macaria hopped in the back with him before anyone could stop her.

“GO!” She shouted, clutching Dean’s hand and couldn’t stop the tears from falling down her face. “God, please be okay, Dean…” She whispered, kissing his hand and sat back while the EMTs worked on him, keeping an eye on his vitals and whatnot.

Nyla immediately left the arena to go to the hospital, breaking speed limits to get up there as fast as she could.  That chair shot to the throat wasn’t scripted!  None of that was supposed to happen besides Dean cutting a promo!  Nyla felt sick to her stomach, wanting to assure Macaria she had NOTHING to do with this!  The last thing she wanted to do was lose the only friend she’d made in the WWE, even if the woman didn’t work for the company itself.

“Caria!” Nyla called out, rushing to her and immediately hugged the crying, shaking woman, trying not to start crying herself. “H-How bad is it?  T-That wasn’t supposed to happen to him!”

“I-I don’t know…” Macaria stammered out, feeling her knees weaken and had to sit down, her camera on a chair beside her.  She never went anywhere without it and she had it strapped to her when she ran out to check on Dean, before hopping in the ambulance. “They’re running tests…and…fuck, I don’t know…”

Nyla immediately grabbed her friend some water, sitting down beside her and ordered her to drink it slowly. “Deep breaths, don’t think the worse.  The man is a lot tougher than he looks and he’ll pull through this.” She wasn’t sure if she was trying to convince Macaria or herself.

“T-They said he might have a crushed larynx…he couldn’t breathe…” The tears started up as Macaria buried her face in her hands, crying.

Nyla held her tightly, saying a silent prayer to whoever was listening, that Dean pulled through this.  All Macaria could do was cry, not believing Aya wasn’t here to at least check on her client, who had been possibly destroyed at the hands of Bray Wyatt.  Was this the Authority’s doing?  It had to be if it wasn’t scripted.  Even through her sorrow and anguish, Macaria hadn’t missed what Nyla said.  It wasn’t supposed to happen this way.  Bray had either jumped script, pissed at Dean enough to hurt him because of the rocking chair incident or…the Authority had once again swerved him, using Bray to do their dirty work.

Three hours later, the verdict was in.  A bruised trachea was all Dean wound up with.  The man really was made of iron and indestructible.  He checked himself out of the hospital 2 hours later, against the advice of the doctors, and signed the paperwork to not hold any accountability toward them.  Even Macaria wasn’t sure about it, but Dean assured her he’d been through worse and told her the story of how he’d cut his own nipple off in the Indy’s and had to sew it back on.  It was hanging on by a thread and somehow, he’d managed not to lose it completely.  The story was unbelievable, considering he had no scar anywhere on his nipple or around it.  Somehow, she believed him.

“Thanks for coming up here, Nyla.  Really wasn’t necessary though.” Dean rasped out, his throat sore and swollen from Bray’s brutality.  He really hoped it healed in time for Raw because Dean wanted payback for this.

“No problem…I’m just glad you’re okay.  Should you even be talking right now?” Nyla asked, concern lacing her voice and shared a worried look with Macaria.

“Probably not, no.” Dean shrugged, not overly caring and stood up from the wheelchair as soon as they were outside the hospital doors. “I’m hungry.”

Both women started laughing at him, unable to help it.  He was so laid back and carefree, not minding the fact he’d nearly gotten his larynx crushed by a coworker.  Nyla didn’t know what to think and she was pretty sure Macaria was at a loss for words too.  The laughter was more to break the tension in the air more than anything.

“You two have a good Thanksgiving.  I have a flight to catch.” Nyla wasn’t sticking around for Seth to hunt her down, wanting to get home to spend the next 5 days with her family for the holiday.

Macaria wanted to tell her they weren’t spending it together, but one look at Dean made her rethink that assumption.  There was no way she would leave him alone for the holiday, especially with his bruised throat.  Sighing, she hooked her arm through his and guided him to the car, forcing him to be the passenger for a change.

“I never asked you this, but where do you live now if it’s not Cincinnati, Ohio?” She asked once they were on the road headed back to the hotel.

“Vegas.” Dean rasped out, blinking when she nearly rear-ended someone in front of them. “What…the…fuck?”

“You live in Vegas?  Las Vegas, Nevada?” At his nod, Macaria started laughing all over again, all traces of humor gone. “Wow…” Aya hadn’t told her that, then again, maybe the woman didn’t know either.

“W-What’s wrong with that?” He coughed, wincing and leaned his head back, trying to get his throat to stop throbbing.  It felt like he had a really bad sore throat right now, even though he wasn’t sick.

Macaria settled down, pushing her foot on the gas and shook her head. “Nothing, nothing it’s just…I live in Vegas too.” Now it was Dean’s turn to gape at her with wide eyes. “Yeah.  I don’t know if Aya knows that information about you either.  She was told you lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, but…that’s not the case, apparently.  So since we’re both living in the same city – the city that never sleeps mind you – wanna spend Thanksgiving together?”

Now normally, Dean spent the holidays with Roman’s family.  At least, that’s what happened the past couple of years, ever since they met and forged a tight bond in FCW/NXT.  However, since Roman was gearing up to come back on the road soon, Dean didn’t want to deter him from that and knew he wouldn’t see his family for a while after making his return.  Spending Thanksgiving with a beautiful woman, at her place, in the same city he lived in, sounded too good to be true.

“Your place or mine?”

Macaria reached over, lacing their fingers together and made the rest of the drive to the hotel, making a call on the way to see about getting a flight out that night.

Chapter 25

“I’m coming to the Slammy Awards.”

“Really, bro?  You sure that’s a good idea?”

“Look man, I’m not missing out on being there for my fans if they announce me as Superstar of the Year.” Roman had already packed up, wanting to be back on the road sooner than Sunday for the TLC pay-per-view event.

Dean smirked, knowing that was merely an excuse from his buddy to come back on the road earlier than planned. “So that means you’ll be at Smackdown! too?” He stroked his chin thoughtfully, pale blues narrowed. “Are you gonna talk to Nyla?”

“Maybe.  I haven’t decided yet.  I’m still working out the details with that shit.” Truth be told, Roman hadn’t stopped texting Nyla, always making sure to send her one in the morning, afternoon and several at night, all friendly.  She still had no idea who it was that was texting her, which he found mildly amusing. “I don’t know how she’s gonna react when she discovers it’s been me that’s been texting her over the Thanksgiving break.”

“Yeah…so am I with trying to get Macaria in-company and away from the Virago.”

Currently, Macaria was taking a nap after they’d made love most of the morning.  Dean had to coax her into it because of his throat, but he was perfectly fine besides having a raspy voice.  There was absolutely nothing wrong with any other parts of his body, especially his dick.  He did enjoy seducing her and she had insisted they stay at his place in Vegas since it was a little ways from the strips.  About 15 minutes from the airport, which suited him perfectly, but they also didn’t have to deal with the countless noise Vegas had.  Her apartment was a studio and smack dab in the middle of the strip; Dean didn’t know how she tolerated that and, when he asked how much she was being paid for this job with Aya, he was sickened by the small amount.

“The only one who can hire her is the Authority and you know that, man.”

The Authority hated him, so that wouldn’t work out or end well if he tried putting a ‘good word’ in for her. “I’ll figure it out.  I just need a little more time.” Dean understood where Roman was coming from since he was in the same boat, both trying to help the women in their lives. “Listen, Maca is stirring, so I’ll see you on Monday.”

“See you then, bro.”

Thanksgiving was spent cooking up a storm and using his kitchen for the first time.  Macaria insisted on making a meal for them and had gone to the grocery store to get everything she needed while Dean rested.  Even though it wasn’t exactly ON Thanksgiving she made the turkey dinner, Dean didn’t care it was a day later.  A lot of people didn’t have Thanksgiving ON the holiday these days.  He watched her in the doorway of his kitchen in her cute cotton shorts and a tank top, her hair piled up on top of her head to keep it out of the food.  Dean had to admit, he enjoyed having her here and she looked delicious in his kitchen, cooking for him. 

Honestly, Dean had lived in shabby apartments like she currently did, knowing the exact building she had described to him.  It was on the bad side of the city and he didn’t like that; it wasn’t safe and secure like his house.  He was coming to the realization this wasn’t just sex between them, and it had never been.  It wasn’t just having a good time and fun on the road…what he had with Macaria went deeper than he could’ve imagined.  It was way too soon to ask her to move in with him, but…that didn’t mean he couldn’t bring her here on their days off.  Maybe she would start leaving stuff here too and eventually, they’d discuss her moving in.

“Smells good, babe.” He rasped out, now standing behind her with his hands caressing her sides and watched her cut up vegetables. “You know, I’m not a very domesticated person, but I could get used to this…”

“I’m sure you could.” Macaria remarked with a chuckle, finishing the carrots and then set the knife down to turn to look up into his pale blues. “You should be relaxing…”

“Yeah – yeah, I know.” Dean rolled his eyes, wishing she wouldn’t worry so much about him and softly kissed her. “I can’t let you do this all alone.  Give me something to do to help out…” Football was on, but the Cincinnati Bengals weren’t playing, so he didn’t feel like watching.

Sighing resignedly, Macaria reached over to grab the russet potatoes and handed them over, along with a peeler. “Get to work then, Deano.” She patted his cheek gently before turning to continue cutting up vegetables.

Dean loved it when she used that nickname for him and chuckled, kissing the side of her bare neck. “Yes, my queen.” He even bowed mockingly at her and sat down at the kitchen table with the garbage can in front of him, peeling the potatoes.

“Ugh, don’t call me that.”

“Princess?”

“No, just stick with babe or darlin’.  I’m fine with those.”

“All right, darlin’.” Dean clicked his tongue with a smirk and continued on his task. “Roman called me this morning.  And he’s making his return on Raw instead of at the pay-per-view.”

That made her stop cutting as Macaria’s head turned to look at Dean. “Why would he do that?”

“He said he wants to be there in case he wins the Superstar of the Year, but I know that’s a coverup.  This is about Nyla.  He wants to get her away from the Authority and thinks, if he’s around, they won’t fuck with her nearly as much as they have been.” Seth did everything in his power to avoid a fight with Roman ever since he betrayed his brothers and took a steel chair to their backs.

“Yeah, he’s been texting her nonstop since you gave him her number, right?”

“Yeah.” Dean nodded, glad Macaria hadn’t been upset with him for getting into her phone to find it for his friend. 

If anything, she was relieved because she had planned on giving it to Roman once he returned to the road.  Dean had simply beat her to the punch.  It just made him fall for Macaria harder since they seemed to always be on the same page.  Besides accusing her of sleeping with him for her job – Dean had more than made up for that mistake and Macaria could only hope they stayed on the right track with each other.  It also scared her because of how intense her feelings for him developed.  What would happen once this article was over with and she was stuck in Vegas while he was on the road constantly?  She didn’t see a relationship building between them, how could it when they would barely see each other?  Dean was on the road 300+ days out of the year and he only got these 5 day stretches a couple times a year, other than that he lived on the road.

Macaria decided to simply enjoy her time with Dean for as long as it would last, not wanting to think about the unknown future.

~!~

“You know Ambrose is fucking your photographer, right?”

Aya rose her head up from Seth’s chest to look into his dark eyes. “I know they’re sharing rooms together, but I don’t think she would defy my wishes.  And even if she is, who cares?  She can have him.  I have you.”

That didn’t sit well with Seth, especially after the encounter with Macaria in catering.  He couldn’t get it out of his head how she had talked down to him and embarrassed him in front of several coworkers.  Someone who didn’t even work for the company made him look like a joke!  He had taken his frustration and aggression out on Aya’s willing body, after flying her home with him to Davenport, Iowa.  She complained about how plain it was, all the cornfields and kept bragging about her home in Las Vegas.  How interesting Ambrose’s journalist lived in the exact same city as him – Seth didn’t know if that was coincidence or not.

“So it doesn’t bother you she defied you?  She’s your employee, right?  Shouldn’t you reprimand her or fire her?”

Aya was chomping at the bit to let that little bitch go, but she couldn’t until after the article was finished.  Being blackmailed did not feel good at all and Aya didn’t like being powerless against her own employee. “Wish I could, but the article is already halfway done and it’d be a pain in the ass to find a different photographer.  I hate admitting it, but…she knows what she’s doing behind the camera.  The pictures she’s taken are truly spectacular…” She sighed, laying her head back on his chest and felt Seth’s fingers glide through her platinum blonde tresses.

“Spectacular, huh?” The gears in Seth’s head began turning and, after Aya was fast asleep, he slid from the bed to make an important phone call. “Hey Steph, I wanna talk to you about something…”

~!~

When Monday rolled around, Dean hadn’t been lying and planned on sending a clear message to Bray Wyatt for their match at TLC.  It was weird how they stopped at the local hospital and he’d asked Macaria to wait in the car while he made arrangements.  She had no idea what he had planned, but whatever it was, Bray Wyatt wouldn’t see it coming.  He sauntered out of the hospital about 20 minutes later and they were on their way to the arena, not speaking about why he had to stop at the hospital.  Pulling into a parking spot, Dean cut the ignition and stepped out, shades covering his eyes against the sun.  It would be gone in another hour, thanks to daylight savings time.

“Hey, Ambrose!”

Grinning at that deep voice, Dean knew exactly who it was and greeted his best friend with a warm embrace. “Welcome back, big dog.” He stood just an inch taller than Roman, but to the untrained eye, they looked to be the same height. “Glad you finally made it back to go to war with me.”

“Yeah, good to be back, man.” Roman had been going stir crazy at home while recovering from his surgery. “Stomach’s all healed up and I already went through the testing with the doctors.  I’m cleared.”

“You gonna be on the show at all tonight?”

“Probably not.  Stephanie saw me in the hallway and immediately went in the opposite direction.” Roman chuckled ruefully, tempted to wrap his hands around the blackmailing bitch’s throat and throttle her until she turned blue. “Mind sharing a dressing room with me tonight?”

“Not at all, bro.” Dean had missed his traveling buddy and finally turned to where Macaria stood, her camera already out. “Woman…”

“Come on, it’ll look great for the article to take a picture with your best friend and in-ring comrade.” Macaria gestured with her hand for them to get closer together and Dean obliged her, though he stuck his tongue out at the last second. “That’s still a decent picture.  Hi, I’m Macaria, but most call me Maca or Caria.  No Mac, please.”

“Wasn’t gonna call you a computer, honey.” Roman assured her, shaking her hand with a smile and could tell Dean had a thing for the photographer.  There was definite chemistry between them and he hoped Dean found a way to get her a job with WWE or else, come WrestleMania, he would be miserable. “Nice to put a name with a face, finally.”

“All right, Fabio, let’s get inside and settled in.  I have a message to send to Wyatt tonight and I need to prepare for it, go over it with some stagehands.” Dean rubbed his hands together, watching Roman’s thick black brow rise and proceeded to quietly explain what he had in mind.

Roman had to admit, that was slick and it would definitely stick in Bray Wyatt’s crawl.  Macaria overheard it as well, following them inside and shook her head, hoping this didn’t backfire to where Dean left in another ambulance.  His voice was back to normal, mostly, which was both a good and sad thing since the raspiness was sexy.  Not that his voice wasn’t already gritty and raspy, but it had a certain growl to it after what Bray did to him.

Unbeknownst it to the group, a pair of amber eyes watched them walk down the hallway toward Dean’s dressing room.  Nyla couldn’t believe it.  Roman Reigns was back.  It’d been so long since she last saw him and she knew he was probably here for the Slammy Awards.  They would be picked strictly by the WWE Universe in voting, so there was a very good chance he won at least one award.  Was he healed up though?  Would he be making his return soon?  Nyla both hoped and dreaded it happening because that meant she’d have to start writing shoddy storylines for him again.  Sighing, she continued to her office and began her work for the evening, hoping Seth and the Authority left her alone.

Just as they rounded the corner, Dean stopped alongside Roman with Macaria behind them.  It was Aya and she was in tears, rushing past them with a smug Stephanie standing in the hallway.  Macaria frowned, not sure why her boss was in tears, but whatever was said by Stephanie couldn’t be good.  She felt a ball form in the pit of her stomach, slowly turning her attention back to Stephanie through the gap between Dean and Roman’s arms.

“Welcome back, Roman.” Stephanie’s voice dripped with disdain, not looking forward to dealing with the Samoan again.

“Thanks Steph, good to be back.” Roman didn’t smile and folded his arms in front of his chest, wondering what the hell she wanted.  Why was she standing just outside of Dean’s dressing room?

Dean was wondering that himself. “What’s up with Miss Landsbury?” He inquired, cutting right to the chase and tried to ignore the sick feeling developing in his stomach.

Stephanie’s blue eyes gleamed wickedly. “I fired her.”

Macaria slammed her eyes shut, her heart dropping to the pit of her stomach.

“What about the article?”

“Oh, we’ll still be doing it, but with a different journalist,” Stephanie informed her employee, loving the agony filling Dean’s eyes. “You see, it’s not very professional for freelancers to involve themselves with our wrestlers, especially the FUTURE of this company.” Seth would continue his ‘relationship’ with Nyla and fully focus on her now that the journalist was no longer a distraction. “Which brings me to…”

“Me.” Macaria finished for her, slowly looking up into the gleaming blues of Stephanie McMahon and swallowed hard. “I’m fired too, I take it?”

Dean opened his mouth to protest, but Stephanie was too quick for him. “That depends, Macaria, do you want to be fired?”

“I’m sorry?”

Stephanie smiled a little more softly and stepped up to her, forcing Dean and Roman to stand aside. “I have an offer for you if you’re interested in working for the global phenomenon our company has grown into.”

Blinking, Macaria felt her jaw drop and looked at Dean, who had a skeptical expression on his face, before moving her eyes back to Stephanie. “What’s the catch, Miss McMahon?  I mean, I know you’re not fond of Dean and Roman, and I’ve been working closely with Dean for the article…” Maybe the woman was just screwing with her.

Stephanie draped an arm around Macaria’s shoulders, looking positively devilish and knew she had the woman right where she wanted her. “Why don’t we go to my office and talk about this privately, hmm?”

“Maca…” Dean didn’t like this, stopping her by grabbing her upper arm and gritted his teeth at Stephanie’s arched brow. “Don’t go.” He hated asking it of her, but he also had a very bad feeling about this meeting.

“Dean, honestly, are you really going to ask her to turn down the offer of a lifetime with the WWE?  Isn’t this where YOU’VE always wanted to end up with your career?” Stephanie pointed out, not removing her arm from Macaria’s shoulders and could tell this was tearing the woman apart on the inside.

Her career meant a great deal to her and, now that Aya was fired, this was her opportunity to have a dream job, to stay with Dean and travel with him. “It’s okay.  I’ll be fine, Dean.” She extricated his hand from her upper arm and walked away with Stephanie, hoping she was making the right decision by doing this.

Dean could only watch her leave with the devil and looked at Roman, who had a worried expression on his face at this sudden turn of events.

Seth watched all of this with luminous dark eyes, rubbing his hands together and walked away in the opposite direction, a wicked laughter flowing out of his mouth.

Chapter 26

How’s work going?  Are you being bothered?  Do you have a minute to talk?

Nyla smiled at the text messages, one right after the other and stopped typing on her laptop to answer them. No, surprisingly enough.  And yes, I can talk to you for a minute.  What’s on your mind?

A full minute passed by before the next text message came through. Look up.

When Nyla did, confused amber eyes saw none other than Roman Reigns standing in her doorway.  What the HELL?  She looked down at her phone and then back up at him again, her brain trying to compute what was going on.  Even though it was obvious, she was having a hard time believing Roman was the person she’d been texting with over Thanksgiving break.  How did he get her phone number?  Was it Dean?  Was it Macaria?  No, Macaria didn’t know Roman, but she had told Dean and if Dean went to Roman…Nyla slowly set her phone down, not taking her eyes away from the huge Samoan.  Christ, he looked so good in a black leather jacket, black shirt and jeans with his long black hair pulled back in a bun at the nape of his neck. 

Her attire was soft grey pants with a red and grey striped long-sleeved buttoned up blouse, red pumps on her feet.  Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a neat bun, not a hair out of place and minimal makeup adorned her face.  To Roman, Nyla Miller was the most beautiful woman on planet earth, but her eyes were dead, no light in them.  No life.  He was about to change all of that if she let him.  This would take a great deal of trust on her part, so Roman would not be surprised if she told him to go to hell at first.  They hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms prior to his emergency hernia surgery and, at the time, he had no idea what the Authority was doing to her.

Roman knew the truth now.

“You?  I’ve been talking to…you?” Nyla wrapped her arms around herself, standing from her chair, but kept the desk between them. “Who told you what was going on?”

“Dean.” There was no reason to lie to her. “Macaria told him everything, Nyla.” His voice was low and soft, a deep rumble coming from his chest. “And I meant what I said, I want to help you…”

“How?  How are you going to help me?  The Authority will be gunning for you now that you’re back and try to put you on the shelf again, Roman.” Nyla pointed out the obvious, hating how unfazed he was by those words.  He wasn’t bothered by that fact at all. “Nobody can help me…”

The amount of sadness in her voice broke his heart.  She truly felt as if there was no hope in the world, no way out of this predicament with the Authority. “Yes I can, and I will, but you have to trust me first.” Roman took a step toward her desk, then another and stopped, seeing a slight fear enter her eyes. “I’m not gonna hurt you either, Nyla, not the way that piece of shit has…”

Along with the fear came tears and Nyla couldn’t stop a few from rolling down her cheeks. “I-I can’t…” She whispered out, planting her hands on the desk in front of her and shuddered at all the horrific memories flowing through her.  The most recent being raped by Seth in front of Hunter. “I-I’m too deep into this now and I can’t trust anyone…”

Roman expected and anticipated this, not surprised and held his hands up to show he meant no harm. “You trust Macaria.  And you trust Dean…”

“No, I don’t trust Dean.” Nyla corrected him, wanting to make it clear Macaria was the only one she trusted and that was due to the fact the woman didn’t work for the WWE.

“Okay fine, but you still trust SOMEONE.  Well, Macaria trusts Dean and Dean trusts me, which is why he told me everything that’s been going on with those assholes.” Roman tried to keep his voice soft, not wanting to scare her, but anger laced his tone at the mention of the Authority. “You can trust me, Nyla…”

Suddenly, a surge of anger and defiance rushed through her as her amber eyes turned to hard gold. “Oh really?  I’m supposed to trust a man who thinks I’m nothing more than a cunt?” Roman was taken aback by her attitude and Nyla didn’t care.

“I never said that!  I never called you that!”

“Not to my face, no.  But you still thought of me like that.” Nyla retorted, folding her arms tightly across her chest. “Don’t bother denying it, Roman.  You hate me for all the shitty storylines and scripts I’ve written for you, even if they were forced.”

She would not make this easy on him.  Roman scrubbed a hand down his face, not recalling ever thinking of Nyla that way.  Granted, he was pissed at her for the ridiculous storylines that kept him away from Seth Rollins, but he never actually hated her.  He thought she was a fool to side with the Authority.  There was never any real hatred from him though and he’d never called her anything more than a bitch, only when he got REALLY irate.

“I don’t help people out I hate, Nyla.  I don’t go out of my way for people I hate.  I don’t text people I hate either.” Roman pointed out, taking another step toward the desk, which was the ONLY thing separating them. “I don’t waste my time and effort on people I hate.  You are not in my ‘hate’ category.”

“I don’t need to be rescued like some kind of damsel in distress!” Nyla actually backed up to put more space between them and hoped Roman stayed where he was. “And you SHOULD hate me because I’m a weakling!  I’m weak when it comes to the Authority and I’ve allowed them to have complete control over me…I-I’ve allowed their golden boy to…do things to me and I haven’t fought any of it…” Coerced into sex was still considered rape since she did not want anything to do with Seth or his dick.

Roman shook his head, not agreeing with anything she said. “No.  You’re not weak.  You have a little girl to think about and your parents.  You’ve been doing all of this, enduring the pain and being controlled to keep them safe.  You aren’t weak, Nyla.  You’re brave.  And I’ve figured out a way to protect you and your family, but you have to trust me.”

“Roman…”

“You don’t trust me right now, I get that.  But you WILL trust me in time…”

The amount of certainty in his voice sent a shiver down her spine. “How can you be so sure?”

He smiled, tempted to reach across the desk to caress her cheek, but Roman also liked his balls where they were. “I just am.  And I know when push comes to shove, you will make the right decision and let me help you.”

“Roman, if you knew what they’ve done to me…” Nyla didn’t tell Macaria everything, only tidbits about what she’d gone through with the Authority and Seth Rollins.  If he knew, he wouldn’t want to help her, that much she was certain.

Nyla couldn’t have been more wrong. “I don’t care what they’ve done to you.  What I care about is making sure it NEVER happens to you again and you’re safe and protected.  Your daughter and family too.” Roman could see the skepticism in her eyes and wanted to go to her, but now wasn’t the time or place. “You talked to me through text for almost a week and you didn’t even know who I was.  But you still talked to me.”

Her eyes lowered from him, unable to deny that fact. “I didn’t know it was you…” She mumbled, folding her hands in front of her and twisted them gently, eyebrows furrowed.

“So if you knew it was me, you wouldn’t text me?”

Nyla felt a headache coming on, tossing her hands in the air. “I don’t know!  You’re asking me too many questions!  Just stop!” She gripped her head and pulled open the drawer to her desk, retrieving and taking some much-needed aspirin. “I can’t talk about this right now.  I have to get back to work…”

“I’m gonna keep texting you…and if you need my help, I’ll be there for you.” Roman backed up toward the door, knowing he’d taken up a great deal of her time. “Just letting you know, Seth will probably come for you tonight.  Stephanie fired the Dean’s journalist.” That made her head snap up, fear-filled amber eyes locked on deep brown. “And I think she’s offering Macaria a job here…” Not without some kind of consequence, he was sure of that much.  Stephanie NEVER did something out of the kindness of her heart.

“Thank you…for warning me.” Nyla murmured quietly, taking her seat again and opened her laptop, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth for a minute. “Roman.”

He stopped, the door cracked open and looked back at her. “Yeah?”

“Your return feud will be against The Big Show.  I know that’s not what you want to hear, but…I wanted to warn you ahead of time…” Nyla felt she owed him that warning since he’d told her about Seth’s distracting journalist being fired.  He would more than likely focus his time and effort on her again, which she wasn’t looking forward to.

Heaving a sigh, Roman would not snap at her and mumbled a quick ‘thanks’ on his way out the door.

~!~

“Have a seat, Macaria.” Stephanie requested, gesturing to the chair across from her desk and sat down after Macaria did, folding her hands on top of it. “So, I did a little background check on you, just to verify a few things and make sure you’re a legitimate photographer.”

“Technically, I’m not because I don’t have my own studio.  I was interning for Miss Landsbury and she was paying me for it…once the article was finished.” Macaria explained, correcting Stephanie in the process because she didn’t want any nonsense popping up at a later date.

Stephanie nodded, appreciating her honesty. “Well, I’ve also looked at some of your work, mostly from college, and I have to say you really do have a keen eye for this position.” Seth hadn’t been joking when he recommended Stephanie to hire her into their photography department in WWE. “Your attention to detail has been noticed too.”

“Thank you, Miss McMahon.”

“Please, call me Stephanie.  There’s no reason to be formal here.” Stephanie smiled genuinely for the moment, able to be cordial for the time being.

“All right, Stephanie…” Macaria tested it out, sounding unsure and cracked a hesitant smile back at the woman. “So, why do you want to hire someone that doesn’t have a lot of experience and just graduated from college not long ago?”

Stephanie leaned back in her chair.  It was a fair question, she supposed, but she also had to be careful what she said to Macaria. “Because I recognize talent when I see it, Macaria.  And you have talent, there’s no doubt about that.  I can’t imagine what hell you must’ve gone through working for Miss Landsbury, but I assure you, the WWE has top-notch benefits, insurance and pay for photography.  You are paid an X amount, based on your work and how often you produce results.” In a nutshell, she would be paid for every picture she snapped and the company accepted, which made it a commission. “Now then, not only do you get a commission for your work, but you also get paid a salary, no matter what.  So every hour you work for us, you’re paid for it up until 40 hours a week.  Any overtime is not paid with salary, but as long as your work is exceptional, the commission will more than cover that.”

“Okay, do you mind me asking what the salary and commission is?”

This job was too good to be true and Macaria blinked at the amounts flying out of Stephanie’s mouth.  That was…very impressive, to say the least.  She would definitely be able to get out of her shabby apartment and someplace safer, for sure.  Hell, Macaria would never have to worry about being in a financial crisis again.

“Wow…”

Stephanie knew money talked and, with a young woman like Macaria, who was just starting out her photography career, out of college, this was an incredible opportunity. “Now, I’m going to be honest with you, Macaria.  The reason I’m offering this position to you is that one of our photographers was recently caught in a DUI.  Drinking and driving, while home on his days off.  We don’t tolerate or condone that type of behavior and have a zero tolerance policy.  The handbook I will give you will explain all of that.  However, there is another problem I see with hiring you…” Here was where things would get a little hairy, but…being the boss wasn’t easy.

“Okay…”

“Now, while there are individuals in the company that are together in relationships and some are married, it’s still frowned upon to date within the company.  My father doesn’t like it.” A little white lie wouldn’t hurt. “I know you and Dean Ambrose are together…”

“We’re not…”

“You don’t have to lie to me, Macaria.  Aya knew about the two of you and she informed me of the pictures you have of her and Seth you were holding over her head.” Stephanie held her hand up before Macaria could protest. “It’s fine.  I’ve done some blackmail in my time and you were doing it to survive.  Completely understandable…however, if you take this job, I’m going to need those photos.  They need to be destroyed.”

Macaria didn’t know how to feel about that and just nodded, rubbing her hands together nervously. “Dean and I aren’t together in a relationship, we’re just having fun…” Those were his words, just having fun and hanging out.

“Are you having sex?”

That was a very personal question to ask in a job interview and Macaria’s cheeks reddened, her eyes lowering to her lap. “Yeah…”

“Then you’re together.  Even if it’s just for fun, you’re still together.  If you want to succeed in this company, you have to put your career first and leave the boys behind.  Sleeping with a coworker can cause a lot of problems, especially if you two don’t work out.  You will be taking photos of all the Superstars and Divas within the company, you understand.  If you have any negative feelings towards the Superstars and Divas you’re photographing, it won’t look good for the company or your career, in general.” Stephanie explained, using a kind gentle voice and crossed one leg over the other, leaning back in her chair. “Believe me, when I first got together with my husband, we went through HELL on earth with my father.  He did NOT want me dating a wrestler at all.  He even threatened Hunter a few times with his career and Hunter actually broke up with me, but we found our way back to each other.  But it was a very LONG process and he put his career first before me.  I didn’t understand at the time, I was hurt, but now that I’m the boss, I understand why he did it and don’t fault him for it.  Maybe just cool it with Ambrose for a little while, just until you’re here for more than a minute, established, and see what happens.  I just don’t want you to take this job BECAUSE of him, Macaria.  You have a probation period of six months here before your benefits and insurance kicks in.”

As much as she hated admitting it, Stephanie made a lot of sense and Macaria honestly didn’t know what the future held for her and Dean.  She didn’t know how he felt about her.  She was slowly falling for him, but they were nowhere near the L word level.  Would she really give up this once in a lifetime opportunity in order to be with a man she had an uncertain future with?

“So, if I stay with Dean and keep having fun with him, you’re not going to hire me, are you?”

“Unfortunately, no.  I want to hire someone who is 100% committed to this job because it’s very vigorous and you will be busy.  I don’t need my new employee being distracted because of a fellow Superstar.”

At least she was honest. “So if I sign with WWE, and I wait until I’m established and we ‘find our way back each other’ like you did with your husband, I won’t be fired?” Macaria wanted all the cards laid out on the table.

Stephanie smiled, shaking her head and had to wonder what this woman saw in Dean Ambrose in the first place.  The man looked like a gutter rat. “No.  I won’t fire you, but you have to wait at least until after your probation period is over before you pursue anything with him.  That’s 180 days.  And if you want, take the week to consider my offer and let me know next week at Raw.  That’ll give me time to draw up the contract and everything.”

Macaria left Stephanie’s office, trying to wrap her mind around this offer/ultimatum and had no idea what to do.

Chapter 27

In his locker room, Dean watched the commentary team announce winners of some of the Slammy’s they wouldn’t introduce.  He blinked at the monitor, raising a slow brow and the barest hint of a smile twitched his lips.  Breakout Star of the Year – Dean Ambrose.  It was bittersweet because the previous year, for the 2013 Slammy Awards, the Shield had won the exact same award.  It was crazy how things had come full circle ever since Seth’s betrayal.  He shrugged, knowing he wouldn’t get any kind of award and didn’t mind it.  The fact the WWE universe, the fans, voted him as Breakout Star of the Year said something and spoke volumes.  Dean Ambrose had achieved stardom and he was loved by the audience, which was a definite step in the right direction.

As much as he wanted to celebrate tonight, Dean had bigger fish to fry and his mind was on Macaria.  More importantly, the private meeting with Macaria and Stephanie McMahon.  He could only imagine what the bitch was feeding Macaria and wished she would’ve denied Stephanie earlier.  At the same time, this was her dream job and the opportunity of a lifetime.  If the roles were reversed, Dean would’ve done the same thing she did, so he couldn’t fault her for it.  Just as he was about to go out for his segment with Bray Wyatt, Macaria returned with a stoic expression on her face.  They would have to talk later at the hotel.

“I’ll be back.  Time to get some payback on this Deliverance wanna-be asshole.”

“Okay.” Macaria normally would’ve kissed his cheek or been affectionate with him, but instead, she was standoffish and walked over to sit down in front of the monitor. “Be careful.”

Something definitely happened with Stephanie and Dean was almost afraid to find out what that bitch had planted in Macaria’s head. “Always.” He winked, trying to ease the tension and left to head to the exit, where the ambulance he would be using sat, waiting to be used.

