Solace

 

Chapter 1

 

It was not a good night.

 

Anisa wanted to kill someone.  From the moment she walked into the arena, the production manager, Rick Heidman, came up to her with the night’s work she had to do.  Anisa didn’t mind it if Rick didn’t treat her like a doormat half the time, but it also came with the territory of being his assistant.  Basically, anything Rick needed done that he couldn’t do, Anisa had to cover it.  She had a lot of love for Rick, but sometimes he rubbed her the wrong way and reminded her of an older brother picking on a younger sister.  Tonight, it was Anisa’s responsibility to go to every wrestler’s dressing room to let them know when their segments were for the show.  She also had to make sure every single employee in the company scrawled their signature on the sign-in sheet, which severely annoyed her to no end.  How hard was it to scrawl a signature on a piece of paper, honestly? 

 

Sometimes it felt like Anisa worked with a bunch of children who didn’t know their heads from their backsides.  It was bad enough she loathed talking to about 80% of the WWE roster because they were douchebags and didn’t know the meaning of the word respect.  Not to mention they couldn’t wrestle out of a paper box.  However, this was her job and Anisa loved it for the most part, so she did whatever necessary to maintain her position in the company.  Rick handed her a small packet with a clipboard that had every employee name on it.  She had to go down the list to see which employee hadn’t signed off on the paper and then report back to Rick once it was completely filled out.

 

Oh the joys!

 

“I’m sorry, Ani, but Vince is changing everything at the last minute again.” Rick sounded annoyed, so that made her feel a little better. “And let every employee know who didn’t sign the sheet if they don’t start following protocol, their asses will be written up.”

 

Anisa rose a slow brow at him, wondering if Rick was serious and could tell by the slight fire in his brown eyes he wasn’t messing around. “Got it, anything else?” She suddenly felt obligated to help him since he looked ready to keel over due to all of the last minute changes with the shows lately.

 

Rick shook his head with a sigh and planted a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks again, honey.  I owe you a beer for this.” He turned and walked off to start making changes, popping two aspirin to try curtailing a building headache that would turn into a migraine.

 

“You owe me several.”

 

Rick waved his hand over his head, acknowledging he heard that and agreed.  Shaking her head, Anisa looked down at the list and wasn’t the least bit surprised to find the first name on it was John Cena.  The man could not remember to sign-in for the life of him, no matter how many times he was reprimanded for it.  If his very existence was at stake and the only way to save it was to sign on this piece of paper, Cena would’ve been dead already.  He was the epitome of irresponsible and had zero respect for any of the company’s policies, always doing things his way.  This would not be fun at all, but it was her job and Anisa would do it to the best of her ability – unlike others.

 

Standing outside John Cena’s dressing room, Anisa immediately heard grunting through the door and pinched the bridge of her nose.  Apparently, he was getting an impromptu workout from his current girlfriend and WWE Diva, Nicole Garcia-Colace – one half of the Bella Twins simply known as Nikki.  Anisa had the unfortunate task of interrupting them and rolled her eyes, pounding a few times on the door.  The grunting immediately turned into cussing and shuffling around, amusing Anisa to say the least.

 

“Cena!  Rub it out already and open the door!” She called through it, adding more fuel to the fire and simply stood there while chaos ensued behind the door.  Anisa could be a complete bitch when the situation called for it.

 

5 minutes later, the door ripped open and Cena stood there scowling darkly, the paper instantly flashing in his face. “Look…”

 

“Sign it and have your little girlfriend do the same.”

 

“Shit girl, you totally iced my flavor!”

 

“Not my fault you can’t handle your responsibilities.  Now sign it or Rick will have both of your asses.” Anisa ordered, watching John scrawl his name on the paper agitatedly and then handed it over to Nicole, who did the same.  Smiling sweetly at Nicole’s icy glare, Anisa took the paper once the Diva handed it back to her and tucked it under her arm securely. “And now back to your…session or whatever it was you were doing.  Have a nice night.”

 

“Bitch.” Nicole muttered, slamming the door shut and went back to the task at hand with her boyfriend.

 

“Of course I am.”

 

“And that’s why I love you so damn much.” Mia Malik crowed from behind, having witnessed the whole exchange and tossed an arm around Anisa’s shoulders. “That was very well done, if I do say so myself.”

 

Mia Malik was a beautiful woman with long black hair that hugged her waist to perfection and deep brown eyes.  She had thick eyelashes Anisa would’ve killed for along with an outstanding body.  Mia was also full-blooded Indian, though she rarely followed her culture, just the style, and had been disowned for her career choice.  None of it bothered her because wrestling was her passion, she was good at it and enjoyed all the traveling, seeing the world.

 

“I swear, it’s like pulling teeth to get them to follow ONE company policy.” Anisa grunted, cracking a small smile up at her good friend and they began walking down the hallway together. “So, what’s up with you?”

 

“Just finished a workout and got to undress Joe with my eyes again.  I swear, that man drips sexuality and he doesn’t even have to try!” Mia groaned, burying her head in Anisa’s shoulder with a pout. “Not fair at all.”

 

Anisa couldn’t help laughing at her friend’s distress and shook her head, shoving Mia playfully off of her. “M&M, you need to suck it up and just tell the man how you feel.” Mia had a huge crush on Joe Anoa’i –He was 1/3 of the group known as the Shield along with Jonathan Good and Colby Lopez, who portrayed the characters Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins- ever since he came into the company, which was over a year ago. “Otherwise you’re gonna become a stalker and nobody wants that label – nobody sane anyway.”

 

“That’s easier said than done, Nis.” She grumbled, turning the corner with Anisa since she had nothing to do for an hour. “I’ll figure out what to do.  It’s just gonna take me a little time…”

 

“You’ve been saying that for over a year now, you know that right?” Anisa pointed out the obvious and glanced down at her paper, rolling her eyes at the next name on the list. “Great, you might wanna run and duck for cover.  I have to go visit…Curtis now.” That name left a bad taste in her mouth and Mia grew somewhat pale in the face.

 

Joseph Curtis Hennig was the late great Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig’s son and completely different from his father, having zero class or respect for the wrestling business his father helped build.  Everyone called him Curtis because he looked like his father and there were too many Joe’s on the roster already.  He wasn’t bad looking, but lately he’d been giving Mia a hard time and pestering her about going on a date with him.  The man didn’t understand the word no or any part of the concept apparently.  Mia wanted nothing to do with him because her heart and mind belonged to Joe Anoa’i, who didn’t even know it.  She told Curtis countless times she wasn’t interested, but the man was unwavering and stubborn, refusing to leave her alone.

 

“I-I’ll be okay…” Mia hoped, not wanting to leave Anisa alone to deal with this douchebag and looped her arm through her friend’s. “I’m here in case he tries intimidating you.”

 

Anisa smiled appreciatively and squeezed Mia’s arm, letting her know everything would be fine.  They arrived at Curtis’s dressing room and Anisa reluctantly knocked on the door, watching it open a few seconds later.  Curtis stared down at first Anisa Brooks and then the gorgeous Mia Malik, already feeling his dick jump in his trunks at the sight of her.

 

“What can I do for you ladies tonight?” He asked in his best suave voice, never taking his eyes from Mia and smirked, folding his arms in front of his bare chest.

 

The way he looked at her friend didn’t bode well with Anisa, especially since it made Mia extremely uncomfortable. “I’m here to inform you per Rick that if you don’t start signing in like you’re supposed to, you will be written up.” She slapped the paper against his chest and planted her hands on her hips, not afraid of anyone on the roster. “Now sign it and stop perving on Mia.  She’s not interested in you or did you forget?”

 

Curtis scowled at the smart-mouthed woman and snorted, scrawling his signature on the paper. “Rick needs to take it easy before he has a stroke or something.  It’s not a big deal to sign a stupid piece of paper.” He thought the sun shined out of his backside because of who his father was in the company. “And I’ll look at anyone I want, it is a free country after all, Anisa.  Isn’t that right, cupcake?” He directed that to Mia, always using that term of endearment with her.

 

“No it’s not and stop calling me that, Curtis.  I’m not your cupcake, get it through your head.” Mia was fed up with walking on eggshells around this idiot and folded her arms tightly in front of her chest. “I don’t appreciate the way you look at me.  I’m nobody’s piece of meat.  And for the last time, I don’t want you in any way, shape or form.  I’m in love with someone else, so the sooner you accept that and leave me alone, the better off we’ll both be.”

 

“Is that right, cupcake?” Curtis took a step forward and glared down into the defiant dark eyes of Mia, squaring his shoulders. “You have no idea what you’re turning down.  I’m giving you too many chances enough as it is and you still refuse to admit how you really feel about me.” He shook his head sadly and gritted his teeth, suddenly grabbing her upper arms roughly. “You’re in love with me, admit it!”

 

Mia gasped at the tight grip on her upper arms and shook her head, spitting directly in Curtis’s face. “Fuck you!” She spat vehemently, trying to break free from him, but it was impossible since his hands felt like iron cuffs. “Let me go right now!”

 

“Let her go, asshole!  What the hell is wrong with you?!” Had Curtis completely lost his mind putting his hands on Mia like this?  Anisa didn’t know what to do and closed her eyes when a voice sounded behind them, relief washing through every part of her body.

 

“You’ve got 3 seconds to put her down or else I’m putting your ass to sleep, Hennig.”

 

Curtis mentally cursed at the sound of Phillip Brooks’ voice and knew he’d been caught red-handed manhandling Mia, immediately releasing her.  She stumbled back against Anisa, trembling from head to toe and felt comforting arms wrap around her.  Mia already knew her upper arms would be bruised, which meant a change of wardrobe was in order before the show that night.  She had a match against Brianna Garcia-Colace –Brie Bella- in single’s competition for the #1 contender slot for the Diva’s championship, currently being held by WWE Diva AJ Lee.

 

Phillip could tell this confrontation shook the girls up and felt the anger welling up inside of him. “Take her to Michael and tell him what happened.  I’ll deal with this asshole.” He watched the women take off down the hallway with Mia leaning against Anisa and waited until they were out of sight before turning his hardened hazel eyes on Curtis.

 

“Look man…”

 

Not bothering hearing the crap spew out of his mouth, Phillip throttled Curtis and slammed him against the wall, making his head bounce off of it harshly. “Let’s get one thing straight right now: The next time you put your hands violently on a woman who works for this company, you’ll be put to sleep PERMANENTLY.” He squeezed Curtis’s throat harder and drove his knee into the man’s abdomen, making him double over in pain. “And remember one thing, when pussy like you fucks with my family, you’ll pay the price.  See you in the ring tonight.” Clapping Curtis on the shoulder, Phillip took off down the hallway toward the trainer’s room to check on the girls.

 

Inside the trainer’s room, Michael was showing the newest addition to the medical team, Krystal, around the office while they had a moment to themselves.  That was until the door opened with both Anisa and Mia walking inside, a pained expression on Mia’s face.  Michael immediately got to work and instructed Krystal to roll over the tray along with retrieving ice for Mia’s upper arms.  Krystal silently did as she was told, glancing at the two women and knew they worked for the company, but she hadn’t met them yet.  Just as she pressed the ice to the raven haired beauty’s upper arm, the door crashed open and an auburn haired woman rushed over to them with wide leaf green orbs.

 

Coralie Rose worked for the WWE ring crew, setting everything up and taking it down on a daily/nightly basis.  She had a half sleeve of tattoos on both arms, some on her legs and back with a few piercings, including her tongue.  Tattoos and piercings were her addiction like Phillip, which was one of the reasons they were together.  Coralie, Mia and Anisa were great friends and had been for a few years, but Anisa had been in the company the longest.

 

“Are you alright, Mia?” Coralie asked, frowning at the deep bruising already forming on her friend’s upper arms and wanted to kill Curtis for doing this. “Phil told me everything already and had a promo to cut, so he asked me to check on you.”

 

“I’m fine, just sore.” Mia looked up at Anisa and knew Curtis’s actions had scared the hell out of her. “Nis…”

 

“Don’t worry about me.” Anisa assured her, sharing a worried look with Coralie and glanced at the woman currently treating Mia. “I haven’t seen you around here.  She new, Mike?”

 

Michael nodded with a smile, trying to lighten the mood a bit. “She is Paul Levesque’s sister and training to be part of the medical staff since we’re shorthanded ever since Larry retired.”

 

Mia smiled up at the shy woman and could instantly see the family resemblance, but there was one difference she noticed. “At least you don’t have your brother’s big honker.”

 

That got a round of laughter going in the trainer’s room, especially when Krystal agreed with Mia with a silent nod.

 

Chapter 2

 

After what happened to his sister and Mia, Phil was irate and used that to his advantage while cutting a backstage promo that would air later that night on Raw.  Sometimes wrestlers and Divas did them live, but the majority opted for taped in case they messed up their lines.  Phil did both, depending on his mood and had to start over several times because cuss words kept flowing from his mouth.  On the 5th take, he finally nailed it and stalked away down the hall with his manager on-screen and good friend behind closed doors hot on his trail.

 

“Alright Punk, what the hell was that about?” Paul Heyman demanded, using Phil’s in-ring name since that’s how most WWE Superstars referred to each other.

 

“Nothing Paul, I’m fine.” Phil blatantly lied, halting when Paul stepped in front of him with narrowed eyes. “What?”

 

Their relationship, both personal and professional, dated back to the ECW days.  Extreme Championship Wrestling was an organization Paul Heyman made into one of the most energetic, dangerous and brutal wrestling companies to date.  It was the top 3 along with WWE –WWF at the time- and WCW –World Championship Wrestling- which went out of business after Vince McMahon bought it out in 2001.  Paul was known as Paul E. Dangerously and managed some of the most well-known talent that fans still recognized to this day.  Just weeks after WCW was purchased by WWE, ECW filed bankruptcy and folded.  In 2003, WWE finally bought out the ECW rights to their content and began slowly reintroducing the product to fans before Vince McMahon decided to bring it back to life in 2006.  That’s where Phillip Brooks and Paul Heyman met since Paul served as the on-air ECW Representative, but behind the scenes he wrote all the scripts and submitted them to writers for possible changes – with Vince McMahon’s approval of course.  Their friendship flourished over the year and Paul Heyman was one of the only people Phil trusted in the company.

 

From the moment Paul met Phil, he knew the kid had something special and unique aside from any other wrestler.  He fought tooth and nail for Phil, going head-to-head with Vince McMahon begging him to give Phil one chance.  It took a while to convince the company of Phil’s raw talent and wrestling ability, but all paid off in the end since Phil had been champion for 434 days – a record setting reign.  He recently relinquished the title to the returning Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson at the Royal Rumble pay-per-view, an arrangement Phil and Paul did not agree with, but it was the only way to set up his impending match with Mark Calaway.  As much as it pained Phil to give up the WWE championship, his personal vendetta against Mark overshadowed everything else because he never defended his sister’s honor.  This was his way of doing it and Phil planned on doing everything in his power to break the Streak at WrestleMania.  Stephanie and Paul –Most people called him Hunter since that was his wrestling name back in the day- gave Mark full creative control over the match, but Phil wouldn’t go along with it.  Once they were face-to-face in the ring, all bets were off and if Mark wanted to keep his Streak alive, he would have to fight for it.

 

“Talk to me, son.” Paul hated seeing Phil in turmoil, placing a hand on his shoulder and they walked slowly down the hallway.

 

“I know he’s supposed to be your new boy, guy or whatever, but Curtis has A LOT to learn about respect.” Phil growled, not wanting to cause friction between him and Paul.

 

Paul frowned deeply, wondering where this sudden animosity for Curtis came from. “What happened?” He asked again, this time in a resigned voice and listened to Phil, sadly shaking his head throughout the explanation. “Damn it…”

 

“I want a match with him, Paul.” Phil wasn’t asking and stopped to look down into his friend’s eyes. “I know he hasn’t made his – wait, will this be his third or fourth debut in the company?  Doesn’t matter, he sucks and it doesn’t matter who his father is.  I will end him if he fucks with my sister or any of her friends again.”

 

Needing to diffuse this situation quickly, Paul diverted Phil’s attention from Curtis’s small indiscretion, in his eyes at least, to another adversary. “Punk, you need to focus on Taker right now.  Don’t worry about rookies.  Direct all of your anger on Undertaker and make him pay for what he did to your sister, for all the pain and heartache he caused her.” It was a sneaky trick, but Paul didn’t want to lose the opportunity to work with Curtis. “Worry about one thing at a time.”

 

Phil knew Paul was right and gritted his teeth, hazel eyes igniting at the mention of his ex-brother-in-law. “Pass the threat to your guy and make him leave Anisa and Mia alone then.” He walked away from Paul to head to the trainer’s room, leaving his friend/in-ring advocate staring after him.

 

Paul had to talk to Curtis before Phil ended up ripping the man apart.

 

Before his promo, Phil sent a quick text to Coralie asking if she would check on his sister and Mia in the trainer’s room.  Coralie responded with a simple ‘yes’, not questioning why he wanted her to go there.  It was one of the many reasons Phil loved her so much.  She never questioned anything he did or asked of her, not unless it really bothered her for some reason.  That didn’t happen often, thankfully.  Phil rounded the corner and nearly slammed into another friend of his, Randy Orton, and his beautiful wife Ryanne who had recently joined her husband on the road.  Her hair was naturally dark red hanging down to her waist, hugging it perfectly and she had captivating emerald green eyes.  They’d been married for 5 years and Phil had actually been the Best Man in their wedding while Coralie was one of Ryanne’s maids of honor.  The girls instantly clicked the moment they met when Ryanne came on the road with Randy right after they were married.  Coralie had been on the ring crew in the company since before Phil debuted and the moment they met, sparks flew instantly.  It didn’t take long for Phil to ask Coralie on a date and they’d been together ever since, in no rush for marriage and neither wanted kids.  They were comfortable with the way things were and didn’t care about pieces of jewelry or paper to prove their love for each other.

 

“Hey man, where’s the fire?” Randy greeted, his arm wrapped around Ryanne’s shoulders.

 

“On my way to the trainer’s.”

 

Ryanne noticed the urgency in Phil’s voice and frowned, wondering what was going on. “Phil, is everything alright?” She asked softly, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. “What happened?  Is it Cora?”

 

Phil shook his head, knowing how protective Coralie and Ryanne were over each other. “No.  She’s there though.  It’s my sister and…Mia.” Ryanne knew them as well, but wasn’t nearly as close with them as Coralie.

 

“Are they alright?”

 

“Yeah, but Mia got roughed up a little by an asshole.” Phil clenched his fists at his sides, not wanting to lose his temper in front of Ryanne. “Anisa was just scared, I think…”

 

“Tell us what happened.” Randy urged, blue eyes widening as Phil ranted and raved about a rookie named Curtis Henning putting his hands on Mia. “Wait, wasn’t he part of the Nexus shit?  Didn’t they call him Michael McGully or something?” He couldn’t remember and honestly didn’t care, feeling his own temper slowly rising since he thought of Anisa and Mia as sisters.

 

Phil nodded in confirmation. “They sent him back down to developmental because he couldn’t hack it in the ring and changed him or something.  I don’t know.  I’m gonna rip him apart if he touches either of them again.”

 

Randy and Ryanne could only watch Phil walk away, looking at each other worriedly.  One thing Phil didn’t sugar coat was how protective he was over Anisa.  They were two peas in a pod, only 3 years apart and had been through hell together since he basically had to raise her.  Their parents were heavy alcoholics and did drugs, so Phil was the one who made sure Anisa was clothed and fed.  It was one of the main reasons Phil lead a straight edge lifestyle with zero alcohol and drugs, no smoking.  Coralie was the same way, tattoos and piercings being their outlet.  Anisa enjoyed wine on occasion and a cigarette every once in a while, but she stayed away from heavy drugs and liquor, refusing to end up like their parents.

 

Arriving at the trainer’s room, Phil knocked once and walked in, spotting Coralie and Mia instantly.  There was no sign of Anisa, however.  Coralie looked up with concerned leaf green eyes and signed with relief at the sight of her boyfriend, heading over to him.  She knew his temper could be volatile, especially when it came to Anisa and was glad he hadn’t let it fly off the handle.  Coralie reached up and hugged him around the neck, feeling his arms encircle her waist instantly.  Phil breathed her in, closing his eyes to relish the feeling of Coralie against him and felt himself calming down.  He kissed the side of her neck and the top of her head before finally pulling back to brush his mouth against hers.

 

“Where’s Nisa?” Phil asked quietly, not releasing his hold on Coralie.

 

“She had to get back to work.  I’m still on a break and promised her I’d stay with Mia as long as I could.” Coralie caressed his face tenderly with the back of her hand. “She was a little shook up, but assured me she’s fine.”

 

Phil nodded, trusting Coralie completely and turned his attention to the other woman in the room he didn’t recognize. “Who is that?” He raised a brow, keeping his voice down while the woman walked over to Mia to exchange ice packs on her upper arms.

 

“She’s the new trainer on the medical team.  Larry’s replacement.” Coralie stepped out of Phil’s arms and took his hand, guiding him over where Mia sat on the bedding. “Krystal, this is my boyfriend Phillip Brooks.”

 

Krystal swallowed hard, recognizing the man instantly and took a silent breath to slow her racing heart.  It would definitely take her time to get used to everyone, especially the muscular wrestlers.  She watched his tattooed fingers attached to a large hand outstretch and hesitantly took it with her own, somehow maintaining her composure.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Brooks.” She said in a quiet polite voice and released his hand, turning to continue working on Mia.

 

“Just Phil.  Or Punk, whichever you prefer.” He wrapped an arm around Coralie so she didn’t feel threatened in any way, knowing she had a slight jealousy issue. “How are you doing, sis?”

 

Mia smiled up at her adoptive brother. “I’m fine, Philly.” She giggled at his eye roll and smacked his arm with a smirk. “Nis is too.  She feels really bad she had to leave me here, but Rick was on her ass about that sign-in sheet.  I swear, sometimes I wonder if he has a stick permanently shoved up his ass.”

 

Krystal’s hazel eyes grew wide at Mia’s blunt mouth and walked away to grab some salve for her bruised upper arms. “That shy shit needs to end if you’re gonna last around here, Krystal.” Phil felt he had to say something, to warn her before the vultures in the WWE swept in and devoured her whole.

 

“I-I’m sorry?”

 

Chuckling, Phil left Coralie by Mia to join Krystal and picked up the cloth she dropped on the floor. “You need to get over your shyness.  This company is no place for shy people unless you want everyone to walk over you.  I’m not telling you this to be a dick.  I’m trying to help you, give you some advice since I’ve been here for a while and know how things operate.”

 

“She won’t have to worry about that happening, Punk.”

 

Krystal bit her bottom lip at the sight of her big brother and current boss, Paul Levesque, walk into the room with a stack of papers in hand. “What did you need, bro?” She asked in a stronger voice, appreciating Phil’s concern for her wellbeing.

 

Phil felt his eyes nearly fall out of his head as soon as the word ‘bro’ came out of Krystal’s mouth. “Wait a minute, you two are…”

 

“Brother and sister, yes.” Krystal finished his statement and hugged Paul quickly to let him know she was alright.

 

“Came to talk to the injured.” Paul answered his sister and nodded at Phil, heading over to where one of his top Divas sat. “How are you feeling, Mia?”

 

“Besides achy and a bit shaky, fine.” Mia knew better than to lie to the boss and sighed as Krystal began rubbing salve into her bruised upper arms.

 

Paul nodded in understanding and handed over some paperwork. “Fill these out and return them immediately so they can be filed.  Then we’ll do an investigation on Mr. Hennig regarding this situation.” His voice held authority and proficiency, keeping it even along with his hazel eyes. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

 

Phil watched Mia take the paperwork with a nod and knew this incident would be swept under the rug because of who Curtis Hennig’s father was.  Anyone who came into the company through family got free passes and Phil was tired of it because it meant people like him were shafted.  There was nothing to be done though and at least the complaint would be filed in case Curtis tried attacking Mia again.  As much as Phil wanted to say something or ring Paul’s neck, he valued his job far too much at the moment and knew Mia could take care of herself.

 

Once Krystal finished with Mia, Paul pulled her to the side away from everyone in the office and could tell she wasn’t comfortable. “Are you alright, Krys?” He asked softly, rubbing his hands up and down her arms trying to relax her somehow.

 

“I’m fine, Paul.” Krystal murmured, folding her arms in front of her chest and cracked a small smile at him. “I’m enjoying my first night on the job.  Just trying to get used to everyone.” She had a healthy fear of people larger than her for personal reasons and Paul knew what they were.

 

“That’s why I’m asking.  I don’t want you to be uncomfortable and if anyone messes with you…”

 

“Come to you straightaway.  I know, Paul.” Big brother kissed her forehead and left while Krystal cleaned up for the next injury to come waltzing through the door.  Just as Mia, Phil and Coralie left to do their jobs, Krystal had her back to the door and didn’t realize her next patient had entered the room until a deep voice resonated through the room.

 

“I need my knee checked out when you have a minute.”

 

Krystal turned around and locked eyes with chocolate brown, feeling her heart suddenly skip a beat.

 

Chapter 3

 

Anisa felt horrible for leaving Mia with Coralie in the trainer’s room, but she had a job to do and Rick was blowing her cell phone up.  She sent him a quick text explaining what happened without going into too much detail and he replied with a simple ‘hurry up’.  Typical Rick.  He didn’t care about anyone except himself and getting his work done at her expense.  Glancing down at her list, Anisa quickly figured out where she had to go next and headed in that direction with a resigned sigh.  Would these men never learn?  On her way to her destination, Anisa was stopped by the Orton’s, both of them having worried expressions on their faces.  This wasn’t good.

 

“Hey Viper.” Anisa greeted uneasily, hugging him and then gave one to Ryanne. “I didn’t know you were bringing your gorgeous wife on the road.”

 

“Yeah well…it was a last minute decision.” Randy rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly while keeping his arm around Ryanne’s waist.

 

Ryanne smiled, though it didn’t quite touch her emerald eyes. “I just wanted to spend some more time with my hubby.”

 

“Glad we ran into you actually because Phil is on a rampage after what happened with Axel earlier.” Randy changed the subject off of them swiftly, more worried about his friend. “You need to check on him and make sure he doesn’t do something that could potentially destroy his career.”

 

Anisa groaned, scrubbing a hand down her face. “He has a temper when provoked, especially when it comes to me.  Thanks for informing me.  I’ll try to hunt him down while doing my job and trying to get this stupid sign-in sheet filled out.”

 

Placing a hand on her shoulder, Randy gave her a sympathetic look before walking away with Ryanne.  Anisa still had several more signatures to get before she could even think about tracking down her brother, so she had to hurry.  There was not a doubt in her mind Phil planned on hurting Curtis and that couldn’t happen.  The man hadn’t made his WWE debut as his new character yet and if that was ruined…Anisa cringed at the repercussions her brother would suffer all because he was defending her.  Curtis hadn’t laid a hand on her, but the fact it was Mia, who they both considered family, was enough of a reason for Phil to destroy the man.  She really had to hurry up with the sign-in sheet, report to Rick and then haul her cookies to find her brother.

 

~!~

 

Bare from the waist up, stormy grey eyes stared hardening down at the petite woman in front of him with enchanting brown orbs.  He’d never seen an eye color quite like hers because it was like a caramel brown and her black hair looked to be spun out of pure silk.  It just enhanced her beauty.  He recognized her as being one of the WWE Divas on the roster.  Mia Malik.  It didn’t matter how beautiful she was or a coworker, he would find out her true intentions if it was the last thing he did.

 

“What do you want?” He barked in a low rough voice, trying to put the fear of god into her just in case the Diva tried playing a prank on him.

 

He was monstrous, standing at 6’3 and weighed a solid 265 pounds.  If he wasn’t so intimidating, Mia would’ve thought he was quite beautiful.  He had long black hair that hung down his broad shoulders and back, every movement he made muscles rippling.  What captivated her most were his grey eyes, not remembering ever seeing that eye color on a man.  It didn’t help he was half naked, black cargo pants hugging his backside and muscular thighs perfectly.  Mia had enough drama tonight from Curtis Hennig and really didn’t need anymore, her hand extending to hand over black wrist wraps.

 

“You…um…left them in the workout room and I figured you’d want them back.” She stammered quietly, trying to learn how to breathe again while his huge man towered over her.

 

“Bro, who’s at the door?” A gritty voice called out and another man appeared moments later, placing a hand on his friend’s shoulders. “Relax big man, she’s not gonna do anything, right darlin’?”

 

She nodded immediately, wondering what possessed her to come to this locker room of all places. “I swear, I’m just returning these because I know how frustrating it can be losing gear.” Mia was a wrestler after all just like them.

 

The blue eyed dishwater blonde chuckled and patted the grey eyed Neanderthal on the chest, backing him up a little more into the locker room. “Don’t be scared, his bark is worse than his bite.  Believe me, he bit me when I first met him and I got rabies.  We’re not going to hurt you, I promise.”

 

“That’s not what I’ve heard.” Mia mumbled through clenched teeth, still holding onto the black wrist wraps.

 

Anisa watched the entire scene unfold, shaking her head in disbelief and wondered what Mia could’ve been thinking coming here.  She watched as Jonathan Good and Leati Joseph Anoa’i –They were 2/3 of the faction the Shield and their wrestling names were Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns- began shoving each other back and forth dangerously close to her best friend.  Sometimes Anisa speculated if she worked for a kindergarten instead of a multi-billion dollar corporation with how the wrestlers acted.

 

A voice cleared behind both Jon and Joe, their heads snapping to the side to stare at the beautiful honey blonde standing in the doorway of their dressing room.  Jon immediately released Joe’s head and straightened himself out, a smirk curving his lips while blue eyes glowed back at her.  He did an elevator scan up and down her body, thinking he wouldn’t mind getting to know Anisa Brooks on a more personal level.  All good things came to those who waited and it would happen eventually.  Jon just didn’t know when and where.

 

“I didn’t realize you were having a party.” Anisa was down to earth for the most part and enjoyed screwing with her coworkers from time to time, but honestly the Shield scared her a little.  She would never admit that openly though. “Are you alright, Mia?”

 

Mia had never been so happy to see Anisa in all her life, immediately nodding and moved to stand beside Anisa. “I’m fine, Nis.”

 

“Good, wouldn’t want to make trouble for one of our own now, would we boys?” Anisa eyeballed Joe skeptically, watching his grey eyes cast downward and smirked.

 

“Wasn’t planning on it.” Joe replied gruffly, eyeballing Anisa and wondered what she wanted.

 

Jon’s eyes never left the production assistant and folded his arms in front of his bare smooth chest. “To what do we owe this little visit from you, Ms. Brooks?” He was more interested in what type of panties woman Anisa was and if she hid a thong under those black dress pants she wore.

 

“Well before I get to that,” Anisa paused, turning to look at Mia and noticed the black wrist wraps in her hand. “Are those the reason you came here?”

 

Mia nodded, smiling sheepishly.

 

“Hand them over and then I have a favor to ask.”

 

Mia could see the worry swirling through Anisa’s eyes and had a feeling it had to do with Phil, immediately doing what she wanted. “Try not to leave them lying around again.  You never know who to trust around here.” She stated truthfully, knowing these men had only been on the roster for a short period of time and Joe snatched them from her, their fingers brushing together. 

 

Instantly, a shot of electricity zipped up her arm and a warm feeling pooled deep inside of her.  Mia could tell Joe felt it too, but he tried not to show it and stormed back into the dressing room past Jon, leaving just the 3 of them out in the open.  Sighing with disappointment, Mia turned her attention back to Anisa and tried to stop her hand from tingling.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

“Excuse me for a minute.” She directed that at both Jon and Joe, stepping away with Mia. “I need you to track down my brother.”

 

“Let me guess…” Mia grumbled, her assumptions dead-on and watched Anisa nod. “He’s going after Curtis isn’t he?”

 

“Track him down and tell him we need to talk.  Try to dissuade him from going after Curtis, please.  You’re like a little sister to him so hopefully he’ll listen to you.” Anisa was desperate now since she still had more signatures to get and it seemed everywhere she went tonight took forever and a day to get them.  It was like the universe was out to personally make sure she never stopped Phil in time from destroying Curtis Hennig.

 

“I’ll do my best.” Mia would try not to let Anisa down, but at the same time she knew how stubborn Phil could be when the situation called for it.  She took off down the hallway, leaving Anisa alone with Jon and suddenly wondered if that was the best idea.

 

Turning her attention back to Jon, Anisa couldn’t help thinking what a gorgeous man he was.  More importantly, why did Jonathan Good have to smell so amazing?  His scent literally made Anisa heady and intoxicated.  A mixture of cigarettes and musk, something she couldn’t quite put her finger on.  It’d been such a long time since she last had sex and Anisa wouldn’t mind going several rounds with this man.  He would more than satisfy her, there was no question about it.  Business had to come first, however.  Stepping past him into the Shield locker room, Anisa gestured Jon to follow and closed the door behind her, putting on a brave front.

 

“Gentlemen, I know you guys have been on the main roster for about 4 months or so and WrestleMania time is coming up.  I know you have to keep tabs on your workout regiments and also have your personal issues outside of the ring.  BUT,” She paused, holding up the sign-in sheet with stern midnight blues. “You also have to abide by the rules and follow protocol of the company.  This is the 3rd time you forgot to sign in when arriving at the arena and you know how fickle the bosses can be.  If Rick and I don’t get your signatures, then we’ll have our asses chewed out by the bosses and therefore we’re forced to chew yours out or turn you in.  Now, I don’t want to do that.  I actually like the new blood coming in here.  So PLEASE, I am asking you gentlemen to remember to sign in from now on.  It takes literally 3 seconds out of your day.  Do we understand each other?” Anisa noticed the 3rd member of the Shield, Colby Lopez –Seth Rollins- was nowhere to be found so she would have track him down to relay the message.

 

Joe nodded mutely while Jon kept the cocky smirk on his face, both men having very different thoughts about the honey blonde. “Sometimes its 3 seconds too long, but I’ll make sure to work it into my busy schedule, darlin’.” Jon knew he was pushing his luck with her, but he’d never stop using his pet name for women.

 

Smiling back at him with mischievous midnight orbs, Anisa took her pen and slowly glided it down his chest while locking eyes with him. “See that you do, Ambrose.” She pressed the sign-in sheet against him next since Joe already scrawled his signature on it and stepped away when Jon took it, watching his hand swiftly move to sign the paper. “Thank you.  Pleasure doing business with you, gentlemen.”

 

“Wait!” Jon stopped her from leaving, raising a brow at her sweet smile and slid his tongue over his top lip. “We owe you an explanation on why the big man didn’t treat your friend with more respect.”

 

Anisa snorted, rolling her eyes and snatched the sign-in sheet from Jon. “Okay, I’m curious.  What was that about anyway?”

 

Glaring at Jon for his big mouth, Joe sat down in a metal folding chair and slid his wrist wraps on. “We’ve been having break-ins in our dressing room lately.  People on the roster have been fucking with us.  Putting shaving cream in our bags, boots and anything else.”

 

“Changing our shampoo to hair dye.” Jon scowled, remembering walking out of the shower room with bright BLUE hair.  It took two bottles of dye to get his hair back to its normal color – or as close to it as he could get.

 

“Cutting holes in our ring gear.” Joe had nearly went out to the ring a few weeks ago with a hole in the crotch of his cargo pants and luckily Sandra, the WWE seamstress, managed to fix them in time for his match. “Just random shit.” Joe suddenly remembered another prank and shuddered. “They even let ring rats into our dressing room one night and we barely escaped with our lives.”

 

“Big man had to kick the door down because they locked us in and took all of our clothes so all we had were towels.  There had to be at least 10 sluts trying to rip us apart.” Jon shook his head, tearing a hand through his dry curly dishwater blonde hair. “We’ve had enough of the shit, honestly.”

 

“So that’s why you thought Mia was screwing with you.” Anisa surmised, finally understanding where they were coming from and didn’t blame them a bit. “Well, she’s not disrespectful and malicious like that, so you won’t have to worry about her doing anything at least.  I wouldn’t either, just so you know.  I have entirely too much to do with my job to worry about pranking coworkers.  Speaking of my job, I gotta jet, but I would report the incidents if you haven’t already and keep your door locked whenever you leave the room.  Have a good night, guys.” Winking, she walked out and closed the door behind her.

 

Jon grunted, looking at one of his partners and best friend. “She’s got quite an attitude on her.  Who does she think she is?”

 

“Not only does she make sure we look good in the company and keep our asses in check with shit we forget, but she’s also the ex-wife of Mark Calaway.” Joe informed his stable mate, not believing how disrespectful Jon just was to Anisa.

 

“WHAT?!” Jon blinked, gaping. “She was married to…”

 

Joe nodded, looking completely serious. “Yes, the Undertaker.”

 

Quickly composing himself, Jon cleared his throat and began doing pushups to prepare for their match that night. “I could take his old wrinkled redneck ass.” He grunted, looking straight ahead with a determined look on his face.  She will be mine soon enough, he thought, convinced he could coax Anisa Brooks into his bed with little trouble.

 

“Bro, you are out of your mind.  Taker doesn’t have the rep he does for being an old wrinkled redneck.  And I wouldn’t mess with his woman, even if they are divorced.” Joe strongly advised, already knowing Jon wouldn’t listen and do what he wanted.

 

“Yeah well, I love a challenge.”

 

 Chapter 4

 

Not as tall as other wrestlers she encountered, his arms looked ready to burst out of the short sleeved black top clinging to his muscular frame.  Krystal had a hard time breathing, feeling like the oxygen had been sucked from her lungs.  She wasn’t sure if it was his hypnotic chocolate eyes or his two toned hair – a quarter of it dyed blonde on the right side of his head.  Maybe it was the soft beard surrounding his chin, cheeks and mouth.  He was encased in a pair of black cargo pants, black boots - his tactical vest attachment back in the locker room.

 

He won’t hurt me, Krystal mentally coached, sucking her bottom lip between her teeth and gestured to the exam table. “Have a seat.” She murmured quietly, waiting for him to do so before grabbing her tray rolling it over. “So what’s wrong with your knee exactly?”

 

“You’re not gonna ask me what my name is first?”

 

Krystal swallowed hard, trying to avoid eye contact with him and failed. “Alright, what’s your name?” She asked softly, looking up into his chocolate eyes.

 

“Colby.” He extended his hand, a gentle smile curving his bearded mouth. “Colby Lopez.  I’m 1/3 of the Shield.”

 

Now she felt like an idiot, remembering seeing the Shield on Raw a few months ago since she watched the product on a weekly basis. “I thought you looked familiar, but I wasn’t sure.” Krystal hated lying, but she’d already made a fool of herself enough in front of this man and didn’t want to expand it. “Seth Rollins, right?”

 

Colby grinned, throwing up a thumbs up and chuckled when she blushed. “You got it, sweetheart.  And what’s your name?” He hoped that wasn’t too forward.

 

“Krystal.” She wished her cheeks would stop turning into tomatoes, but had a feeling they wouldn’t stop burning until after he left. “Krystal Levesque.”

 

That last name caught Colby’s attention immediately. “Levesque?  As in Paul Levesque?” How the hell was this beautiful woman related to the boss?!

 

Krystal cleared her throat and lowered her gaze to the floor, an awkward feeling filling the room. “Yes.  He’s my brother.” A lot of people would assume she got the job because of Paul, so she was prepared to deal with the backlash, not wanting to hide who she was related to. “Now, what’s wrong with your knee, Rollins?”

 

Raising a dark thick brow, Colby didn’t expect her to use his wrestling name and knew he must’ve struck a nerve by asking her too many questions. “I cut it the other night at a live show and need the stitches looked at.”

 

He took a hard fall on the announcer table at the hands of Stephen Farrelly –Fans knew him as Sheamus- and the edge ripped through his cargo pants slicing his knee open.  The injury required 10 stitches and Colby knew they weren’t ready to be taken out yet, but he had to heavily bandage his knee so he could wrestle that night.  They had a six man tag team match and he refused to miss it just because of a small laceration.  Colby owed Stephen one for not realizing how close to the edge he was and planned on paying the man back in their match.

 

“Alright, let’s have a look.”

 

Krystal squatted down in front of him and quickly peeled away the bandage on his knee, examining the stitches.  Michael must’ve done them and he did exceptional work, though she wouldn’t have used a band-aid since they weren’t 100% reliable.  She cleaned the stitches and cringed when Colby sucked in a sharp breath, trying her best not to cause him further pain.

 

“Sorry, I know it’s tender.” She apologized, finishing up and then pulled out a small bottle of liquid band-aid, spreading it over the stitches. “You’ll be able to take a shower without irritating the stitches.  They’ll need to stay in at least a few more days and then they can be removed.”

 

“Thank you.  Those bandages are irritating as hell.”

 

Colby hadn’t showered and ended up nearly getting stuck in the tiny bathtub the hotel offered.  Luckily, he was flexible and managed to push himself out of the tub without needing assistance from his stable mates.  That would’ve been an embarrassment Colby could never live down and they’d never let him forget it either.  Now that this beautiful new trainer showed him a loophole to take showers, he was forever in her debt and planned on repaying it.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Standing from the table, Colby brushed against Krystal accidentally and felt a spark ignite between them.  He could feel the apprehension and fear from her, but there was something else Colby couldn’t put his finger on.  Krystal was stunning from the top of her chestnut hair to the tips of her red and white tennis shoes, her hazel eyes drawing him in like a magnet to metal.  Taking a chance, Colby reached out to run a long finger down her cheek, cracked a small smile and walked out without another word, closing the door behind him.  Krystal exhaled slowly and touched her burning cheek, every part of her body flushing with warmth.  There was definitely an attraction to the smallest member of the Shield and Krystal had no idea where it stemmed from.  If she was being honest with herself, Krystal had a small crush on Colby from the moment she first saw him debut back in November with the other members.  She loved how meticulous he was in the ring, making every move a work of art and his ring gear did nothing to quell her desire.  Now that she knew he had an injury while wrestling, Krystal planned on watching his match that night to make sure everything went smoothly.

 

~!~

 

After searching high and low for her brother with zero luck, Anisa finally gave up heading in the direction of the exit for some much needed air.  He was nowhere to be found and Mia had searched as well, asking anyone she came across of Phil’s whereabouts.  They both assumed he left the arena since all he had was a promo to cut that night.  Hearing a deep voice call her name from behind, Anisa stopped as a smile flittered across her mouth and turned to stare at her good friend, Glen Jacobs, who was also close with her ex-husband.  Luckily their divorce hadn’t swayed Glen one way or the other and he remained neutral with them.

 

“Oh, hey Glen.” Anisa turned to face her good friend, Glen Jacobs, who was also close with her ex-husband.  Luckily, their divorce hadn’t swayed Glen one way or the other, he remained neutral. “What’s going on?”

 

“Anisa,” Glen sighed heavily, hating to be the bearer of bad news, but he wouldn’t let Anisa be blindsided either. “It’s about Mark.” Tracking her down hadn’t been easy and lady luck was on his side when he spotted her walking down the hallway.

 

Midnight blue eyes instantly narrowed. “What about him?”

 

“He’s coming back for WrestleMania.  The doctors have cleared him and…I just didn’t want you to be surprised.  He’ll be here next week to start his feud with your brother.” Phil hadn’t told her judging from the bewildered expression on Anisa’s face and Glen felt like a major jackass now. “I didn’t…”

 

“Wonderful.” Anisa muttered, taking a deep shaky breath and forced a smile. “Thank you for telling me, Glen.  At least I know you’re not completely on his side, even though you’re best friends with the idiot.  I’ll try to stay out of his way as much as I can.” That would be close to impossible.

 

Glen nodded, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Not a problem.  I gotta head out for my match.  Take care, Anisa.” He walked past her down the hallway toward gorilla position, snapping his mask on.

 

Watching him walk away, Anisa really needed some air now more than ever.  With WrestleMania on the horizon, everything was super hectic in the company, so it was nice to step out for air whenever she had the chance.  It also made her think about the past, opening the wound Mark Calaway caused her all those years ago.  It was going on 4 years since their divorce, which happened in 2009 after 2 years of marriage.  730 days too long in her eyes.  It was exact because their divorce had been finalized on their wedding anniversary.  Mark had been sweet and rough around the edges at first, the perfect bad boy with a big heart.  Anisa had no idea what drew her to him because Mark had a playboy reputation.  Not to mention he was still technically married to his second wife, Sara, while they started seeing each other.  They were legally separated, so that was good enough for Anisa and that should’ve been her first sign not to get involved with him.  Lesson learned: Don’t ever get involved with a married man – legally separated or not. 

 

In spite of all the warning signs, Anisa found herself wanting to get to know him, which led to falling in love and marriage.  Mark hadn’t waited past 24 hours before asking Anisa to marry him and they eloped to Vegas the same night his divorce to Sara was finalized.  Maybe it was their huge age difference since Anisa was 26 and Mark was 41 going on 42 when they got hitched.  That was a 15-16 year difference, but at the time it didn’t bother them and age was just a number, at least in Anisa’s eyes.  Sex was incredible with Mark and they connected on all levels, always communicating in the beginning.  But once the honeymoon phase ended, everything fell apart and Anisa was left with her heart in shambles.  The simple fact was Mark couldn’t keep his dick in his pants and blamed Anisa for not keeping him satisfied like a good wife should.  The moment he started training ex-WWE Diva Michelle McCool, Anisa knew her marriage was over and Mark found his next bride.  Sure enough, shortly after their divorce, Mark proposed to Michelle and they were married in mid-2010.  At least he waited past 24 hours before popping the question to Michelle unlike he did with her.  Mark was forced to pay her half of everything he had since they didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement.  She took everything with a big ‘fuck you’ grin on her face, not ashamed since she’d wasted 2 years of her life on him.  As she signed the dotted line on the divorce papers, Anisa vowed to never get involved with another WWE wrestler and had stuck with it.

 

Until Jonathan Good.

 

“Are you alright, Anisa?”

 

She was in such deep thought about Mark, Anisa didn’t realize she wasn’t alone outside.  Jon had been out there having a pre-match cigarette, something he always did.  It wasn’t the healthiest habit, but a vice he refused to give up unless absolutely necessary.  His attention had snapped to the back door opening and watched Anisa for a few minutes, trying to determine if it was smart to approach her or not.  She didn’t look angry, just stood there with a stoic expression on her beautiful face and arms wrapped around herself, eyes closed.  There was something about her posture that screamed agitation or maybe…sadness?  Jon couldn’t pinpoint it, usually an expert at reading women and what they wanted, but for some reason he couldn’t with Anisa.  Looking up at the blue eyed hunk who was the mouthpiece for the Shield, Anisa felt her heart rate accelerate slightly.  He was gorgeous and she absolutely loved his haphazard hair that was currently dry instead of slicked back, fighting the urge to run her fingers through it.

 

“Yeah, just a little annoyed.” She admitted, noticing the cigarette dangling between his fingers. “Do you have another one of those I can bum off of you?  I left my pack at the hotel.” After finding out about her ex’s impending return, Anisa needed a nicotine fix to calm down.

 

“Sure.” Jon pulled out his pack and slid one out, holding it out to her mouth.  A second later, he procured a lighter and lit the tip, contentment searing through Anisa as a sigh escaped her lips after the first drag. “Better?”

 

“My hero.” Anisa crooned playfully, midnight blues no longer holding the sadness they had moments ago. “What do I owe you for helping me out?”

 

Jon chuckled, shaking his head and took another drag of his smoke. “Just the pleasure of gaining another smoke buddy.” He winked, pale blues glittering under the dim lighting of the parking lot the arena provided. “Come sit down with me and enjoy that smoke more.  You’re far too beautiful to look that annoyed.”

 

He placed a hand on the small of her back, hoping she didn’t turn around and belt him for touching her.  Somehow, Anisa looked as though she had a mean right hook.  Jon guided her over to the equipment trunk and took another chance, gripping her hips to lift her up on it, joining her a second later.  He wasn’t too close where he’d invade her personal space though, not wanting to make Anisa uncomfortable.

 

“Now relax and tell Dr. Good all about your bad day.”

 

“That reminds me of that song Dr. Feelgood.” Anisa giggled softly, blowing smoke out of her nose and mouth, leaning back to rest against the other larger equipment trunk stacked behind them. “Well Dr. Feel Good,” She smirked, deciding that would be Jon’s nickname from now on and flicked some ash away. “I was just informed that my douchebag ex-hubby will be gracing us with his presence next week.  Thank god he’s only part time now, if you can even call it that.  He should just retire and go be with his new wife because this business doesn’t need him anymore.  I shouldn’t be annoyed, but I am.  He just annoys me in general.”

 

“You’re allowed to be annoyed.  All ex’s are annoying, that’s why they’re ex’s.  You just kinda have to find a voice where you can blow off steam and feel a little bit sane, even a bit insane too.” He said truthfully, always straight with people because sugar coating wasn’t in his forte. “It sucks because you have this really great job and the next thing you know you’ve got what you think is the most amazing love of your life.  Only it turns out he’s a cheating has been asshole.  Now you’re divorced and stuck working with or around him.  Been there done that, believe me it gets easier eventually.” Jon inhaled and let the smoke filter through his big body before releasing it above their heads, not wanting to blow it in her face.

 

“So you were married to a coworker at one time?”

 

When Jon clarified it was just his ex-girlfriend, Anisa felt marginally better.  Taking another drag, she couldn’t help thinking how sexy Jonathan Good looked whenever smoke filtered out of his mouth and nose.  It was possibly the sexiest thing she’d ever seen in her life.

 

“Well Dr. Feel Good, you’ve certainly made me feel better about dealing with my ex and I appreciate it.” She placed a hand on his arm, giving it a gentle squeeze. “How much do I owe you?” They laughed together and it was the first time in a couple years Anisa felt completely comfortable with a wrestler.

 

“Glad I helped.  Just remember, you don’t have to deal with the idiot all on your own.” Jon hopped off the equipment trunk and held his hand out for Anisa, helping her down. “And you don’t owe me anything, darlin’.  Just keep that smile on your face and that’s payment enough for me.”

 

“Alright, see you later, Dr. Feel Good.” Winking, Anisa headed back into the arena to check-in with Rick, wondering what she was doing with Jon.

 

Hadn’t she learned her lesson with Mark?  Nope, apparently not because Anisa found herself aching to feel Jon’s lips on hers and his hands anywhere on her body.  She wanted his cock buried inside of her and to scream his name as she came in waves.  Blinking, Anisa needed serious help having dirty thoughts like that and mentally berated herself, trying to push the curly dishwater blonde in the back of her mind so she could focus on doing her job.

 

Chapter 5

 

“Just what do you think you’re doing, Anisa Kareen Brooks?”

 

Anisa groaned when she heard Mia bust out the full name and knew she’d been caught red-handed with Jon. “I keep asking myself that and, honestly, I don’t know.  I have no answer.” She sighed, slowly looking up into Mia’s stern dark eyes. “He’s very hot…”

 

“And a wrestler.”

 

“But…”

 

“A WRESTLER.” Mia emphasized, planting hands on her hips with an arched brow.

 

“But…”

 

“You swore off ALL wrestlers and made it clear to me, if I saw you going back on your vow about dating wrestlers, I was to stop you at all costs.” Mia reminded her, keeping her voice even and dared Anisa to contradict what she said. “I’m doing just that.  Get him out of your head because it can never happen.”

 

“What about casual sex though?  I don’t want a relationship with him, but I just know being fucked by that man would be worth every second.” Anisa sighed wistfully, suddenly needing another cigarette.

 

Mia tapped her chin thoughtfully in contemplation. “If it’s JUST casual sex, then you need to make it clear that’s all you want.  THEN I’ll back off.”

 

“Fine.” Anisa grumbled, trudging over and tossed her arms around Mia’s neck. “Thanks, what would I do without you?”

 

“Not sure.  I’m gonna go shower and change, then we can head back to the hotel.” She walked away, leaving Anisa standing in the hallway.

 

Anisa knew she was in trouble because trying to forget Jonathan Good was easier said than done.  What was she going to do?  Could she just have casual no-strings attached sex with Jon?  Would he even go for that?  Scrubbing a hand down her face, Anisa was more than ready to end this night and turned around, spotting Phil headed her way.  Suddenly, Jonathan Good was the last person on her mind as she quickly closed the distance between them and slapped him across the face.

 

“You son of a bitch!”

 

Phil stumbled back in shock and held his blazing cheek, staring at his sister perplexed. “What the FUCK was that for?!” He growled, gritting his teeth and could see the anger coursing through her cold midnight blue eyes.  They were practically black with rage and Phil suddenly realized she already knew what he was about to tell her. “Anisa…”

 

“How could you keep something like that from me, Phillip?!” She demanded, shoving him and ignored Coralie running up to them.

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

“Stay out of this, Cora!” The siblings shouted at the same time, eye contact never breaking.

 

Phil didn’t blame his sister for being upset about who his opponent was at WrestleMania. “I didn’t know how to break it to you.” He frowned, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “That’s why I tracked you down to tell you…”

 

“Oh sure because disappearing after the incident with Axel was the right thing to do, huh?” Anisa shot back angrily, clenching her fists at her sides so she didn’t strike her brother again. “What the hell were you thinking?  We were looking all over for you and you were nowhere to be found!!  I thought you were gonna kill a coworker because of your overprotectiveness!  I’m not a porcelain doll, Phillip!  I can take care of myself and don’t need you defending my honor!”

 

Hazel eyes narrowed as Phil folded his arms in front of his chest. “And what would you have me do?  Sit back and watch while a fucking asshole breaks my sister’s heart?  I have to do something about it!”

 

“No you don’t!  It was 4 years ago!  Get over it, I did and I’m happier without him!  So just STOP being overprotective!” Anisa blinked, feeling huge tears slide down her cheeks and angrily wiped them away. “And what’s worse is you couldn’t even tell me about it.  I had to hear it from Glen fucking Jacobs, of all people!  I KNOW you’ve known about this for a while and I KNOW you requested this match too, so don’t try denying it!  The least you could’ve done is been honest with me, but apparently you think I’m a fragile idiot that can’t handle it.  I’ve got news for you, Phillip, you have NO idea what you’ve gotten yourself into at WrestleMania.  NONE.  So good luck, break a leg, whatever.  I’m leaving and going back to the hotel.”

 

“Anisa…” Coralie didn’t take offense to being shouted at because, clearly, both siblings were upset with each other.  Her cool leaf green eyes turned to Phil after watching Anisa stalk down the hallway, shaking her head. “You didn’t tell her about your match with Calaway?”

 

Phil lowered his head in shame and couldn’t look his girlfriend in the eye. “I was trying to find the right time…”

 

“Goddamn it, Phillip!  I told you to tell her MONTHS ago when you found out you were dropping the title to Dwayne!  How could you keep this from her?” Coralie gripped his hair since his head was lowered enough and forced his eyes to raise to meet hers, frowning at the heartbreak in his. “What am I gonna do with you?”

 

“I don’t know.” He whispered, pressing his forehead to hers and wrapped his tattooed arms around her waist, kissing her softly. “I should’ve let you tell her when you offered.  I thought I could do it, but more time passed and things came up…”

 

Coralie understood, but Phil had a lot to make up to his sister and she hoped the damage could be fixed. “Come on.  Let’s get on the bus so I can give you a rubdown and then we can figure out how to make this up to your sister.” She suggested, grabbing his hand and guided him out of the arena, already having their belongings on the bus.

 

“Thanks babe, I love you.”

 

“Love you more.”

 

~!~

 

Guilt tore through Anisa while she walked down the hallway and rounded the corner, nearly slamming into someone. “Whoa!” She stared back into a pair of startled hazel eyes and quickly noticed it was the new member of the WWE medical staff. “Oh my god, Krystal, are you alright?  I’m so sorry for scaring you.”

 

“No problem, no harm done.” Krystal assured her with a smile. “I’m just glad you weren’t a wrestler cause then I’d be seeing stars right now.”

 

“And possibly planets.” Both girls laughed the incident off and Anisa hooked her arm through Krystal’s, beginning to walk again. “So how are you liking the WWE?  Crazy atmosphere isn’t it?”

 

Krystal nodded, looking straight ahead and kept her eyes peeled for any sudden movement since people liked barreling around the hallway corners. “Yeah it is.  Does it ever slow down?”

 

“After WrestleMania, it will be less hectic.  This is the biggest and busiest part of our season though and everything has to be perfect.” Anisa explained, wondering why Paul hadn’t warned his sister about WrestleMania season. “Your brother didn’t tell you any of this?”

 

“No…” Krystal frowned, having the same train of thought Anisa did without realizing it. “I wish he had though.  Might’ve prepared myself a bit better.”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s almost the end of February and then we just have until mid-April to go before the chaos dies down.” Anisa enjoyed this time of year, but at the same time she missed having her days off to go home.  During WrestleMania season, employees were lucky if they got a day off a week to go home to their families. “We really should get together and have coffee sometime.  I know it can’t be easy being new to the company and I’m someone you can trust.”

 

Krystal appreciated her honesty, finding it refreshing and heartfelt. “I’d like that.  Thanks Anisa, it means a lot to me that you want to be friends.”

 

After what happened to her in high school, Krystal didn’t trust anyone easily and had issues talking to strangers.  The bigger the person, male or female respectively, made her anxiety a lot worse.  However, somehow Krystal knew she could trust Anisa along with Mia and Coralie, who she got to know a little while icing down Mia’s upper arms.  They were all very welcoming and polite, but Coralie and Mia warned her about some of the other Divas that were less than tolerable.  So at least she was prepared to deal with them when they needed her assistance.

 

“Not a problem and if anyone gives you problems, don’t hesitate to turn them in.” Anisa advised and stopped outside of her small office, releasing Krystal’s arm. “Let me grab my things and we can walk out together.”

 

“Alright.” Krystal appreciated that considering it was going on 10 PM and the parking lot was dark, not a lot of light.

 

Looking around the hallway, Krystal leaned against the wall so she wasn’t in anyone’s way, avoiding being trampled at all costs.  Paul had called and informed her he left the arena with Stephanie, wanting to make sure she got back to the hotel safely.  Krystal assured him she’d be fine and not to worry about her, the call short and brief.  He was a completely different person wearing a suit and tie than the Paul Levesque she grew up with.  She supposed that’s what the wrestling business did, it changed people – some for the better and others for the worse.  Every hair on the back of her neck stood up when a deep raucous voice bellowed down the hallway and Krystal recognized it instantly just as Anisa walked out of her office.  Anisa noticed the look on Krystal’s face and frowned, looking to her left spotting the Shield headed their way.

 

“They’re harmless, sweetie.” Anisa assured her, but Krystal shook her head and backed away down the hallway.

 

“I-I’m sorry, I have to go.” She bolted down the hallway as fast as she could just as Colby, Joe and Jon approached Anisa, not daring to look over her shoulder.

 

“Hey, was that the new medical girl?” Colby spotted Krystal’s retreating form and wanted to go after her, but he didn’t want to scare her either.

 

Anisa wasn’t stupid or blind, cottoning on quickly that something must’ve happened between Colby and Krystal. “Out with it, Rollins.” She ordered, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

“Oh shit, you’re in trouble now, bro!” Jon crowed, clapping Colby on the shoulder while having his arm draped around Joe’s neck.  He was an inch taller than the Enforcer of the Shield, but Joe was slightly more muscular.

 

Joe growled, shoving Jon away into Colby and it started a shoving match between them. “Hey bro, you started it!”

 

“No you did!”

 

“No YOU!”

 

“Enough you guys, I’m finishing it.” Anisa ordered, cutting them off and took Colby’s hand, dragging him away from Jon and Joe for the moment. “What happened?”

 

A sheepish smile crossed Colby’s mouth as he lowered chocolate orbs to the floor, finding his shoes more interesting than Anisa. “I uh…might’ve accidentally scared her by barging in the trainer’s room to get my knee checked out.” He was naturally hyper, so if someone didn’t know Colby’s personality, they would safely assume he had several screws loose.

 

“First the Ape scares my best friend and now you scare the new girl?  Seriously, what am I going to do with you idiots?” Anisa pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on and heaved a sigh. “You will make it up to her, Rollins, do you understand me?  I don’t care what you have to do.  That is not only Larry’s replacement on the trainer’s team, but she’s also Paul Levesque’s sister.  If you want to make it longer than a couple months in this company, you WILL do whatever necessary to get in her good graces.  Do I make myself clear?”

 

Colby felt like he’d just been scolded like a 5 year old with his hand caught in the cookie jar. “Yes ma’am.” He mumbled, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his black skinny jeans. “I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to scare her.”

 

“I know you didn’t.” Anisa patted his shoulder to let the two tone haired man know she understood. “You – what the hell are you two doing now?” She directed that at Joe and Jon, who had Joe currently in a headlock.

 

“Andy Dalton would wipe the fucking floor with Kaepernick!”

 

“Are you for real, bro?” Joe growled and tried getting out of the headlock, gritting his teeth. “Kaepernick would crush him with one arm tied behind his back!”

 

“Oh really?”      

 

“Yeah!”

 

“How about I pop your head off your fucking shoulders?”

 

“Bring it on, Curly Q!”

 

“Fine, Fabio!”

 

Were they seriously arguing over NFL football teams and calling each other names?  Anisa officially had enough for tonight and shook her head, planting her hands on her hips while Colby erupted in laughter behind her, unable to help it.  This was ridiculous, how old were they?  Maybe Jon wasn’t ready for a casual sex relationship, but then again they were men with egos the size of Alaska – possibly bigger.

 

“Dr. Feel Good, he’s turning red…” She pointed out, not moving to try breaking them up.

 

“Dr. Feel Good?” Joe echoed and roared with laughter along with Colby, forcing Jon to break the hold instantly. “Holy shit, my side hurts!” He’d taken an RKO by Randy Orton during their match that night and landed on his side instead of his stomach since it was done at an angle.

 

“I can make it hurt worse for you, fucker.” Jon grumbled, his electric blues locking with amused midnight and couldn’t believe the fortitude this woman had to call him that in front of his brethren. “Shut up, Colbs!”

 

“He’s the one they call Dr. Feelgood!  He’s the one that makes ya feel alright!  He’s the one they call Dr. Feelgood!” Colby sang horribly, belting the lyrics out and made a beeline down the hallway when Jon launched at him, his laughter echoing behind him.

 

Jon would never live this down and shot a playful glare at the honey blonde, closing the distance between them. “Did you really have to do that?” He asked rhetorically, glad pure amusement shined in her eyes instead of the sadness earlier.

 

“It just slipped out…” Anisa tried not to giggle and took a step back from Jon, only for him to take one forward. “Maybe I should’ve warned you ahead of time I planned on calling you that.”

 

“Uh huh.” Jon kept stalking her until her back hit the wall, both of his hands planting on either side of her head while two different shades of blue swirled together. “So what do I get as restitution for being embarrassed?”

 

Anisa smiled, planting her hands against his leather jacket covered chest and dug her nails into the material a little. “You get to think about me every time you’re called Dr. Feel Good and be happy with that.” She shoved him away with a smirk, noticing his pale blues darkened instantly. “Have a nice night.”

 

Unbeknownst to both of them, glacial blues watched their every move and noticed the obvious attraction between Jonathan Good and Anisa Brooks. “How very…interesting…” His soft chilling voice resonated around the others behind him, an evil smirk curving his lips. “I think it’s time to inform our leader of what’s transpired.” They all chuckled evilly and watched as the call was made, listening to every word from their leader.

 

“Do not let Anisa Brooks out of your sight.”

 

The call ended abruptly.

 

Chapter 6

 

What made her body decide to get up at 5 AM when she just crashed at 2?

 

Anisa tossed and turned for 2 hours after getting back to the hotel at 11 PM the previous night.  Then she took a hot shower thinking it would make her sleepy, but it didn’t.  She laid in bed staring up at the ceiling and couldn’t get Jonathan Good off her mind.  Her body ached for him, especially between her thighs and Anisa realized what her problem was.  She craved the touch and feel of a man, the drought going on for far too long.  Shortly after her divorce was finalized from Mark, Anisa slept with a random man she met at a bar after a Raw show one night.  It’d been 4 years since she last had sex, not a one nightstand type of woman, but Anisa made sure to take care of her needs herself.  Deciding it would have to be one of those nights, she slid from bed and went to her luggage, unzipping the front pocket to pull her current sexual partner out.

 

The blue dragon.

 

Sliding her panties off along with her bra, -Anisa rarely wore anything else to bed unless she had a sleepover with one of the girls- she bent her knees planting her feet in the comforter and turned her vibrator on.  Her eyes closed as soon as the vibrator came in contact with her throbbing clit and deep moans spilled from Anisa’s mouth.  She envisioned Jon on top of her at that moment, his strong muscular body rocking in sync with hers and his mouth devouring her neck.  He had an incredible back she wouldn’t mind digging her nails into while he powered in and out of her.  Gliding her hand down the side of her neck to her collarbone, Anisa grabbed hold of her breast and plucked her nipple before rolling it between her fingers.  She slid the vibrator up and down her clit faster, the pulsations flooding through her body and made her toes curl, quickly shattering like a mirror being dropped 7 stories.

 

“JON!” Anisa cried out, arching her back while hot juices flowed from her body and her breathing was incredibly ragged, body coated in a fine sheen of perspiration. “Mmm Jon…” She moved the vibrator from her sex and set it on the bed beside her, feeling the passion haze lift from her brain.

 

Had she really just masturbated to Jonathan Good?  Anisa scrubbed a hand down her sweaty face and glanced at the clock, seeing it was a little after 1 AM.  Another shower was in order and then she had to get some sleep for the trip to Smackdown! that day.  Keeping the water as cold as she could stand it, Anisa scrubbed herself from head to toe and could feel fatigue from her earlier activities setting in.  That’s exactly what she wanted.  Another 10 minutes and Anisa was out of the shower in bed, a fresh pair of panties and bra on, snuggling under the comforter with a content smile on her face.