“What am I going to do?” Macaria whispered, burying her face in her hands and could feel the tears building in her eyes, already feeling her heart breaking.  Was her decision already made?

~!~

Bray Wyatt made his entrance and began talking about his Abigail’s sacred rocking chair Dean had destroyed last week on Raw.  He began chanting ‘Tables, Ladder and Chairs repeatedly’ and suddenly, the sound of ambulance sirens pulsated throughout the arena.  His icy blues widened at the sight of an ambulance backing up into the arena on the side of the top stage, where the entrance was.  There was smoke billowing inside the back of the ambulance, some of it leaking out through the cracks and suddenly, the ambulance doors opened.  There stood none other than Dean Ambrose with white smoke billowing out behind him, a white brace around his neck.  He looked livid and Bray looked like he saw a ghost, actually balking at the scene.

So THAT was why Dean needed to stop at the local hospital earlier.  Macaria couldn’t stop smiling as the lights came back on and Dean’s eyes were wide and crazed, his tongue sticking out. 

Dean suddenly hopped down and began pulling various weapons out of the back of the ambulance.  Chairs, a table that broke, so he threw it on the rampway and finally a small ladder, big enough for him to haul down to the ring on his shoulder.  He tore the brace over his head and tossed it aside, before heading down to the ring with a ladder in hand, chair in the other.  He tossed the chair in the ring for Bray to use before clocking Bray with the end of the ladder, when the man tried using the chair on him.  Rookie mistake.  Dean nailed him a few good times, sending Bray to the mat and dropped it before pulling out more chairs and weapons from beneath the ring.  One chair went sailing over and clocked Bray right in the head, making the audience cringe.  It was a perfect headshot and Bray was dazed, not sure where he was at the moment.

Even Macaria cringed at that skull shot.

Dragging a table in the ring next, Dean was finally inside the ropes and Bray barely managed to roll out at the last second.  Dean signaled to Bray, who was still somewhat loopy, with a steel chair and dropped it in the ring, beckoning him to reenter. “Come on, Daddy!  Come on!” He shouted, waiting like a predator stalking its prey. 

Bray was hesitant and Dean taunted him by laying on the setup table in the ring, with his chair still in hand, gesturing with his fingers to come to get some.  The SECOND Bray went to grab the chair, Dean hurled his own at Bray and sent him crashing to the floor again.  Mind games at its finest!  Bray had been playing mind games with Dean for weeks and it was finally time to get some payback.

“TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THAT AMBULANCE, WYATT!!” He screamed in the microphone he grabbed from one of the ringside technicians. “The only way, you’re gonna leave TLC this Sunday, is in the back of one of those!  Cause when it’s tables, and when it’s ladders, and when it’s chairs, you’re gonna know exactly who you’re in here with!  This Sunday, I become the MONSTER and I’m gonna EAT YOU ALIIIIVE!” Dean promised, leaning on the ropes and shouted at Bray that he didn’t care what happened to him.  It would be Bray’s ultimate destruction this Sunday at the TLC pay-per-view.

Her body temperature spiked several notches while watching that segment, the sound of his gritty, growly voice sending shivers throughout her body.  Macaria felt the hunger inside of her for Dean and had to do a drool check.  The way he flawlessly made his way to the ring and made Bray Wyatt his bitch was incredible to witness.  She would’ve loved to be ringside to snap a few shots of him, especially laying on that table the way he was.  Roman wasn’t in the dressing room at the moment, off doing something else, though Nyla had texted her earlier, wanting to meet up.  They made plans to meet up tomorrow morning while Dean and Roman did their workout to talk about everything that went down tonight.  Her job offer and Nyla’s talk with Roman would be at the top of the ‘need to talk about’ list.

Now that Aya was fired and gone, no longer dictating who she could and couldn’t be with, nothing stopped Macaria from attacking Dean as soon as he walked into his dressing room.  She closed the distance between them, pushing him back against the door and reached up to pull his face down to hers, passionately kissing him.  They had never done this before in the arena because Aya had always been around.  Dean growled, his arms encircling her body to pull her closer and Macaria felt that hunger again eating away at her.

“Fuck me, Dean…” She mumbled against his mouth, pulling back long enough to remove the t-shirt from her body and tossed it to the floor. “I need you inside of me right now, baby, please…” Macaria was already pushing the sleeveless vest from his shoulders and pushing the t-shirt he had on over his head, gliding her fingers down his muscular, sweaty chest.

“Here, in my dressing room?” Dean didn’t know what came over her, but he wasn’t complaining or about to deny this beautiful honey blonde anything. “How about against this door, huh?”

“Yeah, anywhere you want…” Unfastening her bra, Macaria kicked her tennis shoes off and slid out of her jeans and panties while Dean pushed his own jeans and boxer/briefs down around his knees.

Their lips found each other again eagerly, their bodies crying out for each other and Dean shifted to where she was pressed against the door.  He lifted her, his throbbing cock pulsating and the adrenaline from what he just did to Wyatt pumped through his veins powerfully.  This would be quite a ride for them both.  Without preamble, Macaria slipped her hand between them to grab his cock, pumping it a few times before positioning it at her entrance.  Their eyes locked as his cock pushed past her slick folds and they both groaned at the friction, her nails digging into his shoulders.  Macaria’s head lulled back, relishing the feeling of Dean inside of her and immediately held on for dear life as he began thrusting as hard, fast and deep as he could.  This wouldn’t last very long and she was fine with it, not minding a good old fashioned quickie with this man.

“Oh Dean…oh Dean harder!” She cried out, feeling his teeth sink into her shoulder and clung to him for dear life, meeting him for every thrust.

Muscular, calloused hands held onto her outer thighs, keeping her legs spread as Dean held her up, using the door for leverage while driving in and out of her.  Her backside bounced repeatedly against the door from how powerful his thrusts were and neither cared, both too consumed with each other.  Dean wanted to pull out and turn her around to take her from behind, but her pussy felt too good to stop this.  The way her walls caved in around him, milking him, took his breath away and his mouth founds hers, kissing her violently.  It was rough, she could barely keep up with the pace and Dean even buried his fingers in her hair to keep her head against the door, his mouth sealing to her neck.  Macaria reciprocated by burying her fingers in his hair wet curls tightly, feeling herself coming closer to the edge and point of no return.

The sounds of flesh smacking flesh echoed around them as his balls kept slapping against her pussy lips, feeling her juices soaking him.  Dean would make sure she came more than once and gritted his teeth, riding out her first orgasm when she shattered against him.  He covered her mouth with his, preventing others from hearing her scream out his name and knew she would thank him once the passion haze cleared from her mind.  Panting, Dean could feel his arms starting to burn, the muscles overworked, along with his thighs, knowing it wouldn’t be long now.  His balls were tingling and his dick was on the verge of exploding.

“One more…give it to me one more time, Maca…” Dean urged in her ear, flicking the lobe with his tongue and knew it wouldn’t be long before she climaxed again.

“Oh, Dean…I…I…I’m there…oh god, I’m there again!” Macaria rasped out, her heart pounding furiously against her chest and her body had a fine sheen of perspiration, while his dripped with sweat.  She didn’t care, he felt amazing against her and the skin on skin contact only fueled her desire, her need, for him. “DEAN!”

“MACARIA!” He roared out, not giving a damn who heard him and exploded inside of her, feeling her juices slowly run down his balls. 

Their bodies shuddered together, both climaxing at the same time, her second and his first, the intensity overwhelming.  Macaria captured his mouth, barely able to breathe and they sucked each other’s oxygen right out of their bodies.  Only when they needed air to breathe did she break the kiss, keeping his face cupped with her hands and his forehead rolled against hers, their breathing heavy, their hearts pounding, beating as one, and they each had smiles on their faces.  That was the best quickie she ever had in her life and she’d had several with Dean ever since they’d gotten together to have some fun.

“Goddamn babe, that was…wow.” Dean hadn’t expected to be jumped as soon as he came through his dressing room door and chuckled.  Usually, it was HIM doing the jumping, not the other way around. “Feel better?”

“Immensely.” She murmured, keeping him against her and didn’t care she was only wearing socks at that moment.  Macaria groaned out as his limp dick slid out of her, losing the feeling of being full and kissed him again. “You’re an addiction, you know that?”

“Mmm, a good or bad addiction?  Cause I’ve had both and I really hope I’m a good one.” Dean remarked, enjoying the aftermath and little banter after fucking her senseless against the door.

“Bad, so very, very bad…” Macaria caressed his shoulders and chest, unable to get enough of him and traced his bottom lip with the tip of her tongue. “I prefer a bad addiction anyway.  A bad addiction in a good way…”

Dean shrugged, pulling her away from the door and sat down on the bench with her straddling his lap. “I’ll take it, darlin’.” He nuzzled her chest for a few seconds, the smell of their sweaty bodies surprisingly intoxicating. “What brought that on?  You attacking me?”

“You being you.  I watched what you did to Wyatt and something just…snapped inside of me.  I had to have you as soon as you came through that door, consequences be damned.” Macaria knew it was because of the ultimatum hovering and looming over her head from Stephanie McMahon. 

If she took it, she would have to leave Dean alone for 6 months.  That was half a year and Macaria didn’t know if he would wait that long for her.  If she was taking this job, she only had a week to be with him intimately as much as possible.  Macaria knew deep in her heart what her answer already was and what she had to do.  As much as it would break her in half to do it, no man was worth sacrificing her passion and career over.  Like Stephanie said with her husband, they found their way back to each other in the end, despite Vince’s wishes and threats.  If they were truly meant to be together, Macaria and Dean would find their way back to each other once her probation period was over.

Whatever spurred this on, Dean wouldn’t question it and simply held her close, stroking her back tenderly while they were both deep in thought.  He was itching to ask how her meeting with Stephanie went and if she would be an employee of WWE.  Macaria deserved this opportunity and he would never stand in her way, even if it was the Authority hiring her.  Hell, if Vince saw her and met her, he would probably try to make her a WWE Diva.  She was beautiful, honest, funny, artistic and fantastic behind a camera.  If and when she wanted to talk about the meeting, he would be there to listen and give his opinion.  Only if she brought it up though because, honestly, it wasn’t his business.  They weren’t together a couple yet, but Dean hoped to change that soon enough.

On their next days off, he planned on asking Macaria to go steady with him, as old-fashioned and old-school as that sounded.  Dean was an old-fashioned and old-school type of guy though, always had been.  That was why he stayed away from social media and any kind of technology that couldn’t help him get from one arena to the next.  He had the worse luck with cell phones, always losing them and had to buy a new one at least once or twice a month.  Dean wanted Macaria to be his girlfriend, his woman, to give this a real shot at a relationship and he could only hope she wanted the same thing.

He had no idea she was planning on ripping his heart out of his chest, putting it in a blender and serving it to him on the rocks, all thanks to Stephanie McMahon.

Chapter 28

Another 4-hour drive was under their belt as Dean pulled into Columbus, Georgia for Smackdown! that night.  The final show before the TLC pay-per-view.  He was looking forward to destroying Bray Wyatt, though he was also concerned about his script.  Nyla was a friend now, but she was still under the Authority’s thumb and, until that stopped, his storylines and scripts would keep him from punching Seth Rollins in the face.  Seth was who he truly wanted to get his hands on and feud with, to stomp his face in the mat repeatedly.  It wouldn’t happen as long as the Authority was in power and Nyla was under their thumb.  Hell, Dean wasn’t stupid and knew, even if Nyla wasn’t the one doing his storylines and scripts, the Authority would simply have another writer do it. 

The only secret none of them knew was the identity of the wrestler Nyla had a baby from.

That was one she’d keep close to the chest.  Dean didn’t blame her, but his curiosity burned about it.  Eventually, the truth would come out, especially once Nyla finally gave in and allowed Roman to help her.  He’d already gone over the plan with Dean, wanting the man’s opinion and Dean was all for it, knowing it really was the only option to ensure her family’s safety.  Now it was just a matter of getting Nyla onboard and in order to do that, she had to trust Roman.  It would take time, he just hoped she didn’t take too long to go to Roman for help…before she lost what little sanity she had left.

“You know, you never did tell me about your meeting with the Princess.” That was too nice of a word to refer Stephanie as, but it was also her nickname backstage with all of the Superstars and Divas. “Wanna talk about it now?”

“No.” Macaria was a coward for not coming out and telling Dean what had to happen, but she wanted to wait until they were in Vegas for their 2 days off before the pay-per-view. “Tomorrow or Thursday, we’ll talk about it then.  I promise.  I just need to mull it over a little more in my head.”

Dean did not like the sound of that, her words having an ominous feeling to them. “How bad is it, Macaria?” He asked gruffly, pulling up to the coffee shop she instructed him to drop her off at on his way to work out with Roman. “On a scale of 1 to 10.”

“No.” Macaria refused to answer him and reached over to softly kiss his cheek. “Have a good workout and I’ll meet you at the arena later on.  I’ll ride with Nyla.  We’re gonna hang out for the day.” It was going on 11 AM.

Dean watched her step out and shut the door, waiting until she was inside the coffee shop before taking off to the nearest gym.  Roman was already in town, driving here the previous night alone to clear his head after his talk with Nyla.  They had a lot to talk about as he was sure the women would be doing the same thing over coffee.  Instead, the men would be sweating bullets and killing themselves while training and working out.  Honestly, when Dean went a day without working out, he didn’t feel right, but there were times he didn’t hit a gym, such as on his days off.  Granted, before he met Macaria, Dean went to the gym every single day, but now that he had a woman in his life, that had changed somewhat.

A sinking feeling developed in the pit of Dean’s stomach as he continued driving, hoping Stephanie hadn’t sunk her claws into Macaria already.

Nyla looked up when the door of the coffee shop opened and waved her hand at Macaria, trying to produce the barest hint of a smile. “Good morning.” She greeted quietly, taking a sip of her coffee.

“Sorry for making you wait.  Traffic was a bitch getting off the highway to come here.”

“No problem, I just got here about 10 minutes ago and I’m so glad I made the drive last night instead of this morning.  You guys are brave.” Nyla chortled, the humor not touching her eyes and waited for Macaria to order her beverage of choice, along with a muffin.

“Yeah, we left just a little before 7, thinking we would beat the traffic.” Macaria shook her head, smiling at the waiter bringing her coffee over and took a long sip of it. “So, what’s going on?  You said it was dire we meet up and the curiosity has about killed me.  I’m gonna take a wild guess and say it has something to do with a certain Samoan that recently returned to the company, though.”

Clearing her throat, Nyla nodded, unable to deny it and took a bite out of her cherry Danish she had ordered. “Yeah…it does.” Roman’s words about trusting him would not leave her mind, no matter what she did or who she was with. “He said he can help me get away from the Authority…”

“Oh really?” That was news to Macaria since she didn’t talk to the big man, only introducing herself to him. “Well, why aren’t you going for it then?  Or is a trust issue?”

“It’s a MAJOR trust issue.  That man used to despise me and would yell at me on an almost weekly basis because of his shitty scripts and storylines I’d stick him in.  I just don’t know if trusting him is the right thing to do.”

Nyla wanted more than anything to get away from the Authority, from Seth Rollins, and all the abuse she’d suffered.  However, it wasn’t just her anymore.  She had a daughter and family to think about and Nyla refused to risk their lives in order to defy the Authority.  What if Roman couldn’t protect them?  How would that even be possible when he was back on the road full time now?

“It’s not just me anymore…”

“Your daughter, I know.” Macaria reached across the table to squeeze her hand and frowned, deciding to make Nyla feel a tad better with her own news. “Just like I have no idea what to do about this job offer Stephanie McMahon offered me last night.” She pulled her hand back, taking a bite of her muffin and another pull of her coffee. “I mean, I KNOW what I have to do, but…I just don’t know how to tell Dean.”

“Don’t trust Stephanie, Caria.  I’m serious.  You’ve seen the type of destruction that woman is capable of.  She’s had me raped multiple times by the so-called future of the WWE, all to keep me under her thumb.  She runs the show when it comes to the Authority, both on and off screen.  Hunter is just another piece in her game of chess and now she wants to add you to the mix.  Don’t do it.” Nyla shook her head, seeing the hesitation on the woman’s face and sighed heavily. “What did she offer you?  What kind of job and what’s the catch?”

Tears welled up in Macaria’s eyes. “T-This is all I’ve wanted and what I’ve been searching for my whole life, Nyla.  She offered me a photography position within the company – full benefits, fulltime, and it’s so much money, plus commission for any work the company decides to use.  I don’t know if I can pass this opportunity up…” She sniffled, trying to find the right words to say and shut her eyes when Nyla demanded, again, what the stipulation was. “She told me they wouldn’t hire me unless I…ended things with Dean.  At least until my 6 month probation period is up.  She told me about how she and Hunter had to find their way back to each other because he chose his career over her, due to Vince ordering them not to be together.  She made a lot of sense and I know she’s been a horrible person to you, but…”

“It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Nyla finished for her softly, not sure what she would do if this was her either.

“Yeah.” Macaria wiped a few tears away from her eyes, hating the different emotions rushing through her and had to take a few deep breaths. “Dean and I aren’t even a couple.  We’re just having fun with each other and…giving up my dream job, basically, for a man was never in the cards for me.  I know I’m falling for him and my feelings for him run deep, but…I just don’t know how to tell him.”

It sounded like Macaria had made her mind up already. “You’re taking the job, aren’t you?” It was a mere statement, no question in her tone and watched her friend nod solemnly. “I don’t blame you.  If it was me, I probably would do the same thing.”

That made Macaria feel marginally better. “Really?  Even though you have to hurt the man you’re with and leave him?”

“Like you said, you two aren’t a couple and you’ve only been having fun, traveling together and having sex, right?” She waited for Macaria to affirm and took another sip of her coffee. “Then maybe that’s all it is between you two.  I don’t know Dean well enough to tell you whether he wants more or not.  And honestly, it’s basically choosing your career over a man, when it comes right down to it.” Stephanie was a vindictive, evil woman and Nyla could only hope karma bit her in the backside one day. “Now, I’m going to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me.”

“Okay…”

“Do you love Dean Ambrose?”

Macaria opened her mouth to respond and hesitated, hating how her mind and heart battled with each other over this answer. “I don’t know…” It was an honest yet vague answer and she felt terrible as soon as the words came out of her mouth. “I mean, I care a lot about him and I’m falling for him, but…I don’t think I’m near the L word stage yet.  I’m definitely on the way there, though.”

“Then I wouldn’t risk your career over unknown feelings.  You don’t want to hurt him and I get that, but sometimes you gotta do shit in life you don’t want to.  Look at me, I never thought I’d be in the position I’m in now.  Single, with a 9-year-old daughter and I’m being blackmailed by my boss’s bitch daughter, who has an ego problem.” Nyla snorted in disgust at herself for allowing this to happen in the first place and not telling Stephanie and Hunter, the entire Authority, to shove the blackmail up their backsides. “Now I’m gonna ask you another question.”

“Shoot.” It couldn’t be any worse than the L word one.

“Are you prepared to work for assholes like the Authority?  Because since you’ve been with Dean Ambrose intimately, chances are, they will be gunning for you as soon as you sign that contract.  They’ll try to make your life miserable and you won’t be able to get out of it because of the contract bullshit.” Nyla refused not to forewarn her friend on what she would be signing on for.  The money and benefits were amazing in WWE, but along with that came a TON of drama and crappy politics to deal with.

Mulling that over, Macaria hadn’t thought about that fact, even though she knew how malicious Stephanie McMahon could be.  Nyla was a prime example of that. “Before I sign the contract, I’m putting a stipulation in it about that.” She smiled at Nyla’s arched brow. “I won’t sign anything until I’m guaranteed I can leave the company and quit at any time if I’m not comfortable or the job isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.  And if they can’t put that stipulation in it, I’m not taking the job.”

Macaria was a lot smarter than Nyla gave her credit for, not blaming the woman a bit for being extra cautious. “Good.  I really wish I had a clause in my contract like that and something tells me they’ll do it.  Stephanie wants you on the road for a reason, which may sound bad, but at the same time, maybe they’ll leave you alone since you’re in the photography department.” All she would be doing was taking pictures of all the Superstars and Divas; there would be no influence over the storylines and scripts the way Nyla had.

“Enough about me, let’s focus back on you and this situation with Roman Reigns.” Macaria didn’t want the attention on her anymore, feeling more confident in her decision after discussing it with Nyla.

“There’s really nothing to discuss.  He wants me to trust him and I don’t know if I can.  I just don’t see him being able to do anything differently to get me away from the Authority.  He’s only one man…” Nyla had no idea the ace Roman currently had up his sleeve. “I think it would be best if I just toe the line with the Authority, deal with the bullshit and…”

“Keep being their bitch?” Macaria shrugged at the slight dark expression crossing Nyla’s face. “I mean that’s what you are now, right?  You refuse to let anyone help you and you’re going to bow down as one of their bitches.”

Nyla wanted to get angry and defensive over being termed that by a friend, but it was the cold, hard truth. “My daughter is the only thing, the only person, I care about in all of this.  She is the one who will suffer if I make ONE mistake.  I can’t put her at risk.  Stephanie has A LOT of money and money talks.  It may sound like bullshit excuses, but I’m truly terrified of the power she wields.  I mean, honestly, what would you do if you were me?” The Danish stirred in her stomach and she suddenly regretted eating it, the nausea set in. “I don’t want to be their bitch…”

These were difficult questions to answer, but Macaria thought she’d done a good job so far.  There was no reason to lie to Nyla and blow smoke up her backside. “I don’t know…I mean, on one hand, if it was my daughter, I would do everything in my power to protect her.  At the same time, however, if someone came to me, like Roman, and told me he could get me away from the Authority and out of the shitty situation I’m in, I would probably jump at it.  Not gonna lie.”

“Even though he used to hate you and thinks you’re nothing more than a cunt?”

“People change their minds about others all the time, Nyla,” Macaria remarked softly, sipping more of her coffee and let the valid point sink in. “And in Roman’s defense, he didn’t know what you were going through.  He had no idea you were being coerced and threatened to write the shitty storylines you’ve given him.  You have to put yourself in his shoes.  I’m not saying he’s a saint, but maybe you should put your trust in him and see if he CAN help you and your daughter out.”

The women left the coffee shop, deciding to do some window shopping until it was time to head to the arena, each given a lot to think about.

Chapter 29

Turns out, Dean was not needed for Smackdown! that night and sent home to rest up for his war on Sunday against Bray.  He was fine with having the night off since Bray was nowhere to be found either.  They played a recap of what happened on Raw between the two men, but other than that, nothing else was done.  He asked Macaria if she wanted him to see about switching their flights to leave in a few hours instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. 

“Yeah, but I need to go talk to Nyla really fast.” Flat lie.  She needed to discuss the special stipulation she wanted in her contract with Stephanie.  If Stephanie refused, there was no reason to leave Dean and hurt him. “I’ll be back in a few.” Kissing him softly, Macaria headed out to search for the Authority’s office and had to ask a stage technician to send her in the right direction.

Finding it about 10 minutes later, Macaria took a deep breath and knocked on the door, taking a deep breath.  She did not expect Seth Rollins to answer it and smiled at him serenely, knowing showing fear wasn’t an option. “I need to speak with Stephanie.  It’s urgent.”

Now it was Seth’s turn to raise a brow at her and turned his head, muttering something before opening the door fully for her.

“Macaria, nice to see you again.” Stephanie smiled, standing from her desk and shook the woman’s hand. “Have you thought over my generous offer?”

“It’s been on the forefront of my mind.” Seth, J & J Security, Kane and Hunter were all in the room with them, but Macaria would not let any of them intimidate her. “That’s why I’m here.”

“Well, by all means, the floor is yours.  What’s on your mind?” Stephanie folded her arms in front of her chest and could see the determination in Macaria’s eyes.  She was ready and willing to accept this job, Stephanie was almost positive of that fact. “Don’t be shy, Macaria.”

Nodding, Macaria had no idea how Stephanie would react to her request, but it was the only way she would sign on with the WWE. “I’ll take the job…but I have a stipulation I want to be put in my contract.”

Seth shared curious looks with Noble and Mercury, leaning against the door with a smile and stayed silent.

“All right, I’m sure we can negotiate and come up with something we’re both comfortable with.” Stephanie could see the gears turning in the woman’s mind and waited patiently.

“I don’t want an iron-clad contract with the WWE.  I want to be able to leave the company, fine-free and whatever if this doesn’t work out.” Macaria was risking a lot by doing this, especially with the situation going on with Nyla. “I mean, the job may not be all it’s cracked up to be and there’s the worry of being harassed as well.  If I’m taking this job, I want the option of quitting like any other normal person at a normal job.  I realize the WWE isn’t a ‘normal’ company to work for, but this is the only way I’ll sign on the dotted line.  It’s the only way I’ll feel secure and comfortable with this decision.”

Stephanie had to admit, that was NOT what she was expecting to hear and she eyed the woman for a few minutes, the silence between them deafening.  Obviously, it wasn’t a huge secret she was friends with their special writer, their pet, Nyla Miller and the woman had talked.  How much, Stephanie wasn’t sure and would be finding out in time.  For now, she had quite the dilemma on her hands and took the bottled water Hunter handed her.

“I’ll tell you what, Macaria, I admire your tenacity.  I admire you coming in here, with all these other people, to discuss the possibility of you working for us.” Meaning the WWE, though it was all the same to Stephanie.  It was HER company now. “That takes real fortitude and balls, figuratively speaking, of course.  So here’s what I’m going to offer you…and I think this is a fair deal.  You have a 6 month probation period when you sign with the WWE, as I told you.  Now, you’ll know within those 6 months if this is your cup of tea or not, right?”

Macaria didn’t see any reason why she wouldn’t and nodded. “Yes.”

“Perfect.  I will give you those 6 months with that stipulation in your contract.  You can leave at any time you want within those 6 months, if things aren’t working out and, just so you know, if you’re harassed in any way by ANY of the Superstars or Divas, you need to report them.” Stephanie had started out doing this as a far as Seth, but after seeing just what type of talent Macaria possessed, she legitimately wanted the woman in the company creating magical photography for them.

Seth arched a slow brow, wondering what the hell Stephanie was thinking telling Macaria to do that.  The whole point in offering her a position in the company was to harass her and make her pay for embarrassing him.  They would definitely be talking after Macaria left, though it was hard for Seth to keep his mouth shut.

“No strings attached?  No fines or anything?  I can leave within 6 months if I’m not happy here?” Macaria wanted to make sure she heard Stephanie correctly and felt a lot better at the woman’s confirmed nod. “Okay…I’ll sign the contract on Monday…”

“And Ambrose?”

“I will be done with him by then.  I’m telling him on our days off.”

Stephanie beamed, placing a hand on Macaria’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re doing the right thing by choosing your career over a man, Macaria.  And you won’t regret this.  It doesn’t get any better than working for the biggest global wrestling phenomenon on the planet, after all.”

“Like you said, after the 6 months are up and we find our way back to each other, then it’s meant to be with us.  I can wait 6 months to have my dream job.” Macaria could only hope Dean felt the same way and Stephanie smiled at her reassuringly.

“Exactly, 6 months and then you can do whatever you want because we’ll know you’re serious about this position and it’s not because of a Superstar.”

Only 6 months?  That wasn’t nearly enough time for Seth, but he would have to make due and stepped away from the door. “Why not just end things with him tonight?”

“Seth, this is none of your business and she will do things her way,” Stephanie ordered, not appreciating him messing with Macaria this soon and winked at the honey blonde. “Go enjoy your two days off.  Take care of business and I will see you at Raw to sign your contract.”

“Thank you, Stephanie.” Macaria turned, once again a serene smile on her lips and waited for Seth to move out of the way before exiting the office to head back to Dean’s dressing room.

“That fucking bitch…” Seth hissed out, grunting at Stephanie’s dark look shot his way.

“Seth, I’m only warning you once – do NOT fuck with her to the point she leaves this company, at least not until her 6 months is up.” Stephanie warned, planting her hands on her hips and eyeballed him shrewdly.

“Why did you agree to that stipulation then?” Hunter demanded, trying to figure his wife out and her thought process.

“Hunter, sometimes you gotta give a little honey to lure the bee into the hive.  Seth, you got what you wanted.  She’s away from Ambrose for 6 months.  You have that long to do what you need to do, but you are NOT to harass and piss her off to the point where she leaves.  If she does, I will hold you PERSONALLY responsible and you will be punished.” Stephanie promised in a dark yet sweet tone, patting his bearded cheek none too gently. “Now then, onto tonight’s business…”

~!~

After taking redeye flights to Vegas from Columbus, Georgia, Dean and Macaria were too exhausted to really do much of anything.  They went straight to bed, not even bothering to try sexing each other up.  Macaria was up bright and early the next morning, a ball of nerves and tried doing things around Dean’s house to keep herself occupied.  She had showered, ate a very light breakfast consisting of toast, orange juice and eggs, not able to handle anything heavy on her stomach.  When she heard Dean stir awake around 10 AM, Macaria had breakfast sandwiches waiting for him she had made.

“Damn thanks, babe.” Dean kissed her forehead, taking the plate of food and sat down on the couch, accepting a cup of coffee to go with his breakfast. “Did you eat?”

“Yeah, a little while ago.” Macaria answered, cleaning up the kitchen while he ate and knew she wouldn’t be able to stall any longer.

Dean had showered before coming out to hunt his woman down, so he had nothing planned or going on after eating.  Once the breakfast sandwiches were consumed, along with three cups of coffee loaded with sugar, he felt more alive and awake.  His pale blues zeroed in on a nervous Macaria, who kept wiping things down that didn’t need to be.  He stood up from the couch, walking past her to put his dishes in the sink and then stopped in front of her, taking the cleaning cloth out of her hand.

“It’s time to tell me what’s going on, Maca.”

“Yeah…” Macaria agreed, inhaling and exhaling slowly because the feeling of his hands caressing her arms felt wonderful.  Could she really give this all up for her dream job? “Sit down with me, Dean.”

This wasn’t good.  Dean could feel it down to his bone marrow and did as she requested, his hand immediately reaching for hers. “You wouldn’t answer me how bad this is.  So just come out and tell me.  Rip the band-aid off quickly.”

Pulling her hand out of his, Macaria cursed and clasped both of hers in her lap tightly. “I don’t wanna do this.  I don’t want to have to make this decision, but there’s no other way around it.  I…I can’t pass this opportunity up.” Shutting her eyes, she couldn’t look him in the eye with the next set of words that came out of her mouth. “I’m taking the job, Dean.  I’m going to be work for the WWE and I’m signing my contract on Monday.”

He was happy for her, truly, even though the Authority was signing her instead of Vince McMahon.  She was talented with photography, there wasn’t a doubt about it. “So what decision do you have to make that you don’t want to?” He was somewhat confused, tilting his head and could feel the itch to light up a smoke.

Macaria looked up at him, tears glistening in her eyes. “You.  What’s going on between us has to…end.  I can’t be with you in any capacity anymore.” She held her hand up before he could start protesting and fighting her, expecting it. “Dean, I have a 6 month probation period and Stephanie said she wants me to prove how serious I am about this opportunity.  She doesn’t want me distracted by any of the Superstars and Divas.  I’m going to be working with everyone, taking their pictures and she’s afraid I’ll play favorites because of you.  She said after my probation period is over with, I can do whatever I want and BE with whoever I want.  But until the 6 months is over, I have to focus solely on my career and job.”

It was DEFINITELY time to light up a smoke as Dean stood up from the couch and pulled a crumpled pack out of the coffee table drawer, lighting the tip instantly. “So, that’s it?  Wham, bam, thank you, ma’am?  You’re just gonna bend to her will and agree to this ridiculous stipulation?  You’re going to throw away everything we’ve built together?!”

“What exactly have we built together, Dean?” Macaria went on the defensive, standing from the couch and folded her arms tightly in front of her chest. “Seriously, explain it to me.  Because all we’ve done is fuck each other and have fun.  There’s no relationship and we haven’t established anything!  This is my dream job and I’m not giving it up for an unknown future with a man, who probably only wants sex from me!  Who thought I was fucking him for my job in the first place!”

Dean deserved having that thrown in his face and could feel his temper skyrocketing.  Everything Macaria said was the truth – he couldn’t deny any of it.  They hadn’t been exclusive with each other and that was partially his fault for not making that move sooner.  He planned on doing it during these days off, but now that had flown out the window.

“Goddamn it, Macaria!  She’s only doing this because she can!  Don’t you see that?  She’s TOYING with you!  She’s dangling this contract in your face and you’re falling for it hook, line and sinker!  The only reason she’s offering this opportunity to you, with that fucked stipulation, is to make me miserable!” Dean shouted, taking a long pull from his cigarette and could see the hopelessness written all over Macaria’s face.

“No, she’s not because I already put a stop to any shenanigans that may happen…”

“And how the fuck do you plan on doing that?  You do realize this is the same cunt that’s making Nyla’s life a living, miserable hell right now, yeah?” Dean pointed out the obvious, not believing that alone didn’t deter her from making this decision and tossing him aside like yesterday’s trash.

“I have a stipulation in my contract that states, during my 6-month probation, if I don’t feel comfortable or want to quit, all I have to do is say the word.  There won’t be any fines or repercussions from leaving WWE within those first 6 months.  After that, my contract will be iron-clad for the rest of my time there, which is standard 3 years.” Macaria explained coolly, gritting her teeth and wished he would understand why she was doing this. “If the roles were reversed, and you were told to do the same thing with me…”

Dean cut her off instantly. “Don’t!  This isn’t the same thing!”

“Yes, it is!  You’re gonna stand there and tell me, if you didn’t work for the WWE and they came to you with your dream job, your WRESTLING dream job, you wouldn’t take it because of a woman?  I can look into your eyes and I can see you would in a heartbeat because it’s your passion and it’s what you love to do!” Macaria refused to back down, pursing her lips tightly together and could see the realization dawning on his face.

“Maca, I already have my dream job and I wasn’t asked to do something as asinine as this.” Dean growled, hating that she’d used his own passion for wrestling against him because, honestly, he would’ve given ANYTHING and ANYONE up to achieve working in the WWE.

“To you, it’s asinine, but to me, this is all I have.  I can finally get out of my shitty apartment on the bad side of the city and get a house!  I can finally have financial stability!  I can finally be STRESS-FREE and not worry about my bills not being paid on time or anything!  I can finally get a new car instead of driving the beater that’s currently broken down in my parking lot!  I’ll be able to provide for myself, support myself and put food in my fucking fridge for a change!  You just don’t get it!  THIS IS ALL I HAVE!” Macaria shrieked that last part, knowing they were in the middle of nowhere since Dean didn’t have any neighbors around and tears streamed down her cheeks at the disgust in his eyes. “Judge me all you want and hate me all you want.  But this is something I can’t, I WON’T, pass up.  I’m sure you can find someone else to have fun with since that’s all I ever was to you in the first place!  Just a good, fun time!”

“NO, YOU’RE NOT!”

Macaria wished she could believe him and wiped her tears away, ignoring her heart-shattering in her chest. “Then prove it.” She threw down the gauntlet, challenging him and saw his pale blues narrow to slits. “Stephanie said after the probation period is up, I can be with whoever I want and the company won’t fault me for it.  If you can wait for me for 6 months, maybe I’ll believe I was more than just a good, fun time for you.”

All Dean could do was stare at her with hardened icy eyes, finishing his second cigarette and stabbed it in the ashtray on the coffee table.  In seconds, he closed the distance between them and yanked her flush against his body, his nose pressed to hers.  He could feel her slightly heavy breath against his lips and felt his blood boil at being challenged by this woman.

“When do we have to stop seeing each other?” He asked in a low, gritty voice, not letting her go and breathed as much of her in as he could, swallowing his pride.

“Monday.”

“All right, I have until Monday to sex you up and hope to Christ it’s enough to last me 6 months.” Dean lifted her over his shoulder, not wasting another second and carted her to the bedroom.

These next 6 months were going to be hell on earth for both of them.

Chapter 30

“ROMAN REIGNS IS BACK!!”

Helping John Cena beat Seth Rollins in their Tables match was just icing on the cake to being back in the ring.  Roman felt at home, even if he would be feuding with Big Show going forward.  That didn’t matter to him because he would drop that 500-pound sack of garbage in a millisecond.  The odds had been stacked against Cena from the beginning, thanks to the Authority’s abuse of power, but they hadn’t anticipated Roman’s return.  They wanted Roman to return during Dean’s match with Bray Wyatt and he decided his boy deserved proper payback for all the mind games Bray had played on him.  Jumping script didn’t seem to be a big deal these days, not with the Authority in power, so Roman would pay for the fine they slapped him with and call it a day.

It was worth it to see Seth lose again and be driven through a table.

Nyla couldn’t stop the smile spreading on her face at the sight of Roman’s actual in-ring return.  No doubt Stephanie and Hunter would be seething, but there was nothing to be done about it now.  Roman had done what he thought best and not followed the shoddy script, not blaming him a bit.  All she was responsible for was writing the scripts and storylines; Nyla had no control over the actual wrestlers and what they did.  This truly had become a disaster in Vince’s absence and the Authority had pushed wrestlers to their breaking points.  Roman was one of them; he didn’t want his return not to be meaningful.

Throughout her days off with her family, Roman had constantly texted her.  Five minutes hadn’t gone by without him saying something to her, asking random questions.  Her favorite flower.  Her favorite food.  Her favorite color.  Her dreams, goals and he even asked about Neela.  Nyla had answered all of his questions and asked some of her own, all of it done through text.  She had to charge her phone at least once a day because of how much she was on it.  Of course, Nyla didn’t ignore her daughter and played with her, though the little girl was in school now, so she had a lot of time to burn and did it with Roman.

Roman told her all about his huge family, the Samoan Dynasty is what they were called in the wrestling world.  Wrestling was in his blood and it was his true passion in life, despite what others believed or thought.  She was shocked to discover The Brahma Bull, the People’s Champion, The Rock was Roman’s cousin.  That’s how deep the bloodline went in WWE.  Nyla wished she had that kind of connection within the company because at least Roman’s bloodline and family could protect him, mostly, from the Authority.  They had to be careful when screwing with Roman because of who his family was – his father was great friends with Vince McMahon, for example, and so was The Rock.

Tonight is just the beginning, baby girl. Roman texted about 20 minutes after his return. The whole Authority is going down.

Nyla somehow believed him, smiling and felt her heart do a funny flutter in her chest.  He had taken the time to text her, even during the night of his return to the ring.  Her mother had pointed out on her days off how much happier Nyla seemed to be these days, but she brushed it off as being home.  Smiling felt foreign to her these days, though she put on a brave front with Neela, not wanting her 9-year-old thinking something was wrong.

Do you trust me yet? Was his next text.

Chewing her bottom lip, Nyla looked up to stare at her door and could hear Stephanie shrieking like a banshee down the hall.  She was only a few doors down from the Authority’s office.  Any minute, she was waiting for Stephanie to barge in here and accuse her of Roman jumping script again.  This time, Nyla was innocent and, luckily, she hadn’t discovered who was responsible for the Money in the Bank briefcase being stolen.  Nyla took personal pride in doing that and would take that secret with her to the grave.

It hasn’t even been a week since you started texting me and talking to me. She pointed out, always making sure to lock her phone just in case Seth or the Authority tried snooping.

That doesn’t answer my question, Nyla. Roman could feel her resolve weaken, the walls she put up crumbling and it would only be a matter of time before she caved to him. I told you to take all the time you need.  I’m just glad you’re willing to talk to me.  I also want you away from those assholes as soon as possible.

Congratulations on your return, Roman. Nyla didn’t mean to ignore what he said, but she didn’t know how to respond to any of it.  She didn’t trust him, not yet, but she was getting there slowly.

Setting her phone down, she fired up the laptop and began working, not wanting to be caught texting Roman while at work.

~!~

Dean and Bray did exactly what they said they would do.  They tore each other apart in their tables, ladders and chairs match, which closed out the show.  Every bump Dean took made Macaria cringe, her concern being his neck.  She wasn’t convinced he was completely healed from what Bray did to him, but Dean assured her he was ready to go.  During the end of the match, Dean had grabbed a flat screen monitor from beneath the ring and went to use it on Bray, when it exploded in his face.  It had temporarily blinded him and Bray took advantage, nailing him with Sister Abigail to win the brutal bout.  Macaria covered her mouth with her hand, not believing that just happened and hoped Dean hadn’t just blinded himself permanently!

Stephanie smirked from her office, leaning back in her chair and enjoyed the karma Dean suffered after everything he’d done to the Authority.  Sending Bray Wyatt after him was the best decision she could’ve made.  Not only had Dean lost this feud to Bray Wyatt, but now she was about to rip another piece of his heart out by signing Macaria to the company, forcing them apart for 6 long months.

As soon as Dean came through the curtain, Macaria was there to help him to his locker room, watching him continuously pour water over his eyes.  Luckily, none of the sparks from the monitor had burned him, which was a plus, but it took a bit before his vision went back to normal.  Macaria retrieved his clothes, knowing he wanted to shower after that grueling match and to simmer his temper down.  Dean was angry, she could feel it and she didn’t blame him since Bray had started all of this.  Why couldn’t the Authority just let him win once or stay out of his business?

“Join me.” Dean rumbled in her ear, already pulling her towards the bathroom attached to his locker room.

This was their final night together for the unforeseeable future.  They had talked a lot and decided, just because they couldn’t have sex together, that didn’t mean they couldn’t remain friends.  Stephanie wouldn’t be able to do anything about it as long as she didn’t sleep with Dean.  They could still hang out and talk, get to know each other and once the 6 months was up, their reunion would be explosive.  Dean would wait it out and play the Authority’s game, refusing to let this beautiful honey blonde slip through his fingers.

“Dean…” Macaria figured he’d wait until they were back at the hotel, but it was obvious he needed her now.  She wasn’t going to push him away or complain, trying to memorize every contour of his body. “I’m sorry about what happened tonight…”

“It’s getting better with you here.” He admitted, starting the shower sprays and lifted her to sit on the sink, standing between her legs. “What am I gonna do without you around to keep my ass in line, Maca?”

She smiled, sliding her fingers through his wet curls and bent down to capture his mouth with hers. “You’ll figure it out.  And I’m not gonna be completely gone.  I’m still gonna be here for you, Dean, just not the way we want me to be.” It was the only loophole they could find in order to remain in contact.

“You’re in for a very long night.  You won’t be getting any sleep.” Dean forewarned, planning on claiming her in every way he possibly could for the rest of the night.

It would be the last time he had sex for 6 months…and Dean was not looking forward to it.

Neither was Macaria.

~!~

Arriving in Detroit, Michigan for Raw, so many different emotions and thoughts flowed through Macaria’s mind.  It would feel weird not sharing a hotel room with Dean since she’d gotten used to it.  Maybe this was a mistake.  Maybe choosing her career over Dean wasn’t the right thing to do.  Macaria would be miserable without him and she could tell he felt the same way.  The drive to the arena was made in silence.  After they’d checked into their respective hotel rooms, they’d gone together to each one and Dean had to stop himself several times from begging her not to do this.  There had to be another way than cutting each other off, intimately, for 6 months.

Their time was up.

“I’m going with you.”

Macaria blinked with wide jade eyes. “What?!  What do you mean you’re going with me?”

He pulled her into his arms, standing in the middle of his locker room and softly brushed his lips against hers. “I’m going with you when you sign your contract.” Dean wanted to send a clear-cut message to the entire Authority this wasn’t over between him and Macaria.

“Dean…” That wasn’t a good idea.  The Authority hated him and Macaria could only imagine what he had rolling around in his brain. “Please…”

“I’m not gonna do anything.  I’m just gonna stand there while you sign your contract.  Think of me as extra protection, babe.” Dean grinned, though it didn’t touch his icy blues and pressed his forehead to hers, groaning softly. “This fucking sucks.”

Macaria frowned, feeling him tremble slightly and cupped his face in her soft hands to passionately kiss him. “I’m yours after 6 months and I’m not gonna date or do anything with anyone else while we’re apart.  I hope you don’t, but I’ll understand if the temptation is too strong or…”

He pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her. “I have my hand and pictures to get me by.” Dean had made sure she developed some more photos of them together and carried a few in his bag, at the very bottom, needing to hold onto every memory he could with them.

“We should get going…and get this over with.” Macaria didn’t want to leave him, already feeling the tears stinging her eyes and accepted another searing kiss, making it last as long as possible.

Only when they needed oxygen to breathe did Dean pull back, breaking it and took her hand to lace their fingers together. “Come on, time to go sign your contract.” They made their way down the corridor, taking their time, each step feeling heavier than the next.

Before long, they stood outside of the Authority’s office and Macaria looked up at Dean, waiting for him to nod before bringing her hand up to knock.  Once again, the door opened and this time, it was Kane she was greeted with.  Kane narrowed his eyes at who she was with, his gaze dropping to their clasped hands and couldn’t help letting out a snort.

“Steph, your newest acquisition is here.”

“Oh good, send her in.” Stephanie ordered, busy looking over paperwork for tonight’s show and frowned when Macaria walked inside her office, hand in hand, with Dean Ambrose. “What’s the meaning of this?”

Dean rolled his eyes, holding his taped hand up. “Chill out, Princess.  I already know about your whole ultimatum and I’m only here to support her while she signs the damn contract.” Rolling his shoulders, he felt Macaria’s hand slip out of his and clenched it into a fist at his side.

“I don’t think we need an audience for this, Macaria…”

“He’s my friend, Stephanie.  You wouldn’t deny me having support during this process now, would you?” Macaria remarked with a serene smile, seeing the anger boiling in the woman’s ocean blues that had turned glacial in seconds.

“Friends?  How can you be friends when you’ve been sleeping together?” Stephanie wasn’t born yesterday and knew what they were trying to pull. “Just so you know, sleeping together secretly will be grounds for IMMEDIATE termination, until your probation period is up.”

“Hey, look at me and Renee.  We slept together down in NXT, quite a few times actually, and we’re friends.” Dean pointed out, knowing it wasn’t a secret and he’d already told Macaria about his time down in Florida prior to coming to the main roster.

“Be that as it may…”

“Look, can we just sign the contract and get this over with, please?  I don’t want to hear you two bicker at each other.  I understand the rules, Stephanie.  You’ve made yourself perfectly clear and I intend to abide by them, including not sleeping with ANY WWE Superstar during my probation period.”

Seth came into the office at that moment and froze at the sight of Dean Ambrose with Macaria. “What the hell is this?”

“Hey scumbag, this doesn’t involve you, so keep your mouth shut or leave.” Dean ordered, getting annoyed quickly and placed a hand on Macaria’s tensed shoulder. “We got your message, Princess.  Doesn’t mean I’m staying away from her.  I just can’t dip my dick in her until 6 months is up.  I got it.”

The vulgarity of this man astounded Stephanie as she pulled the contract out and handed it over. “Your special clause is on page 34 if you want to read it over to make sure everything is correct.” The contract was 40 pages total. “We’ll see how long you two can remain JUST friends.”

Just friends?  Was this supposed to be some kind of joke?  Seth’s dark eyes narrowed to slits, not appreciating Dean being here for the contract signing.  He could see his plan going up in flames and clenched his teeth together, watching Macaria begin to read over the entire contract.  Ambrose stood right by her, also reading it and that didn’t sit well with him either.

It took a good half hour before Macaria finished, once again looking up at Dean with agony in her jade eyes. “Dean…”

“Do it.” Dean slid a finger down her cheek, his heart breaking at the tears in her eyes. “But first,” Since she hadn’t signed the contract yet, he could do this without any repercussions.  Pulling her flush against his body, Dean covered his mouth with hers and passionately kissed her in front of the entire Authority, squeezing her backside in the process. “There.  Now do it.” He ordered once the kiss broke. “I told you, this isn’t over between us, Maca.  These fools can throw whatever they want at me, and you, and we’re going to prevail.  You understand that?  I’m ALWAYS here for you, whether it be a friend or lover.  I know it’s only a friend from here on out until your probation is over.  Just…don’t give up on us.”

Tears streaked down her cheeks at his thoughtful words as Macaria turned to stare down at the contract again, the pen in her hand. “Damn it…” She whispered, hesitating to sign on the dotted line and shut her eyes, feeling Dean’s breath on her ear, his arm wrapped around her waist. “This is a lot harder than I thought it would be with you here…”

He knew it would be, but the message had to be sent to these Authority fucks one way or another.  She was OFF-LIMITS and he was glad Seth had been here to witness the kiss. “Sign it, Macaria.” Dean urged, feeling the tension in the room thicken and watched the pen slowly glide on the paper.

Macaria was officially hired by the WWE…and had given up her intimate relationship with Dean.

Seth’s plan had just gone up in smoke because it was obvious Dean had his hooks sunk deep into Macaria and she would not give him a second glance.

Even Stephanie had to wonder if they’d be able to keep their hands off each other, the love between them unmistakable.

Stepping back, Macaria handed the contract back to Stephanie, shook the woman’s hand and then extended hers to Dean with a smile. “Friends?”

Dean smirked, clasping hers and shook it firmly. “Always, Maca.”

Chapter 31

“You actually did it?”

Macaria nodded, unable to speak at the moment and buried her face in her hands, crying softly.  Signing that contract had been the hardest decision of her life.  Dean did not make it any easier, even though he encouraged her to sign on the dotted line.  After Dean left the Authority’s office, Stephanie immediately got to work in explaining all of the duties and responsibilities Macaria had.  She would receive a brand new camera that had high-definition quality, but for the time being, Stephanie would use her keen eye to choose good and bad photos the photographer she was replacing did.

“Sweetie, you know Dean cares a lot about you and everything will work out the way it should.” Nyla wished there was something she could do for her friend to make her feel better about this situation. “I mean, agreeing to stay friends is a step in the right direction.”

“How can I be friends with a man I’ve been intimate with though?  I just don’t see it working out the way we’re thinking…” Macaria missed him so much already and it’d only been two days! “Maybe staying away from him and not tempting fate is the right thing to do…”

Nyla sighed, not sure what to say because she didn’t know what she would do in this particular situation. “I still don’t think it’s right they’re forcing you to stay celibate from all the WWE Superstars when dating in the company happens a lot.  I don’t get it.  Why single you out?”

“I think Seth Rollins has something to do with it.” Macaria had seen the anger in his eyes during the whole contract signing with Dean, not missing anything.  She was very observant. “I thought for sure he’d blow a gasket when Dean kissed me before I signed.”

“Wait, you think Seth is gonna come after you now?”

Macaria shrugged, rubbing her temples and felt a headache develop. “It’s a possibility since he hates Dean and Aya is no longer around to keep him occupied.  Stephanie accepted my clause though, so whatever he plans, he’s gonna have to be careful or else he’ll send me right out of the company.”

“Very true.” Nyla suddenly had an idea go off in her head, a light bulb flicking on. “Well, if he’s pursuing you, there is ONE way to find out.”

“What are you thinking?”

“Room with me.  Or I room with you.  We can share a hotel together, so we’re not alone and we can help each other through these issues.  You staying away from Dean and me trying to trust Roman.” Nyla suggested, knowing if she roomed with another person, Seth would be less likely to sneak into her hotel room to wake her up with sex.

Macaria loved the way this woman’s mind worked and found herself smiling, the tears drying up. “I like the sound of us helping each other out.  Here’s to being road roomies.” She held her drink up the same time Nyla did, their glasses clinking together.

“Road Roomies.  We should get that on a t-shirt or something.” Nyla laughed, feeling uplifted and better than she had in months and it was all thanks to Macaria. “You know, there are OTHER ways to be intimate with Dean beside being physical.”

“I don’t see the man holding out for 6 months and living off of phone sex.” Macaria remarked, finishing off her double shot of bourbon and requested another.  It was a bourbon-drinking kind of night.

“Only time will tell and you’ll just have to wait and see, unfortunately.”

~!~

Finding out Nyla and Macaria were rooming together on the road TICKED Seth off.  He was NOT happy and had complained to Stephanie about it, only to be dismissed.  Her hands were tied since the Superstars and Divas were responsible for their own lodging.  The company could not tell them where to stay since they didn’t pay for any of the rooms.  Seth couldn’t pursue her outside of the company because of Nyla constantly in the picture or Dean, who was steadfast in being her friend.  He did not buy that for a second and hoped Stephanie didn’t either or else the woman was more naïve than he originally thought.

Nyla was the real problem.  She had to be handled or else Seth would never get anywhere with Macaria.  He really wanted to stick it in Dean’s crawl that he’d slept with the woman his nemesis loved.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see just how much Dean and Macaria loved each other, even if they hadn’t admitted it aloud.  He could remember traveling with Dean – the man had put ‘Titty Master’ on his taped hands one night at a house show because of how much pussy was thrown at him.  Seth and Roman had their fair share, but Dean surpassed them all and slept with bitches left and right when they were in the Shield.

Girl power would not happen, not on his watch.  Since Hunter wanted them to be a staged couple, Seth grinned maliciously at the plan currently swirling around in his head.  Yes, it would work.  Nyla wouldn’t have a choice after he spoke with Hunter.  Stephanie would discard the idea, but Hunter on the other hand, since he was adamant about keeping Seth with Nyla, he would go for it.  As long as one member of the Authority was on his side, that’s all Seth needed.  Once he had Nyla where he wanted her, the REAL fun would begin.  Pulling his phone out, Seth dialed Hunter’s number and waited for him to answer.

“Mmm yeah?”

Seth could already tell this was NOT a good time to call the man. “Oh shit, sorry man, I didn’t realize you were busy…”

“Who is it?” Stephanie demanded while riding her husband’s dick, digging her nails into his chest.

“Seth.” Hunter hissed out, watching her roll her eyes and chuckled, twirling his finger for her to ride him reverse cowgirl. “Make it quick, Rollins.”

His face was cherry red hearing Stephanie’s passion-filled voice. “No – no that’s okay, I can – um – call back later…”

“Just spit out what the fuck you want!” Hunter enjoyed the view of his wife’s backside rising and falling on his cock and slid his fingers down her back. “You already called and I can talk for a second.” Stephanie had taken phone calls while he was balls deep inside of her before and he hadn’t minded.

These two were definitely strange. “W-Well,” He cleared his throat, trying to keep his cheeks from heating up more. “I had an idea about Nyla I wanted to run by you.”

“Okay, what is it?  Goddamn Steph, on your knees…”

Christ, Seth really did not need to hear that and facepalmed, dropping his head. “Hunter, this isn’t a good time and I understand that…”

“What about Nyla?” Hunter slammed back inside of her, gripping her hip with one hand since his other was occupied with the phone.

“SPIT IT OUT, ROLLINS!”

Her shrieking voice made him cringe and wince. “Well, her and Macaria have started rooming together on the road and I don’t think that looks good for our couple image.”

Hunter had put him on speakerphone in order to give his wife full attention, physically anyway and her moans resonated into the phone. “Uh huh, so what do you wanna do?” Why couldn’t the man just hurry the hell up and tell him already!  Hunter would not cum with another man on the phone inside his wife.  That was all shades of wrong.

“I think we should start rooming together, me and her.  Getting closer to her will only benefit the Authority.  She’ll do whatever you guys want, what’s best for business.” Seth had mulled this over in his head, the words coming out exactly how he wanted and felt his dick harden at Stephanie’s uncontrollable moans.

“Oh Hunter, harder!” Stephanie cried out, not caring who heard her and soon, the sounds of flesh smacking flesh could faintly be heard.

“She won’t do it willingly though…”

“You need to take control of your woman, Seth,” Hunter grunted, smacking his wife’s backside and could feel her gush all around him, thrusting harder and faster inside of her, just the way he knew she liked it. “MAKE her do what you want her to do.  Make her submit.”

How the hell was he supposed to do that?! “I was hoping you or Stephanie could just order her to do it.” It would be a lot easier than coaxing the woman to room with him.

What a pansy, Hunter thought, shaking his head and could tell Stephanie was getting annoyed at the duration of this phone call. “We’ll take care of it.” He hung up and ripped Stephanie up by her hair, slamming her back against his muscular chest to hammer in and out of her receptive body. “Now then, no more distractions…”

His animalistic nature was one of the many reasons Stephanie loved her husband and had fallen for him.

Seth set his phone down and immediately freed his dick from the confines of his skinny jeans, wearing them only in the comfort of his hotel suite. “Mmm, Macaria…you will be mine soon enough, baby…” He closed his eyes, knowing he was one step closer to gaining access to the honey blonde and pictured her while getting himself off.

~!~

On Saturday, after her days off, Nyla was summoned into the Authority’s office for an impromptu meeting.  They always made her nervous when she had to go to them and not the other way around.  Hell, the Authority made her nervous in general, but at least rooming with Macaria would keep Seth at bay.  Walking out of her office, Nyla made her way down the hall, her pumps clicking against the concrete flooring with every step she took and waved to a few people she considered friendly. 

“Hey, you look lost in thought.” Roman sidled up beside her, walking with her and could see the apprehension on her face. “What’s wrong?” Damn, she looked beautiful in a maroon top and black pants, her hair left down for a change.

“Stephanie summoned me to her office.  I’m nervous about what it’s about.” Nyla had no reason to lie to him, slowing her steps and glanced up at Roman. “Probably more crappy storylines and scripts to force me to write out…”

“WATCH OUT!”

Roman reacted instinctively and yanked Nyla out of the line of fire, her body colliding with his somewhat harshly.  The New Day – Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E. – came FLYING down the hallway on a crate with the big man pushing the two smaller men.  At house shows, the guys and gals were able to get away with antics like that, but it also put others in danger.  Nyla had a hold of Roman’s top, breathing somewhat heavily since he’d scared her and Roman’s arms were around her.

“Are you all right?” He asked in a low, deep voice, his mouth hovered over her ear.

Nyla could feel a surge of heat rush through her and slowly opened her eyes, nodding. “Yeah.  I think so.” She murmured, tilting her head up to meet smoky greys. “Are you?”

“Never better, baby girl.” Roman hadn’t called her that except through text messages and slid his finger down her cheek, tempted to kiss her.

No!  They couldn’t do this, not at an arena with eyes and ears all around them!  Nyla pried herself away from him, putting a few feet of space between them and straightened her top. “Good.  I really should go meet with Stephanie before she hunts me down…”

The amount of nervousness exuding out of her pores stopped Roman from stopping her from walking away. “Let me know how it goes.  I’m here for you.” He reminded her, giving her a sense of reassurance and saw her quickly nod on her way down the hall. “Watch out for those idiots, too!”

“Got it!” Nyla waved her hand over her shoulder at him, not stopping and made sure to stay to the side by the wall instead of in the middle of the hallway.

Why did her body tingle all over being that close to Roman?  After what Nyla went through with the Authority and Seth Rollins, she should’ve told every other wrestler and man, in general, to go screw themselves.  There was something about Roman – a warmth and comfort, security and…safety.  She did feel safe around him, which scared her because it meant she was starting to put her trust in him.  Pushing Roman in the far recesses of her mind, for the time being, Nyla arrived outside the Authority’s office and reluctantly knocked.

“Come in!”

When she did, it wasn’t Stephanie she came face to face with.  It was Hunter. “Stephanie asked to see me?”

“Actually, it was me.” Hunter stood up from the desk, seeing the fear enter the woman’s eyes instantly and smiled.  Good, it wouldn’t take much to get her to do what he wanted…or rather, what Seth wanted. “I wanted to talk to you about your current…rooming situation.”

“Okay…” Nyla didn’t move toward him and had to fight the urge to back up when Hunter stepped forward. “I’m not understanding…”

“You rooming with Macaria White isn’t…what’s best for business.” Hunter decided to take it from a business perspective and saw her amber eyes narrow slightly.  There was still some fight left in her, after all. “You and Seth need to start acting more like a couple for the Authority’s image.”

This man had ordered Seth to rape her and watched it happen, yet he was worried about image?  Something didn’t smell right about this situation.  Nyla could feel her security blanket with Macaria slipping away and had to think of something, anything, to get out of this situation.  As if the moment could get any worse, the door opened and Seth walked in with J & J Security in tow.

“Did you tell her?” Seth asked somewhat anxiously, watching Hunter nod and a smarmy smile curved his lips.

“Wait, this is because of you?  This is your request?” Nyla demanded, feeling Seth’s arms snake around her waist to pull her against his side and felt nausea set in.

“Of course, I knew you wouldn’t go for it without being ordered by the bosses.” Seth shrugged, not seeing anything wrong with asking for help to get his way and kissed the top of her head. “I think it would be best for our relationship if you roomed with me from now on.  There, better?” Either way, Nyla was stuck and had no choice in the matter.

Her brain was currently screaming at him, the word NO repeatedly echoing, but all Nyla could do was solemnly nod. “All right, if that’s what you want, Seth.”

She didn’t understand this sudden change and remembered what Macaria said about him pursuing her.  Was it true?  Would Seth target Macaria next?  They’d had one altercation together that resulted in him being extremely embarrassed, but that was it.

Hunter was surprised at her acceptance, expecting the woman to have a backbone and fight, or make up some kind of excuse, but all she did was comply. “Good, that’s all I needed.  You can go now and get back to work.” He dismissed her, waving his hand and sat back down behind the desk.

“Meet me in the parking lot after the show,” Seth ordered before she could leave, his hand wrapped around her upper arm. “And get ready for a sleepless night, baby.  We have some catching up to do.”

Swallowing down the bile erupting in her throat, Nyla just nodded and hightailed it out of there, not letting the tears fall until she was back in her office. 

Seth had just changed the game completely.

Chapter 32

“What do you mean you have to room with Seth from now on?!  Are you kidding me?!” Macaria was on a break and sitting outside with a distraught Nyla, who couldn’t stop crying.

“H-He said he wants us to get closer…” Nyla shuddered at the thought of sharing a room with her rapist and traveling with him. “I-I won’t be able to talk to Neela that much with him around…”

Frowning, Macaria pulled her friend in a tight embrace and stroked her back, trying to calm her down a little. “I’m sorry, Nyla.” She murmured, not sure what else to say.

“You have to be careful.” Nyla lowered her voice, pulling back to look into Macaria’s perplexed jade eyes. “I mean it.  I think you were right about Seth coming after you.  I don’t know why, but…this is awfully sudden and too coincidental after we JUST made plans to start rooming together.”

“I will, but…have you told Roman any of this?” Macaria could tell Nyla was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown and wasn’t surprised to see the woman shake her head. “Maybe you should…”

“Why?  He’s not my knight in shining armor, Macaria.  I can’t rely on him to get me out of these messes!” Nyla didn’t mean to raise her voice, but she didn’t know what to do or how to handle this. “This came out of left field.  Seth blindsided me with this and I know it’s because he wants me to be isolated.  He doesn’t want me to have any friends to rely on or lean on.  He wants me to be completely alone.  I know him, he’s conniving.”

Macaria stared at her friend for a few minutes, knowing the next suggestion would probably get her head chewed off, but Nyla had been backed into a corner. “Tell him no, then.  Maybe it’s time the truth came out about who Neela’s father is, Nyla.  That’s why they have you right where they want you because of your secret.  If you come out with the secret and tell the guy, they can’t hold anything over you anymore.”

“I can’t…” Nyla shook her head emphatically, tears trekking down her cheeks.

“Why not?”

“Because Stephanie told me if I try to do that, she’ll go after my family.” Nyla wrapped her arms tightly around herself, not caring how cold it was outside as the snow began to fall. “I can’t risk it.  I have to protect Neela and my parents, no matter what.”

Why couldn’t Dean be here?  He was currently in Canada for a house show since the company decided to split the roster up again for some reason.  Macaria had stuck with being friends and they shared some text messages back and forth, but that was about it.  She could tell this was hurting Dean a lot more than he’d admit and hated herself for the decision she made.  All she wanted was to be in Dean’s arms again, to feel his lips against hers and his arms around her body. 

Seth was supposed to be on the same house show as Dean, while Roman was here in Sioux Falls, but there’d been a problem with his traveling schedule.  So now he was on this house show instead, where his Mommy and Daddy were to keep him protected.  It sickened Macaria how coddled the man was and she wondered if he had any kind of say in the matter, already knowing he didn’t feel anything towards Nyla and the feeling was mutual.

It seemed as though the only way out of this for Nyla was trusting Roman Reigns.

~!~

Hearing a knock on his door, Roman had just finished taping up for his match against Kane that night and called out for whoever it was to enter.  He was surprised to find Macaria standing in the doorway and raised a brow, wondering what she wanted.  Dean had asked him to keep an eye on her because of the Authority and, more importantly, Seth Rollins.  Even though Seth was allegedly with Nyla, he had targeted Macaria and Dean was sure this whole probation stipulation was the scumbag’s idea.  Roman would not put anything past Seth and wouldn’t be surprised if it was true.

“What’s up, Macaria?”

“I need to talk to you.  Privately.” Macaria didn’t give the big man a chance to come to the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. “Nyla’s in trouble.”

“I’m aware of that.” Roman folded his arms in front of his chest. “There’s nothing I can do until…”

“NO Roman, I mean she is IN. TROUBLE.” Macaria emphasized those words, clasping her hands in front of her together. “Seth has backed her into a very tight corner and she’s going to end up falling apart if something isn’t done…”

The meeting.  Roman’s dark eyes narrowed and he could only imagine what the Authority had forced out of her now. “What did that prick do now?” He demanded, already feeling his Samoan temper skyrocketing and clenched his fists tightly.

“She’s being forced to room with Seth now.  We were going to be roomies, to protect and watch each other’s backs, but Seth must’ve caught onto it.  She has to start sharing a room with him…” Macaria blinked at Roman’s tanned face turning red and actually backed up for fear of his impending explosion.

THE HELL SHE WAS!  Roman growled from low in his throat, taking several deep breaths to keep his temper simmered and cracked his knuckles. “I’ll take care of it.”

Macaria shivered at the low, deadly tone of his voice and wondered if coming to Roman was the right thing to do. “She doesn’t trust you yet and I get that, but…at this point, something has to be done.  Please tell me you have a plan to protect her and her family.  She’s more worried about protecting them than herself and it’s tearing her apart.”

“I know…and I was gonna wait for her to come to me, but not now.  I’ll have to do it with her kicking and screaming the whole time.” Roman heaved a sigh, tearing a hand through his wet hair and shook his head. “I have some calls to make first.  Everything all right with you and the assholes?  Has Seth tried anything?”

“No.  I’m more worried about Nyla than myself right now, honestly.  And tell Deano not to worry about me so much.  I’m fine.” Macaria knew exactly why Roman asked those questions and smirked at his sheepish smile, winking. “I gotta get back to work, but keep me posted on Nyla.”

“Be careful.  Watch yourself.”

“I will.” Macaria left his locker room and headed back to her makeshift office where her setup was.  She still had a mountain of photographs to go through before the night ended.

Near the end of the night, Macaria received a text message from Dean and felt another piece of her heartbreak. Heard what happened to Nyla.  Are you okay?  If that scumbag touches you, I’ll make him eat my fist, Maca.

He was so overprotective of her. I know you will.  I’m fine, Deano, you need to stop worrying about me so much.  And I think Roman is finally gonna make his move with Nyla to protect her and her family.

Dean had just finished his match against Bray Wyatt in a street fight and currently had ice on his shoulder.  He won the match, but naturally, it wasn’t on television, so it technically didn’t count.  There were no monitors blowing up in his face or shenanigans like that.  Luckily, his hotel room came with a jacuzzi and he planned on taking a hot dip as soon as he arrived, already packing up his gear.

I miss you, babe.

“Damn it, Dean…” Macaria whispered, shutting her eyes and groaned, dropping her head forward. “I miss you too.  So much.” This separation would be the death of both of them yet. I miss you too.  More than you’ll ever know.