 

When her eyes snapped open at 5 AM, Anisa gave up the sleep fight and decided to go out for a much needed run.  She ran whenever something weighed heavily on her mind and currently her thoughts consumed her with Jonathan Good.  Her heart screamed go for it while her mind bellowed how big of a mistake it would be getting involved with another wrestler.  It depended how involved she became though because Mia had been on board with the whole casual sex only idea.  Every woman had needs that needed fulfilled and Anisa desperately craved the feeling of male companionship.  Anisa didn’t know if she was casual sex only material though, not sure if her conscience would get the better of her or, worse, her heart betrayed her by falling in love with Jon.  Sighing heavily, she shoved ear buds in her ears and turned the music up full blast before beginning her morning run away from the hotel, not spotting lust-filled eyes watching her every move.

 

He recognized the honey blonde anywhere.  Jon had been watching Anisa Brooks as of late, even before he knew about her marriage to Mark Calaway.  What a cheating douchebag!  How could any man give up such a beautiful and vivacious woman like Anisa?  He could tell she’d been hurt before and now he knew who was responsible for the pain.  How Mark could let her slip through his fingers was beyond him.  Anisa more than likely vowed to never get involved with another wrestler and who could blame her?  Jon certainly didn’t.  That wouldn’t stop him from luring her into his web; Jon just had to figure out how to let her know he was completely different than her asshole ex-husband and appreciated what he had in his life.

 

Their talks and run-ins at the arena lately told Jon she felt something for him.  The way she ran the pen down his chest at Raw and then last night at Smackdown! calling him Dr. Feel Good in front of his brethren.  Oh how he wanted to tan her beautiful backside for that stunt!  Jon would have his chance, just needing to be patient and watched her run down the street, wondering if she’d want a running partner.  He wouldn’t mind, even though he was a smoker.  Only when Anisa fully disappeared from sight did Jon walk back into his hotel room and decided to go get some breakfast since he wasn’t going back to sleep.  The midnight blue eyed beauty refused to leave his mind.

 

After 2 hours of running, Anisa spotted a small diner and felt her stomach rumble, desperately needing sustenance.  Wearing dark blue cotton pants and a short sleeved matching top, Anisa wiped the sweat from her face with the towel around her neck she always had with her during runs.  Her honey blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail that swung lightly with every step she took, no makeup on.  The waitress greeted her with a smile and directed Anisa to a table, taking her beverage order before walking away.  Anisa didn’t mind eating breakfast alone and sipped her coffee, just trying to cool down from her 2 hour run.  While looking over her menu trying to decide what to eat, the bell dinged overhead signaling another person or party entered the diner.  A few seconds later, she heard the low gritty voice that could only belong to one man and looked up from her menu into pale blue eyes.

 

“This seat taken?” The small diner called out to Jon for some reason and she was sitting in a booth alone looking more gorgeous than ever.

 

“Are you stalking me?” Anisa asked with a smile, pleasantly surprised Jon would walk into a place like this.  Then again, she didn’t know much about him.

 

Jon smirked at her wit and folded his arms in front of his chest. “I was just about to ask you the same thing.”

 

“Take a seat, Dr. Feel Good.  I haven’t ordered yet.” Anisa gestured to the booth seat in front of her and Jon took it, once again two shades of blues mixing together. “I thought I was the only one who got up at the ass crack of dawn craving breakfast.”

 

The scent of lilacs filtered through the air as Jon inhaled as much as he could, knowing it came from Anisa.  Ever since he watched her smoking, he couldn’t get the image out of his head.  It was a turn-on to watch her blow smoke out of her nose and mouth at the same time.  Most women who smoked smelled like they smoked 20 packs a day and when it came to kissing, it was like swapping spit with an ashtray.  Jon always carried some type of peppermint gum because he didn’t want his breath to reek of cigarettes.

 

“Negatory.” Jon chuckled, leaning back against the booth and ordered a pot of coffee when the waitress came back to take their order. “Give us a few more minutes.  I just got here.” The waitress nodded and bustled off to wait on her other customers, leaving them alone. “And are you kidding?  My favorite meal of the day is breakfast.”

 

Fate was NOT fair!!  What the hell was going on?  The only thoughts currently swimming through her head were all NC-17 rated border lining XXX.  His yellow polo clung to his muscular chest, arms and back, showing the outline of his shape.  The blue jeans hugged his hips, backside and thighs, molding to his body perfectly.  Jon had incredible arms.  Actually, he had an incredible everything and his hair currently hung swept on his forehead in wispy dishwater blonde curls.  Anisa suddenly realized what a mess she looked and chewed her bottom lip, lowering her gaze back to the menu instead of at him.  If Jon touched her once, Anisa would jump on him without a second thought, no matter if they were at a small diner.

 

“So, do you mind if I ask you a personal question?” Jon asked after a few minutes of silence between them, trying to get her to look up at him and smiled when she did. “I’m sure he was probably a smooth talker, but how did you meet Taker?  I mean, what drew you to him?  When he’s here in the back, he doesn’t say shit to anyone.  He sits and talks with Kane for hours.  He did show up when we were still at FCW for a week of training and didn’t say much.  Yes, it was sort of impressive, but he didn’t seem that thrilled about being there.  I’m just trying to figure out what a beautiful vivacious woman saw in that guy?” He cleared his throat, not meaning to say all of that in a rush. “I mean, I’m sorry if I spoke out of term, but I just don’t see it.  He seems like a controlling dick.”

 

Anisa didn’t expect to hear all of that, but she wasn’t angry at his inquisitiveness and smiled genuinely, letting him know she didn’t mind him asking about her marriage to Mark. “Believe it or not, Mark was amazing at first.  He actually approached me, which is something the man NEVER does, one night after a show.  It was back in 2007 when he was red hot and at the peak of his career.  He’d just won the Royal Rumble, his first ever in his career, and was celebrating with a couple drinks.  He spotted me at the bar and said he noticed me around the company a few times – really laid on the charm.  Now keep in mind this is when Mark was still full-time with the company and actually had a passion for wrestling.  Nowadays, he’s an old fart selling his motorcycles like it’s nobody’s business because his wife doesn’t want him to be the badass biker everyone knows him as.  Who Mark is now isn’t who he used to be.” Anisa looked away from Jon to stare out the window, a deep frown marring her face. “I don’t even recognize him anymore with his grandpa looking hats and the grey in his beard.  He just doesn’t care anymore about how he looks.  He let himself go completely and maybe it has to do with the fact he has 4 kids to deal with.  He was upset with me when I refused to not only have a baby with him, but quit my job with the WWE.  That’s what he wanted from me.  Can you believe that?  He gave me an ultimatum and I told him I would never give up my job for a man, no matter who he is.  A week later, I found him in bed with Michelle McCool in our hotel suite and I filed for divorce the next day, after getting over the initial shock from what Mark did.  I didn’t give him what he wanted, so he got it somewhere else.  I’m not a stay-at-home mom/wife type.  I like adventure, danger and exploration and all Mark wanted was a stay-at-home wife that he could knock up with several kids and then divorce her too and go onto the next mid-life crisis.  God, he’s such a fucking idiot.”

 

“I just don’t get it.” Jon shook his head, trying to digest all of that newfound information. “Why would you try to force someone you supposedly love to do something they don’t want to?  Or for that matter, make them stop doing what they love to do?  He really is a controlling dick.” Jon took a long drink of his coffee and could see the pain in her midnight eyes, wishing there was something he could do to wash it away. “I can only imagine what the fuck you think of the rest of the cocksuckers you have to work with in the company because of what one dick did to you.” Reaching out, Jon took one of her hands in his and brushed his thumb gently over her knuckles. “Hell, you probably swore off all wrestlers and employees, right?”

 

How did he pinpoint that so quickly?  Dr. Feel Good was very sharp minded and a man with a brain was definitely a turn-on.  Why the hell did he have to be so adorable? “I did…” Mia’s words burned in her mind about the casual sex clause and Anisa suddenly found it hard to breathe, her heart pounding furiously in her chest. “But that doesn’t mean I won’t have a little fun with a wrestler again, if the right one comes along.” Her midnight blues singed with need and lust while staring at Jon across the table, their hands still entwined.

 

The waitress came over to set their food down before Jon could answer that question and he reluctantly released her hand to eat.  The whole time they kept stealing glances at each other and Jon was thankful for the tight jeans he wore.  Making small talk during their meal, Anisa found out that Jon lived in Las Vegas, a place she surprisingly pictured him in, but he was originally from Cincinnati, Ohio.  Once they were done eating, Jon insisted on paying for it and guided Anisa out of the diner, stopping her from walking away by taking her hand.

 

“Want a lift back to the hotel?” He asked, not thinking about the fact he had spied on her from his balcony earlier that morning.

 

Anisa didn’t want their time together to end, so she nodded and didn’t pull her hand away from him.  They talked more on the ride back to the hotel and Jon played some heavy metal, surprised the honey blonde beauty didn’t mind.  She bobbed her head to the music along with him, both of them laughing and having a great time.  Jon pulled into the hotel parking lot 20 minutes later and cut the ignition on his vehicle, turning to face her.

 

“Thank you for the ride, Dr. Feel Good.  I’ll see you tonight at the show and don’t forget to sign-in.” Anisa reminded him, shivering when he brought her hand up to his mouth, brushing his lips against her knuckles. “Quite the charmer.”

 

“I try.” Jon grinned, not wanting to let her go, but he knew they both had to hit the road soon. “And I won’t.  I’ll come to you personally to sign-in if you want.”

 

“Sounds good, drive safe.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek and stepped out of the vehicle, waving over her shoulder at him before making a beeline into the hotel to get ready to hit the road with Mia.

 

All the while, her hand would not stop tingling from Jon’s touch and kiss.

 

Chapter 7

 

“So I had breakfast with Jon today.”

 

Mia nearly rear-ended the vehicle in front of her, head snapping to the side to stare wide-eyed at her friend. “WHAT?!” Did she hear Anisa correctly?

 

“Jesus woman, do you enjoy giving people whiplash?” Anisa exclaimed, narrowing eyes on her best friend while clutching her heart through her shirt.

 

“Do you enjoy saying shit that shocks me while I’m driving?” Mia retorted, rolling her eyes and tried getting her own heart to dislodge from her throat. “So what happened?  Did you make a date or something?”

 

Anisa shook her head and looked down at her clasped hands, still not believing what happened only 2 hours ago with Jon. “No, though I did ask him if he was stalking me.  I went for a run this morning to clear my head and ended up getting breakfast alone at a little diner.  And he walked in, asked to join me and that’s pretty much it.  What was I supposed to do, say no?”

 

“I suppose not…” Mia ceded, knowing there was no use in arguing because Anisa was a grown woman capable of making her own decisions.  She just didn’t want her friend to get hurt again at the hands of another wrestler. “What did you two talk about?”

 

“He asked about what happened with Mark.”

 

Mia blinked, glancing over at Anisa momentarily before turning her eyes back to the road. “Wow…” What else could she say?  How did Jon find out Anisa had been married to Mark Calaway anyway?  More importantly, what were the Shield member’s intentions with her best friend? “Did you tell him?”

 

“Yeah.  He asked what drew me to Mark and…I told him.  I don’t know why I did it either.  Surprisingly, I feel completely comfortable around Jon and that scares me because I haven’t felt this way about a guy since Mark.” Anisa scrubbed a hand down her face and leaned her head back against the seat, shutting her eyes. “I’m tired of being scared to move on with my life all because of a controlling dick.” She used Jon’s term of endearment to describe Mark without realizing it.

 

“Sounds like Jon isn’t interested in a casual sex arrangement if he’s asking about your past.” Mia pointed out, taking the ramp to get on the expressway and put the pedal to the metal full throttle since they were an hour behind schedule already.

 

“Probably not.” Anisa noticed a new sparkle in Mia’s eyes and decided to switch topics off of her. “So, why can’t you wipe the smile off your face, even after you nearly killed us?”

 

It was Mia’s turn to look sheepish, sometimes hating how observant Anisa was. “I got a bouquet of beautiful lilies sent to my hotel room this morning…from Joe Anoa’i.” The flush in her cheeks erupted and took over her whole body.

 

“The Ape?  Seriously?” Anisa was bewildered, not thinking Joe Anoa’i had a soft bone in his body.  Apparently she was wrong.

 

“They came with a card that simply said ‘I’m sorry for my rude behavior.  Thank you for returning my wrist wraps.  I hope you let me make it up to you.  J.A.’  I swear, I thought my heart would leap out of my chest.” Mia confessed, a full-blown smile on her face now. “What does he mean by he wants to make it up to me?”

 

This was a first for Mia since she was a firm believer in not mixing business with pleasure.  That’s one of the MANY reasons why she kept turning Curtis down, though the man didn’t understand the word no.  A few other wrestlers had asked her out on a date, but Mia politely turned them down.  She wasn’t interested in a relationship because of her career, wanting to put her full focus and energy into it.  However, all of her reservations and feelings changed the moment she laid eyes on Joseph Anoa’i.  She wasn’t sure if it was his long ravenous hair or the way his grey eyes turned stormy with intensity every time he changed from Joe Anoa’i to Roman Reigns.  His body was ripped beyond belief and his Samoan tattoo that covered his whole right arm set her desire on fire for him.  Not to mention he had the most perfect mouth she’d ever seen on a man and the neatly trimmed goatee surrounding his mouth just added to the sexiness he possessed.  Nobody compared to that beautiful man and if Mia had half the chance to be with him, she would jump on it.

 

“He likes you.” Anisa bluntly replied, folding her arms in front of her chest. “And you like him, it’s obvious.  A man doesn’t send a woman flowers just to say sorry.  He did it for a deeper reason.  Just…be careful and don’t jump into this without getting to know him first, M&M.  I don’t want you getting hurt.” They were protective of each other, especially with the Curtis situation and Anisa’s past being married to Mark.

 

“Now who’s being overprotective?” Mia smirked, reaching over to take Anisa’s hand and squeezed it gently, letting her know how much she appreciated the worry. “I don’t even know what’s going to happen between us, honestly.  I do know I’m going to thank him personally for the flowers.”

 

“Nothing wrong with that.” Anisa was truly happy for her friend and hoped things did work out with Joe.  She knew Jon and Joe were best friends, brothers even, so maybe Anisa could try getting some insight from Dr. Feel Good on Joe’s feelings for Mia. “And if you can be overprotective over me, then I can damn sure return the favor.”

 

Mia rolled her eyes, waving Anisa off dismissively with one hand while keeping the other one on the steering wheel. “Whatever, I wasn’t married to a douchebag coworker like you were, so I have a right to be overprotective, wench.”

 

“Speaking of the douchebag, Glen told me he’s returning next week to start his feud for WrestleMania.” Anisa frowned, thinking about the fight she had with her brother and knew they’d have to make amends eventually.

 

“Who is stupid enough to go after the Streak this time?”

 

“My asinine brother.” Anisa could feel tears building in her eyes and blinked them away, refusing to cry over him. “I gave him a piece of my mind last night over it too.  He’s known for god knows how long about it and didn’t have the balls to tell me himself.

 

“Lord, do I even wanna know how that went?” Mia was almost afraid to ask, cringing at the heartbreak in Anisa’s voice. “What did he say?”

 

Snorting, Anisa flexed the hand she slapped Phil with and gritted her teeth, trying to keep her temper in check. “He didn’t know how to break it to me and he has to do something about Mark breaking my heart.  And I know he’s the one who asked for the match based on what he said.  Mark didn’t come to him, Phil saw his opportunity and fucking took it.”

 

“Didn’t he promise you he would leave Mark alone?”

 

“Yes and he’s breaking his promise to me now after 4 years.  Why he can’t let it go and move on is beyond me.  I understand he’s pissed at Mark for what happened and I’m his little sister, so he feels like he has to defend me, but honestly I’m better off without that piece of shit in my life.  And it hurts me he couldn’t even be honest with me about the match – I had to hear it from Mark’s best friend instead of my own brother.” Shaking her head, Anisa finally let the tears release and felt them flow down her cheeks, angrily wiping them away. “They are going to maim each other at WrestleMania and I’ll be forced to watch it.”

 

Mia hated seeing Anisa cry and wished there was something she could do to stop this match from happening, not knowing how to respond to what she heard, so she remained quiet.

 

~!~

 

Colby wasn’t having a good day.

 

From the moment he woke up, everything had gone wrong.  Room service for breakfast took nearly 2 hours to arrive and it was ice cold, so he didn’t bother eating.  Then the shower door broke, so Colby couldn’t bathe prior to leaving the hotel.  Halfway to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where Smackdown! was being held, his rental car decided to blow all 4 tires and in turn forced Colby to call a tow truck.  It was a miracle he made it to Oklahoma City in one piece!  Even though Colby was close friends with Joe and Jon, he preferred to travel alone.  Maybe that wasn’t a good idea after all the hell he’d gone through in one day.  By the time Colby arrived in Oklahoma City, it was a little after 4 PM and he had just enough time to check into the hotel, grab his gear and head to the arena.

 

He didn’t bank on the hotel losing his registration, however.

 

“For the FINAL time, my name is Colby Lopez and I’m a WWE wrestler!” The receptionist was getting on his last nerve. “Goddamn it, are you DEAF?!”

 

Maryann, the Shield’s current assistant, would pay for not doing her job properly.  It was her responsibility to make sure the Shield had their flight arrangements, hotel registrations and car rentals among other things set up.  The bitch was too busy enjoying being fucked by wrestlers though and when it came to doing her actual job, she failed at every turn.  The hotel was filled to capacity, no vacancies, and Colby didn’t know if Joe and Jon had arrived yet since they normally traveled together.  They had talked about splitting a suite to give Maryann less to deal with and Colby was regretting not jumping on that opportunity.

 

At that moment, Krystal walked into the hotel with her luggage in hand and noticed Colby yelling at the receptionist.  He looked ready to blow a gasket and Krystal knew that wouldn’t look good for the company.  She had to do something.  Walking over, Krystal placed a hand on Colby’s arm and flinched when his head snapped toward her, a growl escaping him.

 

“Mr. Lopez, you need to calm down.” Krystal had no idea where her bravery came from and snatched her hand back, acting as if she’d just gotten burned. “Your blood pressure is gonna go through the roof.” Cool hazel eyes moved to the receptionist standing behind the desk, an annoyed look on her face. “What’s going on here?”

 

The receptionist was at the end of her rope and thoroughly annoyed, folding her arms tightly in front of her chest. “Ma’am, I’ve tried several times explaining to this gentleman that his reservation isn’t in our system and-”

 

“THAT’S HORSESHIT!” Colby exploded, slamming his fists down on the counter and knew he was on the verge of being ejected from the building. “I’M WITH THE WWE!!  I SHOULD HAVE A ROOM!!”

 

“Sir, please lower your voice or I will have to call security to escort you from the premises.”

 

Colby would kill the snarky lady along with the security guards if they tried tossing him out, chocolate brown pure black with rage. “Look, my personal assistant is named Maryann Spinster and she’s the one who deals with all of our reservations.  If you’ll just tell me what room she’s in…”

 

“I’m sorry sir, I cannot do that.”

 

If this lady wasn’t careful, she’d be dragged across the counter and beaten to a pulp by Colby.  Krystal quickly covered his mouth with her hand before he could say another word. “Shut up before you get yourself in trouble.  My brother wouldn’t appreciate if you got a bad reputation.” She hissed quietly and turned kinder eyes onto the receptionist. “Would it be possible for him to stay with me tonight?  I know I’ve got 2 beds and he needs his sleep.” Neither one of them had time for Maryann’s irresponsible crap; Krystal would make sure she called Paul regarding this matter. “Please inform Maryann that when she’s decided to do her job, Colby will be in my room.  Come on, let’s get upstairs.”

 

“You want me to stay with you?” Colby questioned, not sure he heard her right and couldn’t believe the sudden attitude she had.  Did she bump her head or sprout a set of balls overnight?  Either way, it was a major turn-on and Colby found himself glaring at the receptionist on his way to the elevator. “Thank you.” He murmured once the doors closed, leaning his head back against the wall closing his eyes.  His head throbbed with a vengeance, which would cause a huge migraine to form. “You don’t have to do this, but I appreciate it.  I hope you got some kind of aspirin because my head is killing me right now along with my knee.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Krystal replied in a softer voice, keeping her eyes lowered from his. “I’m sorry about telling you to shut up.  That was rude of me.  I could just see both of you getting mad at each other and the anger should be directed at your assistant instead since this is her fault.” The doors to the elevator opened and Krystal stepped off with Colby, leading him down the hallway to her room. “I want to check your knee, sit down and relax.” She ordered once they were inside, the door closing behind them.

 

Colby took the Advil liquid gel pills she handed him for his headache and laid back on the bed, propping the pillows up.  Silently, he watched Krystal walk around the room gathering things and clearing out some space for him, not believing how thoughtful she was.  He did sit up and removed his shirt, muscles rippling tossing it right on top of his bag so he didn’t make more of a mess.  Krystal sat down on the bed and gingerly rolled up his jean covered leg until she came in contact with his knee, taking the bandage off.  Surprisingly, Colby hadn’t ripped his stitches, so she cleaned the wound and went to rewrap it, but he stopped her shaking his head.

 

“What is it?”

 

“I need a shower.  The one at the hotel this morning broke and I don’t wanna do it at the arena.” Colby hoped she didn’t mind him hogging the shower and saw the soft smile grace her face, breathing a silent sigh of relief. “I won’t be long…”

 

“Take your time.  I took one this morning before leaving and don’t need one.” Krystal patted his knee just under the wound and stood from the bed, helping Colby stand up so he could go into the bathroom.

 

Once the bathroom door closed, Krystal had to learn how to breathe again and sank down on the bed, trying to get her nerves under control.  What the hell possessed her to let a stranger share her hotel room with her?  Krystal sighed, hoping if the roles were reversed Colby, or anyone for that matter, would do the same for her.  It wasn’t his fault Maryann was incapable of doing her job, having been warned by Paul about her and a few other people in the company.  Speaking of Paul…Krystal whipped her cell phone out and walked out on the balcony, shutting the sliding glass door before dialing her brother’s number.

 

“Krys, everything alright?”

 

“Yeah, I made it to Oklahoma City safely, but I have a problem I need to tell you about.  It’s about one of the assistants – Maryann Spinster?”

Paul sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Out with it.  What did she do now?”

 

Krystal told her brother everything that happened, but left out the part about Colby sharing her room and all Paul said was he’d take care of it before ending the call abruptly.

 

Maryann Spinster’s WWE career was living on borrowed time.

 

Chapter 8

 

Negative.

 

That was the story of Ryanne’s life. 

 

All she could do was stare down at the small white stick in her hand with the negative sign in it and could feel tears sliding down her cheeks.  Coming on the road with Randy hadn’t been an easy decision to make, but Ryanne was out of options at this point.  They had been married for 10 years now; together since they were in high school.  High school sweethearts in other words.  There were ups and downs, but every couple had them and only the strong ones survived.  They were definitely a strong couple and loved each other deeply, supportive in anything their spouse did.  Ryanne had her own design company for decals that was successful and Randy was one of the top WWE Superstars. 

 

Even through all of their happiness and love, something was missing – the sweet cries of a baby made by both of them.  Babies weren’t in their immediate future because they both had careers and dreams to pursue, so the baby talk didn’t start until a few years ago.  Between going into the marines and ending up in jail for 8 months to becoming one of the biggest stars in WWE, a baby was definitely the last thing on their minds.  Randy didn’t propose to Ryanne until 2001 and they were married in a huge ceremony in 2002, a day Ryanne would never forget as long as she lived.  Normally, newlywed couples have kids on their minds and want to start their family right away, but that wasn’t an option for Randy and Ryanne.  Randy was on the road 280+ days on the road and Ryanne had just started her decal business, something to keep her busy while he gone from home.  It wasn’t until 2 years ago in 2010 that they sat down and had the talk about finally extending their family.

 

That’s when the nightmare of trying began.

 

After a year of trying, whenever Randy was home, Ryanne finally decided to get herself checked out along with her husband.  Randy wasn’t thrilled about having his sperm checked, but he did it for her and Ryanne loved him for it.  His sperm turned out perfect and Ryanne had no problems the gynecologist could find.  Something wasn’t right though because it’d been 2 years and nothing.  Ryanne understood she’d get pregnant when the time was right, but waiting killed her and she was starting to give up on the hope of having a baby.  It destroy her and Randy if it never happened.  Not only had this subject added more stress on both of them, but now Ryanne’s marriage was strained since both were frustrated they hadn’t gotten pregnant yet.  Again, one of the main reasons Ryanne decided to take an extended leave from work to travel with her husband on the road.  Maybe they weren’t having enough sex to get pregnant, so every chance presented Randy attacked her or she attacked him.  Wiping tears away, Ryanne couldn’t look at the pregnancy test any longer and tossed it in the trash, needing to get back to Randy before he hunted her down.

 

She wasn’t expecting to run into Coralie.

 

Coralie frowned at the tear stains on Ryanne’s face, not expecting to see her in here since Randy had a bathroom in his dressing room. “What’s wrong, Ry?” The dam burst and Ryanne covered her face with her hands, unable to talk. “Oh sweetie, what happened?”

 

Wrapping her arms around Ryanne, Coralie tried comforting her the only way she knew how, hating seeing one of her friends in pain.  When Randy and Ryanne decided to try for a baby, they agreed not to say anything to anyone until the pregnancy happened.  Ryanne hated breaking her word to Randy, but keeping this bottled up for 2 years was too much.  She had to tell someone and knew she could trust Coralie since they’d been friends for a long time.

 

“Sorry…” Ryanne mumbled, letting Coralie wipe her tears away and went to the sink to splash cold water on her face.

 

“What’s going on, woman?  Talk to me.” Coralie urged again, leaning against the other sink with her arms folded in front of her chest. “Do I have to kick Randy’s ass?”

 

Ryanne shook her head, shutting the water and looked up at Coralie with guilt ridden red rimmed emerald eyes. “No.” She murmured quietly and glanced around the bathroom to make sure they were alone. “Randy and I didn’t want to say anything…”

 

“Say what, sweetie?  What aren’t you telling me?”

 

Taking a deep shaky breath, Ryanne spilled everything to Coralie about her and Randy trying to have a baby.  She included their appointments to check themselves out to be on the safe side.  Coralie felt horrible for her friends because she could tell how badly Ryanne wanted a baby and would be a great mother.  Not to mention, Randy would be a terrific father.  Coralie pulled Ryanne into a tight hug, trying to will the tears in her eyes not to fall.  The last thing Ryanne needed was an emotional friend to contend with, especially since she required the attention and comfort at the moment.

 

“W-What am I going to do?” Ryanne stammered in a shaky sob, staring back at her reflection since she currently faced the mirror while hugging Coralie. “What if I can’t get pregnant?”

 

Coralie was at a loss for words, not sure what to do or say to make Ryanne feel better about the situation. “Well…” She had to think of something fast. “You both got checked out and were fine, right?”

 

“Yeah…”

 

“Then it’ll happen when it’s supposed to.  You just came on the road with Randy, so you have to give yourself time to adjust to the schedule and hectic traveling.  Once things settle down and the stress is out of your life, everything will fall into place like it should.” That was the best Coralie could come up with and she hoped it made Ryanne feel even a smidge better. “You gotta keep your faith.”

 

Sniffling, Ryanne pulled back from the embrace and once again ran the water in the sink to soak her face. “I know, but it’s been 2 years we’ve been trying and my faith is starting to disappear.  We wanted more than one child too, but I’m afraid we may only be blessed with one.”

 

“You should be thankful for what you have.  Hell, I can’t have kids at all and it took me a long time to get over that fact.”

 

Coralie had to have a hysterectomy at the age of 17 due to cervical cancer.  It spread too far and would’ve kept going had they not taken drastic measures.  She still had to have chemotherapy treatments for 2 years and managed to beat cancer, graduating with valedictorian status from high school.  It still pained her to know she’d never be able to give Phil children, but fortunately he didn’t want any.  Luckily, her sex drive hadn’t been affected from the chemotherapy and losing all of her lady parts at such a young age, thanks to estrogen pills she had to take on a daily basis.  They basically helped her maintain a hormone balance along with giving her the estrogen her body needed.  Telling Phil hadn’t been easy, but he was very understanding and proved to her with actions instead of words how much he loved her.

 

“You can’t?” Ryanne frowned, turning the water off and looked back at her friend, seeing the sad smile form on Coralie’s face. “Why not?”

 

“Hysterectomy at 17 due to cervical cancer.  They had no choice, all of my woman parts had to go.  I would’ve died.” Coralie hadn’t spoken about her past in a while and cleared her throat, trying not to get choked up about it. “So see?  There are worse things in life that happen.”

 

Ryanne felt like a bitch for crying to Coralie about her issues, lowering her eyes to the floor. “I had no idea, Cora…” She murmured quietly, surprised when Coralie lifted her chin up until watery emerald met leaf green.

 

“I’m fine with it.  And besides, if Phil and I ever did want to have a baby, there’s always adoption.  You need to think about that too.  Adoption is not a bad thing.  I know you want to give Randy everything his heart desires, but sometimes that’s not an option.” Coralie said truthfully, placing her hands on Ryanne’s shoulders and gently squeezed.

 

Smiling genuinely, Ryanne cupped her friend’s face and kissed her forehead before embracing her. “Thank you, Cora.  You always manage to find the silver lining in things, no matter how bad the situation is.”

 

“Yeah well…” Coralie broke the hug just as the bathroom door opened and the smile instantly vanished from her face. “Go talk to Randy and let me know what he thinks about my suggestion.”

 

Anisa didn’t expect Coralie and Ryanne to be in the bathroom and turned to leave, but Coralie stopped her.  She had no right being angry with Coralie just because she was Phil’s girlfriend.  It wasn’t fair to her and Coralie was Anisa’s friend before she decided to have a relationship with Phil.  Sighing, she reluctantly turned back to face Coralie and didn’t know what to say, deciding to let Coralie do the talking.

 

“I know you’re mad at your brother…”

 

“I have no brother.” Anisa cut her off, the words leaving her mouth before she could stop them.

 

Coralie didn’t blame Anisa for being angry at Phil and didn’t know how to make things right between them. “Phil loves you so much, Nisa.  He’s still your brother, no matter how angry you are at him.” She held her hand up before Anisa could interrupt again. “Yes, he should’ve told you about Calaway and kept his promise to you to leave the idiot alone.  I get that.  But put yourself in his shoes for a second.  You’re an older brother with a younger sister, your only family basically, and some asshole comes along and breaks her heart.  And she demands you not go after the asshole because of his reputation in the company all 3 of you work for.  Now tell me honestly, what would you do?  No wait, what did you feel like when Curtis hurt Mia last night?”

 

“I wanted to kill him…” Anisa muttered, feeling the rage at Phil slowly dying inside of her and being replaced with remorse.

 

“Exactly!  Because he hurt someone you consider family.  Well guess what, that’s what Phil has felt like for the past 4 years every time he sees that dickhead.  Be thankful he held out for 4 years only because the dickhead doesn’t come on the road often.  You really need to give your brother the benefit of the doubt.  He loves you and only wants to protect you.” Coralie didn’t believe in beating around the bush and said what was on her mind a lot, whether people liked it or not.  Sometimes the truth hurt.

 

“He still should’ve told me what was going on instead of letting me find out from Glen Jacobs.  I’m not a porcelain doll and I wish he’d stop treating me like I’m breakable.  I’m not pissed that he asked for the match with Mark so much as keeping it a secret from me.  Tell me honestly, how long did he know about the Mania match?” Anisa challenged, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

Coralie hated being in this position, but she refused to lie to Anisa, not even for Phil. “Months.” She admitted, scrubbing a hand down her face. “His excuse is he didn’t know how to tell you and tried finding the right time.  I offered to tell you for him, but he wanted to do it.  Now he’s regretting that decision.”

 

“I bet he is.” Anisa wanted to bash Phil’s skull in to knock some sense into him. “I’ll make things right with him, but not right away.  I need time to forgive him for being an idiot.  I hope that doesn’t interfere with our friendship, Cora.”

 

Smirking, Coralie yanked Anisa into a bone crushing hug and planted a wet kiss on her cheek, laughing at Anisa’s squeal of protest. “We’re sisters from another mister, woman.  Don’t forget that.  I may not be your official sister-in-law, but we are family regardless.  And you take as much time as you need.  I just wanted to make sure you understood where your brother was coming from.”

 

Anisa wiped her cheek off groaning and nodded, suddenly feeling her bladder screaming out at her to be released. “I do.  But don’t tell him that.  I want him to stew on this for a while and make him think about what he did.”

 

“Evil, I love it.  I’ll talk to you later.” Coralie laughed and walked out of the bathroom to head back to work, feeling better after talking to Anisa.