“Fuck.” Dean scrubbed a hand down his face, freshly showered and dressed in clean clothes, heading out of the arena. Only 5 ½ months to go, almost.

He was keeping track of the time, making her heart flutter all over again. You know, Nyla gave me an idea we could do, if you’re interested.

Now Dean was intrigued, lighting up a cigarette and slid behind the wheel, wondering if he should get into this before he was back at the hotel. Before you tell me, let me get my ass back to the hotel.  I’ll text you in about 20 and we can talk then, if you’re not too busy.

The show was ending any minute and Macaria decided she’d done enough work for one night, wanting to get back to the hotel to continue talking to Dean. Sounds good, I’ll answer you as soon as I can.  I’m on my way out of the arena now.

Drive safe, babe.

You too. Macaria sent back before slipping her phone in the back pocket of her jeans and packed up her belongings, heading out of her office.

Seth Rollins was waiting for her…no Nyla in sight. “Hey, I need to talk to you about an upcoming photoshoot you’re doing for me next week.”

“Really?  I didn’t read anything like that on my itinerary.” Macaria did not want anything to do with this scumbag, using the reference both Roman and Dean did when it came to Seth in her head. “I think you have the wrong photographer, Seth.”

“No, I think I do.  Here.” Seth had the photographer changed by Hunter and the man had signed off without a care in the world. “You and I are gonna be working closely together for a couple weeks, baby.”

“The name is Macaria.” She corrected smoothly, walking away with him following and shouldered her bag. “And if we’re working together, great.  It’s strictly professional though.  I know what you did to Nyla and I know it was your idea to have Stephanie hire me.  I don’t know why though.  Because unlike Nyla, you DON’T have any blackmail on me and I’ve been following protocol to a T.”

“What makes you think I give a damn if you’re hired here or not?”

“Because you obviously cared about me and Nyla rooming together and wanted to put a kibosh on it.” Macaria accused, stopping just outside the arena exit and zipped her coat up since it was snowing. “Don’t bother trying to deny it, Seth.  I don’t know what kind of game you think you’re playing with me, but I don’t like games.  I don’t play games.  I’m not the gaming type unless it’s with a controller.  You don’t control me.” She had no idea about Stephanie’s warning when it came to her since she actually was a talent behind a camera lens. “Stephanie made it clear I wasn’t to get involved with ANY WWE Superstar intimately and that includes YOU.  And even if I WAS allowed to get involved with you, I don’t want crabs or any other sexually transmitted disease you’re carrying from all the slags you’ve slept with.”

Seth gritted his teeth, not believing the way she was speaking to him and knew hitting her would put a nail in his coffin.  For some reason, Stephanie liked Macaria and wanted her in the company. “You’re awfully brave to be talking to me like that without your lapdogs around to protect you.” He had noticed both Roman and Dean was watching over her, making sure their locker rooms were near her makeshift offices that were set up for the photography to take place. “You’re a nobody, Macaria.  And you’re nothing more than Dean Ambrose’s whore.”

She smiled serenely, her hand twitching to reach up to slap the taste out of his mouth, her eyes nothing more than acidic pools. “I’d rather be his whore than yours any day and night of the week, Rollins.  How does that feel, hmm?  To know that a woman on planet earth actually WANTS your ex-business partner instead of you?” Her tone was crisp and clean with a slight edge to it.

That stung a lot more than Seth cared to admit and he could feel his temper rising off the charts. “Just remember, I’m the future of this company and it’d be a lot better for you if you’d just bend over like the bitch you are.”

“The only person I’m bending over for, in 5 ½ months, is Dean Ambrose.  I want nothing to do with you, Seth.  You can pursue me and play all the games you want.  You can try to make other people miserable around you, which you’ve already done since Kane can barely stand you these days.  And Nyla, let’s not even go there since I know you’ve raped her repeatedly.” That made his dark eyes widen. “It won’t work with me.  I’m onto you and I know guys like you.  Power hungry, manipulative, egotistical, thinking the world revolves around you…sound familiar?  You really should look in the mirror sometime at yourself.  I bet you can’t even hack your own reflection staring back at you.”

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!” Seth exploded, raising his hand to backhand her for her smart mouth when a hand came out to wrap tightly around his wrist. “Let go of me now, Roman!”

“There a problem here?” Roman had overheard the verbal castration Macaria delivered to the golden boy and did everything in his power not to start laughing.  She really didn’t give a damn who Seth was! “Because it looks you were about to put your hands on a young lady, boy.” He shoved Seth away none too gently, watching him stumble back several feet and stood beside Macaria.

“Stupid bitch with your lapdogs,” Seth muttered, rubbing his sore wrist and was shocked Roman hadn’t snapped it in half. “They can’t protect you forever.”

“Protect me forever from who?  You?  I don’t NEED protection from you, Rollins.” Macaria actually laughed, sounding thoroughly amused and folded her arms in front of her chest. “He really is full of himself, isn’t he?”

“He thinks he’s untouchable.”

“Because I am!”

“Sure you are.” Macaria waved him off dismissively, making Roman chuckle and grinned up at him.

“FUCKING BITCH!  FUCKING WHORE!” Seth couldn’t believe he was being punked out by Macaria and planned on having a long talk with Stephanie about her job offer.  It was time to revoke it since she wouldn’t play ball with him.

“Again with this?  You’re a broken record, do you realize that?” Macaria wouldn’t waste another second on this piece of crap, though she had one final parting shot to give him. “And just so you know, if you even THINK about raping my friend tonight, I will be calling the police on you.  I don’t care about the Authority or you or the blackmail you have on her.  The threats.  You touch her and you will regret it.”

“I’ll touch MY girlfriend any way I see fit, whore!”

It was Roman’s turn to step in, holding his hand up to silence Macaria for the moment. “Actually, no you won’t.  Because she’s not rooming with you tonight or any night for that matter.”

Seth gawked at his former Shield-brother, arching a brow. “What the hell do you mean?!  She’s my woman and she’s rooming with me!  It’s already a signed, sealed deal!”

“Yeah, no it’s not.  Come on, Macaria, I’ll walk you to your car.” Roman didn’t bother elaborating and guided her away from the scumbag, waiting until she was behind the wheel and driving off before turning his attention back to Seth.

Just then, Nyla walked out of the arena and stopped at the sight of both Seth and Roman, amber eyes wide. “W-What’s going on out here?”

“Oh nothing, just had to take care of something.  You ready to go?” Roman asked, walking up to her and smirked at the gaping face of Seth, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

“Y-Yeah…” Nyla stammered, hoping, praying this didn’t backfire on her and her family remained safe. “Seth?”

All Seth could do was stand there, frozen solid.

“We’re over.”

Roman beamed proudly, letting her use him for support and steered her toward his Lincoln Navigator, leaving Seth staring after them looking like a regular fish out of water.

Chapter 33

After Roman’s brief talk with Macaria, he’d gone out to do his match and defeated Kane in the main event with Ric Flair as the special guest referee.  He had no idea how THAT came about or why Ric was involved, but didn’t question it.  Roman just wanted to get the match over with because he had bigger things to worry about.  There was no way in hell he’d allow Nyla to be forced or coerced into sharing a hotel room with Rollins.  The mere thought made his skin crawl and he could only surmise the amount of turmoil she suffered.

Enough was enough.

Roman did not bother showering or changing, not even going to his dressing room.  No, he made a beeline for Nyla’s office and didn’t knock, simply pushing open the door.  She was startled out of her wits, staring up at him through watery amber orbs, her face streaked with tears.  That terrified look on her face would probably haunt him for weeks to come.  She’d been thinking it was Seth coming for her or someone from the Authority instead of him.

“W-What are you doing in here?” Nyla asked in a shaky voice, seeing the intensity in his stormy greys. “Roman…”

“Macaria paid me a visit and told me what the fuck was going on.  It’s not happening, Nyla.  I won’t let you do this.” Roman informed her, not giving her a choice in the matter and folded his arms in front of his chest, kicking the door shut behind him with his boot.

Nyla frowned, not believing Macaria had gone to Roman behind her back after confiding in her. “Damn it…” She whispered, looking away from him and began packing up her things. “Roman, I don’t have a choice.  I have to do what they say or they’ll go after my daughter, my family.” Why did he care this much anyway?

The frustration was clear as day on his face. “But I can help you!  I can get you out of this and protect them!” He growled, closing the distance between them and grabbed her upper arms tightly in his strong hands, yanking her flush against his sweaty, muscular body. “I swear to you, Nyla, nothing will happen to your family if you leave the arena with me tonight.”

“And go where exactly?” Nyla shot back in a softer voice, her whole body shaking with tears in her eyes. “Roman…”

“My room.  They won’t bother you if you’re with me.” Roman was confident, knowing the Authority steered clear of him because of Seth.  They didn’t want their golden boy targeted and, at the moment, he wasn’t due to the crappy feud with The Big Show he had to somehow pull off. “I will tell you my plan once we’re out of here.  I won’t talk about it with the Authority in the same building.”

“If I do this…and I’m not saying yes or no, but if I do this…can you 100% guarantee the safety and security of my daughter and parents?” Nyla necessitated, folding her arms in front of her chest while Roman still had hold of her upper arms. “If you can’t guarantee they’ll be safe 100%, I’m not going back to the hotel with you.  I will…go with Seth…”

After the phone call he had earlier that night, Roman could now ease her mind and was 100% confident in his ability to protect Nyla and her family. “Yes.” He answered, not an ounce of hesitation in his voice or grey-tinted contact-lensed eyes. “Now let me help you.  Come with me…”

There was so much on the line.  Her daughter and parents’ safety and if this all backfired, they would feel the consequence of her choices.  At the same time, however, Nyla was tired.  She was tired of being pushed around, controlled and raped by the Authority.  Even if she was consensual, it was out of fear and she’d only done it to ensure her family’s safety.  For the past year, she had BEGGED someone to help her, anyone, and her prayers were finally answered in the form of a 6’3, 265 pound Samoan man.  Nyla still didn’t fully trust him, her mind and heart battling with each other, but the Authority had backed her into an impossible corner.  If they would’ve left her alone to travel and room with Macaria, she wouldn’t be this desperate to actually take Roman up on his offer.

“Okay.  I have to pack up my things, so give me a little while and I’ll meet you in the arena parking lot.”

Roman nodded, releasing her upper arms, but not before pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. “Try to hurry.” He advised, taking her hand to give it a gentle squeeze and headed out of her office to grab his stuff from his locker room, deciding he would shower at the hotel.

~!~

Snapping out of the memory, Nyla continued staring out the window of the moving Lincoln Navigator and texted her mother to ask how Neela was doing.  She needed some kind of reprieve from worrying what the ramifications of her actions against the Authority would have.  Roman assured her everything would be all right, but Nyla wasn’t so sure.  What exactly was this plan of his?  Why was he so confident in his ability to protect her?  There were so many unanswered questions and Nyla really hoped Roman had an actual plan instead of talking out of his backside.

Christmas was just around the corner and she had gotten a few things for her family, but Nyla wasn’t nearly done with shopping.  She had tried finding time to go out shopping at the various towns and cities she traveled to, but it was hard with how hectic her job was.  Online shopping was an option too, but her mother was a snoop and Nyla didn’t want her opening any of the boxes or Neela for that matter.  It was stressful being a single parent sometimes, but she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

Roman was thinking about Christmas as well, drumming his fingertips on the steering wheel.  Dean would be coming to Pensacola for the holidays, refusing to let him spend it alone after what happened with Macaria.  Granted, he was tempted to invite the honey blonde as well, wondering if Dean would mind that.  Otherwise, he knew she would be spending Christmas alone as well.  Nyla wouldn’t allow that, he could tell the women had gotten very close in a short period of time and they relied on each other.  If he was being brutally honest, Nyla needed all the help and comfort she could get, especially after everything the Authority put her through over the past year.

Pulling into the hotel parking lot, Roman stepped out and grabbed their bags before guiding her inside.  There was no house shows scheduled for tomorrow, which was the only time Roman would have to pull this off.  One day – it would be busy and hectic, but they would get it done, even in the winter.  Once they were inside his hotel room, Roman checked the bathroom to make sure no ambushes would take place.  It happened before and he was a little paranoid ever since, back in the Shield days.  Some veterans thought they’d get the best of the boys, but they didn’t realize they had decided to room together in order to save money on the road.

“All right, I know I reek, so I’m gonna take a shower and then we’ll sit down and discuss what’s going down in the next 24 hours.” Roman felt disgusting and grimy from his match, desperately needing to be cleaned before this talk happened. “Order us room service, if you want.”

“I’m not hungry.” Nyla quietly replied, lowering her eyes from his and felt his finger hook beneath her chin to raise apprehensive amber to understanding grey.

“You need to eat.  Order something, please.” Roman requested, wishing she would calm down and relax a little.

“I don’t even know what to order you.” She mumbled, pulling away from his hand and moved over to sit down on the bed by the phone.

“Just get me a grilled chicken sandwich, extra tomato and mayo with some steamed vegetables for the side.” Roman figured they’d have to get to know each other a lot better and cracked a small smile.  He planned on getting a lot closer to Nyla Miller if she let him. “I’ll be out shortly.”

Nyla snorted, not believing that.  The man had insanely long hair and she knew it would take time to wash the soap out.  Why did she suddenly want to join him in the shower?  No!  Now wasn’t the time to drive her mind in the gutter!  Nyla pushed thoughts of Roman, soaking wet and naked in the shower, out of her mind for the time being and ordered them some dinner from room service.  She just ordered a salad, not sure her stomach could handle anything else and got Roman fries instead of steamed vegetables since the kitchen didn’t have them.

It would take a good hour before the food arrived.  Nyla walked around the room, fighting the urge to leave and go back to Seth. “What if I’m making a mistake?  What if he can’t help me like he thinks?” She muttered to herself, pressing her forehead against the window and could see the snowfall increase.  It was beautiful to watch and somehow soothing at the same time.

Roman stepped out a half hour later, in a pair of dark grey pajama pants and stopped at the sight of Nyla standing by the window.  She looked deep in thought while watching the snow fall outside and it made him smile.  Walking up to her, he took a chance and let his hands rest on her hips, his chin resting on top of her head.  She was at the perfect height for him to hold her like this and no words were spoken between them while they continued watching the snow.  It wasn’t the type of snow that was heavy and the entire city of Sioux Falls was blanketed in glistening white.  Tomorrow would be hell on earth getting to the airport and Roman hoped their flight wasn’t canceled or delayed.  They would cross that bridge when they came to it.  He would check the radar to see just how long this snowstorm was supposed to last later, after they ate and talked.

Another half hour later, the food arrived and Roman tipped the server well, rolling the cart into his room.  They ate in companionable silence, each in their own thoughts with Nyla barely nibbling on her salad.  Roman was starving and didn’t want to talk while eating, inhaling his grilled chicken sandwich and fries.  Nyla did explain why she’d ordered them instead of steamed vegetables, which he didn’t mind.  Fries were fattening, but it was nothing he couldn’t work out in the gym.  After they finished eating, Roman stood up and extended his hand to Nyla, pulling her out of her chair as soon as she took it.

“Are you done keeping me in suspense, big man?” Nyla asked softly, hearing him softly chuckle and lead her down to sit on the bed.  The only bed in the room.  If Nyla had to sleep on the floor, so be it, but sharing a bed with this man couldn’t happen, not with how shot her nerves were. “What’s your plan?”

Roman was quiet for a few minutes, trying to find the right way to explain what he had in mind and stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “You know I’m from a famous family, right?  The Samoan Dynasty is what they call us.  I’m sure you knew my Uncle, Umaga, and my brother, Rosey, who lives in Ohio currently.  The Rock…he’s also my cousin.” He saw her nod in acknowledgment and took her hand in his to lace their fingers together. “First off, we gotta have your daughter and parents moved temporarily to Florida to stay with my family.  They’ll protect you and won’t let anything happen to you and my place has state of the art security.” He had to pay for extra security because of all the crazed fangirls, much like Dean. “Do you understand what I’m saying, Nyla?”

“Just back up and rewind.”

Could she really trust this man to help keep her parents safe?  Keep her safe and, more importantly than anything, keep her daughter safe?  One look in his dark eyes -the grey contacts were out- told Nyla all she needed to know and he was serious about this idea.

“I could care less about my own life.  I just want my parents and my daughter safe.  If I’m going to move forward and give you everything I have, I just need them safe.  Because if I do all of this, and it’s for nothing and something happens to them, it’ll be my fault.  Their blood will be on my hands.” Nyla’s voice cracked, tears pooling in her eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do if anything happened to them…especially Neela.”

“Nothing will happen to them around my Familia.” Roman assured her, wondering if she knew just how tightknit and protective the Samoan clan was.  They always put their family first and they would treat Nyla like one of their own, with his blessing. “That’s the first step.  There’s a second to this.”

Nyla felt her mouth go dry and braced herself on what else Roman had up his sleeve. “What is it?”

“You broke things off with Seth.  Everyone is going to know that…and you’re going to need protection while on the road in-company.  If you’re with me…if we make people believe we’re together, it’s less likely you’ll be screwed with because of my family.” Roman explained, really wanting an actual relationship with her, but pushing Nyla into THAT wasn’t an option. “Unless you want to actually be with me.” He couldn’t stop the words coming out of his mouth if he tried.

“Wait…what?” Now Nyla had an incredulous expression on her face and Roman couldn’t stop the chuckle escaping his lips, making her smack his bare chest. “Not funny, Reigns.  Be serious, please.”

“I am being serious, Nyla.” All traces of humor were gone. “We can either make people THINK we’re together or…we can actually give this a shot between us.”

Her heart hammered against her chest at his words and it took Nyla several minutes to let them sink in, her eyes lowering to their hands clasped together. “W-We don’t know each other…you don’t know me.  How can you want to be with someone you don’t even know?” Just holding his hands made sparks flow through every portion of her body.

“Because I’ve liked you for a while now, Nyla.  Even when I’d come into your office yelling about my scripts and storylines, acting like a complete asshole to you.  I’ve liked you since the day I met you.” It was his first day on the main roster with Dean and Seth.  She had written for the Shield and they loved every single storyline she came up with, especially when the Shield all became champions in a single night at the Extreme Rules 2013 pay-per-view. “And I DO know some things about you, but I’d like to know everything.”

“My daughter…”

“Her too.  I have one of my own and they’re only a few years apart in age.  I’m sure they’d get along great.”

Nyla frowned, fighting back tremors and looked into his deep dark eyes, her hand pulling out of his to reach up to caress his cheek. “And if they don’t?  What if they end up hating each other?  What if none of this works out?”

“That won’t stop me from protecting you and your own.  And I think we have a pretty good shot at this.” Roman sounded confident again, a hint of arrogance in his tone and it made her eyes narrow slightly. “I know you’ve been through hell with Seth.  If you need time to think about this…”

“There is no time to waste.” They were out of time and she was out of options.  Roman was literally her ticket away from the Authority. “Roman…” Taking a chance, Nyla knew he wouldn’t make the first move and she would have to do it.

Her lips met his a few seconds later, soft and tender at first, but it quickly turned explosive.

Chapter 34

The altercation with Seth had Macaria on edge the entire ride back to the hotel.  Even after she was in her room, she still didn’t feel safe and longed for Dean’s presence.  He always made her feel safe and secure, especially sleeping in his arms.  She hated the fact the roster was sometimes split in two for house shows; why couldn’t Dean be on the same one as Roman?  Even though they couldn’t be together intimately, she still felt better with him around. 

It was almost as if Dean could FEEL when something was wrong with her. 

Macaria’s phone went off and she looked at the caller ID, seeing it was Dean calling. “Hi, Dean…” They had been texting a lot more than talking on the phone lately.

“What’s wrong?” Dean demanded, hearing the slight fear in her voice and sat on the bed in his hotel room, staring out the window. “Macaria, talk to me…”

Tears stung her eyes as Macaria looked around the empty room, feeling alone and isolated, wishing someone else was here with her. “I miss you…” She wiped her tears away angrily, having nobody to blame except herself. “I don’t know…I don’t know if I can do this, Dean…if I can go 5 ½ months without being with you.  This is…harder than I thought it would be…”

Whatever brought this on, Dean hated how distressed she was and slammed his own eyes shut, her confession warming him from the inside out. “Yeah, it is, but we’ll get through it…” Somehow, someway, he could only hope anyway. “What happened tonight, darlin’?”

Just being called those terms of endearment – darlin’ and babe – felt like little knives plunging repeatedly into her heart. “Seth met me outside of the arena…and told me I was gonna be working closely with him.  I told him that was fine, it’s my job and it’s professionally only.  He didn’t like that.  He started calling me a bitch and…your whore.  I told him I’d rather be your whore than his.”

“HE WHAT?!” Dean roared over the line, gritting his teeth to the point of gnashing and clenched his fists tightly, to the point where his nails dug into his palms. “That mother fucker!  I’ll rip him apart for talking to you that way, Maca!  You’re NOT my whore, you’re my woman.  There’s a fucking difference and I’m gonna make him EAT his words!”

Roman would tell him about almost being struck by Seth, so Macaria had to come clean about it. “He almost hit me too.” That made her shudder, even though she had kept calm at the time.

“WHAT?!?!” NOW Dean was irate, up off the bed and packing his bags, refusing to stay anywhere Macaria wasn’t.  He had to protect her from that slimy scumbag at any and all costs! “Fuck this, I’m on my way.”

“Wait, what?!” Macaria blinked, not sure she heard him correctly and had to hold the phone away from her ear when he repeated what he said in a bellow. “Dean, no!  You can’t!  Even if you come here, we can’t stay in the same room together!”

“I don’t care!  Friends visit friends all the time and I have to make sure you’re okay!” Dean argued, glancing at the clock and knew he wouldn’t be able to drive over 7 hours to Sioux Falls.  He would have to fly; there was no choice in the matter if he wanted to get to her as quickly as he could.

“Dean, please calm down…” Macaria begged, already planning on calling Roman to try to talk sense into this stubborn man if he didn’t listen to her. “Please, Roman is here and…”

He cut her off immediately. “He won’t be for long.  He’s going to Pensacola for the day with Nyla.” Dean informed her, scrubbing a hand down his face and didn’t feel like getting into the whole explanation with Macaria. “I won’t leave you unprotected by those assholes, Maca.  You hear me?  So you either fly to Minneapolis today or I’m coming there and we can go to Raw’s location together.”

Macaria tried wrapping her mind around the fact Nyla was going to Florida with Roman, her brain feeling like it might implode.  There was no house show tomorrow and it sounded like Nyla had finally stopped her stubbornness and allowed Roman Reigns to help her.  She had no idea what his plan was to get her away from the Authority, but whatever it was, she was onboard.  Nyla would call and tell her about it eventually, but if they had a lot of traveling to do within a day, Macaria would have to hear all about it in Minneapolis.

“You’re really not giving me a choice in this, are you?” Her voice was full of resignation as she clutched the phone to her ear, chewing her thumbnail nervously. “What if the Authority finds out about this?  Dean…”

“Friends hang out with each other all the time in hotel rooms, especially with the job we have.  Trust me, we’ll be fine.” Dean cajoled, doing it better than most and zipped his bag up, thankful he’d already showered.

“I-I don’t know if I can…”

“You don’t know if you can what?”

“Be just friends with you.  Dean, I…I miss you and seeing you in person, let alone being in a hotel room alone with you…I’m gonna blow this whole thing, I know it.” Macaria was in a catch 22 situation – damned if she did, damned if she didn’t.  Stuck between a rock and a hard place because all she wanted to do was feel Dean’s body against hers, his lips and tongue tangling with hers.

Dean stopped what he was doing, his stomach tightening at the sound of her voice. “Macaria, I told you not to give up on us, remember?  It’s only been about 2 weeks.  I won’t let you fail or blow this.  I will pull away if something starts to happen between us.  But don’t…push me away.” He wasn’t above begging, needing to reassure her one way or another they would make it through this.

More tears slid down her cheeks as Macaria pressed a hand over her aching heart and had to take a few deep breaths, more sniffles echoing through the phone. “Okay.  Let me call the airport and see when the next available flight to Minneapolis is.  I’ll let you know if I can make it or if…you need to come here.”

Dean wanted to talk to her about the upcoming holiday, but that could wait until they were face to face and he saw she was perfectly fine.  If Seth TOUCHED one hair on her head, he would kill the scumbag without thinking twice about it.  Dean had a dark past and had to get his hands dirty every now and then for survival.  He wasn’t a saint by any stretch of the imagination and had so much blood on his hands…the honey blonde really was too good for him.  She was an angel compared to him – if she found out half the things he did in his lifetime, Macaria would’ve probably run in the opposite direction.

“I’ll let you know too.”

Her flight to Minneapolis was bumped to early afternoon, which was the soonest they could give her.  Dean got one right away, a redeye, so he would be in Minneapolis before her.  He promised to meet her at the airport, not wanting her to be alone any more than she had to be.  Macaria didn’t feel comfortable in this hotel since she knew Seth was under the same roof as her.  Dean kept in contact with her as much as he could, but once he was in the air, the line went dead.  She stopped at a local gas station to grab a bunch of snacks and drinks to hold her over until she was in Minneapolis.  Once she was in the airport parking lot, Macaria made sure all the doors of her vehicle were locked and settled in to wait for her 2 PM flight.

~!~

Where the hell was Macaria going? 

Seth had watched her make a beeline for her car, acting as if her backside was on fire.  He was outside of the hotel in the parking lot, just enjoying the snow falling.  It reminded him of home.  Did he rattle her more than he thought?  Probably.  If it wasn’t for that Samoan ape getting in his way, he would’ve knocked her into the next century.  Scowling at the memory, Seth tightened the scarf around his neck and contemplated what to do about this, if he should inform Stephanie their newest photographer left the hotel.  He thought better of it, knowing the Authority had their hands full with Nyla Miller’s defiance. 

Stephanie was NOT happy with her or Hunter or Seth right now.  She was pissed off at Hunter demanding the woman to stay with Seth in the same room.  It was one thing to toy with her and send Seth to her at the arenas, but Hunter had crossed a line.  They’d been having a lot of communication issues lately when it came to Nyla.  Stephanie either pushed her too hard and Hunter defended her or vice versa!  Now Nyla was in the arms of Roman Reigns!  Seth had pushed her right into the Samoan’s arms and Stephanie didn’t know how to handle this situation.

She had only one card left to play, but it was a tricky situation now that Randy Orton wasn’t part of the Authority anymore.

There was no doubt in her mind Nyla would use Roman to protect her daughter and parents, so that threat would go out the window.  This was all she had left over Nyla – to break the dark secret to Randy.  Maybe it would even sway Randy back in their corner, though the man was volatile and unpredictable.  Hunter kept his mouth shut and stayed quiet while she ranted and raved about how stupid he was for going along with Seth’s ridiculous idea.  It was one of the reasons Seth needed fresh air and stayed out of the hotel, not wanting to hear Stephanie’s shrieking voice.  His room was right across from theirs and nobody could sleep with that woman blowing a gasket.

With the writer no longer on their side, it was only a matter of time before both Roman and Dean would get their hands on him again.  Seth had big plans for 2015 and he would not let his plans be thwarted because of his ex-business partners.  The Money in the Bank contract was only viable for one year and Seth already knew where and when he wanted to cash it in.  With Nyla on their side, nothing would stop him from cashing in, but now that she was with Roman and ended their ‘relationship’, Seth had a long road ahead of him.  He really hoped Stephanie and Hunter had some other tricks up their sleeves or else this would’ve all been for nothing.

It did not help Macaria had Stephanie spellbound because of her work and raw talent behind a camera.  It was Seth’s idea to hire her in the first place, all so he could screw with her and develop a relationship to stick it to Ambrose.  That hadn’t worked out in his favor at all and it was thanks to Nyla running her mouth.  The more Seth thought about all the times Nyla intervened in his plans, the angrier he became.  Macaria’s mind had been poisoned against him, thanks to by Nyla and Ambrose.  Granted, most of what they said was the truth – Seth had to do a lot of despicable things lately in order to rise to the top the company.  No friends, only enemies – Hunter had told him it would have to be that way if he wanted to be the top man.

He did, more than anything.

“Seth…”

His eyes closed at the sound of Stephanie’s voice behind him and slowly turned around to face her, ready for the tongue lashing of a lifetime. “Look, Stephanie, I’m sorry…”

“I know you are.” Stephanie had calmed down, wrapped in a coat that went to her ankles and her hands were in her pockets. “And you’re going to make things right with this.  Randy Orton is not in our pocket right now, because of you.  I can’t use this blackmail against Nyla effectively with him being on the outs with the Authority.  Do you understand?”

Seth swallowed hard, already knowing what she was asking of him and nodded slowly. “You want me to apologize for what I did to him, I take it?” It was a quiet, resigned statement, his dark eyes lifting from the snow-covered asphalt to meet her eyes.

“Yes.  And that’s not all.” Stephanie stepped up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Nyla is a VITAL asset to the Authority, Seth.  She is a veteran writer and has been here since before you even THOUGHT about working for the WWE.  We NEED her on our side.  We NEED her to keep writing storylines for guys like Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns, and Dolph Ziggler…so they don’t target YOU, the future of this company.  We’re protecting YOU by keeping her underfoot.  She is with Roman Reigns now…and that’s very tricky because his family is…very well-known.  My father is good friends with HIS father, you see.  And if Roman has enlisted his family’s help, it’s going to get back to my father and my mother.  And we don’t want that.  Because if we go down, if the Authority goes down, YOU. GO. WITH. IT.” Each word was punctuated with a stabbing fingernail to his coat covered chest.

“How do you expect me to make things right with Nyla?  Stephanie, there is no possible way to do that…” Seth did not want to kiss not only Randy Orton’s backside, but also Nyla Miller’s.  This woman was out of her mind!

“You better find a way then.  Or you WILL be replaced.” Stephanie threatened, reaching up to cup Seth’s bearded cheek and patted it gently. “You’ll find a way.  And as far as Macaria goes, don’t break my new toy or I’ll break YOU.” Her blue eyes were hard and full of dark promise if he didn’t live up to her expectations. “One other thing.”

Seth didn’t know how much more she could stack against him.

“You are to report to ME, not Hunter, from now on.  He told me what he forced you to do to Nyla, so I don’t fault you for it.  I blame HIM and he will atone for his actions.  I suggest you run everything by me going forward.” Stephanie made it sound like advise, but it was actually a command. “Goodnight, Seth.”

Seth could only watch her turn and walk back inside the hotel, clenching his fists tightly in the pockets of his coat.  Goodnight, Seth?  That’s all she had to say to him after that verbal lashing?!  How the HELL was he supposed to get Nyla back on their side?!  She’d been threatened, along with her family, to keep her in line and now, thanks to Roman Reigns, that had all been flushed down the tubes!  Randy Orton would be a cakewalk, but Seth had to think long and hard about how to approach the Nyla problem.  He also wanted to still keep pursuing Macaria, not forgetting what that honey blonde bitch said to him.

His ego really couldn’t take another bruising tonight, not after Macaria, Nyla and now Stephanie.

Chapter 35

“Mom, I don’t understand what’s going on.  Grammie and Poppie are telling me we’re going on a vacation for Christmas break…” Neela hadn’t expected to be told by her Grammie to pack what she wanted to bring to a completely different state. “We’re supposed to have Christmas at home…”

Nyla’s heart broke at the confusion in her daughter’s voice and looked over at Roman, seeing him nod to encourage her to continue. “I know, Nee Nee, but something came up and you’re coming to stay with…a friend of mine in Pensacola, Florida for a little while.”

“What about school?  I have to go back in January…”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.  Right now, I need you to listen to Grammie and Poppie, okay?  I’m already in Florida and I can’t wait to see you.”

Nyla had already called WWE headquarters and requested an extended vacation, so she wouldn’t be going to Raw in Minneapolis, Minnesota or Smackdown! in Sioux City, Iowa.  Roman wanted her at home with Neela and far away from the Authority, not wanting them screwing with her.  He’d already spoken to his parents about this, along with some more of his family that lived in the Pensacola area.  She would spend Christmas and New Year’s with their combined families and he would be there for some of it, along with Dean and hopefully, Macaria.  Dean told Roman to let him handle talking to Macaria about holiday plans and assured the big man he wouldn’t come alone.  They both knew the repercussions if they slept together, but friends spent holidays together all the time.  However, he also knew Dean loved Macaria and, from what Nyla told him, Macaria felt the same way.

They just hadn’t told each other yet.

“Okay, Mom.  I love you.”

“I love you more, Nee Nee, see you in a couple hours.” Nyla hung up the phone and set it aside, feeling Roman take her hand instantly.

They hadn’t had sex when she kissed him.  It was a heavy make-out session full of vigor, intensity and passion.  Roman had lifted her to straddle his lap, giving her complete control and his hands remained on her sides, massaging them while they kissed.  His lips were softer than she thought possible and the taste of her had Roman reeling.  No words were spoken between them, just kissing, touching and feeling, getting acquainted with each other.  Nyla was relieved Roman hadn’t pressed her on details about everything she’d gone through with Seth and the Authority as a whole.

Hell, Roman was shocked she had made the first move and kissed him, the sparks between them exploding into an inferno.

“Everything okay?” Roman asked, jolting Nyla out of her deep thoughts and recollection of what happened between them. “You look tired…”

“Gee, I wonder why.” Nyla retorted with a smirk, her cheeks flooding in a red tinge. “SOMEBODY wouldn’t let me sleep last night and kept me up way past my usual bedtime.”

It was Roman’s turn to smirk. “I didn’t hear you complaining, baby girl.” His arm wrapped around her waist to pull her against him and caressed the side of her neck with his lips. “You gonna be okay here with Neela and your parents while I’m gone?”

“I don’t have a choice.  You won’t let me go back on the road until after the New Year arrives.” Nyla needed the time off, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud to Roman. “So…how are we gonna work this out?”

Misperception entered his dark eyes. “What do you mean?”