 

Rounding the corner of the hallway, Coralie nearly collided with a brick wall and barely escaped impact.  Looking up, leaf green eyes shot open at the sight of Jon Huber, who was known to the WWE universe as Luke Harper – 1/3 of the estranged Wyatt Family.  He had dark cold eyes and long dark brown hair that looked almost black, a bushy beard surrounding his mouth.  He stood at 6’5 and weighed 275 pounds, the size extremely intimidating.  Currently, he had another filthy looking white loose beater on with scruffy blue jeans that looked like they had stains on them.  Phil had problems with the Wyatt Family dating back to when the current leader, Bray Wyatt –His real name was Windham, but everyone called him Bray and that went for his cronies- was lashed with a belt on national television by Phil.  Even though it was scripted to happen, at the time, Phil took it too far and purposely hurt Bray, leaving strap marks on Bray’s pale skin.  Ever since, Bray had been out to hurt Phil and seeking revenge along with his goons Luke and Erick Rowan – his real name being Joseph Ruud.  The hallway was abandoned, not one other person in it currently and Luke knew exactly who he almost bulldozed over.  Silently, he backed up Coralie until her back hit the nearest wall, towering over her with pursed lips.  Coralie wasn’t sure what he wanted and tried not to be intimidated, but it was hard considering he could crush her with his pinky.

 

“What do you want?” She finally spoke, breaking the silence between them and saw something ignite in Luke’s dark sinister eyes. “I have to get back to work…”

 

An evil chuckle escaped his mouth as Luke continued staring hardening down at her and suddenly reached up to wrap a hand around Coralie’s throat.  He didn’t squeeze though. “Tell your precious boyfriend he’s about to be taken down by the Devil and sent to hell.  So if you need a replacement, I’m more than happy to oblige.” His mouth was right by her ear and Luke could feel how badly she was trembling against him. “Mmm…”

 

Coralie was officially scared to death and wanted to fight back, but knew that wouldn’t be a wise decision.  It was an intimidation tactic from him and worked like a charm.  Luke stood there for a few minutes longer, not saying another word and finally pulled back, releasing her slender throat.  Not wasting a second, Coralie sprinted away from Luke Harper as fast as she could down the hallway, her heart beating a furious tattoo in her chest.  The whole time thinking what Luke meant by what he said regarding Phil and Coralie could only hope her boyfriend would be alright.

 

Chapter 9

 

Whistling echoed around the shower room as Joe finished his shower, rinsing the shampoo out of his hair.  He couldn’t wipe the smile off his face.  Joe thought long and hard about how he could make things up to Mia, deciding flowers were the best route to go.  It was a start and Joe could only hope she liked white lilies.  For some reason, she looked like the type of woman who enjoyed lilies and they were almost as beautiful as her.  She was an Indian beauty with caramel colored skin that looked soft to the touch and long thick raven hair spun out of silk.  Her deep brown eyes and naturally long black lashes added to her beauty – it was no wonder the WWE had snagged her up to be a WWE Diva the first chance presented. 

 

Mia had been in the company longer than Joe and from the moment he laid eyes on her, he wanted her.  Why hadn’t he pursued her?  The only excuse Joe could come up with that made sense was he didn’t want any distractions and dating a coworker didn’t seem like a smart thing to do.  Now that Joe was established in the company in one of the most dominant teams in WWE history, he started having a change of heart regarding Mia.  He just had to figure out how to approach Mia since scaring the hell out of her didn’t work.  Since the Shield’s locker room had been ransacked lately, the men didn’t know who to trust, but that was still no excuse to treat Mia the way Joe had.

 

Shutting the shower off and stepping out, Joe wrapped a towel around his waist hanging low on his muscular hips.  He brushed his hair out and then cleaned his teeth before readjusting the towel, walking out of the bathroom into the dressing room area.  Just then, the door opened and Joe’s head snapped up from sifting through his bag for his ring gear, grey locking with deep brown.  Colby and Jon were down in catering thankfully or else this would’ve been incredibly awkward.  The last person Joe expected to see was Mia and he didn’t know what to do or say.

 

“Uh…”

 

Water rivulets slid down his muscular chest and Mia followed them with her eyes, feeling her mouth go dry.  She was suddenly thirsty, a flood of warmth rushing through her from head to toe.  He was a Samoan Adonis with a body chiseled out of stone and looked majestic – the closest to perfection Mia would see from a man.  She opened her mouth to speak and closed it, feeling her cheeks begin burning a deep crimson red.  All she wanted to do was thank Joe for the flowers, but now…now her brain had dove into the gutter and Mia couldn’t pull herself out.

 

“I – I just…”

 

Joe heard the stammer and shakiness in her voice, not wanting the Indian goddess to be nervous around him.  While she did a sweep of his practically naked body, Joe did one of hers and could already feel his cock rising against the towel.  Mia wore a pair of black pants that hugged her hips perfectly along with a turquoise halter top, exposing her shoulders.  Her long black hair was currently up in a tight bun on top of her head, a few tendrils framing her face and wine colored knee high boots completed her outfit.  She hadn’t changed into her wrestling attire for the show that night, so either Mia didn’t have a match/promo or she hadn’t changed yet.  A smirk curved his sensual lips as Joe slowly moved toward her, like a predator stalking its prey.  Mia smiled nervously, taking a step back with each one he took until she hit the wall with Joe towering over her and tried slowing her rapid heartbeat.  Smoldering grey consumed her as his large hands planted on the wall on either side of her head, his head lowering until their noses brushed together.  Mia snaked her tongue out to wet her lips and that was enough invitation for Joe to make his move. 

 

Before Mia could decipher what was happening, Joe captured her mouth with his in a soft heated kiss that made her toes curl in her boots.  She returned the kiss with equal amount of passion and buried her fingers in his long black wet tresses, pressing her body closer to his.  Without breaking the kiss, Joe slid his strong hands down her sides, hips and grabbed her outer thighs, lifting Mia up against the wall until her legs wrapped around his waist.  She instantly felt his erection come in contact with her pant covered sex and knew she’d need a change of panties once this moment ended.  Mia slid her hands up and down his chest, loving the feeling of his muscles rippling beneath her touch.  His tongue kept brushing against her lips and Mia finally gave Joe access, a deep throaty moan following as soon as their tongues touched for the first time.

 

Only when they both needed oxygen to breathe did Mia break the kiss, both of them breathing erratically.  Joe went to attack her neck and Mia stopped him, their eyes locking once again.  The thought of having sex with him in the Shield dressing room wasn’t appeasing, especially since the 2 other members could walk in on them at any moment.  Mia also refused to have sex with him this soon, but that didn’t mean she was done with him.  Catching her breath, Mia pressed soft kisses against Joe’s neck, starting from left to right and smiled at his groan, the bulge behind that towel hardening more.

 

“I have a question for you.” She said gently, pulling back to look into his grey orbs again.

 

“What is it?” Joe rumbled, not able to keep the huskiness out of his deep voice and stroked her sides with his thumbs in circular motions.

 

His voice alone sent shivers down her spine, but Mia somehow maintained her composure. “Do you have a match tonight?” It took a lot of control on her part to keep her voice from shaking.

 

That was a weird question from Mia, but Joe wouldn’t deny her an answer. “No baby girl, just a promo with my bros.” He quirked a thick black brow down at her, seeing the evil glint flash in her brown eyes. “Why?”

 

“Set me down and I’ll tell you.”

 

Joe could tell something was on her beautiful deviant mind and did as Mia wanted, setting her back down on her feet.  He blinked when she pushed him against the wall, flicking her tongue over each of his erect pectorals.  A growl escaped Joe, his grey eyes widening not expecting her to do that.  His gaze snapped down to Mia, watching her mouth travel lower down his toned stomach and her nails slid down Joe’s sides just to add to the sensations.

 

“Mia…” Joe groaned out when he realized what she was doing, her soft hands on his towel ready to yank it away. “Baby girl…”

 

“Just relax, Joe.  I promise you’ll enjoy this.” Mia assured him and removed the towel, tossing it over her shoulder eyeing his hardened cock hungrily.

 

Was this really happening?  Joe had to pinch his arm to make sure he wasn’t dreaming and shut his eyes when her tongue slid across the tip of his cock.  Mia lowered to her knees, the desire overtaking her body and gripped Joe’s muscular backside, digging her nails in the meaty flesh.  Her tongue continued swirling around the head of Joe’s cock and Mia could taste the pre-cum, which ignited her blood further.  It’d been a while since she gave oral to a man and Joe was huge compared to any other men she’d been with.  The size alone scared her, but Mia went too far to pull back and wouldn’t stop until she properly thanked him for the flowers.  His long nimble fingers delved into her bound hair and Joe leaned his head back against the wall, gritting his teeth at her sweet mouth devouring him.  Mia took him in her mouth as far as she could go, thanking the stars above she didn’t have gag reflex or else this would’ve ended badly.  Joe didn’t care that she only got a quarter of his cock in her mouth, just the fact she was doing this blew his mind.  He was engorged and the vision of her mouth wrapped around his cock would be an image Joe would forever sear into his memory.  To add even further pleasure to the moment, Mia began massaging his balls while driving his cock in and out of her mouth, head bobbing repeatedly.

 

“Mia, oh fuck…” Joe growled, tightening his hands in her hair and heard her whimpering, hoping he wasn’t hurting her. “Oh yeah, give it to me – I need it, baby girl!  Make me cum…” Was he begging this petite woman to end his suffering?

 

He was close.  Mia could feel his balls tensing along with his thighs and increased the pace, humming to send vibrations throughout his 6’3 frame.  That was all Joe could handle, not able to hold back his orgasm any longer and waited for her to drive him into her mouth one final time before exploding.  Mia clutched his backside to the point of leaving half-moon crescent shapes in his skin and swallowed every drop of his essence.  He tasted better than Mia could’ve hoped for or imagined and loved the sound of her name bellowing out of his mouth.  Not pulling back until Joe’s cock went limp in her mouth, Mia released him and stood up wiping the corners of her mouth just in case.  It wouldn’t do her any favors to go out to the ring for her segment with cum surrounding her mouth.

 

“Thanks for the flowers, handsome.” Mia sent him a quick wink over her shoulder on her way out the door and headed to the women’s restroom to straighten herself up.

 

All Joe could do was watch the Indian goddess leave, standing there dumbfounded and breathless over what just happened between them.

 

~!~

 

“Are you kidding me?”

 

Anisa felt like blowing her brains out with a shotgun, not believing she had to once again track down employees for their signatures.  What was so hard about taking 3 measly seconds to sign-in and follow WWE protocol?  Pinching the bridge of her nose, Anisa was pleasantly surprised to see the Shield hadn’t forgotten to sign in, but…another group had.  The Wyatt Family.  Bray, Luke and Erick.  Nobody called them by their real names because they fully believed in their characters, not to mention all 3 preferred their character names instead of their birth ones.  It reminded Anisa of her ex-husband since Mark absolutely loathed being called by his birth name by his coworkers and peers.  Very few people were allowed to call him Mark and she’d been one of them, even after they divorced.  Sighing, Anisa didn’t want to deal with the Wyatt Family, but Rick would have a conniption fit if she didn’t get them and do her job.  She had no choice in the matter and took a deep breath, deciding to get them out of the way first.

 

Swallowing hard when she arrived at the Wyatt Family dressing room, Anisa knew she couldn’t show them nervousness or they would eat her alive.  She squared her shoulders and brought her hand up, knocking on the door with great reluctance.  A few seconds later, it opened revealing Erick Rowan with his bald head and ginger beard, intense eyes staring down at her through the infamous lamb mask he always wore to the ring.  Personally, Anisa didn’t get what a lamb had to do with the Wyatt Family’s image, but she kept those thoughts to herself.

 

“I need your signatures.” She congratulated herself for keeping her voice even and strong, though Anisa’s insides were quaking.

 

Erick raised a brow down at the petite honey blonde under the lamb mask and could tell she refused to step into the locker room.  Smart woman, but in this case she really didn’t have a choice.  Grabbing her upper arm, he ignored her gasp of protest and yanked her into the dark room, shutting the door behind them.  The only light Anisa could see was the infamous lantern the Wyatt’s always made their ring entrance with.  Adjusting her midnight blue eyes to the darkness fairly quickly, Anisa noticed Bray sitting in the middle of the room in the rocking chair, which creaked softly while he moved back and forth in it slowly.  The sound sent chills of fear down Anisa’s spine, but she had to stay strong and focused, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

“What pray tell brings you to my domain, sweetheart?” Bray’s smooth calm voice asked, eyeballing her through ice blue eyes.

 

Anisa stepped forward and handed over the clipboard with the sign-in sheet attached, feeling it slip from her fingers. “You need to sign it along with Erick and Luke.” She could feel either Erick or Luke standing directly behind her, not able to determine who it was because both of them were tall. “We’re not tolerating employees not to follow the policy anymore and anyone who doesn’t start signing in when they get to the arena will be written up.” Rick’s words, not hers and Anisa hoped they didn’t kill the messenger since that’s all she was.

 

An evil laughter resonated around the dressing room as Bray continued rocking back and forth in his chair, not bothering to look down at the paperwork in his hand. “You know, sweetheart, you’re awfully brave to come here by your lonesome without your overprotective brother.” Long dark brown curls hung in his face, his patent fedora dangling off the back of the rocking chair.

 

Feeling hot breath on her ear and neck, all Anisa wanted to do was escape the dressing room in one piece and could swear she saw lightning flashing through Bray’s eyes. “I can take care of myself, Mr. Wyatt.” She informed him coolly, goose bumps popping up all over her body and watched him stand up, squaring his broad muscular shoulders to tower over her.

 

“She’s as stubborn as Punk’s little girlfriend.  Mmm how I enjoyed cornering her earlier tonight.” Luke taunted, unable to resist since Anisa was the sister of Bray’s worst enemy in the company currently.

 

Anisa could only imagine what happened and felt sick to her stomach, keeping her gaze solely on Bray. “Sign it so I can be on my way.”

 

“Hmm you didn’t say please…” Bray enjoyed toying with her a little and could see the resolve in her midnight eyes, perfect vision through the darkness.

 

Taking the pen off the clipboard, Bray scrawled his signature on the paperwork and then handed it to Luke, demanding him to sign it.  Erick followed and handed it back to Bray a few seconds later, who in turn extended the clipboard to the honey blonde.  Anisa took it, muttered a quick ‘thank you’ to keep everything professional and hightailed it out of the locker room, evil laughter echoing behind her.  Anisa did not stop or look back, rounding the corner and slammed right into a brick wall of flesh, every part of her shaking like a leaf.

 

“No!” She cried out when a pair of hands reached out to grab her and snapped tear-filled midnight blues open, relief flooding her body at the sight of Jonathan Good.

 

Jon quickly regained his bearings and had to check on Anisa to make sure he didn’t hurt her. “Jesus Anisa, what happened?” He demanded, seeing how shaken up she was and blinked when she threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him for dear life.

 

Anisa was thankful it was Jon she ran into and not someone who hated her because of her relation to Phil, refusing to let him go.

 

Chapter 10

 

Phil had just finished taping his hands and drew the patent X mark on each knuckle when his locker room door swung open.  He stood at the sight of Jonathan Good carrying his trembling sister and immediately rushed over to her.  Her face was buried in Jon’s chest and her fingers clutched his tactical vest to the point of her knuckles turning ghostly white.  Anisa was scared out of her mind and Phil had to find out what happened, shooting a glare at Jon.

 

“What the fuck happened to her?” Phil demanded, extracting his sister from Jon’s arms and held her close to him, feeling Anisa cling to him as if he was her lifeline.

 

Jon ignored Phil’s attitude toward them since they weren’t the best of friends.  He respected the man professionally though. “I don’t know.  She rounded the corner in the hallway and slammed into me.  I checked to make sure I didn’t hurt her, which is why I brought her here instead of the trainer’s.  Figured it’d be best to bring her to her brother.” He explained, concerned pale blues focused solely on Anisa, genuinely worried about her.

 

Noticing the worry from Jon made Phil uneasy, but he wouldn’t be rude to a coworker who cared for his sister – not yet anyway. “Thanks for bringing her to me.” Phil gently set Anisa on the couch and noticed how pale she was, walking away to grab her a bottled water out of his personal cooler.

 

“Not a problem…”

 

Jon didn’t want to leave Anisa, but he had a feeling Phil wouldn’t let him stick around to make sure she was alright.  She was in good hands, though Jon had second thoughts about bringing her to Phil.  He would’ve much preferred taking her to the Shield locker room where he could keep a close eye on her.  Whatever or whoever scared her deserved a 6 inch hole drilled in their head and if Jon found out who was responsible, he’d make sure they received the maximum punishment.  Giving one last long lingering look at Anisa, Jon turned and reluctantly left Phil’s dressing room to go get ready for the Shield segment that night.

 

The Shield and Phil didn’t see eye-to-eye on many things just like the Wyatt Family.  They were both enemies of Phil’s for different reasons – the Shield on a professional level and the Wyatt Family was personal.  Anisa knew if she spoke a word while Jon was in the locker room, her brother wouldn’t appreciate it, so she opted to keep her mouth shut until the Shield member left.  Sipping her water slowly, Anisa felt her heart rate slow down and drew her knees up to her chest, still curled up.  Phil sat down next to her, placing a hand on her pant covered knee and she finally looked up at him with a deep frown.  She could see the questions swirling through his hazel eyes and heaved a shaky sigh, knowing there was no use in trying to lie to him.  Phil could read her better than most because of how close they were.

 

“Did Ambrose hurt you?” Phil demanded in a gruff voice, every part of his body tensed and coiled ready to pulverize whoever scared his sister this badly.

 

“It wasn’t him.” Anisa assured him softly, not surprised at all by Phil’s question the least bit.

 

“Then mind telling me whose ass I have to kick?”

 

Hesitant, Anisa could feel tears burning her midnight blue eyes and lowered them to her lap, pressing the bottled water to her forehead.  She was still angry at him for keeping his WrestleMania opponent a secret – for going behind her back instead of being straight with her.  Coralie’s words flooded through her mind and Anisa knew she had to forgive her brother because they really were all each other had.  If they were going to make things right between them, it had to be now since Mark Calaway was on his way back to the WWE in less than a week.  Mark would love for the siblings to be at each other’s throat and if it meant Anisa being the bigger person in order to refuse her ex-husband that satisfaction, she would.

 

“Stop being overprotective of me, Phillip.” Anisa ordered, not giving him a choice anymore and managed to keep the tears in her eyes. “I know you love me and you want to protect me.  And I love you for it, but I’m not made of glass.  I can fight my own battles, especially when it comes to Mark.”

 

Phil cringed as soon as that name left her mouth, already feeling his blood begin to boil. “Anisa…”

 

“No, you have to hear me out and listen to what I say.” She cut him off, raising her hand when he opened his mouth to try contradicting her. “I’m not pissed at you for breaking your word going after Mark so much as you keeping WrestleMania a secret from me.  I’m not a little girl anymore and I’m tired of you treating me like one, Phillip.  I’m a grown woman and I should have a say in what I can and can’t handle.  I feel like you don’t trust me when you keep secrets and I thought we were close enough to be truthful with each other.  Coralie knew before I did, so that tells me you trust her more than your own sister.  It hurts.”

 

Up until now, Phil thought he was doing the right thing by making the challenge to Mark for WrestleMania.  He thought he was doing it for his sister’s honor.  However, that wasn’t the only reason why he wanted to face his ex-brother-in-law on the grandest stage of them all.  Point blank, Phil wanted a shot at Mark’s undefeated WrestleMania Streak – which was 20-0 so far.  He wanted to be the guy that broke it because not only would it catapult his career to a new level, but also take away something precious from Mark.  So it was a win-win situation and Phil would be lying if he said fighting for Anisa’s honor hadn’t been on the forefront of his mind when making the challenge. 

 

“It’s not all about you, Anisa.” Phil spoke after collecting his thoughts and stood up from the couch, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Part of it is, but not the whole reason.”

 

“I don’t care what your reasons are.” He didn’t understand and Anisa felt drained, tired of fighting with her brother over her ex-husband. “You kept it from me, that’s what bothers me about it.  Whatever your reasons are, they don’t matter to me.  You are a grown man capable of making your own decisions.  I was wrong to make you promise me not to go after Mark because he is an icon in this business.  It’d be insane for you not to want to wrestle him because of a personal vendetta.  I just wish you were honest with me about it, that’s all.” Anisa lowered her head, not able to hold back the tears anymore and felt them slide down her cheeks. “I’m sorry about hitting you last night…”

 

There were very few things in life that could drive Phil to his knees and Anisa crying was at the top of the list. “Don’t cry, sis.” He wasn’t above begging at this point and lowered to his knees in front of her, taking both of her hands in his. “I can’t stand seeing you cry, you know that.  I’m sorry I wasn’t honest with you.” He’d do anything to get her stop crying and moved to sit on the couch beside her, wrapping his arms around her letting her head rest on his chest. “Don’t apologize for slapping me, I deserved it for not telling you.”

 

Anisa knew crying bothered Phil and she tried stopping, but it was useless.  It took her a little while to calm down, but the tears finally ceased and Anisa pulled away from her brother to rub her red-rimmed eyes. “I wanna know why you challenged Mark at WrestleMania.  I want the truth this time.”

 

Phil wouldn’t make the same mistake twice and heaved a sigh, admitting everything he’d been thinking. “If I can break the Streak…”

 

“Do you have any idea how hard that’s going to be, bro?  I have all the faith in the world in you, don’t get me wrong, but…Mark’s Streak is all he has left to stay in this business.” Anisa knew it was pointless to argue with Phil on his decision to face Mark since it was signed and sealed to happen. “Just be careful, please.  He’s a different animal at WrestleMania and I don’t want your personal feelings interfering with the match.  I want you to be safe.  Can you promise me that much?”

 

“I’ll do my best not to get hurt, but you know shit happens when we’re out there.” Anisa would have to accept that because Phil didn’t know what would transpire between him and Mark once the lights were on bright in front of thousands of people.

 

Maybe telling Phil what happened with the Wyatt Family wasn’t the smartest idea considering they’d just made amends.  Bray and his cronies hadn’t made their debut yet, but the bosses wanted them backstage to watch and learn how things ran during shows.  They were also taping video vignettes in certain cities the WWE performed in order to gear up for their debut.  Since they were part of the main roster now, they were required to sign in like everyone else, even though their debut wouldn’t be for several months.  July was the latest rumor Anisa heard, but the month changed on a daily basis, so it would happen whenever the bosses wanted.

 

“So, are you ready to come clean about what scared the shit out of you earlier?” Phil hadn’t forgotten how shaken up his sister was in Jon’s arms, not sure if he liked Anisa hanging with one of the Shield members.

 

What Luke had said about Coralie chilled Anisa to the bone and that’s what made up her mind to tell Phil what happened. “I had to go to the Wyatt Family dressing room because they didn’t sign-in and you know how anal Rick is about that.”

 

Phil groaned, already not liking where this was going and squeezed her hand gently. “Go on.” If Bray -Windham, whoever the man was- laid a finger on his sister, Phil would make sure he never made his second debut in the company.

 

In 2010, Bray had debuted for a short period of time as Husky Harris during the Nexus –a heel stable formed from the television show NXT, season one to be precise, that came in and terrorized the WWE- period.  He interfered at the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view in John Cena’s match with Wade Barrett, the leader of the Nexus at that time –His real name was Stuart Bennett- and helped him defeat Cena.  With Cena’s loss, he was forced to join the faction, which was the stipulation of the match.  It was Bray’s way of trying to get into the Nexus group, but Barrett refused him.  Barrett then had a change of heart and inducted them into the group a few weeks later.  However, at the start of 2011, Phil ended up becoming part of the storyline by taking over the Nexus group and exiling Barrett from the group.  Each member of the Nexus was put through an initiation and Bray’s was being lashed by the rest of the group with Phil watching on.  3 weeks later, Bray was punted in the skull harshly by Randy Orton and sent back down to developmental for a complete character change since Husky Harris didn’t work.  Now he was Bray Wyatt, the leader of the Wyatt Family, and Phil knew eventually Bray would come for his revenge for what happened in Nexus.

 

Anisa explained everything that happened with the Wyatt Family, shivering involuntarily at the feeling of their hot breath on her neck.  Phil didn’t miss the shiver and clenched his fists, knowing this was his fault his sister was being targeted.  It wasn’t a secret they were siblings, everyone knew about each other on the roster.  They were one big dysfunctional family, in a sick and twisted way.  This wasn’t good, Phil had to do something to keep Bray from going after Anisa, but he didn’t know what yet.  He would figure it out, refusing to let his sister pay for his past actions against the man.

 

“They freaked me out more than anything and when I ran into Jon, I thought they’d come after me.” Anisa felt stupid for how she reacted and now Jon probably thought she was an emotional lunatic. “Anyway, enough about me there’s something else that happened you need to be aware of.”

 

What else could there be?  Phil braced himself for whatever his little sister was about to tell him. “What is it?” He asked in a low voice, seeing the hesitation in her midnight eyes and hoped Anisa didn’t clam up on him.

 

“Luke apparently had a run-in or something with Coralie earlier tonight.  He said he enjoyed cornering her and that I’m as stubborn as Coralie.  I didn’t know how to respond, so I didn’t say anything.  But judging from the look of murderous intentions on your face, I’m gonna assume Coralie didn’t tell you about it or hasn’t had a chance yet.” Anisa regretted opening her mouth because Coralie and Phil more than likely hadn’t seen each other since arriving at the arena.  They both had jobs. “You need to give her a chance to tell you before blowing your stack, bro.”

 

She was right, no matter how much Phil wanted to go pound Luke Harper’s face into mush. “I will.  We’re meeting in catering in about an hour.  If she doesn’t tell me there, I’ll wait until we’re back at the hotel, give her some time to mellow out and then see if she tells me.  One way or another, she’s going to tell me what the fuck happened.” More occurred with Luke than Anisa knew of and Phil planned on finding out everything on what happened to his girlfriend. “I’ll handle it, don’t worry.”

 

“Please don’t tell her where you found out if she doesn’t tell you.  I don’t want her angry at me for telling you.”

 

“I won’t, you have my word.” Phil promised, hugging his sister and kissed the top of her head. “You feeling better now?”

 

Anisa nodded, cracking a small smile and was glad she told Phil how she felt about hiding things from her. “Thanks for listening and understanding why I was upset.  I should really get going and check in with Rick before he has a coronary.  He’s probably sent a search party after me already.”

 

“Probably.” Phil shrugged, not overly concerned with Rick right now considering what he just found out about his girlfriend. “If you see Coralie, send her to my room.”

 

“You got it.” Anisa stood up from the couch, dropping a kiss on Phil’s practically bald head before heading out the door to finish doing her job.

 

All she really wanted to do was end the night and go back to the hotel for some much needed rest and relaxation.

 

Chapter 11

 

Colby Lopez wouldn’t leave Krystal’s mind.

 

No matter how hard she tried, the two toned haired man would not leave her thoughts and Krystal had a hard time focusing on her job.  It was hard to believe she’d invited him to share her hotel room since Maryann had screwed up.  Krystal had no idea what possessed her to offer him a place to stay and chalked it up to sympathy.  Colby was on the verge of being kicked out of the hotel because of Maryann and that was unacceptable, even though the receptionist would’ve had every right doing it.  Krystal could see the headline on the various wrestling magazines, groaning at how much negative attention he’d get.

 

COLBY LOPEZ THROWN OUT OF HOTEL FOR TEMPER TANTRUM!

 

The amount of hell and questions thrown at her brother would’ve more than likely gotten Colby fired if that ever happened.  So in a way, Krystal saved everyone a major migraine and possible firing.  One night with Colby Lopez sharing her room wouldn’t be that bad, though Krystal hoped her nerves could handle it.  Tomorrow, she was going home for 2 glorious days off and looking forward to it, ready to get some proper rest in her comfortable bed.  The door opening to the trainer’s room jolted Krystal out of her deep thoughts, wide hazel eyes turning to stare at a monstrous man.  His name was Ryan Reeves –The WWE fans knew him best as Ryback- and Krystal personally thought he looked like a steroid freak.

 

“May I help you?” Krystal asked politely, taking a tentative step back when Ryan took one forward, a cold smile spreading on his face.

 

Plopping down on the medical table, Ryan slapped his thigh harshly gesturing to his knee and flashed too white teeth at the new trainer. “My knee, sugar.  I need it taped up for my match.”

 

Michael was currently retrieving more equipment from the truck in the back of the arena, so Krystal was the only trainer available.  Swallowing down her fear and apprehension, she grabbed the tape from the tray and kneeled in front of Ryan to start working on his knee.  It didn’t feel tight or anything, but if he needed it taped Krystal couldn’t and wouldn’t argue with a man his size.  Ryan realized the chestnut hair beauty was exactly eyelevel with his wrestling attire covered crotch and couldn’t stop the smirk from crossing his mouth.  He wondered if she would be up to giving him some attention to another place on his body that currently throbbed, snaking his tongue out to wet his lips.  What happened between them didn’t have to leave this room, but it’d been a minute since Ryan had a woman thoroughly suck him off.  Something told him the new trainer would be too intimidated to deny him what he wanted and if Ryan had to bully her into it, he would.

 

“W-What are you doing?” Krystal demanded shakily when she felt his hand clamp down on her head, every part of her body breaking out in goose bumps.

 

“Relax sugar, I’m just holding on since it hurts…” Ryan lied, not hiding the huskiness that entered his voice and tightened his fingers in her beautiful soft hair. “How about…?” Just then, the door swung open and Ryan released her chestnut locks instantly at the sight of Michael.

 

“Sorry about that, Krys.” Michael grunted, setting a few boxes of medical supplies on the table and realized what was going on. “Ryan, what’s going on with your knee, pal?”

 

“H-He needed it taped…” Krystal stammered, not hiding the trepidation in her voice and stepped back as Michael walked up to take her place. “I-I’m sorry…” Feeling his grimy fingers buried in her hair made her extremely nauseous, but Krystal wouldn’t abandon Michael since they were busy tonight.

 

Michael wasn’t stupid, not buying that for a second and pulled up a stool to sit on. “Let’s have a look.” He didn’t mean to take over for Krystal, but Ryan was lying and Michael wouldn’t tolerate any of the Superstars intimidating his new trainer.

 

Ryan sat there, suddenly feeling nervous and faked a wince when Michael pushed on a certain spot on his knee. “Damn!” He growled, zero pain his voice and Michael didn’t say a word, pressing on another part of the ligament. “Well?” He demanded impatiently, shooting a glare at Krystal while Michael’s head remained lowered.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with your leg.  Leave now and if you ever come in here without an injury or legitimate reason again, I will report you to Paul and Stephanie.” Michael wasn’t intimidated by any of the Superstars, especially this idiot and pointed at the door. “Lying about an injury is very serious considering there are OTHER Superstars who are actually injured, Ryan.  Think about it the next time you try pulling a stunt like this.”

 

Krystal noticed Michael hadn’t mentioned her relation to Paul and was thankful for it, watching Ryan storm out with a deep scowl on his face. “Thank you, Mike.” She murmured once they were alone and walked over to the sink, splashing cold water on her face.

 

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner, Krys.” Michael placed his hands on her shoulders, noticing how pale the woman’s face was and she was trembling from head to toe. “Why don’t you go outside for some air?  Take a break, I’ll take over for a few.”

 

“A-Are you sure?” Krystal stammered with wide hazel eyes and didn’t hesitate when Michael assured her with a nod, flying out of the medical room as fast as she could.

 

Once outside, Krystal burst into tears and wrapped her arms around herself, trying to will the nausea away.  All she wanted was to leave and go back to the hotel after that unfortunate run-in with Ryan.  The man gave her the creeps and the fact he touched her without her consent both scared and angered Krystal at the same time.  She suddenly wished Colby was outside with her at that moment, knowing he could calm her down.  Krystal wondered if she should tell Paul about Ryan and decided against it, not wanting to cause him further problems than what he already had on his plate.

 

~!~

 

Maryann was all smiles walking down the hallway toward the bosses’ office, fixing her blouse after having a quick romp with one of the wrestlers on the roster.  Justin Gabriel was a nice slice of heaven and could pound her into oblivion anytime he wanted.  She’d gotten the message from Stephanie and Paul that they wanted to see her to talk about her progress as the Shield’s personal assistant.  Personally, Maryann thought she did flawless work and hoped they gave her a raise, feeling nothing except excitement about the meeting.

 

How very wrong she was.

 

“Oh…hey boys.” Maryann greeted in a surprised tone when she walked inside the bosses’ office and spotted the Shield waiting with Paul and Stephanie. “What’s going on?”

 

“Sit down, Maryann.” Stephanie ordered, folding her hands on the desk with a tight smile on her face. “We have a few things to discuss.”

 

Joe, Colby and Jon all had smirks on their own faces, thankful to Stephanie and Paul for letting them sit in on this.  Colby was ticked off because he had to stay with Krystal Levesque, something Paul and Stephanie didn’t know about.  He told them he’d found another place to stay for the night and not to worry about it, not wanting to drag Krystal into this.  Jon and Joe both agreed it was time for Maryann to go, so the Shield ended up having an impromptu meeting with the bosses regarding Maryann’s status with the company.  They basically ratted her out, being a bunch of narks and wanted her out, deciding they could handle their own arrangements if need-be.  Stephanie and Paul were appalled at hearing all of the things Maryann had done and how many mistakes she made, agreeing with some of their top talents that it was time for her to be let go.  They had given her chance after chance and Maryann blew it every single time.