“Well, do I pay you rent for staying here?  What about the bills like utilities and whatnot?  I don’t want a free ride and I have plenty of money socked away for a rainy day…” Nyla didn’t want Roman to think she would use him for his money and to put a roof over her and her family’s heads.

“Nyla…”

She cut him off, needing to get her thoughts out. “I just don’t want to put you out and we haven’t even talked about what we are or what this means…”

Roman was a patient man, hearing the anxiety in her voice and pressed a finger against her lips. “I told you already.  We can either make them believe we’re together, or we can actually give this a shot.” He dropped his head to collide his mouth against hers, kissing her soundly until they needed to break for oxygen. “I want you, Nyla.  Not just for sex either.  I’ll wait as long as you need for that.  But I want to be with you, a relationship.  I want you to be mine, you understand that?”

“How long have you felt this way?” Nyla asked quietly, caressing his bare chest with her fingers and gazed into his dark eyes, reaching up to stroke his scruffy cheek.

“A while, even before I found out what the Authority was doing to you.” Roman admitted, his voice low and stroked her back, suddenly pulling her to straddle his lap again. “Shield days.  Our first meeting, you remember that?”

Nyla nodded, her heart pounding a little harder and faster at his confession, remembering that day vividly. “Yeah, three men in black came waltzing in my office and scared the shit out of me.  I thought you guys were terrifying, but then I started talking to you about the script for TLC, your first official match in the company.  You were so down to earth and patient.  Dean was a little eccentric, but still sweet as can be.  Even Seth…” Her eyes shut, grimacing at the mention of his name. “Seth completely changed from who he used to be…”

Roman sighed, agreeing with her wholeheartedly and slid his hands down her arms to her sides. “He let the success go to his head and didn’t care who he stepped on and destroyed in the process.  We didn’t know him at all.” Sadness laced his voice while talking about the man he used to consider his brother. “Anyway, I wanted you back then, but I was a rookie, a nobody, and I didn’t think you’d go for someone who may or might not make it in the business.”

“But I’m just a writer…I’m not a Diva or anything…” Her self-esteem had been destroyed by the Authority, little pieces of her taken every time Seth raped her.  Being called a whore, the Authority’s whore, Seth’s whore…it had taken a toll on her self-image and how low Nyla thought of herself. “And if I’m being honest, I was afraid to get involved with another wrestler after what happened the last time…” Neela was the result of that fling, so at least she got something good out of the deal in the end.  Seth didn’t count since he raped her and she was forced to portray a relationship with him.

“I don’t blame you.” Roman understood that, glad he hadn’t tried making a move on her because there wasn’t a doubt in his mind she would’ve turned him down. “Timing was off with us, but now it’s not.  And you are more beautiful than any woman in that company.  You should be a Diva.” Then he thought about it and growled, a possessiveness washing over him. “On second thought, no.  You don’t need to be out there showing your goods to the world.  I’m the only one who gets to see your goods.”

Nyla smacked him on the chest, her cheeks flaming and that got a chuckle out of him. “Shut up.” She mumbled good-naturedly, knowing it would take time before her self-esteem returned to normal again.

If Roman had to remind her every single day and night she was beautiful, he would do it.  Every woman deserved to be told how beautiful they are at least once a day from their man, that was how Roman was raised.  To respect women, to be loyal and faithful, to never falter and always be honest and truthful.  That was what Nyla could expect from him in this new budding relationship.

“What if you don’t like Neela or she doesn’t like you?  I-I won’t choose a man over my daughter…” Nyla had a lot of concerns with that possibility because she hadn’t brought a man home, or rather Neela to a man, ever.

“I’m good with kids.  She’ll learn to like me.” Roman replied confidently, hissing out softly at Nyla shifting on his lap. “Watch.  She’ll meet me and Joelle and love us.”

“What if Joelle doesn’t like her?  What if she doesn’t like me?” Nyla murmured, once again feeling her resolve shatter and sighed at the feeling of his lips against hers again.

Roman wanted to ease her mind somehow, already knowing Joelle would like her because he’d shown his daughter pictures of Nyla.  Joelle thought she was pretty and couldn’t wait to meet her.  Roman’s parents were the same way – his whole family was warm and loving, very boisterous and loud too.

“Roman…” Nyla groaned against his mouth, tearing her lips from his and clutched his massive shoulders, breathing heavy. “You’re distracting me…”

“I know.  Glad it’s working.” Roman stood up and planted her on the bed, hovering over her, his mouth capturing hers again.

His sheer strength and power both intimidated and filled her with desire at the same time.  If Roman ever lost his temper, he could seriously hurt her.  Something told Nyla that wouldn’t happen.  Roman didn’t seem like the woman beating type and she had a feeling, if he ever did, his mother would’ve beaten him black and blue.

Another round of making out commenced, the talk effectively ending.

~!~

Dean paced like a caged animal, chewing gum vigorously when he really wanted to do was light up a cigarette.  He was waiting for Macaria’s plane to land and currently in the waiting lobby, his ears open to listen for the announcement of her flight coming in.  Roman had called to let him know they arrived in Pensacola safely and they were waiting for Nyla’s daughter and parents to get there.  Luckily, the big man had a huge house with 6 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fenced in backyard and all the works.  Nyla would be completely safe there, along with her family, and his parents were also just a few houses down from him.  They watched over his house while he was on the road, took care of his lawn and everything else.  Roman would always come home to cooked meals from his mother, which all he had to do was warm up in the microwave, stove or oven.  It would be nice to spend Christmas with the Samoans again; Dean had started doing it in 2012 and that was how his friendship with Roman grew because of a simple, thoughtful gesture on the big man’s part.

A few minutes later, the announcement of her flight landing resonated throughout the airport speakers.  Dean stopped, looking out the window and watched with bated breath as the plane landed on the runway.  He knew it would take a little while to get everybody off the plane safely, there was protocol to follow for security measures.  So he sat down and waited, his knee bouncing nervously while rubbing his hands together.  One by one, each person came through that terminal and it killed Dean with each second that passed by he didn’t see Macaria.  Finally, that head of honey blonde showed and Dean breathed a huge sigh of relief at the sight of her, immediately getting to his feet.

“Dean!”

Macaria had a backpack on her shoulders, which was her camera equipment, never leaving anywhere without it.  Checking it was not an option either.  Her hair was down for a change, resting at her waist and Dean instantly felt the fire within him ignite.  Why did she have to wear her hair down?  Why did she have to look so beautiful and happy to see him?  Dean lifted her as soon as she ran toward him, her legs encircling his waist and her face buried in the side of his neck, her fingers gripping his dry curls.

“It’s okay, Maca.  It’s okay, I’m here.” He soothed, feeling her body trembling and knew it was from fear of what Seth almost did to her. “I’ll make him pay.  I swear it, darlin’.”

Not knowing what made her launch at him the way she did, Macaria felt complete being in his arms again.  The way he held her close to him and tried to soothe her both mended and broke her heart all over again.  Just friends…this was so hard.  The hardest thing she ever had to do in her life.  She began crying for several reasons, clinging to him for dear life and shuddered to suppress the overwhelming urge to kiss him. 

Dean shut his eyes at her tears beating down on his neck, the smell of apricots filling his senses and he knew it was from her shampoo and conditioner.  Macaria didn’t wear body spray or perfume, which was different for a woman, but also refreshing.  Her tears killed him and Dean wanted to tear Seth Rollins apart for even THINKING about touching her.  Touching what was HIS.  Macaria belonged to him just as much as he belonged to her.

Slowly pulling back, Macaria stared into his pale blues and rested her forehead against his, feeling his arms tighten around her. “I-I’m sorry…” She meant that in more ways than one, their lips mere inches from each other.

“Don’t do it,” Dean ordered, already seeing the desire in her eyes, the need for him. “You can’t blow it and I promised you I’d make sure you didn’t.” Even if it killed him on the inside. “You’re with me now.  You’re safe.  Let’s get you out of here, grab your shit and go back to the hotel.  You need to sleep since I know you haven’t been able to.  And stop apologizing, this isn’t your fault.”

Nodding, Macaria slid down his body until her feet hit the floor and immediately went for his hand, their fingers laced together. “I have to work with that asshole tomorrow.  Some other photographer was supposed to do it, but Stephanie changed the paperwork.  I don’t want anything to do with him, Dean…” She confessed, burying her face in her hands once they were in his rental, heading toward the hotel.

“That mother fucker probably asked her to change it.” Dean seethed, gripping the steering wheel and had to take several deep breaths to calm his temper down. “With me in the same building, I don’t think he’ll try anything with you, not after Roman stopped him from almost hitting you.” He was going to break every finger in Rollins’ hand.

Silence reigned between them as Dean pulled into the hotel parking lot and cut the ignition, already getting a room for them for the night.  It was 5 PM and they really needed to eat.  Dean had worked out that morning to keep his mind off Macaria, a distraction and then went to the airport to wait for Macaria’s flight to land.  They checked in and went to the room they would share for a night, Macaria stopping in the doorway.

Two beds.

“I can’t do this…” Macaria shook her head, the splinters of her heart crumbling in the pit of her stomach and fresh tears slid down her cheeks.

“Maca…” Dean stopped her from walking out and shut the door, pulling her further into the room. “This is your dream job.  I know the circumstances blow, but I won’t let you ruin this because of me.  You CAN do this.  You WILL do this.” He cupped her face tenderly in his hands, reminding himself they were just friends.

“But I…”

Dean pressed a finger to her lips, stopping her from continuing and instead pulled her into a warm embrace. “Hold that thought.  Hold onto that and tell me what you were going to in 5 ½ months.” She began crying all over again and all he could do was hold her close, sitting on the bed with her curled up on his lap, her tears soaking the front of his t-shirt.

Chapter 36

“Wait, you want me to spend Christmas with you in Pensacola with Roman, Nyla and their families?” Had Dean lost his mind?  They were supposed to be just friends! “I-I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

Dean anticipated this argument and took a bite out of his Chinese takeout.  Minneapolis surprisingly had amazing Chinese food. “And why not?  So you’d rather sulk in Vegas by yourself for the 5 days off instead of being with the man you’ve lusted after since the day we met,” He paused with a cheeky grin, which followed up with being shown his IQ by Macaria. “And your new best friend?”

“I did NOT lust after you!” Macaria narrowed her eyes at him, tempted to toss her Chinese food in his face.

“Sure you did!  Remember, you crawled on the bed, took your top off and began unraveling that luscious hair of yours…” Dean reminded her, remembering that night very vividly.  He often thought about it ever since she had to call it quits with him.

“Stop it, Ambrose.” She ordered, looking down at her food and when she looked up, he was right there, invading her space.  They were each on their own beds, keeping a friendly distance and fighting temptation. “Dean…”

Her soft whimpering of his name lit his blood on fire and Dean knew it was a mistake to come over here to her bed. “You’re right, this is hard.  It’s hard not being with you.  It’s hard not to pin you to this bed and fuck you senseless right now and claim you in every possible way I can think of.  It’s hard not to kiss you and touch you and feel you writhe and melt against me, to taste you.” His lips hovered over hers, but didn’t touch them, his hands resting on her jean covered thighs. “It’s hard for me to control myself around you, Macaria.  But it’s even harder for me to watch you spiral because of depression and I won’t let that happen to you.  You WILL spend Christmas with me in Pensacola with our friends and their families.  I’m not giving you a choice because I’d rather spend the holidays with you as friends than not at all.”

One kiss.  A kiss wouldn’t hurt anything.  Nobody had to know about it except them.  She knew Stephanie and the WWE weren’t in town yet.  Macaria leaned forward to press her lips against his and met his finger, her shoulders drooping a little.  Dean promised not to let her screw this up and he meant it, but he was also torturing her by keeping her close. 

“Get back on your own bed then and stop tempting me.” Macaria ordered, pushing him away none too gently and scooted back to lean back against the headboard. 

Chuckling, Dean held his hands up and backed up, knowing he’d probably pushed her too far and ached to have her in his arms.  At least she was in the same room as him and he could protect her, even for one night.  They couldn’t continue sharing rooms like they used to, not without being caught by the Authority.  Dean knew Stephanie had spies EVERYWHERE when the WWE was in town.  He plopped back down on his own bed, grabbing another slice of pizza and flicked the television on to give them some kind of distraction from each other.

“Wanna watch a movie?”

“Yeah, let me go change really fast.”

A few minutes later, she walked out of the bathroom in cotton shorts and a tank top, her usual sleepwear besides long nightshirts.  A nightshirt, with Dean in the same room as her, wasn’t feasible.  Macaria let out a loud yawn and could feel her body beginning to shut down.  No sleep over 24 hours straight…she was beyond exhausted and needed her strength to deal with Seth Rollins.  Anyone else who wanted to try screw with her, actually.  Sinking down on the bed, Macaria was out within 10 minutes into the movie Dean picked, dead to the world.  Dean looked over at her and stood up to pull the blanket over her, brushing some of her honey blonde tresses away from her face.  She didn’t move an inch.  Not able to help himself, Dean leaned down to brush his lips against hers lightly, just to feel the softness.  She didn’t move again.  Dean was pretty sure if he blew a foghorn in her ear, she would not awaken.  Not even a tornado, hurricane or any type of natural disaster would do the trick either.  Looking back at his lonely bed and then down at her, Dean knew this would probably backfire on him, but he couldn’t sleep without her in his arms.

“Fuck.” He cursed, looking down at himself and decided some shower time was needed before he attempted this.

An hour later, feeling marginally better, Dean pulled on boxer/briefs with pajama pants and slid into bed to pull Macaria in his arms.  Holding her felt amazing and his eyes closed, burying his nose in her hair.  Dean kept his hands away from her intimate areas, his chest molding against her back as he spooned against her and closed his eyes to breathe her intoxicating scent in.

In minutes, he was out like a light.

~!~

After a layover stop, Neela, June and Benjamin arrived at Roman’s two-story house around 8 PM.  Nyla was out the door instantly with Roman hot on her trail and caught her daughter running into her arms.  She lifted her up, cradling Neela’s head in her hand and tried not to start crying, needing to be strong for her daughter.  Roman smiled, staying back a little to watch mother and daughter reunite.  He couldn’t imagine how hard it was for Nyla not to see Neela all the time, due to their strenuous traveling schedule.  A single Mom providing for her daughter and her parents…Roman admired her tenacity and bravery to do something like that.  Not every woman could do what Nyla did on a daily basis, much less put up with everything the Authority and Seth had done to her.  He still didn’t have all the details and, honestly, Roman was fine with it.  He didn’t need to know them and refused to badger or coax it out of Nyla.  If and when she wanted to talk about everything, he would be there and it was as simple as that.

June cried while Benjamin held her close, both also staying back until Neela rose her head from her mother’s neck. “Nyla, please tell us what’s going on.” She begged her daughter, not understanding why they couldn’t spend Christmas at home this year.

“Let’s get you guys inside and settled in.  Then I’ll tell you what’s going on.  But first…” Nyla turned, with Neela still in her arms, to face Roman and gestured him over. “I’d like you all to meet someone.  Mom, Dad, Nee Nee, this is Roman Reigns.  Roman, this is my family.  My Mom June, my Dad Benjamin, and my daughter.”

Roman stepped forward, seeing how intimidated the parents were and went for them first, extending his hand to Benjamin. “It’s really nice to finally meet you.  Nyla has told me a lot about you guys.” His voice was low, friendly and warm, making sure to watch his strength with the older man.

It was obvious Roman was a wrestler.  Another wrestler…June wasn’t happy about this, but she managed to keep a straight face.  Roman turned to her, extending his hand and she reluctantly took it, shaking it briefly.  Nyla expected her mother to be standoffish with Roman, especially since her daughter had been knocked up by a wrestler at the very beginning of her career.  If it hadn’t been for her parents watching and raising Neela, while she was on the road, Nyla would be working at a crappy 9-to-5 job right now, barely making ends meet.  They were her true heroes.

“Thanks.” June swept past the large Samoan with a frown. “Let’s get inside.  She’s hungry and tired.  Then we’re having a long talk, Nyla.”

Nyla swallowed hard, recognizing that tone of voice from her mother and nodded, carting Neela into the house with them and Roman following.

“You’re not gonna introduce me to your new boyfriend?” Neela sounded somewhat hurt, not realizing how agitated her grandmother was.

“Neela, you need to eat and then get to bed.  It’s close to your bedtime, sweetheart.” June ordered, taking control of the situation and grabbed her granddaughter’s hand, after Nyla set her down on her feet. “I can use the kitchen, right?”

“Y-Yeah…”

“Good, come along, Neela.”

Nyla rubbed the back of her neck and looked up at Roman, tears welling in her eyes. “I’m sorry…”

“Don’t apologize.  I realize this isn’t easy for them and it’ll take time to get used to being here.  It’s for the best…and I’ll get your Mom and Dad to warm up to me.” Meeting his own family would help tremendously, he hoped. “Go spend time with them.  I’m gonna walk the parameter and call Dean to see if he convinced Macaria to come here for Christmas.  Need a headcount for my Mom.”

“Okay.” Nyla leaned up on her tiptoes and brushed her lips softly against his. “Thank you again for everything.”

Roman nodded, stroking her cheek with the back of his hand for a few seconds and walked outside, his cell phone already in hand.

“What do you think you’re doing with that wrestler, Nyla Elizabeth Miller?!” June demanded as soon as her daughter walked into the kitchen, shaking her head in disappointment.  Ben had taken Neela up to her room to settle her in while June warmed up some food she found in the fridge. “Do you remember what happened the last time you shacked up with one of THEM, young lady?!  You told me you’d never do it again and here you are doing it!”

Nyla swallowed hard, lowering her eyes to the floor.  Her mother was upset and had every right to be.  Hell, Nyla had no idea what she was doing anymore and her mother would tan her hide if she found out she allowed a man to rape her repeatedly for the past almost 6 months.

“I know, Mom…”

“So then why are you doing it?  They are no good!  They are snakes in the grass and, I swear, if you get knocked up again, I won’t be watching the brat!” June spat viciously, not caring if she hurt her daughter right now with her words. “You really need to decide what’s more important in this world, Nyla.  Your daughter or this job.  You can’t do both anymore and you know it.  You think he’s gonna be there for you?  You think he’ll support you the way we have?!  Your father and I have sacrificed EVERYTHING for you and Neela, so the least you can do is be responsible and not shack up with another deadbeat wrestler!”

This was the last thing Nyla needed to deal with right now.  She recalled a similar conversation they had back when she got pregnant by Randy Orton.  All Nyla had told her parents was she’d had a few flings with a wrestler and wound up pregnant by him.  Nyla didn’t need them knowing one of the top veterans in the WWE today was the father of her child.  Her mother begged and pleaded with her to go after him for child support, but Nyla refused.

“I know you have, Mom…” Her voice was small and quiet, clasping her hands in front of her. “Roman is different…”

June scoffed, rolling her eyes and had to gain control of her temper, closing her eyes to breathe in and out. “Nyla, you know I love Neela with all my heart.  I love you too and I’m only trying to look out for you.” Benjamin probably wasn’t happy with their daughter either. “I’m just…I’m tired and frustrated and cranky.  I had to be ripped out of my home, right before Christmas, and you still haven’t told me why.”

“Okay, I’ll tell you everything, Mom.”

Listening intently, June’s eyes grew wider and wider with each word that came out of Nyla’s mouth, her hand covering her own.  What the HELL kind of company did her daughter get wrapped up in?!  Her boss’s daughter was threatening her family, her own daughter?!  June had to sit down, feeling lightheaded and Nyla stood up to retrieve a glass of water for her.

“So that’s why you’ve been keeping us hidden away.  You bought us that cabin to keep us secluded.” All the pieces were falling into place and June didn’t know what to think or how to feel, tears stinging her eyes. “You were protecting us…”

Nyla nodded, rolling her lips together and already knew what Stephanie would do now that she’d defied them. “Stephanie is going to tell Randy about Neela.  I have a battle ahead of me and I really could use all the support I can get.  Roman IS different.  You may not see it now, but…he’s nothing like Randy.  And we haven’t slept together, so you can choose to believe that or not.  I have no reason to lie to you, Mom.  You’re here for your own protector, all of you, and Roman’s family knows Vince and Linda McMahon very well.  As soon as this is all over, I plan on taking Neela on the road with me a lot more for her breaks in school.  Summer, fall, winter, spring – all of them.  You guys have done enough for me and I love you for it.  I’ll never be able to repay you for everything you’ve done.  But I’m not choosing my job over her or vice versa, not anymore.  I’m taking an extended vacation, I have plenty of time saved up and I’m spending at least the next two weeks with you guys for Christmas and New Year’s.  I will ALWAYS choose my daughter over anyone and anything in this world.  Because she IS my life.”

“And I’d never ask her to choose her daughter over me either, Mrs. Miller.” Roman’s deep voice resonated through the kitchen as he stepped up to the table they sat at, a gentle smile on his face. “Dean and Macaria will be here for Christmas.”

“Dean and Macaria?” June questioned, looking at her daughter and tried not to feel embarrassed by the tongue lashing this man had probably overheard her giving Nyla.

Had Roman overheard the whole thing?  If that was the case…he knew who Neela’s father was.  They could deal with that later when they were alone, but right now, she was busy talking to her mother. “That’s good.  And yeah, Dean is a good friend of Roman’s and a wrestler.  Macaria works for the company too as a photographer.  She just started recently after doing some freelance work.”

“Oh.” June didn’t know how what to say to all of that, trying to process the load her daughter just dropped on her. “I’m gonna go get Neela, so she can eat.” She walked out, leaving them alone.

Randy Orton was Neela’s father.  Roman didn’t know how to feel about that, half of him enraged and the other half wondering what Nyla saw in the piss ant in the first place.  Randy was disrespectful and did NOT have a care in the world for the company.  He only cared about lining his pockets with cash and Roman wanted to beat the arrogance out of him.

“Roman…”

He held his hand up. “You don’t need to say anything.  I know why you didn’t tell me, but I’m glad I know now.  And if he comes after you and Neela, I’ll fuck his world up.  He won’t touch either one of you.” Stepping up to her, Roman could see the trepidation in her eyes and eased it by softly kissing her, showing her he wasn’t angry. “Are you okay?  I kinda overheard what your Mom said…”

“She’s just worried about me.  She loves me so much and she just doesn’t want me making another mistake like I did with Randy.  I get it.  She was harsh about it, but I understand and I can’t argue against anything she said.” Nyla felt his arms wrap around her and enjoyed the warmth and comfort from him, needing it. “She’ll warm up to you.  Just give her time.”

“I got all the time in the world, baby girl.” Roman assured her, kissing the top of her head and wouldn’t leave her just because her mother didn’t approve of them.

Before the Miller family left Pensacola, Florida, Roman vowed to gain both June and Benjamin’s approval.

Chapter 37

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S NOT HERE?!”

Hunter winced at his wife’s shrieking, wishing he’d brought earplugs before relaying the message from headquarters.

“THIS IS BULLSHIT!  SHE CAN’T TAKE TIME OFF NOW!  THIS IS A VERY CRUCIAL TIME FOR US!”

The reason behind Stephanie’s rant was due to the fact they didn’t have another writer in their pocket.  They didn’t have blackmail on the others and Nyla was the lead scriptwriter of the team.  Without her keeping everything together, the show would no doubt wind up in shambles.

“How long is her vacation?”

“Two weeks,” Hunter answered, covering his ears as Stephanie began shrieking all over again. “Steph…you gotta calm down.  We’ll simply bribe the other writers to go on our side and our way of thinking.  It’s no big deal…”

No, it was a HUGE deal because Stephanie didn’t feel the need to pay off people to do what they were told! “If they don’t comply, they’ll all be fired and I’ll hire a whole new writing team loyal to ONLY the Authority!” Tossing the paper aside they’d received from headquarters via fax, Stephanie swept out of the room to go have a meeting with the writers.

Roman’s locker room was quite a ways from the Authority’s, but he could STILL hear Stephanie’s voice piercing the hallways and laughed, wrapping his hand up with tape.  Good.  Served the banshee right!  It was hard leaving Nyla in Pensacola, but Roman had to keep up appearances, not wanting the Authority to know where she was located.  Granted, she had left with him, but that didn’t mean she’d automatically go home with him.  The Authority wasn’t smart enough to put the pieces together right away, which boded in his favor.

“Where is she?”

He looked up, raising a brow at a seething Seth Rollins and remained seated on the bench. “Who?”

“Don’t play fucking dumb with me, big dog!  WHERE. IS. NYLA?” Stephanie had made it abundantly clear he had to make things right with her or his push in the company would be forfeit. “I need to talk to her.”

“How the fuck should I know where your woman is at?” That left a bitter taste in his mouth. “Look, man, I’m trying to get ready for my match here…”

“She left with you the last time I saw her!  And now she’s on an extended vacation!  She won’t answer my phone calls and text messages either!” Desperation laced Seth’s voice as Roman continued wrapping the tape slowly around his fingers.

“Yeah, I took her back to the hotel, dropped her off and went to my room.  Haven’t seen her since, so I don’t know.” It was easy lying to a scumbag and Roman took great pleasure in watching the boy squirm.

Seth’s dark eyes narrowed at his former business partner, gritting his teeth and glanced at the clock.  He had to go meet up with Macaria for a photoshoot.  Smirking at the thought, he backed out of Roman’s dressing room and took off down the hallway, knowing exactly where her setup was located.  Why wasn’t he surprised to find Dean Ambrose with her upon arrival?

“Closed set, get out.” Seth ordered, setting his Money in the Bank briefcase down and didn’t bother with pleasantries.

“Um no it’s not and this is MY set, so I will decide if it’s closed or not, Rollins.  Just stand there for a minute and wait.” Macaria ordered, laughing at the next video Dean showed her and shook her head.

Waking up in Dean’s arms did wonders for her.  The moment her eyes opened and looked down at the arms around her, Macaria immediately knew who she was with.  She didn’t want to move and instead turned in his arms to face him, relishing the moment.  Dean had slept deeply and she had snuck a kiss in, just a brush of his lips, not realizing he’d done the same thing to her.  Instead of getting up, Macaria snuggled against his chest and felt his arms tighten around her, falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat against her ear. 

The next time she woke up, it was Dean moving and she looked up the same time he lowered his eyes to her, the magnetic attraction between them irresistible.  Before they could protest each other or overthink it, Dean’s mouth captured hers and Macaria’s fingers buried in his auburn blonde curls, their tongues entwining together.  They didn’t have sex, but…Dean had made sure to satisfy her with his fingers, making her cum for him, crying out his name repeatedly.  She had reciprocated by jacking him off and after they both got their climax, it was time for her to leave before they really did go too far.

Hell, they already had from kissing.

“Do you know how unprofessional this is?” Seth demanded, tapping his foot impatiently with his arms folded tightly in front of him.

“No more unprofessional than you almost hitting me in the parking lot.” Macaria retorted, eyeballing Seth with an arched brow and could see the steam figuratively rolling out of his ears.

“Relax man, just showing my friend some shit.  No need to get your panties in a twist.” Dean shot back, winking down at Macaria and slipped his phone back in his pocket.  He didn’t use it often, only for certain things and he’d found an app with the funniest videos. “All right, I’ll get out of your hair.” His voice dropped to a serious tone. “You good here with him?  Want me to stick around?”

Macaria squeezed his bicep gently and shook her head. “I’ll be fine.  Go get ready for your match tonight.” It was A Miracle on 34^th Street Fight against Bray Wyatt and she was looking forward to watching, providing she finished her work on time.

“If you need me…”

“I know you’re only a text or phone call away.” Her setup was actually a few doors down from his dressing room too, so if she screamed, Dean or Roman would hear her. “Go on.”

Reluctantly, Dean pulled away from her and turned to face a seething Seth, cracking his knuckles one by one. “You put your hands on her, or even THINK about hurting her again, and you and I are gonna have problems, asshole.  You understand me?  HANDS. OFF.” He got right in Seth’s voice, growling those last two words and was tempted to throttle the man he used to consider a friend.

“Just get the fuck outta here, so I can do my photo shoot.” Seth muttered, not in the mood to get into an altercation with Dean.  He was already on thin ice with Stephanie and didn’t need any added fire melting that ice.

“All right, Seth, I need you to stand in front of the green screen with your briefcase and give me some poses.”

Macaria would treat him like any other coworker, keeping a serene smile on her face.  For some reason, it came naturally to her whenever she was around this man and she didn’t know why.  Granted, he had terrified her by almost striking her, but after spending the day and night with Dean, all those fears had drained away.

“So you and Ambrose…”

“We’re friends, yes.”

Seth didn’t believe that for a second. “You do realize if Stephanie finds out you two are still together…”

Macaria lowered her camera from her face. “But we’re not.  At least not for another 5 ½ months, thanks to you.  Now start posing for me.  I want to get this done.”

“What’s the hurry?” Seth wouldn’t budge or do what he was told until she answered his questions. “Wanna get away from me as quickly as possible?”

“In a nutshell, yes.  I already told you I want nothing to do with you.  I would rather light myself on fire than ever go anywhere with you or spend any amount of time with you outside of work.” Macaria could see the tick in his jaw tightening and smirked, raising her camera up again to snap a few shots.

“I wasn’t ready!”

“I was.” Macaria shrugged, knowing what she was doing and the fire in his eyes, along with his tightened jaw, would do wonders for these photos.

“You know, if you got to know me better, you might change your mind about me.” Seth decided to humor her for the moment, but also wouldn’t stop trying to converse with her.  He wanted to make her feel uncomfortable, to see how far he could push her. “I can be A LOT of fun.”

Macaria bit back a snort, rolling her eyes behind the camera. “I’m sure you could be.  Still not changing my mind.” Not after what he almost did to her and everything he’d put Nyla through.

“So what is it about Dean Ambrose that has you hooked?  I mean, he’s crazy, is that what you go for?  You like it rough in bed?” Seth smirked at her own jaw twitching and tightening, figuring it was fair game since she’d been a smartass with him.

“I’m not answering that and you’re being extremely unprofessional right now, Seth.  I think I’ll inform Stephanie and report you since she told me if ANY WWE Superstar harassed, or tried hurting me, I was to report them.” Macaria threatened, watching his dark eyes widen a fraction of a second before narrowing. “It’s none of your business what I look for in a man.  Just know, you have zero qualities and you don’t qualify.  Hope that helps you sleep better at night.”

This woman had a mouth on her and Seth wanted to shove his dick in it just to shut her up. “You don’t even know me…”

“And I really don’t want to.  I don’t know how many times I have to say it.”

“But I’m the better man, don’t you see that?” Seth tried to coax and could tell it wasn’t working.

Not even a little bit.  Macaria pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to maintain her own temper. “Seth, I know you’re not used to being told no, but I’m going to keep telling you no over and over and over again until you get it through your thick skull.  I. AM. NOT. INTERESTED.  I have a man and he’s waiting for me after this stupid probation period is up.  You are NOT the better man, not even close.  Whatever plan you had in mind, when it comes to me, has backfired.  Because I’m willing to wait all that time to be with someone than to be another notch on someone’s bedpost.” She held the camera back up and began snapping photos again, once again with a serene smile. “Shall we continue?”

Seth snorted derisively. “You obviously don’t know Ambrose as well as you think.  There’s no way he’s gonna wait for you for 5 ½ months.  When we were in the Shield, he was a manwhore, Macaria.  He fucked everything and anything with two legs.” Not entirely true, but Seth enjoyed embellishing the truth a bit. “Shit, he would fly down to Florida just to meet up with Renee Young for a romp!  Hell, they probably still have a tumble beneath the sheets every once in a while.  There were rumors going around they were together in a relationship and I have to tell you, I laughed when I read them.  Ambrose is not capable of being in a monogamous relationship because of his fucked up past and quirky ways.  He’ll drop you as soon as he’s bored of you, which won’t take long.  He’ll realize you’re not WORTH waiting for and he’ll go onto the next honey blonde that catches his eye.”

“At least he’s not a rapist.”

Macaria did NOT appreciate having these facts about Dean’s past thrown in her face.  She didn’t care about his ‘frolics’ with Renee Young either, who was a very lovely woman.  They had met briefly in catering, shook hands and Renee told her to hang in there when it came to Dean.  They were friends and that was it.  Dean was allowed to have friends that were women; Macaria wasn’t the type to judge anyone since she wasn’t exactly a saint herself.  Everybody had a past, Dean’s might’ve been a little darker than hers, but that wouldn’t stop Macaria from wanting to be with him.

“EXCUSE ME?!” Seth recoiled, not expecting that accusation to fly out of her mouth and could feel his temper boiling over. “You little WHORE, you don’t know a fucking thing about what happened between me and Nyla!”

“Call me what you want.  I already told you, I’d rather be Dean Ambrose’s whore than yours, Rollins.  And I know everything, she told me all of it.  How you came to her late at night, snuck into her room uninvited and she would wake up with your cock inside of her.  Yeah, that’s rape, in case you didn’t know.” Macaria informed him coolly, keeping her voice down to where only Seth could hear her. “Now, do you really want to continue this or should we just get back to work?”

“She wanted it!” Seth had stepped up to the petite woman, after slamming his Money in the Bank briefcase on the floor, and began to slowly back her up. “She begged for my cock.  The words ‘fuck me, Seth’ flew out of her mouth so many times, I lost count.  So don’t you dare stand there and judge me when you don’t know the whole fucking story.”

“Only because, if she didn’t say those words, she would’ve had her family’s blood on her hands.  She was protecting them.” Macaria wouldn’t be swayed or convinced otherwise, believing Nyla over this scumbag piece of garbage any day of the week. “I know why you’re coming after me now.  It’s because you no longer have the power and control over her.  So you’re trying to find a replacement and I got news for you, Rollins, I WON’T tolerate it.  I WILL go to Vince McMahon himself if you don’t leave me alone and stop being unprofessional.”