 

“So it is with DEEP regret that we have to let you go.” Stephanie’s statement cut into the Shield’s thoughts, 3 pairs of eyes focusing on what was going on. “We wish you luck in your future endeavors.”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN I’M FIRED?!” Maryann exploded, standing up from the chair screaming at the top of her lungs. “THIS IS ABSURD!!  I’VE NEVER DONE ANY OF THESE ACCUSATIONS!!  I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO TOLD YOU THIS!!”

 

Whistling, all 3 men Maryann had screwed over time and time again waved their fingers at her, watching her jaw drop to the floor.

 

“Bye bitch.”

 

“Hope you enjoyed your whoring around while it lasted.”

 

“Do yourself a favor and keep your legs closed before you end up having a demon spawn to punish the world with.”

 

Security guards rushed into the office, dragging a kicking and screaming Maryann out with the Shield members poking their heads out, laughing.

 

“Good riddance.”

 

~!~

 

“My head is killing me for some damn reason.” Colby groaned, rubbing his temples and leaned his head back against the elevator wall while going up to Krystal’s floor. “I think the bitch rattled my eardrums with her screaming.”

 

“I have some Tylenol in my room, just hang in there.” Krystal had been outside when Maryann was tossed out of the arena on her backside and honestly thought nobody deserved to be fired more.

 

Once inside, Krystal set her things down and retrieved a bottled water with two extra strength Tylenol, walking over to the bed Colby sat on handing them over. “Thanks.” He grunted, popping the pills without thinking twice and laid back on the bed, thankful Maryann was gone for good.

 

“You’re welcome.”

 

Colby sat up to remove his t-shirt and tossed it in the corner on his bag, propping pillows on the headboard because it would help with the headache.  He hoped the Tylenol kicked in, certain he could still hear Maryann’s screeching voice ringing in his ears.  Focusing on Krystal to get his mind off of the throbbing pain in his head, Colby silently watched her walk around the room gathering things and clearing out some space for him, not believing how thoughtful she was.

 

“Do you want a shower?” Krystal offered once she finished moving things around and looked back at him on the bed, suddenly needing to learn how to breathe again.

 

“I took one at the arena.  You go ahead, take your time.”

 

Colby had to bite back a smirk, noticing how breathless she sounded.  What he wouldn’t give to watch her under those shower sprays…Colby slapped himself mentally and flicked the television on, trying to get his mind off the beautiful chestnut haired beauty that just disappeared in the bathroom.  Krystal closed the bathroom door and leaned against it, trying to get her breathing and heart rate under control.  He smelled so divine and taking his t-shirt off to expose that amazing bare chest just about killed Krystal.  Turning the sprays on as cool as she could stand it, Krystal showered and stepped out a half an hour later, pulling on a pair of black cotton shorts and matching tank top.  She walked out and sat in the middle of the other bed in the room, pulling the towel off her head before starting to brush the knots out of her hair.

 

“How’s the headache?” She asked, genuinely concerned about him. “Is it gone yet?”

 

Holy shit did she have amazing legs, Colby thought, reluctantly pulled his gaze away her soft skin to look up in her eyes.  The cotton shorts and tank top she wore left plenty to the imagination and stoked Colby’s fire in ways a woman never had.  He could tell she was having issues with the knots in her hair, but didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to upset Krystal.  Women could be very fickle about their hair; he learned that from his mother.

 

“Getting better.” He murmured quietly, not minding the small lamp on the nightstand because it was closer to her than him. “I’m almost done watching this and then I’ll hand the remote over to you.  Thanks again for letting me stay here.  I hope your brother doesn’t skin me alive for it.”

 

Krystal waved him off dismissively. “Don’t worry about it.  I don’t watch much television at night unless it’s NCIS or MASH.  And I don’t think Paul will bother you.  It’s not like we had a choice in the matter.  I’m not going to tell my brother about this, so feel free to do so if you want.” She finished brushing her hair and came to the conclusion the headache Colby was battling would not give up without a fight. “Sit up for a minute.”

 

“What?” Colby blinked, taken aback by her request and looked at her skeptically, obeying her command.

 

Krystal stepped up on the bed and sat down behind him with his pillow in her lap. “Lean back.” She ordered softly, reaching forward and pulled the holder out of his two toned hair, gripping his strong shoulders.

 

Guiding him back against her until his head rested on the pillow, Krystal began combing her fingers through his beautiful hair before gently beginning to massage his temples.  All she wanted to do was will the headache to go away before it turned into a full-fledged migraine.  Colby was in heaven.  He couldn’t remember the last time a woman pampered him like this.  The feeling of Krystal’s fingers running through his hair around his temples just made him completely melt against her.  Colby was pure putty in her hands and she could mold him however she wanted.  He knew she was new to the company, but the feeling of her against him in this close proximity was overwhelming.  Her scent of gardenias permeated the air and it made Colby hungry, having been a while since he last had sex.  Krystal would probably slap him silly if he asked her to have sex with him, but at the same time it looked and sounded like she could use a stress reliever.

 

“You have magic fingers.” Colby rumbled, not bothering to hide the full huskiness in his tone and smirked when he felt her shiver against him. “Cold?”

 

“No, you’re warm enough.” Krystal bit her bottom lip and continued working his temples, not realizing this was soothing her as much as him. “When I was going through all my medical training, I did some massage therapy classes because I know the most common injury in sports is a head injury.  You’ve got a certain pressure points in your hands that, if the headache is excruciating, you can rub or pinch really hard and the headache goes away almost instantaneously.  I like to do the scalp and temple massage first.  It tends to work and relax you at the same time.” Looking down at his stress free handsome face and into his chocolate eyes, Krystal smiled softly. “Colby, thanks for making my second night not so terrible.”

 

Colby smiled back and reached up to squeeze her wrist gently since her hands were occupied. “Not a problem, sweetheart.  Thanks for letting me stay here with you.”

 

Silence ensued between them as Krystal put on a movie and Colby ended up falling fast asleep from her head massage.  Instead of moving, Krystal snuggled down against the pillow with Colby’s head on her stomach, falling asleep with her fingers in his hair.  It was the best night sleep each had gotten in a long time.

 

Chapter 12

 

“So you and Coralie talked?”

 

Phil glanced over at his girlfriend standing outside of his luxury tour bus. “She’s upset about it, but…you were right, she didn’t keep it from me.  We went to dinner and I could tell she was upset.  As soon as we came back to the bus, she burst like a geyser and told me what happened.”

 

“Good, I’m glad.” Anisa was glad Coralie came clean to her brother because it showed they had absolute faith and trust in each other. “Did you hear about Maryann?”

 

“Only she got fired.” Phil chuckled, knowing almost everyone in the company hated Maryann, even the wrestlers she managed to coax in her bed. “What happened?”

 

“I don’t know, but apparently she kicked and screamed bloody murder.  I could hear her with Rick and we were on the other side of the arena.” Anisa shook her head, pulling on the road driving to the hotel through an earpiece. “Did you hear her?”

 

“I must’ve been out for my match or something when it happened.” Phil looked up when Coralie walked back on the bus and mouthed ‘Anisa’, watching her nod before heading to the back. “Fuck, she’s been crying…”

 

Coralie didn’t cry often, so Anisa knew what happened with Luke terrified her possible future sister-in-law. “Go be with her, Phillip.  She needs you right now.  Call me tomorrow once you get home.”

 

“Alright, I love you sis.  Don’t forget that.”

 

“Love you too, bro.  Night.”

 

Anisa had never been so happy to see a hotel in her life.  From dealing with Rick’s attitude to be scared by the Wyatt Family and making amends with her brother, Anisa was more than ready to call it a night.  She thought once she got up to her room and showered, it wouldn’t be hard to crash out.  WRONG!  Anisa lay in bed staring up at the ceiling and could not fall sleep for anything.  Normally, she fell asleep with the television on, –it was a habit Anisa had for most of her life- but tonight for some reason so many thoughts occupied her mind.  Jonathan Good was on the forefront of her mind like he had been throughout the night and it frustrated Anisa to no end.

 

“Fuck it.” She grumbled, tossing the blankets off of her and decided a swim was in order.

 

Swimming was her vice.  Whenever Anisa didn’t have cigarettes or sex, the water was her second home.  She grew up in Hawaii, thanks to her family being stationed there in the military, so surfing came second nature to her.  It was huge in Hawaii.  The hotel kept the pool open 24/7 whenever the WWE was in town because some of the Superstars liked using it after shows.  It was a way to calm them down and work out excess adrenaline.  Anisa didn’t care who the hell was in the pool, she had to do something to tire herself out enough to sleep.  6 AM came early and she had to be at the airport by 8 AM to catch her flight home at 9.  It was already going on midnight, so maybe an hour of doing laps in the pool would tire her out enough to sleep for 4-5 hours.  Changing into a turquoise colored bikini, the top tied around her neck and had a keyhole cut in the center of her breasts, showing just a gander of flesh.  It still left plenty to the imagination though.  She tossed her hair up in a neat bun on top of her head and went down with towel in hand, taking the back staircase.

 

Pale blue eyes moved to the door of the pool room and Jon instantly zeroed in on Anisa.  After coming back to the hotel from the show, he needed something to calm his hormone enraged body down.  Imagine his surprise that Anisa also enjoyed swimming, though he wondered what made her come down for a late night swim.  Jon did his best to control how far his eyes widened at the sight of her somewhat skimpy bikini.  It was official, he’d died and gone to heaven.  He left the lounge chair and padded over to where she was, her beautiful back facing him so Anisa had no idea he was there.

 

“I thought I was the only one who swam this late at night.”

 

Anisa didn’t jump, hearing someone walk up behind her and set her towel down on a chair along with her key card on the table. “Nothing like it in the whole world.” Passion laced her voice as Anisa turned around to face Jon, giving him a quick scan with her eyes.

 

The way his navy blue swim trunks hugged his hips, ass and thighs, showcasing his bare muscular chest and incredible arms.  Walking past him with a smile, Anisa dove into the deep end and began doing laps while Jon climbed up on the diving board.  She looked up from the water just as his body leaped in the air and sliced through the water perfectly.  Anisa groaned and had to go under water to hide it, resurfacing a few seconds later.  Without Mia here to be her voice of reason, Anisa knew if Jon touched her once, she would jump him without hesitation.  Jon noticed Anisa resting on the side of the pool and swam over to join her since they were the only two in the room.

 

“So, mind if I ask you something?”

 

“Why do you insist on asking permission to ask me a question?” Anisa retorted, shaking her head and turned to where her back was against the wall of the pool. “You can ask me anything, Jon.”

 

Jon chuckled at her sassiness and moved to be in front of her, boxing Anisa in against the wall with his hands holding onto the wall since they were in the deep end. “Did you mean what you said this morning?” He stared deep into her midnight eyes and felt his heart rate accelerate slightly at her confused expression.

 

“You’re gonna have to be more specific, Dr. Feel Good.  We talked about several things.” Anisa reminded him, her elbows resting on the wall while moving her legs back and forth under the water.

 

He smirked at her nickname for him and moved closer, running a finger down her cheek. “About having a little fun with a wrestler if the right one comes along.” Jon couldn’t get that statement out of his mind the entire night, even before she slammed into him in the hallway scared to death.

 

Anisa’s heart began pounding in her chest and knew her grace period to think about having a fling with Jon was over.  It was now or never – do or die – sink or swim, figuratively speaking. “If I meet the right wrestler that can change my mind, sure.  Know anyone who’s interested?” She couldn’t stop the flirtatious edge from entering her voice and saw the pale blue in his eyes into something more intense.

 

Pinning her further against the wall, Jon took a chance and slid his hands down her sides under the water, their noses practically touching. “Do I know anyone interested?” He scoffed, not believing she was toying with him like this and decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. “Of course I do.  I heard Swagger has the hots for you.”

 

“WHAT?” Anisa exclaimed, seeing the amusement in his eyes and smacked his shoulder, the sound resonating around the pool room. “You JERK!” She retaliated by pinching his nipple, laughing at his growl and stuck her tongue out. “Turnabout, Dr. Feel Good.”

 

That was the wrong thing for Anisa to do.  Jon was a very touch orientated person and that simple pinch opened up all of his senses.  Chuckling, he pushed his body against hers and lowered his head, capturing her mouth with his in a soft passionate kiss.  His hands left her sides to cup her face, hoping Anisa didn’t nail him in the balls for kissing her.  It wasn’t a rough passionate kiss Anisa had pictured coming from Jon, but she enjoyed it nonetheless.  Every part of her body screamed at her for some kind of release, anything at this point.  She hadn’t had sex with another man since her marriage to Mark because Anisa didn’t trust any man enough.  Jon was only in the WWE for a short period of time and, somehow, Anisa felt completely safe and trusted him.  She wouldn’t let him kiss her or press his body to hers if she didn’t.  No other wrestler had been able to break through the concrete steel walls the way Jon had.  The way he held her face in his strong hands as if he was afraid to break her warmed Anisa’s heart further.  She slid her hands up his muscular chest to his shoulders, not minding her back dug into the concrete wall of the pool.  Only when they were both breathless and Anisa was nothing more than putty in his hands did the kiss break, their heated gazed searing each other’s insides.

 

“I have a confession to make.” Anisa said breathlessly, feeling Jon lift her through the water to wrap her legs around his waist, pinning her further so she couldn’t escape from him.  Not that Anisa wanted to because she definitely enjoyed being nestled between his legs. “It’s been…a while since I had sex.  My divorce with Mark lasted longer than I thought it would.  It was finalized in 2010 and I didn’t feel right having sex with someone else until I was a free woman.” She pressed her finger to his lips so Jon couldn’t speak. “I’m not saying I don’t want this, I’m just saying it’s been a while since I’ve let another man this close to me, much less kiss me, the way you just did.”

 

Jon wrapped an arm around her waist, keeping his eyes locked with hers and rolled his lips together.  She tasted incredible and her lips were so soft against his.  He brushed his mouth against her forehead and then her cheeks, chin and then finally claimed her lips tenderly.

 

“I’m not trying to rush or push you into something you’re not ready for.  If you’re not ready, I can wait.  I’ll do whatever you want, darlin’.  The way I see it, we’ve got 2 options.  I can either take you back to either of our rooms and romp all night long or just hold you in my arms, if that’s what you want.  Or maybe a 3rd option, we go to our separate rooms and take whatever we’re feeling REALLY slow.  I ask you on a date before fucking you raw, but that’s entirely up to you.”

 

“You’re killing me.” Anisa whispered, pressing her forehead against his and felt her inner demons battling fiercely, raging war. “Why do you have to be so wonderful?  I swore and vowed I would never engage in another relationship with a wrestler as long as I lived.  And up until this point I kept my vow and I haven’t been attracted to anyone…until you.  What is it about you that’s so different from every other wrestler on the roster?” Her thumb brushed across his mouth gently. “Mia told me to offer you a casual sex only type deal, but…that’s not me.  That’s not who I am.  I mean, I wouldn’t mind having casual sex with you, but I’d feel low if I went that route.  And she’s absolutely gonna kill me if she finds out I’m actually putting my faith and trust into another wrestler.  So, can I trust you, Jon?  Or am I wasting my time here pouring my heart out for no reason?”

 

“There’s only one way you will ever know if you can.”

 

Jon carefully moved both of them through the water until they were in the shallow end of the pool and lifted her, walking up the steps toward their towels.  He moved his close to hers before going to the diving board.  Placing Anisa on her feet, Jon wrapped her towel around her body and wrapped his around his waist, reaching his hand out to her.  Anisa had no idea what he was doing and stared at his hand for what seemed like ages, furrowing her brows together thoughtfully.

 

“Your choice, come with me now or we go our separate ways until you are ready.”

 

Before she second-guessed this, Anisa took his hand and let Jon guide her out of the pool room toward his.  Once inside, Jon immediately retrieved one of his t-shirts for her and a pair of shorts with a drawstring so they wouldn’t be too big on her.  Anisa looked at the clothes with a raised brow, wondering why he wanted her to wear them and Jon merely pushed her in the direction of the bathroom gently but firmly.

 

“Go change.” He ordered with a smirk. “I’ll still be here when you come out.”

 

Once she disappeared into the bathroom, Jon changed into a pair black basketball shorts and pulled a cigarette out, opening the window so he didn’t smoke Anisa out.  He had a hard time wrapping his mind around the fact Anisa actually came back to his room with him.  Taking a couple drags, Jon heard the bathroom door open a few minutes later and turned to face her, grinning at how big his clothes were on her body.

 

“Cute and definitely a little big on you.” He complimented, flicking his half-smoked cigarette out the window and walked over, lifting her in his arms placing Anisa on the bed, joining her moments later.

 

The shorts and t-shirt were huge, so Anisa kicked the shorts off after she was beneath the blanket, hoping Jon didn’t mind.  His t-shirt came down to her knees, making it look like a nightgown.  It’d been so long since a guy just wanted to hold her instead of trying to get in her panties.  Mark never wanted to just hold her, always about sex.  They had to have sex at least once a day and sometimes Anisa wasn’t in the mood for it, forcing herself a lot.  Jon wanted to gain her trust fully before they just hopped into bed together and that meant the world to her.

 

“You’re very sweet, Dr. Feel Good.”

 

Jon chuckled in her ear and Anisa snuggled further against him, resting her head on his chest.  She could hear his heartbeat and draped her leg over his, strong arms tightening around her a little more.  His fingertips ran up and down her t-shirt covered back lightly, but it wasn’t sexual.  It was soothing and relaxing as Anisa felt her eyes slowly drift shut.

 

“Just letting you know, that’s your new nickname from me.”

 

“You can call me whatever you want, darlin’.  I don’t care.” Jon murmured in her ear, burying his nose against the top of her head and inhaled her intoxicating scent, relaxing him instantly falling asleep shortly after Anisa.

 

Chapter 13

 

Leaving Jon the following morning was difficult for Anisa, but he promised to text and call constantly over the 2 days.  It was way too soon for either of them to go home with each other, both wanting to take things slow.  It wasn’t in Jon’s nature to wait for a woman to have sex with him.  He was used to women flocking to him in all directions and it’d gotten worse since his debut in WWE.  Anisa was different though, especially after Jon heard what happened in her marriage to Mark Calaway.  There was no way he’d push her into a sexual relationship.  For some reason, Jon legitimately liked her and wanted to get to know her better.  He wanted Anisa for more than a fuck buddy and Jon hadn’t felt that way about a woman in a long time.  One engagement to a porn star had screwed Jon up about women and for a while he used them for strictly sex, not wanting a relationship.  Now however, he felt ready to move on and open his heart to Anisa, hoping she felt the same way about him.  Taking his hand the previous night and sleeping in his arms was a big step for both of them, so Jon wasn’t about to push his luck by asking her to come home with him. 

 

All good things came to those who waited.

 

Throughout the 2 days apart, Anisa texted and talked to Jon the phone, skyping at night when they were both settling down for the night.  Jon was easy-going, had a great sense of humor and amazing to converse with.  Not only did he make her laugh until her sides hurt, but Jon was smart as a whip and could be serious when he had to be.  Anisa couldn’t remember the last time she enjoyed talking to a man on the phone so much since Mark wasn’t a big conversationalist.  It was refreshing to talk on the phone with a man instead of using sex for communication.  Anisa managed to get everything she wanted done along with her packing for the next stretch of days she’d be on the road.  It was the first time she was excited to go back to work all so she could see Jon again.

 

Anisa found out a lot about Jon, asking questions whenever he would and sometimes initiating them.  He couldn’t always be the one to ask after all.  Jon’s favorite food was greasy cheeseburgers, favorite movie was anything action-packed with adrenaline and one of his favorite bands was Deftones – anything heavy metal or rock he enjoyed.  There were other things Anisa learned about him that she filed away in the back of her mind for a later date.  One subject they spent an extensive amount of time on was if they were dating or not – what was their label?  Jon made it clear he wanted her as more than a friend and fuck buddy, but the ball was entirely in her court.  If Anisa wanted to be his girlfriend, great, but there was no rush to label them.  Both decided to call it hanging out, enjoying each other and dating slowly.

 

“So miss me yet?”

 

Anisa smiled softly into the phone since they were skyping while she cleaned up the kitchen after making a quick dinner. “That’s a loaded question, Dr. Feel Good.” She wouldn’t dignify it with a response.

 

Jon laughed, his chuckle low and somewhat gritty like his voice. “Fair enough, Ani.” He started calling her that, needing a nickname for her since she had one for him. “I’m gonna sound like a fucking chick right now, but I miss you.” He sighed, running his fingers down the screen of his phone.

 

“I know, but we’ll see each other tomorrow.”

 

“Hallelujah!” Jon crowed, not believing he survived the past 2 days without physically seeing and touching the honey blonde beauty. “What have you done to me, woman?  Fuck.”

 

Anisa giggled, pouring herself a glass of wine and put the bottle back in the fridge. “I haven’t done anything to you.” She replied innocently, batting her eyelashes and laughed harder when Jon growled.

 

“You are a horrible liar, darlin’.” Jon injected a hint of huskiness in his voice and watched her cheeks pink up slightly. “Hey, I gotta question for you.”

 

“Shoot.” Anisa began walking from the kitchen into the living room to sit on the couch and froze at what Jon asked her.

       

“Share a room with me on the road.”

 

Anisa had to clutch her wine glass tightly so she didn’t drop it and felt the breath temporarily leave her body, midnight eyes wide. “T-That’s not a question, Jon.”

 

“Okay, so it’s more of a request.” Jon amended, noticing how pale she’d gotten and frowned, cursing for springing this on her over a Skype talk. “Fuck Ani, I’m sorry.  Forget it.  Damn it, I’m such an idiot…”

 

Shaking her head, Anisa quickly found her voice again when Jon began berating himself. “Jon calm down, you’re fine.” Was she ready to share a room with him?  What if things didn’t work out between them?  Everything could fall apart in the blink of an eye and…Anisa was being just as silly as he was now. “I’d really like that.”

 

Did Jon hear her correctly?  Anisa actually wanted to share a room with him? “Are you sure?  I don’t wanna push you…”

 

“You’re not.” Anisa surprisingly didn’t feel an ounce of remorse or fear at the thought of sharing a room with Jon. “I mean, we want to get to know each other better and it would save us some money to bunk together since we’d end up doing it anyway.  What better way to do it than staying on the road together?  We’ll see each other’s flaws and decide if we can deal with them or not.  If things don’t work out, one of us just leaves and gets our own room.” She sat down on the couch and took a long swig of her wine, trying to slow her racing heart.

 

She made it sound so simple, it amazed Jon and his body ached for her, wishing they could sleep in each other’s arms that night.  Wow, he really did sound like a chick and needed serious mental help at these feminine thoughts!  What the hell was wrong with him?  Jon had to pull himself together before he messed this up with Anisa.  There’s no way she’d want a girlish man on her arm and the thought made Jon nauseous.  He had to say something manly quick, racking his brain trying to come up with something.

 

“So, your tits look good in that top.”

 

Anisa blinked and then laughed, rolling her eyes. “Typical male looking at my chest instead of my eyes.  I suppose I can’t fault you for it.  And thank you, now put a shirt on and stop flexing that delicious chest at me.”

 

Mission accomplished, Jon thought with an inner sigh of relief, and felt more comfortable while continuing to Skype with Anisa.

 

On 2 hours of sleep, Anisa made her way to the airport with coffee in hand and a mile wide smile on her face.  It was a beautiful Friday morning and the weekend was full of house shows, which were a lot easier than Raw and Smackdown! because they weren’t televised.  If Rick tried forcing her to track down employees to sign-in again, she was shoving the sign-in sheet down his throat.  Jon sent her a text right before she got on the plane and they planned on meeting up at the arena since his flight wouldn’t get in until 2 hours after hers.  He lived all the way in Vegas while she was in Atlanta, Georgia.  Phil was located in Chicago and, as much as Anisa loved the Windy City, she needed a change of scenery and always loved Georgia since she went to college in that state.  Atlanta was like a second home to her, Chicago would always be the first.

 

After checking in the final hotel room she would have to herself, Anisa took a quick nap since Jon was flying and ended up passing out for several hours.  It was past 2 PM when Anisa finally woke up and blinked at the clock before looking down at her phone lying beside her.  The blue light was flashing, letting Anisa know she missed calls and text messages, not surprised most of them were from Jon.  A couple were from Mia needing to talk to her for some important reason and one from Rick asking when she’d be at the arena.  She answered the text messages while undressing and jumped in the shower after sending Jon the final one, letting him know she was alive and would see him in a little while.

 

Wearing a pair of light grey dress pants with black pumps and black/grey striped top, Anisa rushed inside the arena at a quarter to 3.  The live show began at 5, always earlier than televised events because sometimes they went over the time frame.  Anisa winced at her bandaged thumb while walking as fast as she could to the trainer’s room to get a new bandage.  She’d been an idiot over her 2 day break and cut her finger with a butcher knife, thankful she hadn’t sliced her thumb completely off.  That was the night Anisa figured out she couldn’t talk to Jon and cook at the same time because he was too distracting.  Knocking on the door, Anisa pushed it open and smiled at the sight of Krystal, noticing Michael was nowhere to be found.

 

“Hey girl, what’s up?” Krystal greeted, walking over to embrace Anisa gently and frowned at her bandaged thumb. “What did you do?”

 

“A moment of sheer stupidity.” Anisa rolled her eyes, not having a problem with making fun of herself. “I cut it while cooking.  Shows just what klutz I am.”

 

Krystal chuckled, waving the honey blonde off dismissively. “Please, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve burnt myself taking food out of my oven.” She turned her arms over and showed Anisa a few scars she’d suffered. “I swear my oven hates me.  And it’s my 3rd one in the past year.  I just can’t seem to find one that works for me or maybe I’m stupid when it comes to ovens.  We all have our demons when it comes to the kitchen, you are not alone.”

 

Anisa found herself liking Krystal with every day that passed.  She was down to earth, friendly, kind and didn’t think she was better than everybody else.  Walking over to the medical table, Anisa hopped up on it while Krystal pulled a stool over and began unwrapping her thumb carefully.  Krystal noticed the smile etched on Anisa’s face and wondered what had the woman so happy, not realizing she had the same goofy expression on hers.

 

“So, how are you liking working for the WWE?” Anisa asked, wincing slightly as Krystal dabbed her cut with some peroxide to keep it sterilized.

 

“Sorry.” Krystal blew on it a little to try to lessen the sting and figured talking would take Anisa’s mind off of what she was doing. “Surprisingly, it’s a lot easier than I thought it’d be.  I’m starting to relax a little more and everyone’s been super friendly.” She refused to bring up what happened with Ryan Reeves, wanting to forget about it.

 

“Hmm anyone particular more friendly than others?” Anisa asked innocently, a smirk curving her mouth when Krystal’s cheeks flushed crimson. “HA!  I knew it!  You’ve got goofy smile going!  Spill it woman, I want details!”

 

Krystal laughed at Anisa’s exuberance and didn’t mind it, beginning to wrap her thumb slowly. “There might be.” She decided to play hard ball a little. “Tell you what: You tell me why you have the same goofy smile on your face and I’ll tell you about mine.” It was only fair in Krystal’s mind.

 

“Promise not to say anything?”

 

“You have my word as long as you don’t tell anyone about my business.”

 

Anisa accepted that and told Krystal everything that happened with Jon, having to explain who his character was on the roster.  Krystal wondered how close Anisa was to the Shield boys because there’d been a certain member of that group refusing to leave her thoughts.  He started haunting her dreams at night now and it was making her extremely frustrated.  Maybe she could get some insight from Anisa on Colby, but Krystal would have to be careful how she asked questions.

 

“So you two are…”

 

“No.” Anisa shook her head, the smile not leaving her face. “We’ve decided not to label what we are yet and just enjoy each other.  Now you.”

 

Krystal sighed exasperatedly and groaned when Anisa pinched her arm, knowing she had to come clean. “It’s Colby Lopez.” She admitted softly, lowering her hazel eyes to the floor chewing her bottom lip nervously. “He’s been very friendly to me and…we’ve slept together.”

 

“Whoa!  What?!”

 

“No – no not like that!” Now Krystal was extremely embarrassed and had stuck her foot figuratively in her mouth. “He had to share my room with me the other day because the Shield’s assistant, Maryann I think her name was, screwed up his hotel reservation.  He was about to rip her head off and I cooled things off.  The last thing my brother needs is problems with his wrestlers because of incompetence.”

 

Colby was tight-lipped about his personal life and only shared details with his closest friends, a group Anisa wasn’t part of yet.  If things worked out with Jon, she definitely would be though. “So, did anything happen between you two?” She had to ask, curiosity burning a hole in her stomach.

 

“He had a headache after the show on Tuesday and I ended up helping him get rid of it by massaging his head.  It was nothing, but…he’s so sweet and I can’t stop thinking about him.  I’m in so much trouble.” Krystal grumbled, feeling Anisa clap her on the shoulder and both girls laughed.

 

“You and me both, sweetie.”

 

Just then, a knock at the door came and the man of the hour walked in looking sexy as ever.  That was Anisa’s cue to leave, but once again she shot Colby a warning look that clearly said do not hurt Krystal or his balls would be gone.  Colby smiled back at her with a wink and waited until Anisa left the room before turning chocolate eyes on the chestnut haired beauty.  He didn’t have time to dick around and closed the distance between them, taking both of Krystal’s hands in his, their eyes searing each other’s souls once again.

 

“Have dinner with me after the show, please.”

 

Krystal blinked, eyebrows drawing together in confusion and swallowed hard at the intensity in his chocolate orbs.  They weren’t dating yet, but it was obvious that’s what Colby wanted from her or else he wouldn’t ask her out.  Colby wanted to thank her properly for what she did for him and figured taking Krystal on a date was the best way to go.

 

“Colby…”

 

“Don’t answer me now.” Colby leaned down and brushed his lips against her cheek, not releasing her hands. “Think it over for a couple hours.  If you accept, meet me in the parking lot after the show tonight.  If you don’t come, I’ll have my answer.  I just hope I’m not disappointed.”

 

All Krystal could do was watch Colby walk out of the trainer’s room and touched her burning cheek, not knowing what to do.  Paul had warned her away from wrestlers before she took this job.  She wondered if her brother would fire her if she got involved with any of the talent.  Krystal had some serious thinking to do and cleaned up the mess she’d made with Anisa just as Michael walked through the door to start the night off.

 

Chapter 14

 

Shame and humiliation.

 

Those were the top emotions Mia had felt ever since her blowjob assault on Joe.  Dark eyes looked in every direction while Mia ventured down the hallway of the arena, looking for Anisa and Joe, both for different reasons.  She wasn’t ready to face Joe yet and hadn’t talked to anyone about what she did.  Every time Mia tried calling Anisa, her cell phone went to voicemail so she either shut it off for the 2 days she was home or she was talking to someone else.  Mia didn’t like Anisa shutting her phone off, but at the same time she understood why.  Sometimes people just needed time alone to relax and rest up since their job required tons of traveling.  At the same time, however, Mia was going through a major crisis that required Anisa’s immediately attention being the best friend and all.

 

“Shit!” Mia cursed, ducking behind an equipment trunk at the sight of Joe coming down the hallway.  She could only pray he didn’t see her, eavesdropping on the conversation he was having with Jonathan Good.

 

“So what’s going on with you, big man?  Why are you walking around acting like someone killed your dog?”

 

No matter what he did, Joe couldn’t get the Indian beauty off of his mind.  Working out, sleeping, spending time with his family during the 2 days off…she was everywhere it seemed.  Her scent refused to leave his senses, which drove him mad further.  His mother, Patricia, had pulled himself aside during his small break and asked what was bothering him.  She could read him better than anyone in the family.  Joe wanted to tell her, but at the same time that wasn’t something a man talked about with his mother.  He simply told her he had a lot on his mind and not to worry about it, leaving to go home before she could grill him for more information.

 

Joe sighed, scrubbing a hand down his face and shrugged. “I don’t know, bro.” That was a lie, but he didn’t know if telling Jon what happened with Mia was the right thing to do. “Look, something happened I don’t feel right talking about it, but…it’s fucked with my mind and I don’t know what to do about it.”

 

Jon raised a brow, biting into a sandwich. “That’s vague, you gotta give me something more than that.” He said through a mouthful of food.

 

“I can’t.” Joe had too much respect for Mia to tell everyone under the sun what happened between them. “I just gotta work it out on my own.”

 

“Then how am I supposed to help or try giving you shitty advice?” Jon retorted, raising a brow at his best friend and took another bite of his sandwich. “Girl?”