Seth scoffed, not taking that threat to heart. “Did you forget who runs this place now?  I am the FUTURE of this company and Vince McMahon won’t do a fucking thing with his daughter and son-in-law running shit.  So you can take your idle threats and shove them up your ass, whore.”

“Last I checked, Vince McMahon STILL is the owner of this company and hasn’t signed anything over to his daughter and son-in-law.  They are simply power-hungry assholes with huge egos and enjoy destroying people’s lives.  They won’t do that with me, which is why I put that clause in my contract I can leave anytime I see fit.  And I’ll do it if shit gets too bad around here.  I suggest you back off and leave me alone, if you know what’s good for you, Rollins.  Because eventually, Vince McMahon will return and then what will happen?  What will you do once the Authority is out of power eventually?  Who will you hide behind?”

Not able to hold back any longer, Seth backhanded her and sent her flying to the floor in a heap, her scream echoing down the hallway.

By the time Roman arrived, since Dean had gone out for his match against Bray Wyatt, Seth was nowhere to be found and Macaria was on the floor, crying with a swollen face.

Chapter 38

When Dean came through the curtain, after finishing off his feud with Bray by beating him in the street fight, he was met by a worried Roman. “What happened, bro?” He demanded, blue eyes narrowing and began walking down the hallway with Roman toward the trainer’s room.

“It’s Macaria.  I heard her scream out and when I got to her setup, she was alone on the floor, holding her face.  Seth hit her, man.” Roman stopped Dean from storming away, knowing the man wanted to kill Seth for what he did to his woman.

“THAT MOTHER FUCKER!” Dean erupted, gaining the attention of several Superstars and Divas surrounding him, since they were near gorilla position, and took off away from Roman to the trainers.

Roman sighed heavily, following and shook his head, looking down at his phone when it buzzed in his hand.  It was Nyla checking on him and he smiled sadly, hardly able to wait to see her again and sent a quick text letting her know he’d call her once he was back at the hotel.  More than likely, Macaria would have to go to the hospital to get an x-ray of her face, just to make sure her cheekbone wasn’t shattered or any other damage was done.

When he arrived at the trainer’s, Roman blinked at Dean dragging Macaria by the hand, brushing past him heading directly for the Authority’s office. “Shit.” He had to follow to make sure Dean didn’t get either creamed by the Authority or fired for destroying Seth Rollins.

Stephanie’s head snapped up when her door was tossed open, along with Hunter, Kane, Seth, J & J Security and The Big Show. “What is the meaning of this?!” She squawked, blue eyes widening at the site of Macaria and rushed around the desk toward them. “What happened?!  Is she okay?!”

“Oh yeah, she’s fucking peachy, Princess!  Just got the shit knocked out of her by your golden boy!” Dean growled angrily, spitting nails and his eyes were nothing more than blue fire pulsating. “Is this how you treat NEW employees, you dumb bitch?!”

“HEY!  That’s my wife, Ambrose!  Watch your mouth!” Hunter snarled, up out of his chair in a heartbeat and standing beside Stephanie, his own eyes full of concern for the new hire. “Seth did this to you?”

Macaria had stayed quiet, even through Dean’s ranting and raving, along with dragging her in here. “Yes.” She answered quietly, feeling Dean’s arm wrap around her shoulders tightly to keep her against him, to protect her.

Hunter looked up at the ceiling and shut his eyes, wondering why Seth would actually strike a woman.  He had never done that to Nyla, but she had been compliant with whatever he wanted.  There was a reason he had asked Stephanie to look into Macaria, to hire her, and now he was starting to put the pieces together.  Even after he was warned by Stephanie to make things right with Nyla, Seth was STILL defying them and pursuing women he wasn’t supposed to!

“She’s lying!  I didn’t touch her!” Seth shouted, lying through his teeth and held his hands up when Hunter’s eyes snapped to him, along with Stephanie. “Come on guys, are you really going to believe HER, a nobody, over your future champion?!”

“Go ahead, believe him.  I don’t care anymore.” Macaria muttered, already expecting this reaction and knew it was her word against his. “I’m done.”

“Wait, what?  No!” Dean frowned at her, his anger temporarily squashed because of the resignation in her eyes. “Macaria…”

“Do you see this, Dean?  Do you see what he did to me?  It’s because of you that he did it!  He’s only going after me because of you!” Macaria shoved him away from her, hot tears streaming down her cheeks and wrapped her arms around herself. “I only got that stipulation of not being with anyone in the company for 6 months because of HIM!  They’re going to protect him.  They’re going to brush this under the fucking rug!  I am DONE!  I am NOT working for a company that ABUSES their employees!  And dictates who they can and can’t be with!” This was madness and Macaria was done with the games, wiping her tears away. “I would rather work for that dragon bitch than WWE at this point because at least she didn’t abuse me.  At least I wasn’t struck down like a fucking dog for speaking my mind to a prick, who refuses to accept the word NO!”

Stephanie’s eyes were narrowed to slits at Seth as Macaria stormed out of the office with Dean and Roman hot on her trail. “You are going to pay for that.” She promised in a dark tone, nodding at Kane, who wrapped his meaty hand around Seth’s throat. “I thought we had a discussion, hmm?  I thought I made it clear to you NOT to do anything to force her to leave BEFORE the 6 months was up!”

“She…pissed…me off…” Seth wheezed out, knowing better than to try fighting Kane and could see the disappointment and anger written all over Stephanie’s face.

“We don’t tolerate men hitting women around here, Seth!  Have you lost your mind?!  If my father hears about this, if she goes to any presses or even those wrestling dirt sheets, she will DESTROY the Authority!” Stephanie snapped, slapping him as hard as she could across the face and then nailed him in the junk with her knee, watching him crumble like a sack of potatoes at her feet.

Hunter did not move from his spot, knowing better than to challenge his wife when she was in a mood like this.

“Now then, I have to go clean up your fucking mess and hope I can convince her to stay on.” Stephanie stepped ON his back on her way out the door, slamming it shut.

“You really fucked up, Rollins.” Hunter grunted, helping the man up and shoved him into a chair, ordering J & J to grab him some ice for his throbbing genitalia.

~!~

“Macaria, please don’t leave!  This is your dream job!” Dean was near hysterics watching her pack her things and wanted to stop her, but Roman forced him to stay where he was. “I know it’s been hard, but not everything in life comes easy to us!  We have to fight for it!”

She stopped what she was doing to look back at him, her face already bruising up heavily. “Fight for what?  For you?  For us?  There can’t be an ‘us’, Dean, and you know that!  Not until this stupid probation is over with and Seth won’t leave me alone!  It’s better if I just cut ties with all of you and go back to Vegas and try to find my way!”

His heart broke at her harsh words, understanding where they were coming from.  It still didn’t hurt any less.  Shoving Roman away, Dean grabbed Macaria and passionately kissed her, throwing the rule book out the window.  He couldn’t lose her.  He couldn’t lose her because of Seth or the damn company!  It hurt to kiss him back both emotionally and physically, due to her bruised cheek.

“Y-You’re not supposed to…”

“I don’t care.  You’re leaving anyway, so what do I have to fucking lose now?” Dean remarked, keeping her in his arms and felt her face bury in his chest, letting her tears soak his skin. “Please don’t leave.  Maca, I don’t want to be the cause of your pain or the reason you quit this job.  Tell me what to do and I’ll do it.  No matter how hard it is, I’ll do anything to help you get through this.”

There was only one thing he could do that would ensure she got through these next 5 ½ months. “Anything?” She looked up into his eyes, watching him nod and wiped her tears away, stepping back.

“Name it.”

Just then, Stephanie arrived on the scene and stopped at the sight before her, staying silent.

“I can’t be your friend, Dean.  I need you to…stay away from me.  It’s the only way to ensure Seth Rollins doesn’t screw with me anymore.  You shouldn’t have to keep an eye on me either or protect me or enlist others to do it.  I’m a grown woman and I can take care of myself, just like I’ve been doing it since I was 17.” Macaria stepped back a little more, noticing Stephanie was watching them and turned to pick her camera up, exhaling a shaky breath. “Until this probation period is up, I can’t have any contact with you.  No texting.  No phone calls.  No emails.  No contact at all unless it’s professionally.  If you truly mean what you say about helping me through this, that’s what I need from you.  Let me find my own way.”

“Once your probation is over, what are we supposed to do then?”

Macaria smiled sadly, fresh tears welling in her eyes. “Find our way back to each other.  I’ll understand if you don’t want to be with me after this.  Don’t hold yourself back either.  If you need an itch that needs to be scratched over the next 5 ½ months, go for it.  You won’t be faulted for it since you’re single and you can do whatever you want.”

After the wonderful morning they shared together, it was hard to believe the day was ending like this. “Okay Macaria, okay.” He backed up, hands lifted in defeat and nodded solemnly. “I get it.  If you need me though…”

“No, I won’t contact you.  Not Roman.” Hell, she wasn’t even sure if she wanted to keep in contact with Nyla because she didn’t need the woman telling Roman things they talked about. “I’ll be okay by myself.”

Stephanie cleared her throat, stepping into the room. “Macaria, I truly am sorry for what happened to you and Seth has been reprimanded for it.  He will be heavily fined for his actions.”

A fine…that was it?  That was what happened to women who were abused by men in this industry?  Fined? “He should be fucking fired for putting his hands on me.” She argued heatedly, holding her hand up before Stephanie could feed her a line of excuses. “Don’t worry about it.  I understand how everything works around here.  I’m done with Dean Ambrose and he’s done with me.  The only thing I ask is that you relay the message to Seth and order him to stay away from him.  If he needs pictures taken, have one of the other photographers do it.  I don’t want to work with him anymore, Stephanie or I’m leaving.”

As much as Stephanie didn’t appreciate being talked down to, she did not blame Macaria for feeling the way she did. “I was already planning on it.  He asked me to work with you because he said you were the best.  Obviously, I can see that was a lie now and just a way to get closer to you.  I will make sure he stays away from you from here on out.  You have my word on that.”

Her word didn’t mean anything until she proved it. “Fine.  I’m going back to the hotel to rest my face unless you need something from me?”

“No, go put ice on your face and I’m giving you tomorrow night off, so you can go home for the holiday if you want.  I’ll even pay for your plane ticket.” Stephanie was only kissing her backside because of that clause in her contract and she really didn’t want to lose another photographer.  They had already lost one and had to replace him because of his stupidity.

Going home to Vegas sounded wonderful, actually.  Macaria had found a couple houses she could look at on those days off too. “Okay.” She wasn’t thanking this woman for a single thing and placed her camera in her bag, zipping it up.

“What about Christmas?” Dean asked quietly after Stephanie left and could feel Roman’s hand on his shoulder.

“I told you no contact.  I won’t be there.  You need to stop worrying about me.  I’ll be just fine spending Christmas in Vegas since I’m moving out of my shitty apartment, hopefully.” Macaria touched her cheek and winced, still not believing Seth had put his hands on her.

“Dean, don’t,” Roman ordered in a low voice, knowing this was the best decision for both of them right now.  That stupid probation clause was ridiculous and all Seth, but it had obviously backfired. “Come on, I’ll buy you a beer, man.”

Dean could only walk out with Roman with slumped shoulders, scrubbing his hands down his face and let out a shaky breath.  Why did it hurt so badly to be completely cut from Macaria’s life?  He understood why she did it, but it didn’t piss him off any less.  He told her not to give up on them and she was doing exactly that!  Dean was tempted to go back to her, take her into his arms and kiss her breathless, demanding her to keep him in her life in SOME capacity.

Walking out of the arena, Macaria slipped into the back of the cab and went to the hotel to grab her things.  The cab waited for her and then it was off to the airport to catch a redeye flight home.  Vegas would be a perfect distraction from what she was going through and feeling.  The whole ride, she cried and ignored text messages and calls from Nyla, not wanting to talk to anyone right now.  Macaria wanted to be completely left alone to get through the heartache she currently experienced.  Sighing, she paid the cab fare and stepped out to head into the airport, going directly to the front desk to grab her ticket.  Stephanie had made due on her promise and, turns out, allowed Macaria to use the company’s private jet to go home.  She blinked at the luxurious plane, wondering if this was right, but the flight attendant assured her it was.

“Do you need something to drink, ma’am?” The flight attendant asked cordially, smiling at the woman’s bewildered expression.

“Do you have liquor?”

“Yes.”

“Double shot of bourbon, please.” She needed something extremely hard yet smooth to swallow down, once again needing a distraction.

“Coming right up.”

The flight was only 2 hours long and very smooth, the chair extremely comfortable.  She cried the entire way, thankful the flight attendants had left her alone beside refilling her glass.  After three double bourbons, she had a nice buzz going on, but not enough to where she couldn’t get home.  Cabs were a beautiful thing in Vegas.  Around 1 AM, she finally arrived at her shoddy apartment and opened the door, bombarded with pictures of her and Dean hanging all over the place.  She forgot she had developed them during her time working for Aya.  Feeling her heart splinter all over again, Macaria began ripping them all down, leaving them flooding her floor and collapsed on the carpeted floor to roll her body up tightly.

In that position, she passed out for the next 12 hours straight.

Chapter 39

“Momma, Santa isn’t real, you know that, right?”

Neela broke her heart every time she said those words because Nyla didn’t want that last vestige of her childhood gone. “Sweetheart…”

Some douchebag kids at her school had pulled her aside, when she was 7, and told her there was no such thing as Santa Claus.  It was disheartening to hear 7-year-olds didn’t believe in magic like Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny or anything like that anymore.  Neela was extremely smart for her age, 9 going on 19 it seemed.  Where had her little angel gone?  Neela was a great kid, for the most part, though she had her temper tantrum moments like every normal child.

“You may not believe in him, but I do, so blah.” Nyla stuck her tongue out at her daughter and continued stirring the mashed potatoes.

It was Christmas Eve. 

Roman and Dean would be home any minute and Nyla wanted dinner ready and waiting for them.  Roman’s entire family would be here for the holidays, so the house would be full of laughter.  Nyla had tried to contact Macaria several times, after Roman told her what happened, wanting to make sure she was all right.  She couldn’t believe Seth actually struck her and the company simply fined him.  Those assholes would do anything to protect themselves and their golden boy.  It wasn’t a surprise to hear Macaria would not be joining them for the festivities, though it hadn’t saddened Nyla any less.  She was looking forward to having her friend spend Christmas with them and felt her heartbreak at the thought of Macaria being alone.

“Mom, someone’s at the door!” Neela squealed out, rushing to the front door to open it and looked up at the very tall men in front of her. “Hi, Roman!  Hi, complete stranger!  Merry Christmas!”

Roman chuckled, lowering himself to one knee in front of her to be eye-level and took her hand, kissing the back of it. “Merry Christmas, Neela.  Where’s your Mom?” He smiled when she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder, pointing toward the kitchen. “You know what to do, man.  Make yourself comfortable, this is your home too.”

Nodding, Dean hadn’t said much the past few nights and just wanted to drown himself in hard liquor.  Christmas wouldn’t be the same without Macaria here and he’d been looking forward to it.  Now, not so much.  He went to the room designated for him and dropped his bag by the wall, ripping his leather jacket off.  It was somewhat chilly in Pensacola, enough to wear a jacket.  It never lowered past 60 degrees though, but Dean wasn’t good with cold weather ever since moving out of the Midwest and Philadelphia.

Not talking to Macaria was extremely hard to do.  She hadn’t contacted him once either.  It felt weird and Dean didn’t know why since they didn’t know each other that long.  He was worried about her being alone for the holidays.  He was concerned about her bruised cheek since she refused to go get an x-ray done.  What if her cheekbone was cracked?  What if there was more damage than she realized from Seth’s backhand?  Grunting, he dropped down on the bed on his back and stared up at the ceiling, hearing faint giggling from downstairs.  Roman could be happy with his new family, but Dean wanted to be completely alone to wallow in his misery.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Roman was tickling Neela mercilessly and finally stopped, sending her into the living room to watch cartoons. “Where are your parents?” He asked, placing his hand on her hips while she checked the green bean casserole in the oven.

Wanting to look nice for Christmas, Nyla had a red short-sleeved wrap dress on with a green and red sash, her feet bare.  Her dark brown hair was up in curls on top of her head, pinned, thanks to her mother.  Her parents were currently out finishing their Christmas shopping and Roman’s family would be here in about 2 hours.  It was just after 2 PM and dinner wouldn’t be until 4-4:30 PM.  Neela was in a deep blue that matched her eyes perfectly and it shimmered silver, going to her knees.  Roman had noticed the attire and thought both looked beautiful, especially Nyla.  That wrap dress looked delectable on her and he wanted to peel it off with his teeth.  That would have to wait until later tonight if she was willing to go to the next level with him.

“How is he?” Nyla asked quietly, turning to look up into his eyes and Roman shook his head, making her frown. “That bad, huh?”

“She broke his heart.  It’s gonna take time for him to get over it.  I don’t know what’s gonna happen between them, but she fucked him up pretty good.  And he didn’t even do anything.” Roman pulled Nyla gently in his arms, not wanting to muse her up in any way and softly captured her lips. “Mmm, I missed you…”

“You did, huh?” Nyla still couldn’t believe they were together and caressed his polo shirt covered chest. “Did you tell your parents the change of plans with her?”

Roman nodded, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah.  She’s worried about Dean, but nothing can be done.  He said he doesn’t wanna participate in anything tonight with opening presents and shit.  I’m gonna try to convince him to, but I won’t push him either.”

“If you want, I can try to talk to him?” Nyla offered, not surprised when Roman declined and told her he’d handle it.

“Need some help with cooking?”

“No, you’ve been working your ass off.  The least I can do is make dinner since I’m well-rested.  Go sit down and watch football or something.”

Roman was also down because Joelle wouldn’t be spending Christmas with him this year.  It was her mother’s year, they swapped Joelle every other year so, unfortunately, Roman wouldn’t see her until he was off again sometime in the new year.  He kissed Nyla again and headed into the living room, seeing Neela occupying the television watching cartoons.  Not wanting to bother her, Roman grabbed his bag and went to his room, passing by Dean’s in the process.  The door was shut, but he didn’t hear any snoring, so Roman knew he wasn’t sleeping yet.  Deciding to leave his brother alone, for the time being, Roman went to his room to unpack his things since he had 5 days off.

Lisa and Sika arrived exactly 2 hours later, carrying their own food into the house to add to the meal.  June and Benjamin were already back and stood up to finally meet Roman’s parents reluctantly.  Lisa could tell June wasn’t happy about this situation and simply smiled at the woman, shaking her hand before moving to Benjamin.  Her husband was very loving and would’ve hugged them, but Roman warned them how standoffish and tense Nyla’s parents were.  Roman and Nyla both breathed silent sighs of relief, standing together with Neela in front of her.

“This is my daughter, Neela Miller.  Neela, this is Roman’s parents, Lisa and Sika.” Nyla introduced, gesturing to each person with a soft smile and Sika lowered to one knee, just like Roman did, taking the little girl by the hand.  There were a lot of similarities between Roman and his father, for sure.

“Hello, little one.  It’s nice to meet you.” Sika had a warm, loving, low voice that could soothe the pants off anyone.

Neela felt more comfortable, less timid and smiled brightly at the older man. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Sika.”

“Just Sika, little one.” The man chuckled, patting her head and stood back up to allow his wife to hug her next.

It was possibly the sweetest thing Nyla had ever witnessed in her life.  For these people to embrace them with open arms amazed her.  They didn’t have to do it, but that was how accepting and warm Roman’s family was.  His brother and sisters arrived shortly after, all in town for the holiday.  Roman hugged them all, introducing the newest woman in his life with her gorgeous daughter.  Neela really was the star of the show, the main attraction, and Roman only wished his daughter could join them.  His family was used to the set up him and his ex-girlfriend had ever since they split when she was just 2 years old.  Lisa hugged her son closely, whispering words of love in his ear and then went into the kitchen to start setting up the food with June and Nyla.

“So, how long have you and Roman been together?” Lisa inquired, a lot friendlier about this than June had been.  She didn’t know what the woman had gone through though and wouldn’t judge. “He seems very happy with you…”

“Umm…” This was really embarrassing because Lisa already knew the real reasoning for her and her family being here in Roman’s house. “Not long.” She really did not want to tell Roman’s mother it hadn’t even been a week, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Oh honey, don’t be embarrassed over it.  Love is love and when you know, you know.” Lisa grinned at the woman’s gaping face and winked, seeing June roll her eyes. “You don’t think they’re in love, June?”

“No, I don’t,” June answered in a clipped tone, not wanting to think about her daughter falling for another wrestler’s tricks. “I understand we’re only here for protection and nothing more…”

“But they’re together in a relationship.” Lisa pointed out, blinking when June swept out of the room without a backward glance. “Was it something I said?”

Nyla couldn’t believe the way her mother was acting, her heart breaking into a million pieces. “No June, it’s okay.  She’s just…overprotective of me…” That was the excuse she kept coming up with for her mother, but honestly, Nyla was getting a little tired of the attitude. “Excuse me.”

Whatever was going on between Nyla and her mother, they could handle it.  Lisa did not want to be involved in that family drama and continued putting food in the various serving bowls.  Nyla caught up with her mother, who was outside and shut the door behind her to make sure they were alone.

“Mom, that was uncalled for.”

“What was?  I was only telling the truth.  We’re only here to be protected by your bosses and nothing more.  When they’re finally subdued, we’ll go back home and you can finally get away from this wrestling shit…” June couldn’t wait to get out of here and go back home, missing her house and bed.

It was Christmas Eve and she didn’t want to ruin her daughter’s holiday.  However, there came a time when a daughter had to stick up for herself against her mother. “No Mom, that’s what you don’t understand.” Roman had talked to her about this while on the road and they still had more talking to do, but both wanted the same thing. “I-I’m not going home with you when this is all said and done.  Neither is Neela.”

June slowly turned her head with an arched brow, eyes wide. “What are you saying, Nyla Elizabeth?”

This really was a horrible time to tell her mother what she’d decided. “Roman asked me if I would move in here with Neela.  And I said yes.”

“YOU WHAT?!”

“Mom, you were right.  I’ve burdened you and Dad for far too long and forced you to raise my child because I wouldn’t give up my dream job.  But I also wanted to protect Neela from her biological father.  And I love you and Dad so much for that.  I need to find my own way, though.  I need to try this with Roman because…I’ve been in love with him since he debuted on the main roster in WWE.  Since I met him a little over 2 years ago.” Nyla confessed, explaining her feelings the best she could and felt tears streak down her cheeks at her mother’s disapproving mien. “I love him.”

“You don’t know what love is, Nyla.  Do you know why?  Because you don’t understand what it means to be in a COMMITTED relationship!  You go off and have these flings, get pregnant and expect your parents to pick up the pieces!  No!  No more!  I won’t let you take my granddaughter away from me!  I’ve raised her since she was a baby and I’ll be DAMNED if I let you rip her away from the only environment she’s ever known for a FLING!” June snapped, not believing this was happening and what her daughter just told her.  What she was going to do! “You are being so selfish and inconsiderate!  I didn’t raise you like that!  Neela has friends she’s known for years and you just wanna rip her away from all of it to move here on what may or may NOT be a working relationship!  You’ve lost your damn mind, girl!”

“MOTHER!  Are you standing here telling me you’ll fight me for custody of my child?!” Nyla covered her mouth with her hand at her mother’s emphatic nod. “No!  Neela belongs to me and it’s because of ME you have that beautiful house you’re obsessed with and want to be in right now!  I provide for her every single damn day of my life to give her everything you didn’t!  You will not rip my child away from me!  I’ll make sure of it!”

“So you’ll fight me and your Daddy in court?  You’re really going to be that selfish?” June couldn’t look at her daughter another second, already heading back into the house. “We’ll see who wins in the end, Nyla Elizabeth.” They were packing up and heading home first thing in the morning, providing they could get a flight on Christmas Day.

Roman heard doors slamming throughout his house and saw the front door was open, heading out to see Nyla in tears. “What happened, baby girl?” He pulled her into his arms, cradling her head in his strong hand as her tears beat down and soaked through the polo he had on. “Nyla, talk to me, please…” Her tears were going to kill him.

“M-My Mom…I-I told her.  I had to.  She just doesn’t see how much you mean to me and…” Nyla couldn’t talk or form a coherent sentence, sobbing and could feel Roman’s body tense up. “What a fucked up Christmas this turned out to be!”

“Shhh, it’s okay, baby girl.  I don’t care what she says or thinks and you shouldn’t either.  What matters is what you feel inside and you already know how I feel about you.” If everything he’d done up to this point wasn’t obvious, the woman was blind or stupid.  He pulled back, staring down into her eyes and wiped her tears away with the pad of his thumbs. “I love you, Nyla.  I know it’s really fast and you don’t have to-” She cut him off, bringing his mouth down on hers to passionately kiss him.

Maybe it wasn’t such a bad Christmas after all.

~!~

Upstairs, Dean flipped his phone to the side repeatedly, contemplating if he should at least send a text message to wish Macaria a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays or something.  Hell, he didn’t even know what she believed in and didn’t want to upset her.  She didn’t seem to mind it being called Merry Christmas, but then again, Dean didn’t have a lot of Christmases to be thankful for.

“Fuck, just do it.  Just do it and be done with it.” Before he could stop himself, he pulled up Macaria’s number and sent the quick text, closing his eyes hoping she at least read it.

Macaria saw her phone go off, almost 14 sheets to the wind with a bottle of Jack Daniels in her hand and blurrily looked at the screen, fresh tears falling from her eyes.

Merry Christmas, Maca.

It was Dean.  Didn’t she tell him not to contact her?  Sniffling, she read the message repeatedly for 10 minutes straight and finally responded back.

Dean’s heart nearly jumped in his throat his phone went off and there was a new text message from her.

Merry Christmas, Deano.

He closed his eyes, clutching the phone to his chest and decided right then and there he would not give up on her. 

They still had hope, they could still find their way back to each other in 5 ½ months.

Chapter 40

It was the week before WrestleMania XXXI.

Three months since the Christmas from hell, thanks to Nyla’s judgmental parents.

Three months since Nyla moved in with Roman in Pensacola and she’d never been happier in her life.

Surprisingly, Neela was all right with the move and didn’t have any anxiety, especially after finally meeting Joelle, Roman’s daughter.  The girls were a few years apart in age, but they hit it off without any problems.  Barbies were their favorite along with tea parties.  Roman’s mother, Lisa, volunteered to happily keep an eye on Neela while Roman and Nyla were on the road for work.  Nyla refused to give her job up, but she wouldn’t bring Neela on the road either, wanting her to have as normal a childhood as possible.  They had gotten her registered at the local elementary school and everyone was very welcoming.  Nyla always called in at least twice a day to check on her daughter – the transition had been tough for Nyla at first due to the fact, she didn’t know Roman’s family all that well. 

June kept her promise and hired a lawyer to try to get full physical and sole custody of her granddaughter.  However, she had no leg to stand on because of her financial turmoil.  Nyla had cut her off and Benjamin wound up having to go back to work to support them.  They had to drop the lawyer a month into the fight due to financial disarray and were on the verge of losing their home.  Nyla begged her mother to drop the custody battle, promising Neela could see them on her breaks since she was home a lot more.  The Authority had backed way off, allowing her to do her job the way she wanted, as long as she wasn’t biased.  Nyla did what she thought best for the WWE Universe, putting the fans first before anything else and kept her personal animosity at what they did to her at bay.

Ever since Nyla had started dating Roman and left Seth high and dry, they had surprisingly left her alone.  It was a little unnerving at first, but as the months ticked by, with no repercussions, the anxiety slowly melted away.  Now she loved coming to work and doing her job, feeling the way she did when she first started back in 2003.  Roman always walked her to her office, kissed her soundly and promised to meet up with her in catering, if he could, before his match.  They had a routine down, but he still did some things spontaneously, especially when it came to making out.  They STILL hadn’t done the deed yet.  Nyla really wanted to, but during WrestleMania season, she didn’t see Roman a whole lot due to the buildup for the biggest event of the year.  This was the WWE’s Superbowl and he was exhausted by the time the nights came to an end.  There were some weeks she went home to Pensacola without him because he had media or signings or the WWE had added an extra show he had to attend.

What Nyla didn’t realize was Seth had been biding his time, along with the rest of the Authority, waiting for the perfect moment to unravel her entire world.

It would happen that night on Raw – the go home show for WrestleMania.

~!~

It was also 3 months since Macaria called everything off with Dean to focus solely on her career.

After being struck down by Seth Rollins, Stephanie had kept him far away from her and only sent non-intimidating men to her for photo shoots.  Macaria had also requested Dean Ambrose to be moved to another photographer too.  Stephanie had smiled smarmily and gave her that request and gave her Roman Reigns instead, with other Superstars and Divas.  Macaria was still friends with Nyla and knew everything the woman had gone through.  They had at least one coffee date a week, usually the morning of Smackdown! shows because Dean and Roman liked to meet up to work out on those days.  It was their chance to catch up, talk and Nyla made sure not to mention Dean to Macaria once.

These past 3 months had flown by and Macaria was slammed with so much work, she barely got any sleep these days.  Melatonin was her best friend whenever she went home for her 2 days off in Vegas.  She’d found a beautiful two bedroom house on the outskirts of the city, had an in-ground pool with a fireplace and the whole place inside was carpeted besides the bathrooms and kitchen.  It was perfect.  It was her paradise.  It was somewhat like Dean’s place, but had her own personal touch to it.  She had taken out an FHA loan and paid double on the house, so it would be paid off within 10 years instead of 25-30 years.  Along with a new house came a new car, a 2014 Nissan Rogue.  She had loved the rental Dean drove, the design of it and everything.  It was a little roomy for her and she liked it that way, only driving it ever so often since she was on the road constantly.

Never once did Dean leave her mind.  There were a few times like at Christmas and New Year’s they texted each other, wishing each other well.  That was it though.  No other text messages, phone calls, emails, nothing between them.  Macaria’s life had stopped being hectic and tense ever since she called things off with him.  She liked the way things were nowadays, but missed Dean more than she could or would ever admit.  Her heart hurt whenever she saw him on the monitor backstage, having one in her makeshift office and had to turn it off.  It pained her too much to watch him and Macaria did her best to avoid him like the plague.  Every picture of him was put in a portfolio and shoved in the back of her closet in the bedroom at home, hidden from the world. 

When her probation was up in another 3 months, Macaria had no idea what she would do if he came back for her.

On one hand, she just wanted to jump in his arms and cling to him for dear life, but everything seemed to be settled and easy without him.  She was torn on what to do, her brain and heart conflicted.  That was even if he wanted her anymore.  Macaria had hurt him pretty badly with what she’d said and done.  Sighing, it was moments like these when she was completely alone, in the seclusion of her office, in between Superstars/Divas needing their photos taken, she reflected over everything that happened.  At the very least, Seth had stayed away and Macaria had a feeling that was due to Stephanie.  The woman was a bitch and heartless, but for some reason, she had a soft spot Macaria still, to this day, did not understand.

“Earth to Caria.”

Macaria snapped out of her deep thoughts and smiled sheepishly at Nyla, taking the coffee the woman had for her. “Thanks.  Sorry.”

“You were in la-la land again.  What’s on your mind?” Nyla needed a break after working all day on scripts, finalizing them for WrestleMania.  The writers kept changing things and she had to either approve or deny them.  Most were denied, sadly. “Anything you wanna talk about?”

“Just reflecting.  Nothing to really talk about.” Macaria smiled, sipping her coffee and groaned at how good it tasted. “I needed a caffeine boost.”

Nyla didn’t believe that, but wouldn’t push Macaria, knowing she would only clam up. “I swear, these writers need their heads removed from their asses.” She shook her head, sipping her own coffee.

“Why, what happened?” Macaria asked amusedly, a small smile on her face.  She didn’t smile much these days, not really having much to be happy about.  Even with the major changes in her life.

“Just stupid, ridiculous ideas.  I swear, I don’t think any of them have brains in their skulls.  If I went with HALF their ideas, this company would go bankrupt.” Nyla complained, making Macaria laugh and knew her job was done for the evening.  She tried getting the woman to laugh at least once a day if they saw each other.

“That bad, eh?  Thank god I’m not on the writing team cause I’d probably lose IQ points dealing with those morons.” It was Nyla’s turn to laugh just as the unmistakable music of Randy Orton flowed through the speakers. “Wanna watch what happens with Orton and Rollins?  I hope he beats the shit out of that asshole at Mania, personally.”

“Don’t you got anybody scheduled for pictures?”

“Not for another hour or so.  I can take some time to watch the show with you.”

Shrugging, Nyla actually enjoyed watching her ex-fling destroy Seth Rollins week in and week out, despite the Authority’s efforts.  Randy was always one step ahead of them with the feud.  Tonight, the WWE Universe decided Randy’s fate by choosing who his opponent would be for the evening.  Naturally, they chose J & J Security – Jamie Noble and Joey Mercury to be the sacrifices.  Throughout the whole match, if it could even be called that, Randy played and toyed with them, making Seth think about what was coming his way at WrestleMania.  It was hilarious and the girls were giggling uncontrollably, leaning against each other while Jamie and Joey tried devising some kind of plan to gain the upper hand on the Viper.

It wasn’t happening.

Finally, after Randy delivered an RKO to Jamie Noble, after scaring Seth off from the ring as he ran up the ramp.  Pinning his so-called security, Randy smiled viciously and slowly made his way to his feet, standing over the fallen J & J Security.  He pointed up the ramp at Seth, mouthing ‘that’s you on Sunday’ and, for a split second, the color drained out of Seth’s face.  However, it was only a second and Seth had pulled something out of his back pocket, waving it at Randy with a microphone in hand.

For some reason, Nyla felt her stomach clench and tighten, sharing a worried look with Macaria.

Macaria grabbed Nyla’s hand, neither saying a word and turned their attention back to the monitor as Seth began speaking.

“You know, Randy, I tried to get along with you.  I tried being your teammate, but you just couldn’t bow down to the FUTURE of this company!  You still haven’t gotten it through your thick skull who I am and what I stand for!  And what’s worse – you never saw THIS coming.” Seth laughed wickedly, once again waving the piece of paper in the air while Randy looked on perplexed.