 

They stopped right where Mia hid, the equipment being the only thing that separated her from being caught by 2/3 of the Shield.  Her heart broke at the hurt expression on Joe’s face and knew she was responsible for it.  She was being a coward and hated herself for it, though Mia’s respect for Joe soared since he didn’t tell one of his closest friends what happened.  It showed she could trust him.  Mia had no idea what possessed her to give Joe head, wondering if it had anything to do with him in just a towel.  The lust had overtaken every speck of her mind and heart, both of them on the same page as soon as their lips touched.  Joe did kiss her first and attacked her neck, a very sensitive area on her body.

 

“Don’t worry about it.  Just keep that goofy ass grin on your face and keep pretending there’s nothing going on between you and-”

 

“HEY!” Jon cut him off instantly, shaking his head. “We don’t say her name out loud.  It’s bad enough I told you and if Lopez finds out, he won’t let me live it down.” He was closer to Joe than Colby and trusted the big man with any secret.

 

Joe chuckled ruefully, knowing Jon had a very good point and clapped his shoulder as they continued walking down the hallway. “Fair enough, bro.”

 

Once Mia was sure Joe was gone, she stood up from behind the equipment trunk and hopped over it, going in the opposite direction to continue her hunt for Anisa.  Jon had another woman in his life -Unless he swung the other way, which was doubtful- and Mia had to warn her friend, not wanting Anisa hurt again by another wrestler.  Surprisingly enough, she found Anisa outside sitting on an equipment trunk with her eyes closed, letting the wintry air blow over her.  They were in Toronto, Canada with about a foot of snow or more on the ground and Anisa had no coat on.  Mia frowned, knowing Anisa would catch pneumonia if she stayed out here too long since the temperature was in the 30’s.  They weren’t fully outside, but it was enough to where they could feel the chill.

 

“Nisa?” Mia called out, not wanting to scare her friend and frowned when Anisa didn’t respond. “Anisa??” No reaction. “ANISA!!”

 

Nearly jumping out of her skin, Anisa snapped her midnight eyes open to stare back at her best friend and clutched her chest through the long sleeved top she wore. “WHAT?” She shouted back, blinking and breathing heavily. “Why are you screaming at me?”

 

“I just said your name 3 times and you were in la-la land.” Mia retorted, hopping on the equipment trunk beside her friend. “What the hell is going on with you?  I’ve been trying to contact you the past 2 days and searched everywhere for you tonight.”

 

Anisa didn’t realize how deep in thought she was about Jon and had come outside for some fresh air because Rick was driving her crazy. “Sorry, just got a lot on my mind.  What’s up?”

 

Not buying that lame excuse for a second, Mia decided to come back to the subject after she talked to Anisa about her problem. “Something happened between me and Joe during Smackdown!...”

 

“Alright…” Mia had her undivided attention. “Go on.”

 

Frowning, Mia lowered her dark eyes to the ground and wrapped her arms around herself, taking a deep breath. “We – uh – well I – uh – and then it just…” She wasn’t making sense, but Mia was trying to talk without stammering like a moron.

 

Anisa could tell how nervous her friend was and took both of her hands, forcing those dark eyes to lock with concerned midnight blue. “Mia, we’ve been friends for a long time and you can tell me anything.  You’ve never been this flushed before, not to mention stuttering.  Now take a deep breath and tell me everything.”

 

Slowly, Mia came clean about everything that happened between her and Joe.  She didn’t hide anything from Anisa, they were always completely honest with each other.  Surprisingly, Anisa didn’t react the way Mia anticipated and accepted the tight embrace when her arms wrapped around Mia’s shoulders.  Mia couldn’t help crying, huge tears sliding down her cheeks while clinging to Anisa for dear life.  Pulling back after a few minutes, Mia wiped her tears away and sniffled, taking the tissue Anisa procured from her pocket, blowing her nose since it was stuffed up.

 

“I’m so stupid.  He kissed me and I just…”

 

“You followed instincts just like he did.” Anisa refused to let Mia berate herself a second longer. “You both gave into your desires.  He obviously wanted you in any way or else he would’ve stopped you from giving him oral sex.  So, do you feel ashamed because you’re scared what he thinks of you now or are you avoiding him because deep down you know how you really feel about him?”

 

Anisa could read people well and currently Mia was a wide open book, looking defeated and vulnerable. “Both.” She whispered, afraid of using her normal voice for fear of it cracking. “He probably thinks I’m nothing more than a whore now.  And my feelings don’t matter because at this point, I ruined my chance with him.”

 

“Are you sure about that?” Anisa wrapped an arm around Mia’s shoulders and felt her friend nod, crying harder.  She wondered if there was a way to find out through Jon how Joe felt about Mia. “Look, everything will work out like it’s supposed to.  You just gotta have a little faith.”

 

Mia had to change the subject and suddenly remembered another reason she had to track Anisa down. “Enough about that, I need to tell you something else I overheard tonight.  Because the sooner you find this out, the sooner you can move on and forget about dating a wrestler.”

 

Now Anisa had a frown on her face, folding her arms in front of her chest. “What are you talking about?”

 

Oh god, did Mia somehow figure out what happened between her and Jon?  She listened intently while Mia explained what she overheard Jon and Joe talking about, not able to stop the smile from forming on her face.  Mia was confused and stopped talking, noticing the demeanor of her best friend change drastically.  What was she smiling for?  Mia just told her Jon had another woman in his life, assuming, and Anisa was staring at her with a goofy smile on her face!  What did Mia miss?

 

“You have nothing to worry about, sweetie.” Anisa assured her, hopping off of the equipment trunk and rubbed her arms to try warming up.

 

“What do you mean?” Now Mia was more perplexed than ever. “I just told you…”

 

“It was me.” The truth would come out eventually and Anisa didn’t want to hide it from the one person she trusted with her life on the roster. “Look, you had your thing with Joe and you enjoyed yourself.  Well, something happened between me and Jon Tuesday after the taping.  No, it wasn’t sex.  Yes I enjoyed it and I’m not going into details yet.  All you need to know is I’m happy and I know what I’m doing.  So please don’t try to convince me not to see him because we’ve spent the last 2 days doing nothing but talking, texting and Skyping.  He’s a great guy and the goofy smile on my face is because of him.  If you want, I’ll ask Jon how Joe feels about you, if you’re still interested in the big man.”

 

Mia had no idea what to say or do, finding herself nodding and parted ways with Anisa, both of them promising to get together for breakfast tomorrow morning.  Anisa felt better now that Mia knew what was going on and went back to her office, needing to put a thicker sweater on.  She blinked when she arrived at her office and saw 3 dozen of the most beautiful flowers she’d seen in her life.  They were all roses – different colors and all real.  Purple, red, blue, burnt orange, yellow…it was a masterpiece and must’ve cost a fortune.  Lifting one of the beautiful cobalt blue vases from the floor, Anisa inhaled the roses and walked into her office to set them on her desk.  She retrieved the other two vases and set them in front of her desk since it was rather small.  Noticing a card sticking out of the second bunch, Anisa opened it and couldn’t stop grinning at what it said.

 

Hope these brighten up your night, darlin’.

See you soon.

 

Your Secret Trustworthy Admirer

 

Short, sweet and to the point, Anisa thought, setting the card by her laptop before walking around to sit down.  No matter how hard she tried focusing on her work, Anisa couldn’t help glancing at the roses every few minutes and wondered where her secret trustworthy admirer could’ve gotten the roses.  If these weren’t all from Jon, Anisa was in serious trouble so she could only hope it was him and not some psycho stalker.

 

“Well, somebody is pretty special.”

 

Looking around the roses, Anisa smiled at Coralie and pushed the vase carefully to the side. “Hey girl, what’s up?” She greeted, closing her laptop and leaned back in her chair.

 

“Oh nothing, just wanted to talk to you for a minute.  But first…” Coralie walked over to get a closer look at the roses and smirked at Anisa. “Who are these from?”

 

“A trustworthy secret admirer, I guess.” She handed over the card, knowing telling Coralie about her and Jon was out of the question. “Beats the hell outta me.  So what did you wanna talk about?”

 

Coralie could tell when Anisa was lying, but she didn’t have time to grill her friend right now. “I just wanted to let you know I’m not mad at you for telling Phil about what happened with…Luke.” She shuddered as soon as that name came out of her mouth, a bad taste instantly forming. “But I am curious how you found out what happened.”

 

“I had to go get signatures from the Wyatt Family and…they scared the hell out of me, to be frank.” Anisa was thankful Coralie wasn’t angry with her because it’d been a momentarily relapse in judgment on her part. “I told Phil about this already.  I know I didn’t exactly do you any favors by telling him about Luke and I’m sorry about that.”

 

“No it’s fine, I would’ve told him eventually since it scared the shit out of me.” Coralie waved her off dismissively, glancing at the flowers again in thought. “These aren’t from…you don’t think…?”

 

Now Anisa hadn’t thought about the possibility of the flowers being from the Wyatt Family and swallowed hard, midnight eyes widening slightly. “I doubt it, but then again, it’s possible.  There’s no way to find out for sure though.” She was 95% sure these were from Jon, but using the Wyatt Family was a perfect cover.

 

“They’re beautiful, but…you need to be careful around those assholes, Nisa.  If they got to you once, they can get to you again.  And you’re Phil’s sister, they know that like everyone else on the roster does.” Coralie pointed out, frowning at the flowers and wondered if she should mention them to Phil. “Just come to me if you need to deal with them again and watch your back with them.  Did they…say anything to you?  What did they do that scared you so much?” Phil had told her about Anisa’s small freak-out and it was one of the main reasons she came to check on her friend.

 

“Just that I was brave to come there without my overprotective brother and basically gave me a hard time with the signatures.  Childish shit now that I think about it.  And Luke told me he enjoyed cornering you earlier that night.  I was more scared for you than anything because I thought he did something to you.  He was very vague.” Anisa tore a hand through her hair, having taken it out of the bun she had it in due to an approaching headache. “I agree, we both need to watch our backs with them.  Who knows what they’ll try next.  I’m glad you’re okay though and he didn’t hurt you.”

 

“You and me both.” Coralie agreed, talking with Anisa for a few more minutes and left since she had to go back to work finishing up the set for that night’s live show.

 

Chapter 15

 

Ever since Monday night, Ryanne had barely said 3 words to Randy and he was starting to worry about her.  Something happened to upset her that night, but every time he tried asking about it, Ryanne quickly changed the subject.  It was infuriating and frustrating to say the least.  Lack of communication and honesty were a few of the problems their marriage had along with the pregnancy issue.  Granted, Randy wanted to be a father more than anything and knew Ryanne wanted to be a mother, but they couldn’t change what the fates handed to them.  Randy tried mentioning the possibility of adoption to Ryanne a few weeks prior to her coming on the road with him and she snapped on him.  She accused him of losing faith in her ability to get pregnant and he shouldn’t give up so easily.  He hadn’t mentioned it again, but Randy wondered if adoption was their only option – that or a possible surrogacy.  They had to do something before their marriage ended up in shambles and ended up divorced.

 

Ryanne holed herself up in their bedroom with the door locked over the past 2 days and Randy knew she’d been crying.  Ever since Monday, she’d been severely depressed and Randy wished he knew why so he could try helping her through it.  Ryanne was shutting him out, breaking her husband down mentally, physically and emotionally.  He chalked it up to Ryanne having her period and left her alone to let her work it out on her own since she didn’t need his help.  With no other options, Randy decided to talk to his friends about this situation and hoped they could help him somehow.  Phil was his best friend, but he didn’t know the first thing about kids and fertility issues, so Randy went to two people he knew would understand this predicament.

 

Stephanie and Paul.

 

“Hey, you guys got a few minutes?” Randy asked, poking his head in the office after knocking on the door, a tentative smile on his face.

 

Stephanie could instantly tell something was bothering Randy and waved him inside. “Always Randy, have a seat.” She held Paul’s hand who sat next to her, both of them looking back at their fellow employee and friend. “What’s on your mind?”

 

Rubbing his palm against his workout shorts, Randy didn’t speak at first trying to gather his thoughts.  This was a difficult situation to talk about and Randy was   thankful the Levesque’s gave him all the time he needed.  Softly, he told them everything regarding him and Ryanne – why she suddenly joined him on the road.  Stephanie was good friends with Ryanne and Paul had practically treated Randy like a younger brother, possibly even a son.  They were family and right now Randy needed their help more than anything to try salvaging his broken marriage.  Stephanie and Paul listened silently with Paul holding her hand, squeezing it gently because he knew this was a sore subject for them.

 

“I just don’t know what to do anymore.  And I know it’s messing with my career because I’ve made a few mistakes in the ring lately.” Randy put his head in his hands, willing the tears burning in his eyes not to fall. “I feel like I’m failing her and nothing except her getting pregnant will help.  I’m sorry to come to you guys with this, but…it’s been eating me up for a while now.  We’ve been trying for over 2 years now and have been tested by several fertility specialists.  Nothing is wrong with us, so I don’t know why the hell we can’t get pregnant!”

 

Stephanie stood and walked around her desk, taking her chair with because squatting in a skirt wasn’t happening. “Randy, when Paul and I first started trying to have a baby, it was difficult for us.  I know that’s hard to believe considering we have 3 beautiful girls now, but…it was.  It took 3 years for us to conceive and it put a strain on our marriage much like yours is now.  But we pushed through the bullshit and realized that if we couldn’t have kids, there were other options.”

 

“I’ve tried mentioning those, but Ryanne always shuts me down.  She doesn’t want to believe she can’t get pregnant and I look like an asshole for suggesting adoption or anything else.  I’m just scared of losing her.” Randy finally looked up at Stephanie and looked at Paul, digesting the information he just found out. “So what was the problem with you guys, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

“We tried for a year straight and when nothing happened, I decided to go to a specialist about it.  Turns out I had a hormone imbalance that required taking pills to fix the issue.  And it took a while to balance myself out again.  They told me I may not be able to get pregnant for 5 years.  And we had all the tests done to check ourselves out like you guys did.  2 years after I started taking the pills, I ended up pregnant and it was the happiest we’d ever been.”

 

Randy hoped it was something as simple as that and suddenly had an idea, looking at Paul this time. “Your sister, Krystal, is it?” Paul nodded. “Since Ryanne doesn’t have a lot of friends on the road, maybe they could hang out and talk.  We’ve been constantly snapping at each other and I think some female interaction besides being around me will help her.”

 

“I’ll talk to her about it.” Paul wouldn’t make any promises, but he didn’t see a problem with Krystal and Ryanne hitting it off.  They were both new to the company and maybe they could help each other open up more. “Don’t give up on your wife, Orton.  Things are rough right now, but they’ll get better.” He placed his hands on Stephanie’s shoulders and dropped a kiss on her head. “If you love each other enough, you’ll get through it.”

 

Randy thanked them for listening and left the office feeling marginally better, only to run into Coralie a few minutes later. “Where’s the fire, Brooks?” He smirked at her playful glare and groaned when she socked him in the shoulder. “Damn woman, you been working out?”

 

“You could say that.” Coralie laughed, leaning against the wall with Randy so they weren’t blocking the middle of the hallway. “How are you doing?  I just saw you come out of the principal’s office.”

 

Randy and Coralie were like brother and sister, always picking on each other, but when life got too real, they helped one another too. “Had to talk to Steph and Paul about some personal things.” He didn’t know if Ryanne told Coralie about what was going on.

 

“How’s Ryanne doing?  I haven’t heard from her in a couple days and was worried about her.” Coralie didn’t dare mention the pregnancy test to Randy, not wanting to drive the dagger in their marriage any deeper than it already was.

 

Heaving a sigh, Randy shrugged his shoulders and tossed his hands in the air. “I don’t know anymore.  She’s shutting me out and I’m at the point where I’m ready to give up.  I asked Paul if he could talk to his sister about hanging with Ryanne, having a day out together or something while we’re on the road.  I know she misses home and being around me all the time is driving her crazy.  Maybe it’ll get her spirits back up.” Leaf green eyes glittered at those words and Randy groaned, wondering what was cooking up in Coralie’s brain. “Cora…”

 

“That’s a fabulous idea, Randall!” She smacked him harshly on the shoulder, beaming from ear to ear and rubbed her hands together. “I’m thinking we have a girl’s night out.  Just me, Ryanne, Krystal, Mia and Anisa.  It’ll give us all an opportunity to get to know each other and I know a few of those girls could use some fun.” Several ideas began swirling through Coralie’s mind as she walked away from Randy to track her friends down, leaving him standing there.

 

Randy could only hope the women didn’t get too crazy and shook his head, a small smile curving his mouth for the first time in months.

 

~!~

 

Gossip about the flowers Anisa received spread like wildfire throughout the arena.

 

Anisa was busy at work when a knock sounded at her office door, a bright smile forming at the sight of Jon. “Well hello there, Dr. Feel Good.  Did we have an appointment I forgot about?” She closed her laptop as Jon walked around the desk to stare down at her, his hands reaching out to pull her to her feet from the chair.

 

“No, I figured I’d squeeze you in for a quick session.” Jon smirked, rubbing his nose against hers and softly captured her mouth with his, his hands sliding down her arms to wrap around her waist.

 

Anisa missed being this close to Jon, burying her fingers in his still dry hair and loved the feeling of the curls, opening her mouth as soon as Jon’s tongue swiped across her lips.  They both groaned at the contact and Jon suddenly lifted her, planting Anisa on her desk standing between her thighs.  It was nice to kiss without any pressure to give Jon sex, his actions telling Anisa all she needed to know.  Yes, he wanted her and the feeling was more than mutual, but they were both willing to wait, to take things slow so neither got hurt nor had regrets.  Only when they both needed air to breathe did Jon break the kiss, his normal pale blues now blazing with blue fire.

 

“So, I have something to tell you and I don’t know if you’re gonna like it.” Anisa spoke once she could talk without breathing heavily and smiled at Jon’s raised brow, turning slightly to gesture to the colorful roses in her office. “It seems as though I have a secret trustworthy admirer and they sent me these incredible flowers.  So you might have some competition.” Her finger slid down his tight black sleeveless wrestling top slowly, two different shades of blue mixing together.

 

“Is that so?” Jon chuckled, looking at all of the colorful roses and reached up to stroke her cheek tenderly with the back of his hand. “I think if my competition is smart, they’ll give up or I’ll have to fucking rub them out.” His mouth sealed to the side of her neck as Jon held Anisa close to him, taking his time to taste her succulent skin. “I win every time.  People counted me out my whole life, darlin’.  Just when you think I’m gonna lose, it doesn’t happen.  I love disappointing my haters.”

 

Anisa bit back a moan, his hot breath puffing against her neck and ear lighting her body ablaze. “Mmm I’ll have to tell my secret trustworthy admirer to bugger off then since I’m spending the night with you.” She pulled back to softly kiss him, stroking the back of his neck lovingly and Jon yanked her flush against his body to where her legs wrapped around his waist. “I’ll never count you out either.”

 

Truthfully, Anisa couldn’t remember the last time she felt this happy and content with a man.  Mark never made her feel this special and appreciated.  Her marriage had been based on mostly sex and that was the only time Mark showed her any kind of affection.  Once the sex was over, he never held her in his arms the way Jon had a few nights ago after their swim.  What had Anisa been thinking giving Mark the time of day?  Every time she saw Jon, her heart fluttered and butterflies erupted in her stomach.

 

“All kidding aside, thank you for the roses.  They’re spectacular.”

 

Glad she loved them as much as he enjoyed sending them to her, Jon admitted only to himself he had reservations doing it.  He didn’t want to push her and figured Anisa deserved a little romance in her life for a change.  These roses were just to the beginning of a night full of surprises because Jon had also sent flowers to the production truck and more at the hotel waiting for her later that night.  All he wanted to do was show Anisa he was in this for more than just sex, no matter how long it took for them to come together.

 

“As long as you’re happy, my job is done.”

 

“I have another confession.” Anisa said once they stopped kissing again, her lips swollen from Jon’s and never wanted it to stop.

 

“Damn woman, what is it now?  I knew it, you’re married with tons of rug rats aren’t you?” Jon joked, not moving from his spot and loved how Anisa had the same type of dry sense of humor he did.

 

Anisa laughed softly, shaking her hand and caressed his broad shoulders. “No, but I did tell Mia about us.  I didn’t tell her we’re together – together because we’re taking things slow.  I didn’t really give her room to say much else after telling her either, just that I’m happy and I know what I’m doing.”

 

She honestly thought Jon would have a problem with telling people about them, didn’t she?  Jon brushed his mouth against her forehead and hugged her close, resting his cheek on top of her head. “I don’t care who you tell about us, Ani.  Scream it from the rooftop of every arena if that’s what you want.  Whatever makes you happy is all I care about.” He felt his cell phone vibrate in his pocket and knew it was either Joe or Colby letting him know to get back to the dressing room to prepare for their match. “I need to get going, but we’ll see each other tonight?”

 

“Absolutely.” Anisa pulled Jon against her before he could back away, kissing him soundly again. “I think for now it’d be best to tell our close circle of friends until after Mania.”

 

The last thing Jon needed was being on Mark’s radar and Anisa knew it would happen if her ex-husband found out about them.  It was best to wait until after WrestleMania to come clean about them being together.  Mark would cause a huge fiasco and spectacle, not to mention try to destroy Jon’s WWE career before it had a chance to begin.  So for now, the less people who knew, the better.

 

“Leave now before I end up keeping you hostage in my office the rest of the night.”

 

“Meet me in the back of the arena after the show.” He pecked her lips quickly and walked out of the office, forcing himself not to go back to her.

 

It was going to be hard to concentrate on the match tonight, but Jon would do it.  It was a good thing it was Friday and just a house show.  Technically, he could mess up all he wanted since it wasn’t televised.  At the same time, Jon took pride in his matches, no matter how mediocre they might be, and was a complete professional once he stepped through the ropes.  In the back of his mind, however, Anisa was there and would always stay if Jon had his way.

 

Chapter 16

 

It seemed like the house show would never end for Krystal. 

 

Countless Superstars needed medical treatment after matches.  It was WrestleMania season, so everyone added intensity to each move and took more risks.  Thankfully, Colby wasn’t one of the injured parties along with the other Shield members, glad they were smart when it came to their bodies.  Krystal weighed the pros and cons throughout the night regarding going on a date with Colby.  Why he would want to go out with a shy woman like her was beyond her comprehension, but Krystal felt flattered nonetheless.  He was gorgeous, out of her league and the sweetest man she’d ever met.  However, Paul was a huge obstacle to overcome since he didn’t want his sister dating any of the Superstars.  When Paul came to her with this job offer, they both agreed it would be in Krystal’s best interest not to mix business with pleasure.  She didn’t think any of the wrestlers would appeal to her…until she met Colby Lopez.

 

What to do - what to do, Krystal thought while stitching up Anthony Carelli’s forehead –Fans knew him best as Santino Marella- from a laceration he sustained thanks to being posted during his match.  The Superstars didn’t blade anymore because of the new health and safety policy WWE had.  If a Superstar bled, it wasn’t scripted and a complete accident – unless it was deliberate then they were fined heavily with a possible suspension.  Nick Nemeth –Fans knew him as Dolph Ziggler- had been overzealous with a move that sent Antony face first into the steel ring post, splitting his eyebrow open.  10 stitches later and a denial of painkillers, Krystal sent Anthony on his merry way, realizing he was her final patient for the night.

 

“You’re doing a good job, Krys.” Michael clapped her on the shoulder gently with a friendly smile. “Go get some rest, see you tomorrow.”

 

“Are you sure you don’t need my help closing?”

 

“Nope, get outta here.” Michael gave her a gentle nudge towards the door and closed the door as soon as she was in the hallway.

 

Krystal huffed indignantly, rolling her eyes and reluctantly walked away from the door down the hallway, checking her watch.  It was just after 10 PM, so Colby was waiting for her in the back of the arena.  Krystal suddenly stopped walking and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes to try fighting off a panic attack.  Colby had no idea what he was getting himself into and she wasn’t referring to her annoying big brother either.  If he wanted to be with her truly, Colby deserved to know the truth about everything.  Making her mind up, Krystal quickly pulled out a makeup compact mirror to give herself a quick onceover, knowing there was no time to fix anything besides her hair.  She pulled the tie out of her hair and flipped it over, smoothing the top back as much as possible before rebinding it.  Once she finished, Krystal stood upright again and her beautiful chestnut hair was in a fanned style on top of her head.  It would have to do.  Her outfit was black pants and a white WWE short sleeved shirt that had a logo on the top left corner embroidered, black tennis shoes on her feet.  Pulling her black winter coat on, Krystal couldn’t stall any longer and slowly made her way to the back exit.

 

When 10:30 rolled around, Colby started wondering if Krystal had declined his date offer.  He gave her the benefit of the doubt because being a trainer was very stressful and time-consuming, so he didn’t expect Krystal to meet him at exactly 10 o’clock on the dot.  Chocolate eyes glanced at the back door one final time, that glimmer of hope burning deep within Colby as it opened only to extinguish when there was no sign of Krystal.  She wasn’t coming.  Colby looked like a fool standing outside in his black winter coat waiting for a woman that didn’t want to be with him.  Shaking his head sadly, Colby turned and began walking across the parking lot toward his rental car to head back to the hotel, feeling completely rejected and stupid.

 

“COLBY!!”

 

Krystal noticed he was halfway to his car with his head down and knew what he’d been thinking since it was now a quarter to 11.  She watched him stop and turn to face her across the parking lot, light snow beginning to fall from the sky.  It took her a little while to find the courage to take Colby on his date offer and Krystal had nearly missed her chance.  Colby immediately jogged up to her, both of them meeting halfway and cupped her face in his strong hands, pressing his forehead to hers.  He wanted to kiss the breath out of her body, but didn’t want to scare Krystal off either, so Colby settled for holding her close to him.  For a few minutes, he really thought she wouldn’t show up and the rejection dissolved into a fiery faith pulsating through every speck of his frame.

 

“Sorry I’m late.” Krystal murmured after a few minutes, keeping warm thanks to Colby’s body heat through his hands.  She could feel the warmth through his gloves. “I didn’t…”

 

Colby pressed a finger to her lips, silencing whatever excuse she planned on giving him. “The important thing is you showed up.” Pulling away slightly, Colby took her hand as their gloved fingers laced together and guided the chestnut haired beauty to his rental. “What do you say we get this night started?”

 

What could they do at 11 PM in Toronto, Canada?  Krystal couldn’t help wondering what Colby had up his sleeve and decided not to question it, knowing it would be fantastic.  She just wanted to spend time with him, consequences from her big brother be damned!  Krystal would have to talk to Colby about Paul eventually, but for tonight she just wanted to enjoy her time with him.  They made small talk throughout the drive with Colby kissed her hand every few minutes, both laughing at the silliest things.  It was the most fun Krystal had with a man in a long time and they hadn’t even officially started the date.

 

“Are you serious?” Krystal stared wide-eyed at the venue Colby pulled up to 20 minutes later and looked at him, her jaw actually dropped. “No way…”

 

“Yes way.  Come on, sweetheart.” Colby winked, stepping out of the vehicle and jogged around to open Krystal’s door before she could do it, extending his hand. “Don’t worry, we’re allowed to be here.  I called in a few favors…”

 

Being a major WWE Superstar definitely had its perks, especially when one wanted to plan an unforgettable date.  Honestly, Colby had no idea what he wanted to do for his date with Krystal after asking her to join him earlier that night.  He had some downtime while waiting to go out to the ring and did a little research on his Android, finally coming across the Harbourfront Centre.  It was home to the Natrel Rink – the most scenic ice-skating rink in the city.  Luckily, they didn’t close the rink until the weather started warming up and the winter had been incredibly harsh that year, so it was opened longer than normal.  Colby called the place and asked how much it would cost to rent the whole rink out for the late evening, explaining his situation.  As soon as he mentioned being a WWE Superstar, they bent and Colby gave his information over the phone, not caring how much it cost.  Having an unforgettable and memorable date with Krystal was all that mattered.

 

The place was absolutely breathtaking and set against the beautiful shoreline of Lake Ontario.  It had a heated indoor change room with lockers and bathrooms, which is where Colby lead Krystal first.  Sure enough, two pairs of ice skates were waiting for them on the bench, one pair red and the other black.  Colby had guessed on Krystal’s shoe size, hoping he was right or else he’d have to call the manager for another pair of skates.  His lucky hadn’t run out yet and Colby had a pretty good guess judging by how tiny her feet seemed to be.  Guiding her over to the bench, they both sat down and took their shoes off to slip the ice skates on.  Thankfully, Krystal’s ice skates fit and she glanced at Colby, wondering how he found out her shoe size since it coincided with the skates.  This man was incredible and had blown her mind already, so Krystal couldn’t imagine what else he had in store for the night.

 

“I’m not very good at ice skating…” Krystal admitted sheepishly, carefully standing from the bench and felt Colby grab her hand, hazel orbs meeting chocolate brown.

 

“I’m not either, so I guess we’ll both have to learn how to do it together.” Colby ran a finger down her cheek, hoping she trusted him because he wouldn’t let anything happen to her. “Come on, let’s go have some fun.”

 

Noticing all the empty vendor tents surrounding them, Krystal gasped when the rink suddenly lit up in different colors from light installations implanted into the walls.  Colby grinned, knowing they would go off once they finished and carefully guided her out on the ice, both stumbling at first.  He’d only been ice skating a handful of times, mostly after watching the Quad City Mallards’ hockey games since he was originally from Davenport, Iowa.  Being raised there, he was a diehard Mallard fan and so were his parents, always having season tickets to see them.  After each hockey game, Colby would ice skate with his family and it was some of the best times he cherished throughout his childhood.  Even with all the time he’d spent on the ice and appearing to be a ninja in a wrestling ring, Colby never quite mastered ice skating.

 

“Oh my god, this is insane!” Krystal squealed, clutching Colby’s hand as tight as she could, both of them still in their winter coats. “How did you manage to find this place?  It’s incredible.”

 

“That is a secret I plan on taking to the grave.” Colby replied jokingly with another wink, going slow on the ice so Krystal didn’t fall on her backside. “I thought a dinner and movie was too cliché and wanted to do something different with you.”

 

“Well you definitely nailed it.  This is a unique date idea and it’s amazing.” Krystal beamed, the different colors reflecting off her beautiful face and Colby felt his breath catch in his throat when she smiled fully. “I just hope I don’t fall…”

 

Once Krystal and Colby both got the hang of ice skating, they picked up a little speed, their hands still interlocked.  That was until Colby released her hand and turned around, beginning to skate backwards.  Krystal gasped, not expecting him to do that and managed to still stay upright, shaking her head laughing at how goofy he was.  Colby was definitely a free spirit and didn’t care what people thought of him, his positive attitude refreshing.  Hazel eyes shot open when Colby managed to do a backflip on the ice and landed on his feet, though his legs were a bit wobbly.

 

“You’re crazy!  You’re gonna hurt yourself doing that!” She chastised since Colby was a little ways ahead and shook her head at his smirk, rolling her eyes. “So you DO have some cockiness instilled in you…”

 

“Well, I AM part ninja…” Colby glided back over to her, taking both of her hands and began to spin slowly on the ice, his chocolate eyes ignited with so much life.

 

“I guess so…” Krystal gasped when Colby yanked her against his chest, his hand on the small of her back while they continued skating and knew he was about to kiss her.

 

It was the perfect moment.  Nothing could ruin it since they were completely alone with no one to stop it from happening.  Krystal braced herself as Colby’s head began to dip to capture her mouth with his, not realizing their ice skates were a little TOO close together.  Just as Colby made his move and went in for the kill, Krystal’s skate collided with his and he lost his balance, taking her down with him.  Her scream echoed through the night as Krystal landed on top of Colby’s chest, making him take the impact.  She was worried he’d whacked his head too hard on the ice, worry filling her hazel eyes, until Colby began roaring with laughter seconds later.

 

“Well…” He cleared his throat after composing himself, trying not to laugh again. “That didn’t go as I’d planned…”

 

Krystal burst out laughing and smacked his chest playfully, her face lined up with his as they stared into each other’s eyes. “Smooth Rollins…” She muttered good-naturedly, moving to get off of him and blinked when Colby stopped her. “What is it?  Are you hurt?”

 

“No sweetheart, I’m fine.” Colby assured her softly, cupping her face with one hand and brought her mouth to his, kissing her softly.

 

Every tendon in Krystal’s body ignited in sparks that quickly turned to flames the moment Colby kissed her.  His lips were so soft and she could still feel the warmth seeping from his body into her, keeping her from freezing since they were in the middle of an outdoor ice rink in wintry weather.  It didn’t matter to either party though.  Colby’s tongue swiped across her glossy lips and Krystal instantly opened her mouth, allowing him access to taste her.  They both groaned at the contact of their tongues touching and Colby buried his fingers in her hair as much as he could since it was up, pulling her closer.  Krystal’s hands gripped his strong shoulders through the thick winter coat and clutched it, uncontrollable moans slipping out.  This felt too good not to moan and Colby’s groans told Krystal he felt the same way she did.  Only when Colby thoroughly tasted every crevice of her sweet mouth did he break the kiss, chocolate brown darkened to nearly black onyx, both breathing heavily.