“What the fuck you on about, boy?” Randy shouted from the ring, not bothering with a microphone and leaned against the ropes, his cool mystic blues icing over.

“In my hand holds a deep, dark secret that’s been kept from you for the past 10 years.”

“Oh my god…” Nyla gasped out, now understanding why her stomach had tightened and her heart began beating thunderously against her chest. “No, NO!”

Randy arched a brow, not understanding what Seth was talking about.

Seth drank this moment in for a few seconds, letting it sink in and the crowd was buzzing all around him, another wicked laugh echoing in the microphone. “You never realized Hunter and Stephanie had kept this secret from you.  They kept you CLOSE for a reason!  They kept you from finding out purposely in order to use this against someone who you were once close with.  A LOOOOOOOONG time ago.”

“Please, please don’t do this…” Nyla clutched her head in her fingers, gripping her hair tightly and could already feel the tears sliding down her cheeks.

Seth was truly the scum of the earth for doing this on national television, Macaria thought sadly, knowing nobody would be able to stop the secret from getting out now.

He had been waiting, biding his time, for the opportune moment to reveal the truth to Randy, when Seth knew it would hurt the most.  This was his revenge against Nyla for rejecting him, for making his life miserable, for all the hell he had to go through after she went with Roman from the Authority.  Stephanie, specifically.  If Nyla thought he’d forgotten her for a second, she was sadly mistaken.

“In my hand, I hold a piece of paper that is a paternity test, Randy.  A paternity test that involves you…and a certain writer in the back.” Seth could see the realization dawn on Randy’s face and rolled his lips, unable to stop laughing. “And this certain writer had a daughter…9 years ago.” He paused again, letting his words sink into Randy’s brain and enjoyed the heavy booing from the crowd. “YOUR daughter, Randy!”

“Oh fuck!” Roman stared at the monitor in shock, along with Dean, who had already had his segment for the night.

“Go.” Dean knew he had to go hunt down Nyla before Randy could find her, pushing him out the door.

Dean was chasing after the Intercontinental championship, along with 5 other men, after stealing it from Bad News Barrett – Wade Barrett.  He was a horrible champion and did not make the title prestigious.  They had a match at Fastlane, the pay-per-view event on the road to WrestleMania, after the Royal Rumble, and the man refused to fight him.  He kept getting out of the ring, trying to get counted out like a coward.  Dean didn’t take kindly to that disrespect and stole the title, claiming it was HIS title now and Barrett was a disgrace to the championship.  Ever since, he held onto the belt and now, at WrestleMania XXXI, he would do his best to climb the ladder in the Ladder match and win it fair and square.  Five other men stood in his way and Dean knew he’d go through hell on earth, but one way or another, he had to win this match or die trying.

What else did have to live for?

Shaking his head at the monitor, Dean saw the anger building on Randy’s face and Seth took off backstage with Randy hot on his trail.  It was a good thing Roman had gone after Nyla because that was a secret she had been worried the Authority would use one day against her.  Tonight had been that time, apparently.  They were nothing more than pieces of garbage, but at the very least, Nyla had been left alone to her own devices and he and Roman were no longer getting crappy storylines and scripts.

“NYLA!!”

Dean overheard that roar down the hallway and was out the door instantly, seeing Randy making a beeline for her with Roman blocking her from view.  Along with Nyla was…Macaria.  He hadn’t seen her in at least a month, doing his best to avoid her and could see the fear in her eyes for her friend.  He stepped up to stand by Roman, folding his arms in front of his bare chest, fresh out of the shower.

“Move out of the way, boys!  This doesn’t concern YOU!” Randy clutched the paternity test in his hand tightly, gritting his teeth to the point of gnashing. “You had my kid and DIDN’T BOTHER TELLING ME?!”

Nyla was too afraid to speak, clutching onto Roman’s arm and couldn’t meet Randy’s eyes.

Seth sauntered up, laughing and leaned against the cinderblock wall, knowing he had thoroughly messed with Randy’s head going into their match at WrestleMania. “Now I KNOW you didn’t think the Authority wouldn’t make due on their promise, Nyla.” He shook his finger at her and blinked when she screamed out, tackling him to the floor.

“Whoa, Nyla!” Roman had watched her SPEAR Seth to the floor as hard as she could, actually making him land on his backside.  Her tiny fists began beating down on him, her screams echoing around everyone and he had to peel her off Seth with brute force. “Calm down – calm down, baby girl!!”

Macaria and Dean watched on in shock, watching Roman drag a raging Nyla down the hallway to check her sore hands while Seth was left with scratches on his face.

Just because he wanted to, Dean delivered a Dirty Deeds to Seth against the concrete floor, leaving him laying and snorted, walking past Macaria on his way back to his dressing room.

Chapter 41

Seth was seeing stars and little birdies floating around his head as a beaten up J & J Security dragged him back to the Authority’s office.  Stephanie had tried to get Randy back on their side, prior to tonight, but the Viper had put a nail in his proverbial coffin.  That was why Seth and Randy would do battle at WrestleMania.  When J & J Security entered the office with a dazed Seth Rollins and the name ‘Dean Ambrose’ muttered out of their mouths, her blue eyes narrowed.  What the hell was Dean Ambrose attacking Seth for?

“What happened?” She demanded coolly, folding her arms in front of her chest while Seth was placed in a chair to sit down.

“Nyla attacked him, Miss McMahon!” Jamie informed her, trying to shake off the lasting effects of that stupid RKO. “Randy came for her and Nyla attacked our future champion!”

That explained the scratch marks on Seth’s chest, arms and the lower half of his face.  Stephanie had given Seth free reign when it came to Randy, but she didn’t think he would actually use Nyla’s secret.  Now the Authority REALLY had nothing on her, the blackmail was gone and it was used to screw with Randy Orton’s already demented mind.  The man wasn’t all there upstairs, according to what Hunter told her.

“Y-You should suspend her for attackin’ him!”

“It was uncalled for, boss.” Joey piped in, not nearly as intimidated by Stephanie McMahon as Jamie was. “She was like a wild animal…”

Too bad they hadn’t captured all of that on camera.  It would’ve really added more fuel to this fire, but that would also put Nyla on television.  Something she NEVER wanted to happen.  Not only that, but it was bad enough the daughter had been mentioned in front of millions, though Seth hadn’t dropped her name.

“Get him some ice.” Stephanie ordered, not sure what to do about this situation because she couldn’t have the writers attacking the wrestlers. 

A fine would do the trick.  She’d done the same thing with Seth when he struck down Macaria.  Since she’d fined $50,000 for the assault, Stephanie would do the same thing with Nyla.  It would be a warning and they could all go on with their lives.  If Seth was smart, he wouldn’t provoke Nyla anymore now that the secret was out and Randy knew the truth about his daughter.

It wasn’t a huge problem in her eyes, but NOW she had a bigger issue in Dean Ambrose.  He was supposed to be going after the Intercontinental championship at WrestleMania and staying far away from Seth Rollins.  That was her only stipulation to Nyla – keeping Seth away from the two former Shield goons.  Nyla had reluctantly agreed, as long as she could choose what Dean and Roman did next, who they could feud with.  Stephanie agreed and no other problems had surfaced beside little things tweaked here and there.  For the most part, Nyla was excellent at her job and the fact she had sent Roman after Lesnar, the current WWE World Heavyweight champion, sat well with her.

The Authority ALWAYS had a plan B when dealing with Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose, after all.

“Fuck, my face hurts!” Seth whined, growling at the ice being pressed against his throbbing head and hated Dean for doing this to him.  On concrete flooring, didn’t the man realize he could’ve given him a concussion?! “I need an aspirin!”

“Seth, shut up or you can go to your own dressing room,” Stephanie ordered, rolling her eyes and wondered what happened to the man who had leaped off balconies and taken death-defying chances while in the Shield. “I will fine her.”

“THAT’S IT?!”

“Well, you DID strike a woman down with your hand and you were only fined for it, Rollins.” Stephanie reminded him equably, tilting her head and watched his drop, his temper immediately simmering. “That’s what I thought.  Good boy.”

Seth was starting to wonder if Stephanie even cared about his wellbeing or the Authority anymore.

~!~

“It’s fractured, nothing to be done about it except ice and rest.” The trainer, Larry, apprised, wrapping Nyla’s hand in tape and then placed ice over it.  The pressure would help with the pain, surprisingly.

Nyla grimaced, gritting her teeth and Roman held her other hand, which was just bruised, but not fractured.  When she tackled Seth to the floor, her right hand had bent the wrong way and thus, the fracture was born.  She was not a physical person and hated confrontation, but Seth had crossed a line he couldn’t come back from.  Randy knew the truth now and she had no doubt in her mind he would try to take custody of Neela.  Telling a judge it was just a fling between them would only make her look like a whore to the jury and Randy would probably win since he had a lot more money than her.

“Stop thinking the worse,” Roman ordered, rubbing her back and watched the tears trek down her cheeks, kissing a few of them away. “Everything is gonna be fine.  You’re not gonna lose Neela.” If he had to, he would help her get a lawyer since she’d just paid hers off to fight off her parents.

“It really can’t get any worse than this.” Nyla countered in a mumble, wincing at her throbbing hand and didn’t bother wiping her tears away.

Actually, it could because, as soon as they walked out of the trainer’s room, with painkillers in a bag for Nyla, they came face to face with Stephanie.

“Great.” Roman wrapped his arm around Nyla’s shoulders to give her the silent support he knew she needed.

Stephanie shook her head at the writer’s hand wrapped up in ice and sighed heavily, a twinge of guilt rushing through her at what she was about to do. “Nyla, Seth told me what you did to him…and I’m afraid I can’t condone that.  So, I’m fining you for your actions.  Writers shouldn’t be putting their hands on the Superstars.  Man or woman.” The women had really come into their own, but there was still a ways to go before they were rid of the ‘Diva’ moniker.

“He deserved it.” Roman growled, wishing he would’ve speared the little dick after Ambrose’s Dirty Deeds.

“Be that as it may…” Stephanie held her hand up, shaking her head. “I have to do what’s best for business.  Seth was fined heavily for striking an employee.  Therefore, I have no alternative except to fine you, Nyla, $50,000 dollars.  We DO have a zero tolerance policy in place here for a reason.”

That would drain some of her savings, unfortunately, unless Stephanie took it right out of her paycheck. “He had no right going out there and talking about my personal life on television, Stephanie.” She didn’t raise her voice, in too much pain and the adrenaline rush she had was gone.

“Again, that gives YOU no right to attack him the way you did and put your hands on a WWE Superstar.  You are a writer, that is your job is to write scripts and come up with storylines.  There will be no more physicality backstage or I will be fining anyone involved, which is why I’m on my way to Dean Ambrose’s locker room to inform him of the fine he’ll be receiving as well.” Another $50,000 dollars out of the man’s pocket for his actions.

Roman watched Stephanie saunter away and shook his head, tempted to spear her now. “Come on, we’ll deal with this.” He would be paying that fine on her behalf, not believing what a terrible night this had been.

Outside of Roman’s dressing room stood Randy Orton, who still had the paternity paper in his hand.  He had calmed down a lot and no longer wanted to rip Nyla’s heart out of her chest.  Looking up, mystic icy blues met fear-filled amber and Randy stepped forward, stopping when Roman stepped in front of him.  Nyla didn’t stop him, too scared of what Randy might say or do to her and clutched her wrapped hand against her chest.

“I just wanna talk to her.”

“Uh huh, sure you do.” Roman didn’t buy that for a second and would not allow Nyla anywhere near this psychopath.

“Roman, I know we haven’t always seen eye to eye, and I say this with all due respect, this isn’t your business.  I need to talk to her alone.  And I’m not going to ask again.” Randy’s voice had lowered an octave, his temper slowly rising again and clenched his fists at his sides. “Don’t be a coward, Nyla.  I’m not gonna hurt you.”

Shutting her eyes, Nyla dreaded this day and slowly stepped out from behind Roman, who had been blocking her completely. “Go inside, Roman.”

“But…!”

“I’ll be fine.  Randy’s right, we do need to talk.” Nyla hoped she didn’t regret this decision and looked up into his worried grey-tinted eyes, his contacts in for the show, swallowing hard. “He won’t hurt me.”

Roman frowned, looking back and forth between the two and reluctantly kissed the top of her head, his eyes landing back on Randy. “If you touch a hair on her head…”

“I won’t.” Randy promised, holding his hands up to show he meant no harm.

Unwillingly, Roman walked into his dressing room and shut the door, giving them the privacy they needed.

Nyla didn’t move toward Randy, keeping distance between them, but they were still able to talk to each other in normal voices.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Nyla?” Randy demanded, cutting right to the chase and waved the paternity paper that told him he was a father to a little girl he never knew about.

Truth and honesty were best when dealing with Randy. “Because I didn’t trust you.  What we had together was a fling and we were both young and stupid.  We didn’t even think to use protection while having sex and we should’ve.  I was actually on birth control, but there’s a reason it’s only 99% effective.  There’s always that 1% of it failing and, surprise – surprise, it failed with you.” It still amazed her since they’d only slept together a handful of times. “You were just starting your career and I didn’t want to interfere with that.  It’s why I stopped having sex with you and I had to take a leave of absence to have her.”

Back then, Randy was an arrogant, pompous asshole and he’d be the first admit it.  He didn’t care about anyone or anything, young and foolish.  She had fallen for his charm and she wasn’t the only one he had slept with either.  If he didn’t have definitive proof in his hand telling him he was the father of her daughter, their daughter, Randy wouldn’t believe it.

“What’s her name?” Randy asked, his voice growing quiet and clutched the paper tightly in his hand. “Does she know about me?”

“Neela.  Neela Ann.” Nyla replied just as quietly, the throbbing in her hand slowly diminishing and felt tears sting her eyes. “She has your eyes…”

“Probably a good thing that’s the ONLY thing she inherited from me, then.” Randy joked dryly, rubbing the back of his neck and didn’t know what to do about this.

“And I told her the angels came down to bless me with her one night.  I don’t think she believes that story anymore, but I’m gonna keep saying it until I feel she’s old enough to understand what happened.” No, Neela didn’t know anything about her biological father.

Randy scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Angels?  That’s the best you could come up with?  She’s 9 now, Nyla.  She’s gonna want to know who her father is.  Or is Roman playing the Daddy role in her life now?” He couldn’t stop that jab from flying out of his mouth, a hint of resentment in his tone.

“Randy, I don’t regret not telling you because you wouldn’t have taken it seriously back then.  I didn’t need the added stress from you, on top of my job and everything else.” Nyla explained, moving to lean against the wall, just in case some of the wrestlers got wild hairs up their backsides to try trampling her with another equipment trunk again.  The New Day came to mind. “And no, Roman is not playing the Daddy role because we haven’t been together that long.” He didn’t need to know she lived with Roman, though, and Roman’s parents looked after Nyla while she was on the road working.

“So why doesn’t she travel with you?  You’re constantly on the road, so who is looking after her?” Randy frowned at the possibility of a nanny or some stranger raising their daughter instead of her own mother.

“She’s in good hands, trust me.  I would never leave her without being completely safe and happy.  I don’t want her traveling with me because I want her to have as normal a childhood as she possibly can.  This place is dangerous.  And…if I’m being honest, I didn’t want you finding out about her.  I knew you would put two and two together if I ever brought her on the road with me.” Nyla admitted, lowering her eyes from him and stepped back when he took one forward, wanting to keep the same amount of space between them.

As much as he hated admitting it, Randy didn’t blame her and that was why Kim, his wife, and their children didn’t travel with him often. “I want to meet her, Nyla.  I want to get to know my daughter.  I have that right.” This would turn the little girl’s world upside down, but Nyla would have to deal with the consequences of keeping this from him all these years.  Both of them, actually.

Nyla slammed her eyes shut, waiting for that request and wished Randy would just let it go.  This would destroy Neela; she didn’t want to put her daughter through the emotional turmoil. “And if I refuse?  You’ll take me to court, right?  You’ll put me and her through hell in order to get your way?” A hint of malice laced her tone as slightly narrowed amber orbs rose to meet icy mystic.

Instead of answering, Randy remained silent and thought about what his wife would think about this sudden turn of events.  He could always play what Seth said off as part of the storyline and she would never know it was real.  Did he really want to jeopardize his marriage for a kid he didn’t even know about until tonight?  It was selfish of him to think this way, but at the same time, Randy had to do what was best for his family.  It was obvious Nyla didn’t want him near Neela anyway.  He had his daughter from his previous marriage, the three boys and their own daughter with his current wife, to deal with.

“No.” Surprise registered on her face as Randy smirked, shaking his head. “Trust me, I’m not doing this for your benefit, but…I think it’d be best if we just let this go.  My wife is very important to me and I know she wouldn’t be happy to discover I knocked up someone at work.” Even if it was in his early days. “You understand what I’m saying, right?”

He wanted to save face with his wife, in summary.  Nyla felt a surge of anger course through her, but didn’t react and simply gave a stiff nod. “If that’s what you want to do, I’m all for it.  Roman would be more than happy to take up the Daddy role in her life anyway.”

“Good.  I’ll tell Kim it’s just part of the storyline and be done with it.” Randy felt a twinge of guilt at his words, but it quickly vanished as he balled up the paternity test paper and tossed it in the nearby garbage. “See you around, Nyla.”

All she could do was watch him walk down the hallway, shaking her head sadly and joined Roman in his dressing room, both relief and heartbreak flowing over her.

Chapter 42

“So wait, he basically dismissed Neela being his and walked away?”

“Yeah.”

“What an asshole!” Macaria shook her head, sipping her coffee and couldn’t believe how callous Randy Orton was. “I would’ve seriously kicked him in the balls.”

“Believe me, I wanted to.” Nyla had raged about it until Roman distracted her with some angry sex, letting her vent her frustrations out on his body, hurt hand and all. “But then I thought about it after a while and realized it’s the best thing he can do.  Neela doesn’t need to know what a douchebag her biological father is and she’s already warmed up to Roman.  I’d rather her just call him Daddy eventually than deal with all the drama Randy would bring.”

Macaria couldn’t argue that point, but at the same time, how could any man deny their offspring?  It didn’t make any sense to her.  Growing up with loving parents spoiled Macaria and she never knew the hardships of broken families.  Granted, she hadn’t spoken to her parents in a couple years, but maybe it was time to mend those fences.  She had always been dubbed a Daddy’s girl.  Randy Orton was a scumbag, just like Seth Rollins, and didn’t deserve to know his beautiful, smart, funny little girl.  Besides her eyes, Neela was all Nyla from top to bottom.

“So things are going great with you and Roman?”

Nyla smiled, her amber eyes glittering at the thought of Roman and took another pull from her coffee. “Yeah.  Moving in with him was the best decision I could’ve made.  It not only protected me, but Neela too.  My parents are on their own.” She wanted nothing to do with them after what they did to her or tried to do. “What about you?  Anyone special in your life?”

“Oh yeah sure, I’ll give you a list.” Macaria retorted good-naturedly, not bothered by being asked about her personal life when it came to Nyla. “A woman that travels 300+ days out of the year all over the world, hardly gets any sleep or has time to wipe her ass.  Looking for a strapping man that can only put up with seeing her 2 days a week, if that, and enjoys walks on the beach and having a good time.  I should put that in the Vegas newspaper and see how many hits I get.”

Nyla couldn’t stop laughing, her stomach hurting and winced when she flexed her fractured hand. “Oh my god, you should as a prank and then, when the guy shows up wherever you meet up at, you can go ‘have you lost your fucking mind or are you married with a dozen kids?’” That got them laughing harder.

“Seriously.  Any guy who would go for that has a screw loose or is just looking for ‘another’ woman.  I refuse to be someone’s ‘other’ woman.” Macaria would rather put a bullet in her head than deal with all that drama.

“Unless you work together…” Nyla immediately regretted saying that as soon as the words flew out of her mouth, the laughter stopping abruptly. “Sorry…”

“No, no it’s okay.” Macaria waved her off with an easy smile, no longer bothered by the mention of Dean and traced the rim of her coffee cup thoughtfully. “I know what you’re getting at.  It’s only been 3 months though.  I still have another 3 to go before I can even THINK about trying to mend what I broke between me and Dean.”

“You didn’t break anything, sweetie.  It was the Authority.  Hell, I’m sure with everything going on right now, if you two did get back together, Stephanie wouldn’t bat an eyelash.  She’s too busy trying to protect Rollins and dealing with Roman possibly becoming the WWE World Heavyweight champion to worry about that stipulation.  And it was only evoked because of Seth and Seth blew it when he backhanded you.” Nyla made several valid points, shrugging at the solicitous look on Macaria’s face. “The only question is: Do you still have feelings for Dean?”

That was a great question.  One she could answer without hesitation. “Yeah.  I do.  I tried to forget about him and just focus on my work.  I just don’t want any more problems if we decide to get back together.  I mean, I’ve done A LOT of work for the company since I signed and they know I’m legitimate.” The other photographers actually came to HER for advice on poses and things related to their field.  And they were there LONGER than her! “Love really sucks sometimes.”

“So you don’t just have feelings for him.  You love him.” Nyla beamed at her friend, seeing the realization dawn on Macaria.  She hadn’t meant to say the L word, but she had and there was no going back on it. “You love Dean Ambrose.”

Macaria frowned, not meaning to say that word and lowered her head, fighting back the tears building in her eyes.  She knew she loved Dean and it’d only grown stronger and more profound the longer they were apart.  Three months felt like a lifetime, even with how busy she’d been.  Late at night, alone in her hotel room, in the cold bed, is when it hit her just how much she missed him and longed to be in his arms again.

“I don’t know if he even cares about me anymore.” Macaria wasn’t sure she wanted to take the risk to find out either. “Maybe he’s happier without me…”

Nyla snorted into her coffee, tempted to tell Macaria the hell Dean had gone through without her being in his life the past 3 months.  She promised she wouldn’t, but the game had changed the moment Macaria admitted she loved him.  Dean was her friend, but so was Macaria and it was obvious how much they needed each other.  The Lunatic Fringe hadn’t been the same without his honey blonde and Roman worried he would delve back into his dark places, from his Indy days.

She didn’t miss that. “I bet he’s probably got a whole slew of women coming to his rooms on a nightly basis wherever we’re at.” Macaria tested the waters, hearing another louder snort from Nyla and felt her heart swell, barely able to hold back a smile.

“If that’s what you want to believe, I can’t change your mind.”

“Does he?”

Nyla shook her finger at Macaria, a smirk curving her lips. “I’m not saying anything.  You wanna find out?  You ask the man himself.”

~!~

“Macaria, I really hate doing this to you, but I need you to get these approved by Ambrose.”

Her head snapped up at the mention of that name, raising a brow at her supervisor, Neil, and took the photographs from him to look over them.  They were all right, she supposed, but it definitely wasn’t the way she’d do them.  She nodded, turning away from Neil and recalled her morning coffee discussion with Nyla.  From what little she heard, Dean wasn’t with anyone else, not even ring rats to scratch an itch.  Maybe this was her opportunity to talk to Dean, to find out how he felt and if he still wanted to be with her.  Granted, it’d only been 3 months, but Nyla sounded pretty confident, as far as Stephanie not caring.

Chewing her bottom lip, Macaria made the decision to go to his locker room and walked out before she changed her mind.  She didn’t stop until she stood outside the door that read DEAN AMBROSE & ROMAN REIGNS.  They were still sharing a locker room together, even after all this time.  She dusted her shirt off a little, along with the pants she had on and reached her hand up to knock, waiting to hear his voice.

Instead, the door opened and there he stood in all his glory, unruly wet auburn blonde hair somewhat in his eyes, a t-shirt over his shoulder and tight blue jeans sealing to every part of his muscular lower half.  Macaria was sure her heart skipped a beat, her jade eyes swimming in pools of pale blue.  Dean stared down at the photographer curiously, wondering what Macaria, of all people, was doing here.  He chewed his gum slower, giving her his own scan discreetly and decided it was time to break the silence when 3 minutes passed by.

“You lost, Macaria?”

His voice alone sent shivers throughout her body.  The gritty rasp he naturally possessed, especially when he was relaxed.  Macaria immediately snapped out of her daze and handed over the pictures, clearing her throat awkwardly.  Business first, personal later.

“No, sorry.  I need your approval for these photos Oliver took of you the other day.  He’s not here, family emergency, so I was asked to come here to talk to you about them.” Macaria congratulated herself on remaining professional, seeing the amusement in his eyes.

“Is THAT right?  Well, you are the expert with photography, so why don’t you tell me?  Are they good or bad?” Dean asked, gesturing with his hands to give her the floor and tried gauging how she would respond.

Sighing, Macaria didn’t know if he was screwing with her or if he was serious; it was hard to read the man a lot. “Honestly?” She waited for his nod. “No.  They’re really bad.  The lighting is off here.” She pointed near the top of the first picture out of the bunch.  This would take some commission out of Oliver’s pocket, but if the job wasn’t done correctly, he didn’t deserve it anyway. “He didn’t catch you at the right angle with this one.” She flipped the picture to show Dean, her finger trailing on the photo.

Being this close to her was doing things to Dean.  They hadn’t been this close in proximity in 3 months.  The smell of her intoxicated him as always and he found his hand having a mind of its own, pressing against the small of her back.  Macaria didn’t pull away, showing him a few more problems with the photographs and finally stopped to look up at him.  She was also having issues too, the scent of leather and sandalwood infiltrating her nostrils making her slightly heady. 

How did he feel about her? 

How did she feel about him? 

They were both questioning it at the same time, staring into each other’s eyes and suddenly, the rest of the world disappeared and it was just them.

“So,” Dean continued chewing his gum slowly, his voice lowering an octave to an almost gritty growl and felt a shiver rush through her.  Good.  He still affected her the same way. “What do you propose we do about these shitty pictures?”

Christ, she had to learn how to breathe all over again. “They need to be redone for sure.  I didn’t get a chance to look at them with my supervisor because he was in a hurry.  But these aren’t worthy of being in anything and need to be burned.” Macaria wasn’t saying it because she wanted to spend more time with Dean.  It was the simple fact they blew chunks and could be A LOT better, deeper and sharper.

“Well, no time like the present.” Dean stepped away from her to pull his Dean Ambrose black t-shirt on, smoothing it down his chest.

“I’m sorry, what?” Macaria blinked, watching him walk around the locker room to gather a few things.

“Does my hair look okay?” Dean joked, swiping at his bangs a bit and chuckled, not giving a damn what he looked like honestly. “What am I saying?  I always look good.”

“Dean…”

“Well come on then, Maca.  Whip that camera out and let’s take some new shots!” Dean was suddenly pumped up, clapping his hands together and dropped his chewing gum into the nearby trashcan. “Lead the way.”

This was the last thing Macaria expected to happen. 

She could only walk with him down the hallway and shook her head at the extra kick in his step.  The way he rolled his shoulders while dancing, just little quirks and ticks this man had driven her crazy in a good way.  His energy was off the charts and Macaria missed being around him, even talking or watching him while he did his pre-match workout.  Macaria had been involved in the second half of the article, which would be coming out in a few days in a wrestling magazine.  Half of it was Aya and the other was another journalist that had been hired to finish it up.  All the photos taken of him by Macaria would be used, so she would get a huge commission from it.

“Okay, stand in front of the green screen.” Macaria gestured to it, setting the lens on her camera and looked up from it, jumping slightly since Dean was RIGHT there in front of her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just…look at you.” Admiration laced Dean’s voice as he gazed down at her and took a chance to slid his strong hands down her arms.  Goosebumps formed instantly under his touch. “You’ve made something out of your passion.  Your grandma would be proud.”

An intense wave of emotion crashed over her as Macaria shut her eyes, once again fighting back tears.  She recalled telling him about how her grandmother being responsible for giving her the passion of being a photographer.  Gifting her a camera at such a young age.  This was all she ever wanted – her own personal studio and she had it for the most part.

“Yeah, I hope she is.” Her voice was barely audible, cracking under the pressure of holding her emotions back. “I thought I’d be happy to have my dream job.  I thought it would be easy to be alone and do things my way.  And it hasn’t been.  Because even with a new house and new car, a new job and life, it means nothing if you’re alone.  It means nothing if you can’t be with the one person that makes you whole.  The one person you can’t stop thinking about.  The one person who lifts you up when you’re at your lowest.  The one person you love…”

The entire time she spoke, Macaria kept her head down and continued toying with her camera.  He could tell she was crying and knew those words were meant strictly for him.  He made her whole.  He was the one she couldn’t stop thinking about.  He was the one who lifted her up when she was at her lowest.  He was the one she loved.  Dean felt all of those things about her too and more, hating that he couldn’t be with the woman he fell in love with because of company policy and a scumbag.

“Maca, look at me.” Dean smiled when she shook her head, teardrops splattering against the camera and took it from her, setting it aside. “Babe, don’t make me bend you over my knee now.” That got a smile on her face and she felt his finger hook beneath her chin to raise it up until watery jade met electric, searing pale blue. “I should’ve told you this the day you signed your contract.  I shouldn’t have been a coward and kept what I felt bottled up.  You were right.  I didn’t talk about my past with you because I didn’t want you looking at me differently or pitying me.  I never gave you that chance.”

“I never gave US a chance,” Macaria whispered, sniffling and felt the pads of his thumbs wipe away her tears. “After what Seth did to me, I was scared he would keep coming after me as long as I was with you or hanging out with you.  And at the time, I was confused about my feelings for you because they were so intense and they scared me too.”

“We were both scared.  Let’s leave it at that.” Dean caressed her cheek with the back of his hand, hating how fear had taken her away from him and pushed him out of her life for 3 months.

“What is it you wanted to tell me that day I signed with the company?” Macaria had caught that and it was Dean’s turn to look a little sheepish. “Come on, we’re baring our souls here.  Might as well go all the way.”

It was hard for Dean to express how he felt, to put it into words.  He was a man of action, always had been.  Action wasn’t needed right now, though.  She needed to hear these words and nothing would stop him from saying them.

“I love you, Macaria.”

She was the first woman he said those words to, besides his mother, and Dean hoped she would be the last.  Sure, he’d told Renee and a few others he loved them, but never actually meant it as anything more than friendship.  With Macaria, it was true, unconditional love and it took Dean a while to realize what he was feeling for her the more time they spent together.  Love was the only logical conclusion.

“I know we still have 3 months to go…”

Macaria shook her head, stopping him by pressing a finger to his lips. “I’m not waiting a second longer to be with you, Dean.  They can go ahead and fire me if they don’t like it.  Because I love you too.”

Smirking at her rebellious attitude, Dean felt warmth rush through from the top of his head to the tips of his toes as he pulled her flush against his body, his eyes searching hers.

A second later, his mouth hungrily captured hers and felt her arms encircle his neck, lifting her off the floor.

Chapter 43

Axxess was exhausting.

Roman felt like his hand was going to fall off from all the autographs he had to sign for the fans.  The Hall of Fame ceremony was tomorrow night and then WrestleMania on Sunday.  Roman was very tired, but also hyped up for WrestleMania, more so since this would be a solo match for him on the grandest stage of them all.  He was in solo competition instead of in a group, same with Dean and Seth.  They were all WWE Superstars and had made it both in a group and solo, their careers skyrocketing.  Seth was an evil, manipulative prick, but even Roman would never discredit the man’s ability in the ring.  He was truly one of the greatest wrestlers on planet earth today.  Didn’t make him any less of a scumbag, though.  Surprisingly, Seth had kept his distance from both Nyla and Macaria, so maybe the Architect had finally seen the light.

If not, Roman and Dean had no problem reminding him why he was the runt of the Shield.

Nyla was forced to stay at the hotel and work on last-minute changes for the scripts with WrestleMania.  Stephanie had somewhat bogged her down, but it was nothing she couldn’t handle.  He had no idea what the changes were because Nyla wasn’t allowed to tell him anything for any of the storylines.  Once he got his script, Roman would find out, if there were any changes since his match was pretty cut and dry.  Suplexes up the ass and him trying to find ways around Lesnar’s one-minded track wrestling style.  Hell, it wasn’t even wrestling as far as he was concerned.  The man had never left UFC behind and brought it to the WWE to decimate anyone he stepped in the ring with.  They did not call it Suplex City for anything and Roman planned on taking his Empire to burn the entire City to the ground.

One amazing thing that happened was the reconciliation of Dean and Macaria.  They had finally found their way back to each other and Roman couldn’t have been happier for his best friend.  Nyla felt the same way about Macaria.  Those two had been lost without each other for the past 3 months and it was about time they told the Authority to shove it up their backsides.  Roman chuckled during his talk with Dean at Axxess, not remembering the last time he heard the man so happy.  They were both stubborn for sure, but Roman wouldn’t be surprised if marriage was in the cards very soon.

“I’m gonna marry this girl one day, bro.” Dean had confessed to Roman during their talk, while they took a break from all the chaos at Axxess.

“Hey, I’ll be your Best Man if you’re mine.” Roman bumped his fist against Dean’s, both having a deep brotherly bond that would never be severed, no matter what the Authority did.

“Deal, man.”

Slipping his keycard in the slot, Roman pushed open the door to his hotel room and smiled at the sight of Nyla sitting Indian style in the center of the bed.  She had her glasses on, her hair piled up on top of her head in a messy bun.  A camisole and boycut short panties were her sleeping ensemble, the material looking soft to the touch and was a light blue.  Maybe it was turquoise.  Roman couldn’t tell, but the color really contrasted with her tanned skin and he could already feel his desire burning for her.  Papers were scattered all over the place on the bed as her fingers flew over the keys, her earbuds in blasting music.  Her hand hadn’t been fractured like the trainer originally thought; it was just heavily bruised and with ice and salve, it was back to normal besides a little discoloring.  Nyla was in the zone and he didn’t want to disturb her, so Roman decided to take a quick shower.