 

“Wow…

 

“Yeah…”

 

They both laughed talking at the same time and Colby sat up, wrapping his arms around Krystal so she stayed on his lap. “Yeah what, sweetheart?” He didn’t bother hiding the huskiness in his voice and rested his forehead against hers again.

 

“You’re a great kisser.  I’ve never felt my toes curl from a kiss before.” Did she really just admit that out loud?  Krystal’s cheeks turned 4 shades of crimson and Colby chuckled, his mouth moving to hover over her ear, making her shiver against him.

 

“There’s plenty more where that came from – if you’re interested.”

 

Krystal raised a brow and pulled back from him a little, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “What exactly are you offering?” If Colby thought she would have sex with him after one date, he was out of his mind.

 

“Sharing another room together, but this time it’s your turn for some pampering.” Colby hadn’t forgotten what she did for him that night and never would, not remembering the last time he felt so relaxed with a woman. “Unless you’d rather part ways after we leave here and just go back to our separate rooms?” Whatever she wanted, Colby would do, not wanting to have sex with her right away.

 

Relief washed through Krystal and she couldn’t stop the huge smile stretching across her face. “I think that sounds like a splendid idea.  Lead the way, handsome.” She pecked his mouth and Colby helped her stand on the ice, both of them heading toward the heated changing room.

 

Neither saw the pair of cold eyes watching their every move, the hulking figure stalking off with a snarl on his lips.  If Krystal Levesque could kiss Colby Lopez, a pathetic nobody, then why the hell was she giving HIM the runaround?  Slamming the car door harshly, the car squealed out of the parking lot and headed back to the hotel, the driver already putting his plan into action on how to split Krystal and Colby apart.

 

Chapter 17

 

4 days.

 

Joe gave her time to think things through and left her alone, but now it was time for answers.  It was clear Mia was avoiding him at any and all costs, so he decided to surprise her by going to her hotel room.  One way or another, she would talk to him, even if Joe had to force her.  Talking to his friends didn’t help and made him miss her more, especially when he went home for their 2 days off.  Joe thought she’d approach him Friday to talk about what happened between them, but it never happened.  Tracking Mia down was a task and, every time he’d catch a glimpse of her, she’d either change direction or disappear altogether in the blink of an eye.  Enough was enough, they were going to sit down and talk about this like two adults, no matter how awkward the situation was.

 

After a grueling match with Trinity, –Her in-ring WWE name was Naomi and she was one half of the Funkadactyls- Mia was exhausted and went back to the hotel for a relaxing hot bubble bath.  She nearly fell asleep in the tub and managed to pull herself out, wrapping a towel around her body.  Brushing her teeth and hair, Mia padded out of the bathroom running her fingers through her hair to try getting the excess water out of it.  Her head snapped to the door when a knock sounded at it, causing Mia to frown since she wasn’t expecting any visitors.  Pulling on a white terry cloth robe that reached mid-thigh, Mia tied it around her waist before going to the door, looking through the peephole to see who it was.

 

Nobody was there.

 

“Odd…” Mia muttered, scratching her head and decided to open the door to investigate, curiosity getting the best of her.

 

She was not expecting Joseph Anoa’i to step in front of her.

 

“Well, that was easier than I thought it’d be.” He commented, taking advantage of Mia’s shocked state and gently but firmly pushed her back into the room, shutting the door behind him.

 

What the HELL was he doing here?!  Mia wasn’t in the mood to deal with this right now and couldn’t believe Joe tricked her to open the door!  Scowling and folding her arms tightly in front of her chest, Mia had to fight the urge not to kick him in his family jewels.  She couldn’t get what happened between them and clearly Joe couldn’t either or he wouldn’t be here.

 

“We need to talk.”

 

“No we really don’t.” Mia shook her head, pursing her lips tightly together not meeting his stormy grey gaze, already knowing she’d become hypnotized and fall under his spell again if she did. “I’m tired, Reigns…”

 

It didn’t faze Joe she used his in-ring name because he was used to it by everyone in the company. “Then let me do the talking and all you have to do is listen.” He wasn’t leaving until he laid all of his cards out on the table or else he’d never be able to sleep.

 

Mia had no choice, seeing the determination in his eyes and quickly looked away, backing up to sit on the bed. “Fine.” She owed him that much considering she played the avoidance game for several days after giving the man a blowjob.

 

Hearing the resolve in her voice upset Joe and he could only imagine what was going through her head at the moment, taking a seat beside her on the bed. “I’m assuming you know why I’m here.” His voice was nothing more than a deep low rumble full of confusion and hurt, which did nothing to help ease Mia’s guilt. “What was all that about at Smackdown! and why have you been avoiding me?”

 

“You said you wanted to talk to me, not grill me with questions.” Mia retorted swiftly and tried fighting back the heat already flooding her body being this close to Joe.

 

“Well fuck Mia, what am I supposed to do when a woman comes into my dressing room and gives me a blowjob?” Joe growled, tearing a hand through his hair and finally let some of his built-up frustration show. “Baby girl, I’m trying to understand and you’re not making it easy…”

 

“You kissed me!” Mia went on the defense, tossing her hands up in the air and tried not letting that night deluge her mind again.  It was unstoppable though. “Damn it!”

 

Was she actually trying to place all the blame on him? “Yeah, I did kiss you.  Because you looked like you needed to be kissed and I wanted to do it.  And you wanted me to kiss you or you would’ve shoved me away!” Joe shot back contemptuously, his grey eyes darkening with each passing second she didn’t look at him. “And you can’t even look me in the face now!” Did she regret what happened between them? “I didn’t ask you to do anything else…”

 

Mia cringed at the anger lacing his tone and clasped her hands tightly in her lap, her face turning a deep cherry red from embarrassment. “I know.” She whispered, clearing her throat and shut her eyes to will fresh tears away, her breathing turning shaky. “I’m sorry…”

 

That wasn’t good enough. “What are you sorry about?  The fact I kissed you and you didn’t push me away or giving me a blowjob?  You’ve gotta be more specific, Mia.” This Indian goddess was driving him mad and all Joe wanted to do was kiss the daylights out of her again. “Goddamn it, look at me!”

 

She couldn’t, didn’t he comprehend that? “Reigns…”

 

“MY NAME IS JOE!” His Samoan temper had spiked and there was no calming it down until she stopped acting like a sheepish child about this. “You sucked my dick, we’re WAY past using each other’s in-ring names!!” Though it was a little unfair considering Mia used her real name as her wrestling character - they were one in the same.

 

Mia had been yelled at enough and stood from the bed, finally spinning around to stare at him with near blackened eyes. “FINE!  What the fuck do you want from me, JOE?  You want me to get on my hands and knees in front of you and suck you off again?  Or better yet, why not just rip my robe off and we can finish what I fucking started?!  I don’t understand why this bothers you so damn much!  You kissed me, things got heated and I sucked your dick!  Why do we need to discuss it?!”

 

Finally, Joe had pulled her out of the shy sheepish state and ignited her temper enough to make her talk. “Because you regret it and I DON’T!!” He closed the distance between them and planted his strong hands on her waist, forcing Mia’s black eyes to meet dark grey. “And if you wanted to pick up where we left off, all you had to do was say so.”

 

“How dare you?!  Stop it!” Mia pushed his hands off of her and stepped back, shaking her head. “Don’t touch me!”

 

“Why not?  Afraid you’ll enjoy it and want more?” Joe challenged, refusing to back down and took a step forward, beginning to stalk her throughout the hotel room. “Tell me what the problem is and I MIGHT leave you alone.” He highly doubted it, wanting this woman more than the air he breathed right now.

 

“BECAUSE I’M A WHORE!” Mia exploded, letting all the shame and guilt she’d felt over the past 4 days pour forth along with tears, gripping her thick wet black hair in her fingers. “I-I’m a…”

 

“No.” Joe covered her mouth with his hand before she could repeat it, his eyes nothing more than grey fire now. “You need to listen and hear what I say.  You are far from a whore, Mia.  You’re exquisite, smart, funny and have the kindest spirit I’ve ever seen in a woman.  Nothing you did that night with me made you a whore, do you understand me?  We were both consenting and we both enjoyed it.  There’s nothing wrong with that.” He remained calm and soothing, knowing yelling at Mia would just upset her more, pulling his hand away to wipe the few stray tears on her cheeks. “Don’t EVER call yourself that again because it’s not true.”

 

“I’m sorry…” Mia murmured softly, reaching a hand up to caress Joe’s cheek and felt his arm wrap around her waist pulling her closer to him. “Joe…”

 

He smiled when she used his birth name and covered her hand with his, turning his head to press a kiss against her palm. “Do you regret what happened?” The question had burned on his tongue long enough and Joe had to be sure he wasn’t reading the signs wrong from Mia.

 

“No.” Mia shook her head, no hesitation in her answer and pulled his face down for a soft kiss. “I’m such an idiot for avoiding you.  I didn’t know what you thought of me and was scared to talk to you about it.” She heaved a sigh, feeling his forehead rest against hers and gasped when her feet dangled above the carpeted floor seconds later, being carried to the bed.

 

“Forgiven as long as you promise not to avoid me again, baby girl.” Joe plopped down on the bed with her straddling his lap, sliding his strong hands up and down her terry cloth robe covered sides, trying to soothe her a little more.

 

“I promise.” Even through the robe she could feel the heat from his hands and body, scooting closer to him to soak it in since she was practically naked beneath. “What can I do to make it up to you?”

 

That was a loaded question, but at the same time Joe didn’t want to scare her off and simply shrugged, pressing a soft kiss to the pulse point of her neck. “Just being with you is enough.  We can do whatever you want, Mia.”

 

Reaching down, Mia untied the terry cloth robe and took Joe’s hand to open it up, resting it on her already loosened towel. “I tasted you on Tuesday…” She trailed off, the towel falling around her waist with the robe covering half of her breasts and erect nipples until his hand came in contact with her wet sex. “I think it’s only fair to give you the same courtesy.”

 

Joe raised a slow thick black brow and tested the waters, sliding his finger down her clit, moans spilling out of Mia’s mouth instantly. “As you wish.”

 

Swiftly, Joe lifted her up and planted Mia on the bed, his mouth capturing hers in a passionate kiss, his hand never leaving her sex.  He was strong enough and she weighed lighter than a feather, so it wasn’t hard to lift Mia with one arm.  Removing his shirt, Mia was breathless at the sight of his muscular frame and from his kisses, so she couldn’t imagine what it’d feel like to have his tongue deep inside of her.  His mouth quickly left hers to trail down her jaw line and neck, suckling softly so he didn’t leave a mark on her body – at least not one she couldn’t cover up.  Mia’s fingers buried in his long black tresses as Joe kept moving lower and managed to wriggle her arms out of the robe.  Joe pulled both the robe and towel away from Mia’s body, dropping them on the side of the bed before capturing one of her pert nipples in his mouth, taking his time enjoying the taste of her skin.  Arching her body against his hot mouth, the room filled with her moans and they were sweet music to Joe’s ears.

 

After thoroughly teasing her breasts, Joe finally moved further down her body dipping his tongue in her navel and felt Mia slide her legs onto his broad shoulders.  She wanted this as much as he did, what a relief!  Joe had been worried she didn’t want to be with him and, even though they hadn’t officially established what they were, that conversation could wait for another time.  Right now, Joe just wanted to make her cum so hard she screamed his name and possibly woke the neighbors.  He didn’t care who heard them at this point.  Nipping her inner soft thighs, Mia bit her bottom lip to try staying quiet, but it wasn’t happening, not with this Samoan Adonis between her legs.  Mia shivered against him, tightening her fingers in his hair and wished he would stop teasing her already.

 

“Joe, please…” Mia whimpered, dark eyes flying open when he puffed hot breath against her throbbing clit and growled, sending vibrations throughout her body. “Oh fuck…”

 

Joe smirked, caressing her outer lips with his tongue and groaned at the smell of her arousal.  She smelled indescribable and, if she tasted as sweet as she smelled, Joe would become an addict for her pussy.  A pussy addict, he thought, biting back a chuckle while continuing to pleasure the beautiful Indian goddess.  His strong hands slid up her outer thighs and smooth legs, loving how soft her skin was.  Covering her outer lips with his mouth, Joe began tonguing her clit and Mia’s moans turned to soft cries, especially when he growled against her purposely again.  Mia cried out fully this time and Joe followed up by thrusting his tongue as deep inside of her as he could.  To add to the sensations, he slid two fingers inside of her beneath his tongue, thrusting both at the same time.  He knew exactly what he was doing and knew how to make a woman cum for him, especially the sweet spot.

 

Toes curling against his shoulder blades, Mia released his hair so she didn’t tear it out and began massaging her breasts, plucking her nipples while Joe increased the speed of his thrusts.  He was driving her crazy and Mia knew this is how he felt when she went down on him Tuesday.  The hot coil within her lower abdomen began to form, threatening to spring free the harder, faster and deeper Joe’s fingers and tongue went.  It’d been a while since Mia had this kind of attention, so it wouldn’t take her long to orgasm.  Her breathing became erratic, thighs tensed along with the rest of her body and Mia squeezed her breasts together as molten heat rocketed through her.  Mia choked out his name through heavy breathing and passionate cries, her hot essence flooding from her body into his greedy mouth.

 

Not a drop was wasted and Joe didn’t pull back until he was sure she had nothing more to give for this round. “Delicious…” He rumbled huskily, looking up at her through dark grey orbs and could tell she was completely spent. “Tired, baby girl?”

 

“That’s…an understatement…” Mia grunted, scrubbing both hands down her face to wipe the sweat away and accepted a soft kiss from Joe, sighing in contentment.

 

“Glad you enjoyed it.” Joe chuckled, laying down beside her and pulled Mia to rest her head against his strong chest over his heart. “Now relax and get some sleep, I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled up the comforter to cover them both so she didn’t get cold, kissing the top of her head.

 

They both fell asleep in no time, not moving from their positions and had gratified smiles on their faces.

 

Chapter 18

 

“Are you sure you don’t mind me staying here while you go do the house show?  I came on the road to spend time with you…”

 

Randy smiled at his beautiful wife while closing the last of his luggage and walked around the bed to stand in front of her. “I want you to do whatever makes you happy, baby.” He ran a finger down her cheek lovingly. “It’s only one night and I trust Coralie and Phil will keep an eye on you for me.”

 

It didn’t happen often, but every once in a while house shows had to be split in the company to cover areas.  Randy was scheduled for a house show in Cleveland, Ohio later that night while everyone else in their circle of friends had one in Syracuse, New York.  Why Randy got stuck going to Cleveland was beyond him, but he never questioned his job and did what he was told.  Ryanne didn’t know a lot of people in the company, so she’d be alone while Randy wrestled his match and that didn’t set well with either of them.  Plus, Coralie had a night planned for the ladies only after the house show that night and Ryanne didn’t want to miss it.  Randy didn’t blame her and suggested she stay with Coralie and Phil on his bus until they could meet up the following day in Buffalo, New York for Raw.

 

“But…we’re supposed to be trying to have a baby…” Ryanne reminded him, feeling torn between going with her husband to Cleveland and staying in Syracuse for a ladies night out with Coralie, Anisa, Krystal and Mia.

 

“One night won’t make a difference.” Randy kissed her forehead, trying to ease her mind a little and brushed her mouth softly. “Go out and have fun tonight.  You need it after all the stress you’ve been under lately.” They had to stop worrying and stressing over having a baby and just let nature take its course.

 

Ryanne cupped his face in her hands before Randy could pull away and kissed him deeper, wrapping her arms around his neck. “How did I get so lucky?” She murmured against his mouth, wishing he didn’t have to leave and began sliding her hand down his bare chest to the waistband of his boxer/briefs.  He always looked sexy in them.

 

“Mmm what are you doing, baby?” Randy groaned, feeling her hand sink into his boxer/briefs until her soft fingers came in contact with his already pulsating cock. “Ry…”

 

“Just giving you something to remember me by while you’re gone.” Ryanne smirked devilishly, emerald eyes sparkling with mischievous intentions and continued stroking him while softly kissing his pectorals.

 

Randy could make time for a quick romp with his wife and growled, suddenly lifting her by the waist to plant her backside on the nearby dresser.  She never relinquished her hold on his cock and lulled her head back as Randy’s mouth found her neck, one of her more sensitive areas.  Her blood red hair was pulled up in a high bun, so Randy didn’t have to worry about shoving it out of the way to do what he wanted.  Both of his strong hands slid up Ryanne’s thighs beneath the lavender negligee she wore and wasn’t surprised not to find panties.  They had made love the previous night, but Ryanne didn’t like sleeping completely naked so she slipped the negligee back on once they finished.  Randy didn’t mind, though there were times they fell asleep spooned together naked and he cherished those moments with her.  Not bothering to undress either of them fully, Randy pushed the negligee material up to bunch around her waist and Ryanne didn’t waste time freeing his engorged cock.  Wrapping her legs around his waist, Ryanne gasped at the feeling of her husband filling her completely and gripped his strong tattooed sleeved arms, his mouth capturing hers.  It didn’t matter how many times they made love, Ryanne’s body always had to stretch to accommodate his massive size.

 

“Fuck me, Randy…” Ryanne breathed against his lips and felt his face bury in the side of her neck, his growls sending tremors throughout her body. “Oh god you feel so good, baby…”

 

“So do you, Ry, so tight and wet for me…” Randy grunted, loving being buried to the hilt inside of his wife and didn’t bother going slow, thrusting as hard, fast and deep as he could.

 

The mirror attached to the dresser banged repeatedly against the wall with every powerful thrust Randy produced inside her body, but neither cared.  They were too focused reaching their climax, both secretly hoping this was the moment they would conceive a baby.  Her nails dug into his biceps as the sound of flesh smacking flesh echoed throughout the room, their belongings shaking on the dresser on either side of them.  A few items knocked to the carpeted floor, but thankfully nothing broke.  If it did, Randy would simply replace it and continued devouring Ryanne’s neck, pinching her nipples through the thin material of her negligee.  This wouldn’t last much longer since both were riled up, but Randy didn’t mind since he had a flight to catch in just under 3 hours.

 

Randy’s hot seed filled her completely and Ryanne relished in the feeling, cumming in waves for her husband.  The sound of her screaming his name always did Randy’s heart good and he hoped this rough patch they were going through would pass soon.  Once she was pregnant, things would hopefully go back to normal.  It was a good sign they still had the connection in the bedroom and wanted each other.  The problem resided in their communication outside of sex and Randy was in dire need of changing that.  He wanted to communicate with his wife on ALL levels, not just certain ones.  Kissing her forehead, nose and lips, Randy slid out of her delectable body, both of them groaning at the instant devoid of contact.

 

“I love you, don’t forget that.” Randy stated, meaning it with every fiber of his being and stroked her cheek with the back of his hand.

 

“I love you too.  We’ll get through this, I promise.” Ryanne cupped his face and brought his mouth to hers again, fighting back tears because crying right after making love would ruin the moment.

 

Nodding, Randy could only hope she didn’t give up on their marriage and stepped away to finish getting ready.  Ryanne slid off the dresser, rubbing her lower back since it banged a few times against the mirror, but it was a bruise she’d gladly keep.  She was surprised they hadn’t shattered the mirror, shaking her head with a small smile and ordered breakfast for them from room service so Randy could eat before leaving for the airport.  Maybe this time away from each other would be good for them since having sex all the time didn’t seem to work.  As Ryanne sat on the bed staring out the window while Randy occupied the bathroom, she secretly prayed a baby was developing in her womb at that moment.

 

~!~

 

“Some people are as worthless as the Pope’s dick!”

 

Anisa nearly snorted her Vodka cranberry drink, turning around to stare wide eyed at an annoyed looking Coralie with a giggling Ryanne behind her. “Excuse me?” She managed to ask, setting her drink down on the bar counter.

 

“Do I dare ask what happened?” Mia asked softly and had the same expression on her face Anisa did.

 

“Oh nothing, just the fact Phil’s driver decided tonight would be great to piss me off!  He fell ASLEEP while we were getting ready in the back and it took me dumping ice cold water over his head to wake him up!” Coralie growled when Anisa, Mia and Ryanne giggled uncontrollably. “NOT amusing, I’m so pissed right now.  Thanks to him, we’re late getting MY planned ladies night underway!  I swear, Phil needs to fire him already.  The fat slob doesn’t know how to do his job properly.  I’m surprised he hasn’t fallen asleep at the wheel while driving us to the next city!”

 

It took several minutes for the women to stop laughing at Coralie, though Anisa still had the giggles. “So…What does he had to do with the Pope’s dick exactly?” She bit her lip hard to keep from laughing again, face turning red.

 

“Isn’t it obvious?” Coralie smirked, sipping her first of many margaritas that night and twirled the straw around in her drink.

 

“No, enlighten us.”

 

Ryanne rolled her eyes, sipping a strawberry margarita since she didn’t like plain ones unlike Coralie. “Think about it.  The Pope never uses his dick, so it’s worthless because of his religion and all.”

 

“Except on little boys.” Coralie added, laughing when both Anisa and Mia nearly snorted their drinks again.

 

“FUCK!”

 

“SHIT!”

 

They glared at Coralie, an innocent smile on her face. “What?  You can’t tell me you weren’t thinking the same thing.  Where’s Krystal anyway?”

 

“She’s coming, apparently everyone decided to go balls to the wall again in their matches.” Anisa rolled her eyes, wanting to clock every single person who got hurt in the ring tonight because of stupid unnecessary risks. “She was swamped when we left, so hopefully she’ll be coming along shortly.”

 

“And we’ll have to fill her in on our educational discussion about the Pope’s dick.”

 

“Mia…” Anisa groaned, sipping her drink and turned around just as the door to the bar they were occupying opened, revealing a disheveled Krystal. “Damn woman, were you mugged?”

 

Krystal sighed, trying to fix her haphazard chestnut hair and sat down at the table with the other women. “No, just a rough night.” She lied smoothly, or so she hoped, sharing a secret look with Anisa. 

 

She was the only one who knew about her and Colby.  His lips were addicting and after Krystal was finished with her work, he’d cornered her outside of the arena.  A 20 minute make out session resulted in her mugged looking appearance and Krystal vowed to make him pay once they were alone again.  He tried convincing her to ditch ladies night and go back to the hotel with him, but Krystal refused to break her word to her newfound friends.

 

“And you came out with us anyway?” Coralie was surprised, commending the woman mentally for not throwing in the towel after a rough night at work.  Showed she was loyal and could hang with them, sleep deprived and all. “You are officially one of us.  Let’s celebrate!” She snapped her fingers as a waiter walked over and ordered a pitcher of margaritas for them to share.

 

Krystal smiled as Anisa draped an arm around her shoulders, feeling more accepted in the WWE with each day that passed. “Thanks again for inviting me out.”

 

“No need to thank us.  You’re awesome to hang out with.” Ryanne winked, feeling better she wasn’t the only new girl in the group and sipped her margarita slower than Coralie.

 

“Isn’t Phil against alcohol being straightedge and all that?” Mia had to ask, thankful she didn’t take a pain pill earlier that night or else she wouldn’t be able to drink.

 

Coralie laughed outright, nodding. “Yeah, but I told him when we first started dating I do enjoy having a cocktail or 3 every once in a while.  I don’t go out drinking like this all the time and he knows that, so he puts up with the few times I do it.”

 

Anisa decided a change of subject was in order. “So when are you going to marry my brother and become my sister-in-law, Cora?”

 

“When your brother decides to pop the question, I guess.” Coralie and Phil weren’t in a big rush to get married since they were comfortable with their relationship. “It’s just a ring and a piece of paper, we don’t need it right now.  And what pray tell is going on between you and Ambrose?”

 

Mia eyeballed Anisa, wondering what her friend was thinking tell Coralie about her supposed secret relationship with Jon. “Yeah go ahead and spill, Nisa.”

 

“Wait, she’s going out with…?”

 

“No I’m not!” Anisa hadn’t meant to raise her voice, but it sounded like they were all ganging up on her. “We’re just hanging out and talking, getting to know each other…” And having dirty texting, phone calls and Skyping, she added in thought, draining the rest of her Vodka cranberry.

 

“Sure you are.” Coralie didn’t buy that for a second, a smirk curving her lips. “Spill.”

 

“How did you find out anyway?” Had Krystal blabbed her secret?  Anisa sincerely hoped not and decided to ask her about it once they were alone.

 

Apparently, Jon hadn’t told Anisa about his talk with Phil and Coralie hated to be the one to bust him on it, but she deserved to know. “Ambrose had a little talk with your brother.  I don’t know what was said, but all I do know is your brother has a newfound respect for the guy.”

 

Why would Jon go to Phil?  He wasn’t her father!  Had Jon lost his mind?  They were definitely having a talk about this, but for now Anisa filed the information in the far recesses of her mind.  She had enough to worry about what with Mark’s return on the horizon, not believing tomorrow was Monday already.  Where had the time gone?

 

“We agreed to tell our close circle of friends until after Mark leaves the company again.” Anisa admitted quietly, running her thumb around the rim of her margarita glass. “I was trying to find the right time to tell the rest of you since Mia and Krystal already know about it.”

 

“So the secret trustworthy admirer…?” Coralie hadn’t forgotten about the beautiful of countless colorful roses that had covered Anisa’s office the night they discussed the Wyatt Family.

 

Blushing, Anisa nodded and didn’t realize how much happiness radiated from her midnight blue eyes whenever she talked about Jon.  Coralie hadn’t seen Anisa this happy in quite some time, so whatever Ambrose was doing, she sincerely hoped he kept it up and didn’t screw her sister over or there would be hell to pay.  Married or not, Anisa and Coralie were already sisters along with Mia, Ryanne and now Krystal.  Anyone who screwed with her friends would go down.  Krystal still had some things to learn about them, but had quickly cottoned onto how they were and would be one of them in no time.  In their drunken states, Krystal admitted to having a relationship with Colby Lopez, Ryanne talked about her problems getting pregnant and Mia admitted what happened with Joe.  They all vowed to keep each other’s secrets, especially Krystal’s since her brother finding out would be catastrophic.  2 pitchers of margaritas later and the girls were ready to call it a night, all taking Phil’s bus back to the hotel where their men currently slept.  Phil reluctantly got a hotel room for the night so Coralie would have a designated driver, refusing to let any of the girls drive drunk.

 

Nobody realized just how upside down their lives were about to be turned and it would all start the next night at Raw.

 

Chapter 19

 

Waking up with a hangover the size of Brazil definitely wasn’t the best way to start off her Monday morning.  Luckily, no puking occurred, but Anisa felt like a beating drum was pounding against her skull and passing out hadn’t been smart either.  She slept 4 hours and was woken up by Jon telling her they had to catch their flight in two hours to Buffalo, New York, where Raw was being held.  Coffee, toast and crackers were about all Anisa’s stomach could handle, needing caffeine to wake up.  It’d been a long time since she’d gone out with their group of friends and gotten plastered.  The last time had been right after finding Mark and Michelle together in their hotel suite after a Raw show.  She’d gone straight to the bar, ordered a bottle of Jack Daniels, got another room in the hotel and cried while drinking the whole thing.  This hangover was mild compared to that one, thankfully, and Anisa knew why she’d gotten drunk with the girls the previous night.

 

Mark’s return.

 

She hadn’t seen or heard from him since last year’s WrestleMania when he faced Paul Levesque in a Hell in a Cell match infamously called the ‘End of an Era’.  Never had she seen Mark put through so much brutality in a match, not even back in 2009 at WrestleMania 25 against Michael Hickenbottom –The infamous ‘HBK’ Shawn Michaels.  Mark had taken a death-defying leap over the top rope –one of his signature moves- and nearly ended his career with a broken neck.  Anisa could still remember her heart plummeting into her stomach and the amount of fear coursing through her body when it happened.  Luckily, Mark just severely bruised his neck and had to go through physical therapy to heal it.  After that, everything began falling apart between them, though Anisa had a sinking suspicion the affair with Michelle lasted far longer than he admitted in court.  Apparently, that hadn’t been enough punishment because the Hell in a Cell consisted of over 50 chair shots between him and Paul.  Mark’s back had been one huge black and blue bruise and Paul had to be helped to the back by Mark and Michael.  Anisa hated she’d been worried about him after everything he put her through, but she couldn’t help it.  She had Rick find out what Mark’s condition was since Michelle had been at the pay-per-view with him. 

 

“How about we go up and take a nap together before going to the arena?” Jon suggested in her ear while walking through the terminal of the airport and frowned when she turned to face him once they were completely out of it. “What is it, darlin’?”

 

“Look, I know you’re trying to help me with this, but…I just need to be alone right now.” Not to mention she didn’t want Jon seeing her wretch and some more sleep was all Anisa cared about due to her throbbing head. “We have to be careful with Mark around, don’t forget.  It’s dangerous talking to each other right now actually.”

 

Jon could see she was completely serious about this and heaved a sigh, refusing to deny Anisa anything she wanted.  However, they could always sneak in each other’s rooms since they were connected, though Mark didn’t.  Even if she wanted to be alone, it wouldn’t happen because Jon couldn’t let her deal with this alone.  Once they arrived at the hotel in their separate rooms, Anisa collapsed in the bed on her stomach and felt it sink beside her moments later.

 

“Jon…”

 

“Shhh let me help you, Ani.” Jon murmured softly against the back of her neck, beginning to rub her temples to try making her current migraine disappear.

 

“I don’t want you seeing me like this.” She whimpered, hiding her face from him with her hair and sighed when Jon brushed it away to look in one of her red-rimmed teary midnight blue orbs. “Please…”

 

She was in a lot of pain and Jon knew the perfect remedy for a hangover migraine, pulling something out of his bag. “Here, try this.” It was a small heating pad he used whenever he woke up with a hangover, having more than a few in his life while on the road. “Just relax and let the magic work.  I’m not going anywhere, no matter how many times you order it.  Let me be here for you, Anisa.  Let me take care of you.”

 

Anisa had no more fight left in her and closed her eyes as soon as the warmth of the heating pad pulsated through her head, dulling the migraine to small pounding. “Thank you, Jon.” She whispered, her whole body sagging on the bed and fell into a deep slumber.

 

Jon smiled, brushing his lips against her cheek and laid in bed facing her to keep an eye on her, admiring her natural beauty. “No thanks needed, darlin’.” He whispered, holding her hand and closed his eyes to get a few hours of sleep himself before the Raw show that night.

 

~!~

 

Arriving at the arena, Jon walked in first to give off the illusion he was alone and went to the Shield dressing room while Anisa reported to Rick.  She waited 5 minutes before entering the arena though, just to be on the safe side.  No chances could be taken tonight.  Rick handed her the infamous clipboard and sent her away, too busy to give her another task at the moment.  She knew he was stressed to the max since everything kept getting switched around at the last minute thanks to the boss.  Glancing down at the clipboard, Anisa was shocked to see Glen Jacobs had forgotten to sign-in.  That NEVER happened.  He must’ve had a lot on his mind because Glen was one of the most responsible people in the company.  Rubbing her slightly pounding temples, Anisa knew it was going to be a long night and decided she’d be going to the bosses asking for a different position within the company.  Tracking people down and forcing them to sign a stupid piece of paper was way below her talents.  If Rick wanted an errand girl or boy, he could find someone else because Anisa had enough of this job to last a few centuries.  To be nice, she’d wait until after WrestleMania and then make a stink about it, not wanting to add to Paul and Stephanie’s stress since she reported to them.  Arriving outside of Glen’s dressing room, Anisa tapped lightly on the door and looked down at the clipboard to see who else hadn’t signed in, hearing the door open seconds later.

 

“You forgot something, Big Red.  And since you’ve never forgotten to sign-in, I’ll give you a pass just this once.”

 

It wasn’t Glen Jacobs. “Well hello darlin’.”

 

Anisa nearly dropped the clipboard in her hand and snapped her wide midnight blue orbs to meet the acidic green that belonged to only one man.  What the hell was he doing in Glen’s dressing room?  Surely the all-powerful Mark Calaway had his own room, but then again they were best friends.  It shouldn’t have surprised Anisa to find Mark here lurking around Glen, more than likely trying to find some juicy gossip on her.

 

“Is Glen here?” She asked evenly, after getting over the initial shock of seeing Mark so soon and suddenly.  Had Phil seen him yet?  Probably not if Mark was still standing up straight with a smirk on his face that Anisa was dying to wipe away.

 

“Depends…” Mark leaned against the door frame, folding his massive tattooed sleeved arms in front of his chest. “What do ya need him for?” His southern accent hadn’t changed, still deep, dark and crisp as ever.

 

“None of your business, Calaway.” Anisa shot back scathingly, unable to keep a professional tone to her voice and could now use his last name since she’d had hers changed right after they were divorced. “Is he here or not?”

 

“He’s in the shower, Nissy.  Come on in and wait if ya want.” Mark opened the door further to let her inside, testing the waters to see if his ex-wife would spend more than 5 seconds with him.

 

It took every ounce of resolve in Anisa not to belt him across the face when Mark called her that, knowing how much she loathed that nickname. “No, I’ll come back later when he’s out of the shower.”