Then, he had a plan in mind for him and the amber-eyed beauty.

Nyla did not hear a single thing due to blasting Marilyn Manson in her ears.  The artist always hyped her up and kept her zoned in on her work.  Roman couldn’t believe how loud she listened to music and voiced his concern about blowing her eardrums out.  She simply laughed it off and shook her head at him before going back to doing her job while he’d gotten ready for Axxess.  She had no idea he was back and currently in the shower, her eyes glued to the screen.  So, when the laptop was suddenly closed by his hand, her eyes snapped up to meet his and Nyla jumped out of her skin, tearing the earbuds out of her ears instantly.

“Christ, you scared me!” She gasped out, clutching her chest and smacked his bare, semi-wet, chest none too gently. “Not funny, big man.”

“I thought it was.” Roman shrugged, fresh out of the shower with a towel draped lowly around his waist. “You need to take a break.  You’ve been at this for hours.  Did you eat?”

“Yes, Dad.” Nyla grumbled, rolling her eyes and shivered at the growl he responded with, his body halfway hovered over her. “I promise, I did eat.”

Good, Roman didn’t want any other distractions with what he had in mind and lifted her laptop to set it on the dresser behind him. “So did I.  I went out with Dean and Macaria.  We tried calling you to join us, but…I now know why you didn’t answer your phone.” He saw her smile sheepishly and helped her clear the rest of the bed off, stacking the paperwork neatly.

“Yeah, sorry.  I saw your message, but I really needed to get these changes done.  I just have a few more to go through and everything should be set for WrestleMania.” Nyla blew out a breath and rubbed her eyes, glancing at the clock to see it was a quarter to 10 PM.  She had been working 6 hours straight, only stopping briefly to eat and hydrate.

Looking back at Roman, Nyla finally noticed what he was wearing, or rather the lack of clothes he had on, sliding her tongue along her bottom lip.  They still hadn’t consummated their relationship because Roman was waiting for her to be completely ready.  After what Seth did to her, it took a while for the nightmares that plagued her to stop.  Being with Roman and sleeping in his arms on an almost nightly basis helped greatly.  There were times he couldn’t go home with her to see Neela, but Nyla made sure she went to see her little girl at least 2 days a week.  Those were her days off and she wasn’t a WWE Superstar the way her boyfriend was.  The more time they spent together, however, it was getting harder to resist him and Nyla couldn’t remember the last time she desired a man as much as she did Roman.

The way the towel hung precariously low on his hips, his bare muscular chest still damp from his shower and how his hair clung to his head and shoulders…his hair was so long and beautiful.  Nyla found herself obsessed with just gliding her fingers through it whenever they were in bed together, cuddling and making out.  As great as those things were to do with him, it wasn’t enough anymore for Nyla.  She wanted more.  She was ready for more.  However, she didn’t know if Roman felt the same way or was ready to take the next step with her.  They loved each other deeply, she lived with him and Nyla knew, if this man asked her to marry him, she would in a heartbeat, no questions asked.  Right now, marriage was the last thing on her mind and a passion haze began clouding her mind as she sat up on her knees.

“What’s on your mind, baby girl?” Roman rumbled, seeing the desire coursing through her molten gold eyes and felt her hands slide up his chest.

“You.”

“What about me?” Reaching out, Roman took the clip out of her hair to let her dark brown tresses tumble down her back and over her shoulders, tossing it over his shoulder. “Tell me what you want, Nyla.”

Her mouth had gone dry at his command and Nyla could already feel her boycut panties dampen from just the sound of his husky, low voice. “You.  I want you, Roman.  I know you must be tired from Axxess…”

He didn’t let her continue and cut her off, pulling her up to press flush against his body, his mouth capturing hers. “I’m far from tired for this, Nyla.  But I need to know what you specifically want from me.  You gotta tell me, baby girl, I need to hear it.  I need the consent to do what I’ve wanted to do to you for months.” His muscular hands caressed her sides, his mouth sealing to her neck and could feel her body trembling against him.

“Oh god…” Nyla breathed out, wondering if this man would ever not take her breath away and hoped not. “I’m ready, Roman.  I’m ready for you.  I want you to make love to me.  Fuck me, make love to me, whatever you want to do as long as your cock winds up inside of me.  Make me yours…”

Those were the exact words he needed to hear as Roman reached down to remove his towel, letting it drop to the carpeted floor at his feet. “Mine.” He growled possessively, sliding his hands under her camisole to feel her soft, smooth skin against his fingertips.

Nyla pulled back long enough to remove it, not bothering wearing a bra since she had nowhere to go and Roman’s mouth founds hers again, this time hungrier.  There was a different side to him entirely in the bedroom and she couldn’t wait to explore and experience it.  All this time, he had been holding back his inner animal and she wanted him to release it, to feel his power and desire explode.  Roman would never hurt her and she trusted him explicitly, more in love with him than she ever had been with any man that came into her life. 

The next thing to go was her boycut panties as Roman hooked his fingers in the waistband and slid them down her smooth, tanned legs.  Christ, she was smooth and soft from head to toe.  He absolutely loved the type of panties she wore, the boycut ones because they sealed to her backside perfectly.  Her luscious backside…Roman squeezed it for good measure and groaned from low in his throat, his fingers instantly lowering to her dripping sex.  Nyla was more than ready for him, but he had to make absolutely sure and tease her a bit, wanting to drive her a little crazy.

Now Roman and Nyla had done everything besides actual sex.  Foreplay had gotten them through the past 3 months, doing little by little every time they made out.  It made her feel like she was in high school again and Roman had voiced the same feeling during one of their times in bed.  They had laughed, but then Roman had gotten serious with her and told her he would not move to the next step until she was 100% ready.  There was no need to rush this between them and he would handle his business until the time came he could finally have her.  Nyla fell more in love with him if that was possible; he was so patient, understanding and loving.

The wait was over. “Roman…” She moaned out as he touched her, his fingers feeling amazing like always inside of her. “Please…big man, I need you…”

He chuckled huskily, not stopping his fingers from delving in and out of her sex at a slow, methodic pace, enjoying watching her writhe on the bed.  However, his cock was THROBBING, needing to be inside of her body and foreplay would definitely have to wait.  They had enough of that over the past 3 months.  Tonight, it would be straight lovemaking.

“Spread those thighs for me a little wider, baby girl.” Roman ordered in a growl, smelling her arousal and slid his fingers out to lick them clean. “Mmm so fucking good…”

Her body shuddered after witnessing that vulgar yet unbelievably hot action from her boyfriend.  Roman loved the taste of her and the feeling was more than mutual. “Do it.  Take me.  Please…” Nyla was not above begging at this point, the need for him burning a hole through her.

Unable to deny her any longer, Roman positioned himself between her soft thighs and kissed her, reaching down to guide his cock past her slick folds.  At the same time, she could taste herself on his tongue, making the moment that much more erotic.  He clenched his teeth together, already knowing she would be tight, but hadn’t expected it to be THIS intense.  They both knew it was partially because of the fact their feelings for each other just heightened everything.

Nyla’s eyes nearly rolled in the back of her head once Roman was fully sheathed inside of her, her body arching and her hands gripped his bulging arms.  The burning of her walls seared through his cock and Roman was pretty sure they were suffocating him.  He had to take several deep breaths to maintain control, his hands pressed into the bedding on either side of her head.  There was no way he’d move an inch until she was fully adjusted to his massive girth.  Roman was not a small man, he was well-endowed and a lot bigger than other men, especially Seth Rollins and Randy Orton.  He was probably the biggest she’d ever felt and been with – that was an arrogant thought he would NEVER voice aloud.

“Roman…” Nyla urged him to continue, the burning subsiding and the feeling of his cock inside of her was incredible.  She felt full and alive, a whole different love exploding through her body along with the raging fire.  It was time for Roman to quench it. “Move, oh god please…”

His damp black hair pooled around her in a curtain as his hips began pulling back and then thrusting forward, his cock driving in and out of her body slowly.  He would NOT rush this, wanting to relish the feeling of her pussy clenching and milking his cock.  Her uncontrollable moans fueled him though and, soon, the slowness was long forgotten.  Lifting her legs to drape over his shoulders, Roman began slamming in and out of Nyla, his fingers lacing with hers to press into the bedding.  He knew this was a much better position for her and she’d feel everything more intensely.  Roman could’ve bent her into a pretzel and he would hear no complaints from her.  This position was beautiful and it allowed her to meet him thrust for thrust unlike being in missionary.

“Roman!” She cried out, feeling the hot coil within her belly form and knew it was her impending orgasm.

This would not last long.  Roman knew it, even with all the foreplay they’d done together.  Sex was so much different and more intense than foreplay, at least in his eyes.  The same went for Nyla.  They both wanted each other too much, the passion and ecstasy too intense for either to make it last.  His control snapped, his hips snapping back and forth as hard and fast as he could, penetrating his woman with every amount of power he could muster up.  The sounds of their flesh colliding only made the moment that much better, along with the headboard banging against the wall.  They didn’t care who they woke up or disturbed; the entire world didn’t matter except the two of them in that juncture.

“Fuck, Nyla!” He growled loudly, beads of sweat developing all over his huge body and hers was slick with it too.

She couldn’t hold back any longer, squeezing his fingers with hers and felt her body shudder, shattering like a glass mirror.  Her hot juices flowed, drowning his cock in a sea of her essence and his name bellowed out of her mouth.  Roman could not hold back his own, even if a gun was pressed to his temple.  He would’ve taken the bullet gladly as long as he died being balls deep in this beautiful woman.  Her climax triggered his own, his own bellow mixing with hers and he didn’t stop thrusting until his cock grew limp, forcing him to leave her trembling body.

That had been more than worth the wait.

Chapter 44

“Come in!”

Taking a deep breath, Macaria mentally counted to three and pushed open the door to the Authority’s office, stopping at the sight of none other than the owner himself, Vincent Kennedy McMahon, standing in front of her. “Oh…is this a bad time?  I can come back later…”

Vince turned at the sound of the feminine voice and pulled his gaze away from his daughter to smile at the honey blonde. “No, you’re right on time.  Macaria, right?” He extended his hand to her. “I know no introductions need to be made, but I’m Vince McMahon.”

“I know who you are, sir,” Macaria replied amusedly, shaking his hand and showed the proper respect he deserved. “Stephanie wanted to see me, but I can come back if this is a bad time…”

“Please, call me Vince.  No need for formalities here.  And no, you are not going anywhere.  We have some business to discuss with you.” Vince guided her over to the nearby chair. “Have a seat and we’ll get started.”

Stephanie did NOT look happy about any of this and kept her head lowered, acting like a child that’d been scolded.  She’d gotten her backside chewed verbally for the past hour by her returning father.  Nobody expected Vince to be back for WrestleMania, but the old man had surprised them by showing up.  This was HIS baby, after all, the house he built from the ground up.

Macaria felt nervous being in front of a powerful man like Vince McMahon, but maintained her composure…barely.

“Now Macaria, I understand you’ve been working with us for the past 3 months, is that right?”

“Y-Yes, Vince.”

Vince smiled at the stammer. “Don’t be scared or intimidated.  We’re just having a talk, okay?  You’re not being fired or anything like that.” He assured her, reaching over to pat her hand in a purely platonic way. “I had Stephanie call you in here to ask you a few questions and I want you to answer me honestly.  It’ll be easy and then you can go back to work.”

Macaria would never, ever lie to Vince McMahon and swallowed hard, preparing herself mentally for the barrage of questions headed her way. “Okay.”

“Good, excellent!” He boomed, clapping his hands together and turned narrowed eyes to his daughter. “Stephanie, go get ready for your segment tonight with Hunter.  I’ll be talking to both of you shortly.”

“Yes, Dad.” Stephanie mumbled, scurrying out of the office like her backside just caught fire.

“Vince, with all due respect, what is this about?” Macaria asked once they were alone, feeling even more nervous and could see the smile vanish from the older man’s face.

“That’s what I’m trying to find out, Macaria.  That’s why I’m going to ask you some questions regarding my daughter and son-in-law’s behavior lately around the company.  I need you to be honest with me because we’re doing an investigation on them.” Vince informed her, getting down to business and sat in the chair behind the desk Stephanie recently occupied. “Now, first things first, I understand when you were hired into my company, Stephanie gave you an ultimatum.  True or false?”

Macaria was baffled, feeling her heart beating faster in her chest and clasped her hands tightly in front of her. “True.”

“Will you tell me about it?”

Her cheeks flooded red as Macaria lowered her eyes, taking a deep breath. “I was intimate with Dean Ambrose.  It happened shortly after I started freelancing for the WWE with my then boss, Aya Landsbury.  Stephanie told me I couldn’t be with him because she wanted to make sure I was serious about this job and she stipulated I couldn’t be with him for 6 months.  That’s my probation period.”

“I see.” Vince’s jaw tightened, disappointment flooding his face and he heaved out a sigh. “She wouldn’t sign you to a contract unless you stopped seeing Dean, right?”

“Yes, sir.” Macaria smiled sheepishly at her slip-up. “Sorry, Vince.”

He smiled back at her, waving it off. “All right, well Macaria, I regret to inform you my daughter lied to you.  The WWE only has a 30 day probation period with all new employees.  I don’t know why she made it for 6 months, which is five times longer than any other normal employee, but your probation period has been long over.  You’ve had insurance, benefits, all of it that you signed up for when she signed your contract.  I understand you had an altercation with Seth Rollins.  A few of them, in fact.  Will you tell me about them?”

Jade eyes widened to the size of saucers upon hearing that.  Her probation period was only 30 days?!  She had stayed away from Dean for the past 3 months for NO REASON? “Before we get into that, Vince, I have a question.  Is it…legal to stipulate who can and can’t be together in the company?  I mean, I understand there are risks when dating in the company, but it’s also rather common and Stephanie said you didn’t like it.  Is that true?”

“At first, I didn’t because this is a business and business must always come first.  But then I saw how miserable my employees were, my friends, my on-road family, and I changed my mind.”

Linda, his wife, had a great deal to do with that as well.  People deserved to be happy and if they wanted to date within the company, it was their right.  As long as all drama and crap were left at the door for work, there were no problems.

“And yes, it is illegal to be coerced into signing any type of document under duress.  Your personal life is just that – yours.  You can be with whoever you want and do whatever you want, within reason, outside of the company.  I just ask that any problems you have with your spouse be checked at the door when it’s time to work.” Vince voiced his thoughts, tapping a pen on the table and couldn’t believe the audacity of his daughter to pull a stunt like this.

“So…if I told you that me and Dean are back together again, it’s okay?  I can be with him freely without consequences?  Because I was prepared to quit if that was why Stephanie called me in here.” Macaria would not give up her happiness for a job, knowing she could get a freelance photography position anywhere in Vegas.  She just wouldn’t be able to travel with Dean on the road often.

“Like I said, it’s your personal life and we have no business interfering with it.  My daughter and son-in-law have huge egos and they are about to be stomped out.  I know everything that’s happened with the ‘Authority’,” Vince paused to do a quote gesture with his fingers and continued. “The Authority was supposed to be a storyline only, but they decided to take it a lot farther than that.  I know what they did to Nyla Miller too.” That really pissed him off because Nyla was like family to the WWE and had been loyal for over 10 years. “But I’m a little fuzzy on the details when it comes to you and Seth Rollins.”

Touching her face, Macaria remembered the day she’d been backhanded by the Architect of the Authority and only fined for his crime against her. “He hit me once.  It was during a photo shoot I was doing with him.  He was being very unprofessional and pursuing me because I couldn’t be with Dean Ambrose.  I told him I wanted nothing to do with him and…he snapped and hit me.  Stephanie claims she fined him $50,000 dollars, but I was on the verge of quitting because, in my opinion, he should’ve been suspended or fired.”

Vince agreed, folding his arms in front of his chest and had to take another deep breath to keep his temper in check. “We have a zero tolerance policy here when it comes to violence, drugs, sexual assault, all of it.” Seth Rollins had been violent and sexually assaulted a longtime employee in the WWE. “You are right.  He should’ve been fired and I plan on rectifying that after tonight.” Randy Orton deserved to get retribution for what Seth put him through with the Authority over the past few months and Vince wouldn’t destroy that match on the card.

“R-Really?!” Macaria gaped when Vince nodded and felt tears sting her eyes, knowing Nyla would be over the moon with that news. “Thank you, Vince.  That…thank you.” She didn’t know what else to say or how to react, relief coursing through every part of her body.

“No, thank YOU for not quitting, Macaria.  For coming here and being truthful and forthcoming with me.  I promise you, things are going to be run correctly around here from now on.” Vince would not be taking another extended vacation for a very long time. “All the blackmail and everything Stephanie and Hunter had on the Superstars will be destroyed.  Stephanie told me about the pictures you have of Seth Rollins and your former boss, do you still have them?”

“No, she stipulated I was to get rid of it prior to signing with WWE and I did.”

Vince didn’t like hearing that, but he also didn’t blame her and could tell Macaria was a woman of her word.  Strong, steadfast and brave, just like Nyla. “I want you to keep this between us.  Everything we’ve talked about in this meeting goes nowhere, not even Ambrose.  Do you understand?” If word got out before he was ready, chaos would ensue and Vince didn’t need the added aggravation.

“I won’t say a word, Vince.  You have my word.” Macaria could keep that secret and take it to the grave if she had to.

“By the end of the night, everything will come to light and wrongs will be righted.” Vince promised, standing and extended his hand, waiting for her to rise to her feet. “You are an exceptional talent and I hope you stick around for a long time.  Your pictures are truly the best work I’ve seen in a very long time, Macaria.”

She blushed at his compliment, cheeks turning crimson and shook his hand again. “Thank you.  Was there anything else you needed from me?”

“No, you’ve told me everything I needed to know.  You had the missing pieces of this puzzle.  Now get back to work and no slacking.” He ordered with a grin, squeezing her shoulder and set her out of HIS office, straightening his suit jacket.

Just as Macaria walked out, Nyla and Roman walked up, both looking uneasy and nervous. “Oh no, they fired you, didn’t they?” Nyla asked quietly, blinking when Macaria shook her head and couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because of me.” Vince answered from the now open doorway, watching Nyla’s amber eyes shoot open and chuckled, extending his arms to her.

Nyla didn’t hesitate, immediately wrapping her arms around Vince and hugged him tightly, feeling him kiss the top of her head. “I’m so glad you’re back.” She muttered against his suit, not caring who saw her and the amount of relief flooding her body forced tears to surface.

“Yeah, I’ve been hearing that a lot today,” Vince grunted, rubbing her back and pulled out of the hug a few minutes later, seeing the light was back in her watery amber eyes. “Come inside and we’ll talk.” He nodded at Roman knowingly, who followed them into the office, closing the door behind them.

Macaria knew Vince would be telling Nyla about Seth’s firing and wondered if he would also release his own daughter and son-in-law for everything they’d done.  Probably not.  Seth Rollins would be the collateral damage.  Macaria wanted to go see Dean, to kiss him breathless and be in his arms, but now wasn’t the time to do it.  She had work to do and he was currently preparing for the Ladder match for the Intercontinental championship.  The last thing she wanted to do was destroy his concentration, so she would see him later on after his match, which was opening the actual show.  First, they were having a 2-hour pre-show for promotion and there would also be matches on it, so it wouldn’t be all talking with no action.  Backstage interviews would happen too.

“Nyla, from the bottom of my heart, on behalf of my family and myself, I’m so sorry for everything that happened to you.” Vince started off this meeting with a long overdue apology to his longest and most loyal lead scriptwriter. “I had no idea what was going on and I should’ve known better than to leave things in the hands of Stephanie and Hunter.”

Tears slid down her cheeks as Nyla sat in the same chair Macaria previously occupied, feeling Roman’s hands on her shoulders. “I’m not going to say it’s okay because it’s not.  I know you needed time off and you were burned out, Vince.  I don’t fault you for any of this.  Your daughter and Hunter got it in their heads they ran the show now and forced me to write ridiculous, shitty storylines and scripts for any Superstar and Diva they didn’t deem worthy.  They threatened my family, my daughter…” Her voice cracked at the mention of Neela. “I-I had to protect her…”

Vince knew all about Neela and had been the one to encourage and convince Nyla not to quit when she found out she was pregnant.  It was back when he was against coworkers dating within the company, but it wasn’t against the rules either.  He hadn’t been upset, just a little disappointed Nyla and Randy hadn’t thought things through.  He was one of the only people within the company to know about her pregnancy and who Neela’s father was. 

“I know, and I don’t blame you for what’s happened either.  And that’s why I called you in here.  I want to tell you what I plan on doing about Seth Rollins and…Roman, I called you in here with her because this is going to affect you too.” Vince could see the apprehension on the big man’s face and held his hand up with a smile. “I assure you, everything is going to be as it should when the night ends.  My daughter and son-in-law thought they would send Seth down for your match to cash in his briefcase to become the new champion.  They were going to screw you over tonight and it’s not happening.  Roman, you WILL be walking out the new WWE World Heavyweight champion.”

“What about Seth?”

“After his match with Randy, he will be fired on the spot and escorted out of the stadium.” Vince smiled viciously, seeing Nyla’s jaw drop while Roman just nodded in understanding.

“And he WON’T be wished well on his future endeavors.”

One by one, every Superstar and Diva the Authority had screwed with walked in and out of Vince’s office, each with smiles on their faces.  It was 3 long years of pure hell with the Authority in charge, but they were finally getting rid of them.  Nyla couldn’t wipe the smile off her face, walking down the hallway with Roman and knew they had to part ways to do their respective jobs.  She had a lot of work today for Vince and not much time to do it, specifically on the Ladder match and Roman’s match.

Chapter 45

WrestleMania XXXI.

Macaria was a ball of nerves, wearing a black skirt with a deep blue sleeveless blouse and her honey blonde hair braided over her shoulder.  There was a very strict dress code with WrestleMania, but only certain Superstars didn’t have to follow it due to their characters.  Dean was one of them.  She currently sat in front of a monitor near gorilla position, already done with her work for the day.  New champions would need their photos taken after the matches, but other than that, she was free to watch her man claim the Intercontinental championship.  Dean hadn’t won it from Bad News Barrett at the previous pay-per-view event, Fastlane, and wound up stealing it, which made it bounce all over the roster for the past couple weeks leading into WrestleMania.  It was an interesting storyline and now there were 7 men out there vying for the coveted prize.  In Dean’s eyes, it was more special than the actual world title, which Roman would be winning later that night.

It was the workhorse championship.

Normally, Nyla would come to watch some of the matches with her, but due to last minute changes, she was hard at work.  She apologized, both women not telling the other what Vince planned on doing to Seth.  Macaria couldn’t wait for him to be released and touched her face again in reminder, glad he hadn’t done any permanent damage to her.  Justice would be served and the Architect would be out of a job before the night was out.  It would be a beautiful thing to witness and Nyla promised to be there in time to watch it all go down.

Turning her attention to the monitor, Macaria felt her heart skip a beat at the sight of Dean stalking down to the ring with glasses and his leather jacket on, tossing them both to the side.  His eyes were zeroed in on the ring and he was the final combatant to make his entrance.  There was nothing special about it, no pyro or anything.  Just his music and him stalking to the ring to start off the chaos.  She was so proud of him, clasping her hands tightly together and silently prayed he won this match.  Being the Intercontinental champion would only increase his growing legacy, brand and name.

During the match, Macaria thought back to the past few days after she reconciled with Dean.  Kissing him in her makeshift office and throwing caution to the wind had been the best decision of her life.  Something told her everything would work out the way it should and Dean had assured her the same thing.  She had freaked out twice, claiming she would lose her job and everything she had worked for if she was with him.  Dean had shut her up with a kiss that lead to mind-blowing sex and told her not to worry about it.  Did he know about Vince coming back to the company before her?  It wouldn’t surprise Macaria since Roman was probably the one responsible for it happening, thanks to his parents having a tight bond with the McMahon family.

She had told him all about her new house and car in Vegas and he wanted to see it after the hectic WrestleMania schedule.  They would have 5 days off coming up after Smackdown! that coming week.  She couldn’t wait to go home with Dean, wanting to show him her home and continue the ascent of their relationship.  There was nothing stopping them or holding them back from being together now.  The Authority was no more.  Vince McMahon was back in full control of the WWE, his company, and his daughter and son-in-law would be lucky if they weren’t demoted to the ring crew, or worse.

Toward the end of the match, Dean took a lethal powerbomb by Luke Harper over the top rope, breaking the ladder in half.  His head struck the rung, busting him open and the camera immediately panned to the other Superstars in the ring.  Dean saw stars at first, not realizing his head was busted open and the trainer was right there in the blink of an eye, white gloves on his hands.

“Dean, I have to staple this shut!  Hold still!”

“Wait, wha…MOTHER FUCKER!” Dean roared out, hoping the loud crowd, along with the action in the ring, prevented the camera from picking up his NON-PG language. 

They had stapled his head, claiming he would go back in the ring, but the trainer declined to do that.  They couldn’t keep the cut closed completely, which would have blood all over the ring and competitors.  Dean had to be taken out of the match and brought to the back to have his head stapled correctly.  It was heartbreaking since he could’ve still gone.  Hell, he spilled gallons of blood in the Indy’s, so being power bombed through a ladder was nothing to him.  However, this was WWE and their wellness policy did not screw around when it came to the safety of the Superstars.

Naturally, the cameras we refollowing him to the back to the trainer’s room, wanting to capture this moment in his career.  Dean wasn’t happy to have cameras in his face, pissed he was taken out of the match.  Cameras were all over all day, chronologizing his day at WrestleMania for an upcoming program they would air on the WWE Network.  They captured talks with his friend, Drake, as well as William Regal, one of his main mentors while down in FCW/NXT.  Dean had a feud with him briefly, two outstanding matches and they were still some of his favorites of all time.  William was amazing to work with and they were very good friends, always getting lost talking about wrestling and the older man’s career.

“Really, REALLY wanted to be the Intercontinental champion at WrestleMania.” He spoke quietly to the cameras while the trainer prepared to staple his head shut. “This one just stings a little bit worse than most other ones.  I’ve never lost at a WrestleMania till tonight, so that’s a new feeling.  Tonight just wasn’t my night.” He stared straight ahead, clenching his fists while they continued working on his head. “Oh, I’ll have my moment.”

“Okay Dean, you’re all set.  Your head might bleed a little bit tonight, so put a towel down on the pillow or else you’ll wake up with the staples sticking to it.” The trainer informed him, patting him on the back and went off to check on the other Superstars that needed tended to.

Macaria had waited outside of the trainer’s room, spotting a camera crew going in with Dean and didn’t want to interfere.  When they walked out, along with the trainer, she frowned and took a chance to tap at the door, pushing it open.  There he sat on the bedding, little trickles of blood caked to his neck and he looked to be deep in thought.  She knew how much he wanted to win the Ladder match, but sometimes things and accidents happened.

“Dean.”

The sound of her voice jolted him out of his deep thoughts and he cracked a small smile at her to let her know he was all right. “I’m okay, babe.  Come here.”

She hugged him, not caring if blood got on her clothes or not and was careful about his head, whispering in his ear how proud she was of him. “You scared me out there.  How’s your head?” Macaria asked quietly, pulling back to look into his pale blues and softly kissed his lips.

“Meh, been through worse.” Dean shrugged, standing from the bedding and needed a shower. “How come you’re in here?  You told me you still want us to keep our distance from each other at the arenas.”

Technically, this was a stadium, but Macaria wouldn’t be a smartass about it. “I did.  But I had an interesting meeting with Vince McMahon today.” That got Dean’s attention solely focused on her, his brow raising.

“Yeah?  What about?” Vince was back?  Since when?  Then he remembered Roman telling him about the meeting he had with Stephanie and Nyla, but he hadn’t elaborated. “The old man is really back?  What did he say?”

She smiled widely, taking his hand and laced their fingers together. “It’s better if I just show you.  I promised I wouldn’t say anything, but you don’t wanna miss this.  You can shower afterward since Seth’s match is on right now.”

Dean let her lead him back to gorilla position, which was quite a hike and it was where Vince wanted her and Nyla when the firing went down.  Seth had embarrassed these women, the company and his former Shield partners.  It was time to get a dose of his own medicine.  Smirking down at his excited woman, Dean wrapped an arm around her shoulders to pull her close and kissed the top of her head.

“OH SHIT!” That echoed simultaneously from several of the Superstars watching the match, their eyes glued to the monitor.

Randy Orton had just delivered a DEVASTATING RKO to Seth Rollins from midair!

Even Dean had to admit that was a SICK RKO, especially since Randy had countered a potential curb stomp.

It surprised NO ONE when the three count was made and Randy pinned Seth for the victory.  Macaria wasn’t nearly as excited about that as what was about to go down.  Nyla and Roman arrived just in time, standing with them.  Just as Seth came through the curtain, stumbling, trying to get his bearings in order, he was met by a stoic Vince McMahon, Stephanie and Hunter sulking behind him.

When did Vince get back?  Why wasn’t Seth told?  His dark eyes looked up at the owner of WWE, clutching the briefcase against his chest and winced at his sore neck.  Randy had already come through the curtain and being congratulated on a job well done by his peers.

“Hello, Mr. McMahon.”

Normally, Vince didn’t do firing in front of everyone, but tonight, he was making an exception. “Good match out there tonight, Seth.” He complimented, directing it to Randy, though that didn’t stop Seth from grinning, his ego blowing his head up.

“Yeah well, would’ve been nice to WIN, but can’t win them all.” Seth did a thumbs up with his free hand, immediately regretting it when Vince’s eyes narrowed on him. “So, what’s up?” He was ready to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase tonight on Roman and Brock to become the new face of WWE.

Nyla made sure Randy won that match, feeling she owed him one since he wasn’t making her life miserable with lawyers and a custody battle.

“Seth…” Stephanie clamped her mouth shut as soon as her father’s eyes snapped to her, her head lowering again.

Hunter remained silent as well.

“W-What’s going on?” Seth stammered, taken aback by the tension surrounding him and could almost sense what was about to happen. “No…no, please!  This is my life!  This is all I’ve worked for!  You can’t do this to me!  I AM THE FUTURE OF THIS COMPANY!”

Vince found this sickeningly amusing.  He hadn’t even said a WORD and Seth already knew what was about to happen. “You’re fired, Seth.  SECURITY!” He bellowed, waving his hand over and 10 guards were there instantly, swarming Seth. “Take this piece of shit out of MY building!  And I’ll take THIS too.” He snatched the Money in the Bank briefcase away from Seth before he was hauled off, screaming and crying.

All Stephanie and Hunter could do was watch their creation burn to the ground, not having anyone else to blame except themselves.

“Now, what am I going to do with this?” Vince tapped his fingers against the Money in the Bank briefcase thoughtfully, looking amongst the WWE Superstars around him and his eyes stopped on the man who should’ve won it in the first place. “Ambrose!”

Dean raised a brow, looking down at Macaria, who looked completely clueless and pushed him gently toward the REAL boss.  All eyes were on him and it made him feel somewhat uncomfortable. “Vince.” He nodded his head, shaking the man’s hand and blinked when the briefcase was shoved at him. “Wait, what?”

“You should’ve won that match last year.  I went back and re-watched it and if it wasn’t for Kane, you would be Mr. Money in the Bank.  So congratulations, you are now.” Vince clapped him on the shoulder, watching Dean clutch the briefcase against him and smiled widely.

“I’m sorry, no.” A hush fell over the Superstars and Divas as Dean pushed the briefcase back at Vince, shaking his head. “No Vince, not like this.  I don’t like being handed anything like that.  I lost that match.  It was no-DQ and I lost.  You want me to be Mr. Money in the Bank?  Then put it in a match with other dudes and I’ll climb the ladder and win it the right way.”

Vince admired Dean’s tenacity and always had from the moment he stepped foot in WWE. “Very well, tomorrow night on Raw.  There will be a ladder match for the Money in the Bank contract.  And whoever wins it, whoever can climb the ladder, will be Mr. Money in the Bank.  I will reveal who the combatants are before the night is out.”

Macaria couldn’t have been prouder of her man and stepped up to him, taking his hand to gain his attention. “So now you know why I don’t care if anyone knows about us anymore or sees us.” She reached up to caress his face with the back of her hand, his forehead lowering to press against hers as his arms wrapped around her body. “I love you, Dean.”

“Love you too, Maca.” He murmured, loud enough for only her to hear and passionately kissed her in front of everyone, including Stephanie and Hunter.

“I know you’re going to win tomorrow.”

Dean shrugged, rubbing his nose against hers gently. “Whatever happens, happens.  I’m doing what I love and I found the woman I’ve been searching for in the process.  Nothing else can get me down.  Nothing else matters.  There’s no more mendacity keeping us apart, you know what I’m saying?”

Deceit and lies are what kept them apart, but as Stephanie told her, they had found their way back to each other again.  Dean went back to his dressing room to quickly shower with Macaria, being careful of the staples in his head.  He wouldn’t be able to wash his hair until they were out, but that was what dry shampoo was made for.  After he was cleansed and he sexed his woman up, along with popping some aspirin, they went back to gorilla position to watch Roman’s match against Brock Lesnar.

“And NEW WWE World Heavyweight champion – ROMAN REIGNS!!”

“That’s my boy!” Dean crowed, pumping his fist in the air while Nyla cried out in joy, tackling him as soon as he came through the curtain.

Roman caught her, wincing from the beating Brock gave him, but the title on his shoulder was well worth the pain and miles he’d traveled the road.  They didn’t have to tell each other how they felt, both knew and Nyla was exceedingly proud of the journey Roman had taken to get here tonight.  Now that the Authority was out of power and gone, and the smoke had cleared, nothing would stand in his and Dean’s way.  They would probably wind up doing battle once Dean won that Money in the Bank briefcase the next night on Raw, but they would always stay brothers, no matter what.

Walking down the hall with their women, Dean and Roman were the happiest they’d ever been and it was all because of Seth’s mendacity.

The Shield split was a blessing in disguise all along.

The End.