 

She would simply text Glen in a half an hour, refusing to ask any type of favor of her ex-husband.  Smiling sweetly, Anisa turned walking down the hallway and headed straight for her brother’s dressing room.  She had a small favor to ask him, suddenly having a change of heart.

 

“Who was at the door?” Glen asked, towel-drying his long curly brown hair and had a towel draped around his waist.

 

“Nissy.” Mark spit out contemptuously, acid eyes narrowing before slamming the door shut. “I’m kinda surprised she didn’t kick the door in my face when I called her that too.” He took great sick pleasure in making his ex-wife uncomfortable, rubbing his hands together.

 

Glen glared at the man he used to know so well and referred to him as his best friend. “She works here more than you now, Mark.  You don’t need to fuckin’ torture her every time you decide to come back.” After everything Mark put Anisa through with the divorce and infidelity, Glen was shocked the man could show his face around the WWE still.

 

“She’s my ex-wife.  I’ll do as I please anytime I want.  Just stay out of it, Jacobs.” Mark warned, leaving no room for argument and briefly wondered if Glen and Anisa had a thing for each other.

 

“Asshole, you’re the one who was screwing around on her while you two were married!  You’re the one who threw a baby fit because she didn’t fall at your feet and do what the King tried forcing her to do!” Glen was tired of Mark’s attitude and tossed the towel to the side angrily, wishing the man would just leave Anisa alone for a change.

 

“Unless you’re fuckin’ her, stop defendin’ her.” Mark spouted off and paid for it when he had to pick himself up off the floor, thanks to Glen’s fist socking him in the jaw. “What the FUCK was that for, prick?”

 

“You ever say anythin’ like that again about Anisa, me and you are gonna have BIG problems, Calaway.  You’re my best friend and I love you like a brother, but she’s a friend of mine as well.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Talkin’ shit about her offends me and you sitting there tellin’ me if I’m not fuckin’ her to not defend her angers me.  Fuck you, I will defend anyone who is my friend.  You don’t run anyone except yourself and that whore of a wife you have now.  Now get the hell out of my dressin’ room.” Stalking into the bathroom, Glen slammed the door so hard the hinges nearly broke off and could feel the anger flowing through every pore of his huge body.

 

~!~

 

“So, I changed my mind about your match against Mark at Mania.”

 

Phil raised a brow at his sister and saw the hatred burning in her midnight blue orbs, quickly coming to the conclusion she’d already ran into Mark. “And that is?” He listened to her, not saying a word and chewed his gum thoughtfully, quirking a very slow brow. “So let me get this straight…” He paused, trying to wrap his mind around his sister’s request. “You want me to actually HURT your ex-husband, you’ve been defending against me for the past 4 years, in the ring when we go at it at Mania?” Was she serious or screwing with him?

 

“Yes.” Anisa wasn’t completely cruel and cold-hearted unlike Mark, so she added a stipulation. “Not enough to send him to the hospital, even though I wouldn’t mind that too much, but enough to where his nagging injuries flare up.  I want him gone right after Mania if at all possible, bro.  I don’t want to deal with him any longer than I have to.  Think you can do that for me?”

 

Thinking it over for a minute, Phil just wanted to see his sister squirm since she’d been hell bent on keeping him away from Mark ever since their divorce. “You know I got your back, sis.  Don’t worry, he won’t be staying on the roster much longer after I’m done with him.” He hoped; Mark seemed to rest up purposefully so he could keep returning to the ring whenever WrestleMania rolled around.

 

“Thanks Philly.” Anisa smirked when he glared at her and handed over the clipboard for him to sign-in with a pen. “Now sign the damn thing so I can go back to Glen and hopefully get his done.” She was not looking forward to dealing with Mark again, but had a job to do nonetheless. “Thanks again, I owe you one, bro.” Kissing his cheek, Anisa headed out and back down to Glen’s dressing room, hoping Mark was gone this time around.

 

~!~

 

It was a good 30 minutes or so before Anisa went back to Glen’s dressing room, once again knocking on the door.  She hesitated this time and kept her eyes on the door in case Mark tried surprising her.  As soon as it opened to reveal Glen, no Mark in sight, Anisa smiled with relief and instantly noticed the anger and tension in her friend’s face.  Something happened between him and Mark, that much was obvious.  The douchebag was nowhere to be found and Glen had so much fire in his eyes, if Anisa didn’t know him personally, he would’ve scared the hell out of her.

 

“Glen, are you alright?” She asked, reaching out to touch him and blinked when he yanked her into his arms, hugging her tightly. “Can’t…breathe, Big Red…”

 

“Sorry.” Glen grunted, releasing his hold on her a little, but didn’t let her out of his embrace yet. “Sorry I was in the shower earlier.  Are you okay, sweetie?” She was such a kind-hearted woman and any man was lucky to have her, so why Mark chose Michelle over Anisa was beyond Glen’s understanding.

 

Anisa appreciated Glen’s overprotectiveness and nodded with a smile. “Okay as can be expected, honey.  I had a feeling you were distracted and now I know why.  So just sign this and I won’t even lecture you about it since you never miss signing in.”

 

Glen cracked a smile for her, though he still wanted to kill Mark for the things the man spewed about Anisa, scrawling his name on the sign-in sheet. “That it?”

 

“Thanks, Big Red.  I appreciate it.  Now calm down and relax.  Don’t let that asshole get to you.” She ordered, trying to do what she could to soothe the big man. “Seriously, you have more important things to worry about.  I gotta head back to Rick, but we’ll talk later if you want, alright?”

 

Glen nodded, watching the honey blonde beauty walk away down the hall and closed the door, taking a few deep breaths before starting to get ready for the show that night.  Anisa looked over her shoulder at the dressing room marked ‘KANE’ in big bold red letters and shook her head, hoping he took her advice.  Mark was the best at getting under someone’s skin, so she could only imagine what was said between them.  Pushing it in the far recesses of her mind, Anisa decided not to worry about it right now and pulled some Advil liquid gels out of her dress pant pocket, popping them before her headache exploded into a migraine. 

 

The night was far from over.

 

Chapter 20

 

“Phil is worse.”

 

“Yeah right, he’s got nothing on Randy.”

 

Coralie raised a brow at Ryanne, both of them arguing over their respective spouses. “Are you kidding me?  Have you SMELLED Phil when he blows ass?  I swear to god, I’ll be in a dead sleep and his farts will wake me up.  They are FOUL, especially after he eats Mexican or Chinese.”

 

Trying not to giggle, Ryanne understood where Coralie was coming from since Randy’s farts didn’t smell like roses either. “Well does your man pick his toes on a nightly basis?” She asked rhetorically and took a sip of water, both of them nursing hangovers along with Anisa, Krystal and Mia.

 

“What do you mean by picking his toes?” Coralie had to ask, folding her arms out on the table. “Like clipping them or…?”

 

Ryanne made a disgusted face, shaking her head. “It’s completely gross and I wanna smack him every time he starts doing it.  He literally takes an HOUR to remove any toe jam from under his toenails and…flicks it on the floor of the hotel room.  I swear, I love the man, but he needs to learn to be more respectful of places we stay at.  Not to mention his feet smell like rotten eggs whenever he’s not wearing socks.  I told him he’s got a bad case of athlete’s foot, but he won’t listen to me.”

 

“I’d take that over Phil smelling like he shit himself in the middle of the night.  I kid you not, I have had to kick him out of bed countless times because of how bad it smells.” Coralie was not exaggerating, looking ill at the thought of Phil’s vulgar gas. “Does Randy picking his toes make you wanna toss your cookies?”

 

“Well no...”

 

“HA!  I win then!” Coralie crowed, slapping the table and both girls started laughing uncontrollably, not caring who heard them. 

 

It was nice to be able to talk about Phil to someone else since the man drove her up a wall.  She loved him though and wouldn’t trade her tattooed hot piece of meat for anything or anyone.  Ryanne felt the same way since she’d tried countless times talking to Randy about his feet.  Still, the man made her toes curl and her heart race whenever he looked at her with those beautiful mystic blue eyes.  Sex was amazing from both men too, so if they had to deal with one blowing ass and the other having an obsession with keeping his toes clean, it wasn’t that awful to deal with.  They could’ve had worse habits, so Coralie and Ryanne counted their blessings for the men in their lives with minimal complaining.

 

“So, how are things going with the baby making?” Coralie switched topics, knowing Ryanne had to talk about what was going on because keeping feelings bottled up wasn’t the way to go. “I know it’s bothering you.”

 

Ryanne sighed, lowering her emerald eyes to the table and shrugged, the hope of having a baby dwindling. “We’re having sex as often as possible, so I’m not sure what we’re doing wrong.”

 

“Okay, I’m gonna ask you a question and if it’s crossing the line, just say so.” Coralie and Ryanne told each other almost everything, but there were limits to what they discussed.

 

“You can ask me anything, Cora.” Ryanne assured her softly, reaching out to squeeze Coralie’s hand.

 

Coralie wasn’t so sure about that. “Have you thought about…other positions?” Why was she hesitant talking about this?  Maybe it was due to the fact she couldn’t have a baby, though she accepted that fate long ago.

 

Now Ryanne was red as a cherry tomato and lowered her emerald gaze to the table. “Uhh…” Were they really having a conversation about this in catering? “We’ve done a few…” What did positions have to do with creating a baby?

 

Coralie chuckled at her friend’s embarrassment and kept going. “There are…certain positions and things you can do to help increase your chances of conception.  You really need to go on the internet and do some research.”

 

“Y-You’ve researched this?” Ryanne blinked, keeping her voice down and hoped nobody overheard their conversation.  She would die of embarrassment if any of Randy’s coworkers heard the current topic. “So…what did you find out?”

 

“Well, some say to stand on your head after sex because somehow it helps the swimmers reach their target.  Doggy style position is the most popular, but it depends on what gender you want.  For instance, if you eat pure lemons before sex and heat your pussy up to a certain degree, you’ll more than likely have a girl.  And if you want a boy, the man has to dip their penis in ice cold water before sex.”

 

Ryanne laughed, folding her arms in front of her chest. “Lemons, seriously?” Her face became sour at the thought of having suck on lemons before having sex with Randy. “You got that from How I Met Your Mother, didn’t you?”

 

Coralie tried to look innocent and failed miserably, taking a long sip of her water. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

 

“You are such an idiot!  Lemons don’t work and neither does icing Randy’s boys or heating up my parts.” Ryanne exclaimed, smacking Coralie on the arm and shook her head, not believing she nearly fell for this nonsense. “And for your information, doggy style is our favorite position, so that’s a bust too.  And here I thought you were gonna help me.”

 

“Well…” Coralie huffed indignantly, playfully glaring at Ryanne with slightly narrowed leaf green eyes. “Have you TRIED any of that?  No harm in trying at this point…”

 

She had a point, Ryanne admitted grudgingly, though she’d never admit it. “So you expect me to suck on lemons and heat up my lady parts?  Don’t you think Randy will notice if I’m warmer than normal down there?”

 

“So you definitely want a girl, eh?  I thought Randy wanted a boy?”

 

“He does, doesn’t mean he’s getting one though.” Ryanne smirked, popping a piece of broccoli in her mouth and winked, both girls laughing. “Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a boy, but I want my first to be easy and I heard girls are easier than boys.”

 

“How do you figure that?” Coralie didn’t mind talking about children because she already knew she would be this baby’s godmother and that was enough for her to want to be part of the process in some way.

 

It was Ryanne’s turn to smirk, emerald orbs twinkling mischievously. “I did some research of my own…”

 

“So wait, you did research on which gender is easier to deal with, but you didn’t think to look up ways to make conception faster?” Coralie sounded incredulous, not thinking Ryanne would actually do research on the internet the way she had. “You are unbelievable, Ry.”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“You just are.  Let’s leave it at that.” Coralie dipped a carrot in her ranch dipping sauce and popped it in her mouth, enjoying this downtime with Ryanne.  They rarely had time to do it nowadays.

 

“So, have you and Phil thought about adopting at all?” Ryanne changed the subject off of her pregnancy, knowing deep down it had to bother Coralie since she could never have children of her own.

 

Coralie shrugged, rubbing the sudden tension away in her neck. “We’ve discussed it a few times, but never really made a decision on whether or not we want to do it.  Maybe one day.  Hell, I’m convinced he’ll never want to get married, which I’m fine with honestly.  And a baby could ruin everything we have together.  I’ve never thought of myself as the mother type, but that could be due to my mother not giving two fucks about me growing up.”

 

She had abandonment issues since her mother would leave her with her Aunt Darlene for weeks at a time, going and doing whatever she wanted.  From the moment she was born, Coralie had been a burden to her mother because of her heavy partying ways, drinking and drugs.  Aunt Darlene never once complained and thought of her as a second daughter, treating her the best she could.  Very rarely did Coralie’s mother keep her for more than a few days before dumping her off wherever convenient.  Luckily for Coralie, 9 times out of 10 it was Aunt Darlene’s, one of the only places she felt safe and loved.  There were a few times she was left with her grandmother, but for the most part it was Aunt Darlene taking care of her along with her two cousins, Danielle and Ian.  They used to be closer than siblings, but as the years passed and they all became older, Coralie started drifting apart from them, especially when she got the job with WWE. 

 

“Oh shit!” Coralie cursed quietly, breaking both her and Ryanne out of their deep thoughts, at the sight of Luke Harper walking into catering along with Erick Rowan. “I-I gotta go…”

 

Ryanne noticed her friend’s demeanor change instantly and frowned, wondering what had her so spooked. “What’s wrong?” She demanded, watching wide-eyed as Coralie stood up from the table and bolted out of catering like her backside caught fire. “What the hell?”

 

Luke didn’t miss the way Coralie ran out at the sight of him and smirked wickedly, already knowing he was in her head. 

 

It would make the chase and catch that much better.

 

~!~

 

“Colby…” Krystal panted breathlessly, lulling her head back while his lips assaulted her neck and shoulder, slowly inching the strap of her red nightgown down her arm.

 

Her skin was so soft against his mouth, tongue and hands, caressing her inner thighs while he continued his exploration of her upper body.  Colby was in no hurry, wanting this to last as long as possible in case Krystal changed her mind.  He didn’t come here expecting anything besides holding her in his arms while they watched a movie and stole kisses from each other.  The sight of her in red did something to Colby though and he pushed her into the room as soon as she opened the door, his mouth finding hers hungrily.  Krystal returned the intensity of the kiss, her whole body shuddering and Colby took that as a sign she was enjoying this, lifting her to move them to the bed.  She currently sat straddled on his lap, caressing and kissing each other for the past hour.  He could not get enough of her and wanted to take this as slow as Krystal wanted, refusing to push her too fast into sex if she wasn’t ready for it.

 

“Talk to me, sweetheart.” Colby commanded in a rough husky voice and moved his mouth from her left shoulder to her right, making his way slowly up her neck to her ear. “What do you want from me?”

 

Whimpering, Krystal was torn on what she wanted to do with him.  They hadn’t been together long and she didn’t want to open herself up to him completely until she was sure Colby wouldn’t hurt her.  Krystal had to be careful not to wear her heart on her sleeve, especially after what happened to her the last time she let a man get this close.  It was one of the main reasons why she was so timid and shy, in a shell of the former girl she used to be.  She would have to come clean to him soon, just not tonight.  Colby removed her nightgown and began unfastening her bra, getting two clips undone, stopping on the last one when she pulled back to stare in his blackened cloudy eyes.

 

“I want you to taste me.” She requested in a soft whisper, not trusting her voice at the moment from how much it shook with emotion. “I can’t promise anything else tonight…”

 

Colby smiled, pressing his finger against her lips to stop her from talking. “This is at your pace, sweetheart.  Just remember that.  Now lay down and spread those beautiful thighs for me so I can give you what you want.”

 

Biting her bottom lip nervously, Krystal didn’t move from his lap and reached behind to snap her bra back into place. “It’s been a long time since I did something like this with a guy…”

 

“If you want to stop, just tell me.  That’s all you have to do, understand?  I won’t hurt you, Krystal.” He pressed his forehead to hers, feeling her trepidation and didn’t blame her all things considered. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

 

Krystal nodded without hesitation, hazel eyes darkening with each passing second she sat straddled on Colby with his strong hands caressing her body. “Please taste me.”

 

Her sweet plead didn’t fall on deaf ears as Colby stood up from the bed with her in his arms and gently guided her down on the bed, both of them breathing heavily.  Colby hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her panties, pulling them down her soft leg and tossed them over his shoulders.  He could feel her thighs trembling against his simple touch and smirked, carefully settling himself between her legs to be eyelevel with her glistening sex.  Krystal was more than ready for him and Colby felt his mouth water at the sight, testing the waters to see how she’d react as the first feel of his tongue against her.  Involuntarily bucking her hips, Krystal moaned out and instantly buried her fingers in Colby’s two toned colored tresses, lulling her head back draping her legs over his broad shoulders.

 

“Oh god…” She gasped, eyes flying open when he slid two large fingers in her tight hole, stretching her out a little more.

 

“Does that hurt?” Colby looked up at her concerned, not wanting to do anything to ruin this experience.

 

Krystal shook her head, swallowing hard and watched Colby’s mouth lower to start pleasuring her again, his fingers carefully thrusting in and out of her body. “Oh right there – oh that feels so good…” Just as her orgasm threatened to overtake her and flood Colby’s mouth with her hot juices, loud banging sounded at the hotel room door.

 

“Krystal, open the door!” It was her brother!

 

Jolting out of their passion hazes, Colby jumped up from the bed away from Krystal and wiped his mouth off. “SHIT!” Colby whispered in a panic, chocolate eyes widening along with hers and both wondered what they were supposed to do.

 

Krystal was the first one to act, shoving Colby toward the nearest closet. “Get in there and hide!” She whispered frantically, wrapping a towel around her body to hide the fact she’d just been thoroughly ravished sexually and tied it. “Now!”

 

Was she serious?  Colby was in the closet before Krystal could say much more and waited, not believing they had to hide like this.  Paul narrowed his eyes at his sister as soon as she opened the door 2 minutes later and took in her haphazard appearance.  Krystal opened her mouth to ask what he wanted and Paul brushed past her inside, hazel eyes focused on something specific.  Colby had somehow managed to grab his clothes while Krystal shoved him toward the closet, so that evidence was well-hidden.  Once Paul was satisfied and didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, he turned to face his sister smiling softly.

 

“Sorry.” He grunted, feeling foolish and scrubbed a hand down his face.

 

“May I ask what you’re doing here?” Krystal folded her arms in front of her chest, walking over to sit on the bed.

 

Paul sighed, sitting down beside her and took her hand, relief coursing through his body. “I received a call from someone telling me you were in trouble.  I thought someone was in your room…”

 

Krystal played the part of innocence flawlessly. “Do you know who it was?  And more importantly, who the hell would I have in my room this late at night?”

 

“No, it was anonymous.  And if I ever find out who it was, they’re going to have my foot shoved up their ass for making me panic.” Paul growled, clenching his other fist tightly and looked at his sister, noticing her flushed face and disheveled hair. “You’re a wreck…”

 

“Bad dream.” She lied, shrugging and knew Paul would believe her because of her past. “I’m okay, bro, I promise.  Now go back to Steph and get some rest.  You need it.”

 

Reluctantly, Paul left a few minutes later and made Krystal promise to call him if she needed anything, apologizing once again for bursting into her room the way he had.  Krystal shut the door and watched Colby walk out of the closet, immediately going to him wrapping her arms around his waist.  They both had the same question on their minds, not saying a word and laid in bed with Colby holding her close.

 

Who was the anonymous caller?

 

Chapter 21

 

After her run-in with Mark, Anisa couldn’t wait for Wednesday to arrive so she could go home for 2 days and not have to worry about running into or dealing with him.  Mark rubbed her wrong in all ways and it irritated Anisa to no end.  It would be a miracle if she made it the few weeks he was back in the company without killing him.  Anisa needed a distraction and spotted Jon standing in the hallway, his eyes immediately finding her as well.  Perfect, she thought, ready to leave the arena so they could spend time together at the hotel away from prying ex-husband eyes.  Being with Jon felt right, deciding to enjoy every moment she could with him until they parted ways, if that happened.  Even her optimism had heightened ever since she started spending time with Jon.

 

“I have something to ask you.”

 

Anisa concentrated on her finger tracing patterns over his rock hard toned stomach, loving how the little wisps of hair tingled her tips.  Jon arched a brow, wearing a pair of black basketball shorts, his fingers running through her beautiful honey blonde tresses.  He loved it when she kept her hair down because it framed her face perfectly, creating an angelic presence.  The wheels in her head were turning and Jon could only imagine what Anisa had in mind, neither stopping their caressing.

 

“No this isn’t a dream, I’m really here and I’ll pinch you if you want me to prove it.” Jon chuckled as Anisa smacked his chest playfully and brought her hand up to his mouth, brushing his lips across the knuckles before entwining their fingers together. “Ask away, darlin’.”

 

“Feel free to say no.  I won’t be mad.” Anisa decided to start the conversation off by giving Jon an immediate out. “I know this is fast and we don’t know each other well…”

 

“Jesus Christ woman, just ask me already!” Jon cut her off, noting the nervous tone of her voice and pulled Anisa to lay across him, kissing her nose softly. “You have no reason to be nervous with me.”

 

Anisa loved how direct and straightforward Jon was, not afraid to speak his mind. “Fine, it would suck to spend another 2 days away from you when we’re just getting to know each other.” She kissed him, feeling his arms tighten around her waist slightly and pulled back only when they needed air to breathe. “Come home with me.”

 

“Is that a request or a command?” Jon couldn’t help messing with her a little and nipped her bottom lip when it poked out in a pout. “You don’t play fair, Ani.”

 

“Are you telling me you don’t want to spend more time together?” Anisa retorted in a murmur against his lips and Jon rolled them over to where he hovered over her, blowing raspberries on her neck. “Jon!”

 

He loved hearing her squeal against him and felt her leg drape over his, their bodies molding together in the bed. “Mmm so soft…” Jon was dying to touch her and feel her naked body against his, but had to go at her pace. “You sure you wanna bring me to your place?  Not too soon for you?”

 

“I wouldn’t have asked you if I didn’t want you to come home with me.” She smiled, stroking his slightly stubble face gently with the back of her hand and loved the rough texture, her eyes not moving from his. “Vegas seems so lonely and I think we could have a lot of fun together if you come to Atlanta.”

 

It was a delicious offer and Jon found it hard to deny this beautiful honey blonde beauty anything. “Fine, you talked me into it.  You don’t live with anyone, no roommates or parents right?” If it wasn’t going to be just them alone, Jon didn’t want any part of it since he wasn’t a huge social butterfly.

 

“Just us, I promise.” Anisa whispered and brought his mouth to hers, happy he accepted her offer to spend their 2 days off together.

 

~!~

 

“Nice digs.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

The plane ride was somewhat long due to a layover they weren’t expecting in Nashville, Tennessee, but luckily the wait wasn’t too long.  Anisa had a simple 2 bedroom house that was all one level with no stairs, just the way she liked it along with a small backyard.  She kicked her shoes off and set the luggage by the door before heading into the living room to start opening windows.  It was in the 70’s and fresh air would do both of them good.  While she did that, Jon slowly moved down the hallway and noticed the family pictures with Phil, Coralie, Mia, Randy and Ryanne, all of them connected someway.  There was no Krystal or Colby, though Jon wasn’t surprised since Anisa wasn’t close to either of them.  Anisa noticed how deep in thought he was and kissed the middle of his t-shirt covered back, her arms wrapping around his waist.

 

“How about some lunch?  I can run and get something.” Grocery shopping was definitely on the agenda since Anisa didn’t keep a lot of food in her house due to hardly being home.

 

“Or we can order, relax for the day and then worry about shopping tomorrow?” Jon suggested, turning around to stare down in her midnight blue orbs and brushed his mouth against hers. “No offense, darlin’, but grocery shopping is the last thing I wanna do after that flight.” He had a small case of jetlag, so a nap with Anisa and a greasy cheeseburger sounded heavenly.

 

Anisa frowned at the paleness in Jon’s cheeks and checked his forehead with the back of her hand to make sure he wasn’t feverish. “Why don’t you go lay down while I figure out where to order from?  What do you want to eat?” She would do anything to make him feel at home and saw the glimmer erupt in his pale blues.

 

“Cheeseburger and fries.” Jon wouldn’t lie to her, kissing her lips again and eyeballed the luggage, grabbing it in his strong hands. “I’ll take these to the room.  Which one is yours?” He safely assumed Anisa would be sharing her bed with him.

 

Pointing to the left, it was the only other hallway in the small house and Jon was afraid he’d end up cracking his head on the ceiling because of his height. “Last door on the left.  Just set them by the bed and I’ll unpack my things later on.” She winked at him and walked into the living room with her laptop in tow, firing it up to figure out which place would be best to order from.

 

The bedroom was definitely Anisa’s style, was Jon’s first thought, as he stepped through the door, setting the luggage against the wall.  The room had a deep rich gold and red swirl design for the paint on the walls.  It reminded Jon of auburn or a golden maroon.  The carpet was a dark gold beige and the queen sized four poster bed was black and gold.  There was a long black dresser against the wall in front of the bed with a huge 50” flat screen television mounted to the wall above it.  Another black armoire stood a little ways from the dresser and a black DVD/Blu-ray stand stood on the far left wall by the huge bay window that had matching gold and black curtains draped around it.  There was a small black nightstand on the right side of the bed by the door with one drawer.  Jon also noticed a door connected to the room and pushed it open, flipping the light on.  The bathroom was black shiny tile with a rich dark gold marble counter that had 2 sinks in it, a see-through shower in the far corner in front of the toilet and a huge garden tub near the door right across from the counter.  Jon planned on having a lot of fun with Anisa in that, especially since the mirror was in front of the garden tub as well.  Just picturing her bent over the tub, water splashing all over while screwing her and letting her see the reflection of their screwing made Jon instantly harden in his jeans.  Turning the light off, Jon walked back into the bedroom and stopped when he stepped on something, tilting his head at the object staring up at him.

 

“What the fuck?” He mumbled, squatting down and picked the blue object up, quickly realizing what it was. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me?”

 

A devious smirk curved his lips as Jon slid his tongue over his top lip, wondering if Anisa was in the mood for some fun that night.  He decided to tuck it away under the pillow for the time being and removed his jeans just as a knock sounded at the door.  Why was she knocking on her own bedroom door?  This woman would never cease to surprise him, though he wouldn’t give her a hard time…yet.  They had to get to know each other a little better before Jon showed her his full personality.

 

“Yeah?”

 

Anisa pushed the door open, smiling at how comfortable Jon was and handed him a glass of water. “The food should be here in about an hour.” Something had been bothering her ever since she made amends with Phil and Anisa couldn’t ignore it, try as she might. “So while we wait, we can take a nap or something.”

 

Not missing the ‘something’, he was curious what Anisa meant by that, especially after finding her special friend that spilled out of her luggage bag.  Jon reached up to pull the t-shirt over his head, muscles rippling and flexing with every movement he made and tossed it behind her on top of his luggage bag.  He then pulled Anisa to stand between his legs, massaging her outer thighs and she could feel the heat of his hands through the material of her jeans.

 

“What kind of something, darlin’?  Gotta be more specific.” Jon rumbled, purposely dropping his voice an octave and Anisa instinctively buried her fingers in his dry curls while Jon slid her short sleeved top up enough to reveal smooth soft skin. “Because if you have no ideas about that ‘something’, I can think of a few things.”

 

Anisa couldn’t push him away, getting lost at the feeling of his mouth brushing against her stomach while his hands slid up the back of her top. “Like what?” She managed to ask in a breathy moan, gasping at the feeling of Jon’s tongue dipping into her navel.

 

This was his moment and Jon wasn’t passing up the opportunity, noticing how flushed her cheeks already were.  They’d barely done anything.  He loved the effect he had on her and planned on exposing it thoroughly since they had some time to kill.  Standing in front of her, Jon cupped her face and captured her mouth in a passionate kiss that made her toes curl, her fingers tightening in his hair.  There was nothing that turned him on faster than a woman pulling his hair, just as long as she didn’t try ripping it out of his skull.  He had that happen before and it was an instant turn-off to say the least.  Anisa’s back hit the bed minutes later and felt Jon pull her top down to expose more of her neck, his mouth teasing and tormenting it.

 

“You have too many clothes on.” Jon declared and pulled back, pushing Anisa to stay laid down when she tried sitting up, shaking his head. “These need to go.” He tapped her jeans with his fingers, blue eyes burning and darkening with lust. “Any objections?”

 

Anisa shook her head and Jon took the button of her jeans, unsnapping them before sliding the zipper down with his teeth and tongue.  Her jeans were gone moments later, but Jon kept her panties on.  That didn’t make sense to Anisa considering she thought he wanted to taste her.  Maybe all Jon wanted was a little playtime and Anisa had no problem with it, letting this man do anything he wanted to do.  However, when she saw the evil glint flash in his hazy blues, Anisa knew something was up and swallowed hard, breaking out into a full body shiver.

 

“So I have a confession to make, Ani.” Jon slid his hand beneath the pillow as he spoke, keeping her gaze locked with his.  He loved how her midnight orbs were nearly blackened with desire for him.

 

“Oh really?” Anisa could only imagine what it was and chewed her bottom lip nervously, hoping he’d give her some kind of sexual reprieve.

 

“Yeah, I have a guilty conscience and need to clear it.” Jon smirked, quickly moving his hand to rest against his back while he stayed nestled between her delectable thighs. “When I brought the luggage in here earlier, something came out of your bag.  I think I set it down just a little too hard…” He pressed his engorged jean covered cock against the crotch of her panties, covering her body with his as their noses practically touched. “Wanna know what it was?”

 

Anisa couldn’t think straight, her heart rate thrumming with newfound life and her pulse quickened, every part of her body igniting in flames. “I-I don’t care what it was.” She felt her mouth go dry when the sound of buzzing filled the room moments later and furrowed her brows together in confusion. “Do you hear that?”

 

“Hear what, darlin’?” Jon acted innocent and slid off of her body to yank her until Anisa’s backside dangled off the bed, his eyes never leaving her perplexed face. “I don’t hear anything, but you’re about to feel something quite pleasurable.  So lay back and close those beautiful eyes for me.”

 

Following orders, Anisa’s body quivered with anticipation and felt Jon’s mouth remove her panties without letting her fall off the bed, using his strength and 6’4 frame to his advantage.  Her legs draped over his broad shoulders and Anisa once again heard the buzzing sound, frowning.  Then she FELT what was behind the buzzing sound and arched her body off the bed, bowing because the vibration against her throbbing clit was sensational.  HER VIBRATOR!  Anisa’s eyes snapped open and looked down, watching Jon pleasure her with the blue dragon, the very same object she had gotten off on only days ago because of him.

 

“JON!” She cried out, not bothering to keep quiet and dug her nails into the comforter.

 

Hot juices flowed out of her body within 2 minutes of using the vibrator and Jon had to stop momentarily to suck her off before starting all over again.  It was fascinating watching how the rubber object vibrated her clit, making her wetter than all 4 of the major oceans in the world combined.  Jon used his fingers and tongue to pleasure her along with the vibrator, kicking up the speed when it seemed like she may dry up on him.  It wouldn’t happen, not as long as he was breathing.  This woman deserved to be ate out thoroughly and judging by how fast she was cumming, she hadn’t been pleasured orally in quite some time.  By the time he finished with her, Jon had his snack prior to their food arriving and made sure to lay Anisa on the bed while her trembling body tried calming down from the aftershocks of his foreplay.  When Jon came back in the room with food, Anisa was out cold and he chuckled, setting his food on the nightstand before going to put hers in the fridge so it would be fresh for later when she woke up. 

 

Then the torture would start all over again.

 

Chapter 22

 

“Mom…”

 

“No excuses Ryanne Danielle Orton.”

 

Ryanne pulled the phone away from her mouth to groan, rolling her eyes at how dramatic her mother could be. “Mom, I don’t think…”

 

“Ryanne, we don’t ask a lot from you.  I realize you’re on the road with Randall right now and that’s fine, but you also have a family here with obligations.” Adele Moore argued, refusing to let her eldest daughter write off yet another family gathering. “Give me one good reason why you can’t attend Jeremiah’s graduation and party.”

 

“Have you forgot what Randy and I are trying to do?” Ryanne had talked to her mother countless times about having a baby.

 

“A baby will come in time.  You can’t hole yourselves up for your 2 days off and expect the family to be alright with that, Ryanne.” Adele reasoned, studying her manicured nails and pressed a finger to her lips when her husband, Timothy, walked inside the kitchen for a cup of coffee.

 

‘Ryanne?’ He mouthed in question and Adele answered with a nod, sitting down at the table silently to read the newspaper.

 

Jeremiah was graduating from high school, one of the biggest events of his life and Ryanne knew it meant a lot to her family to be there.  She also had a sister who was 2 years older than Jeremiah, Kayla, though Ryanne missed that ceremony last year.  Kayla had been kept back her freshman year due to screwing around and failing grades.  This graduation was bigger because Jeremiah was valedictorian of his graduating class whereas Kayla barely made it through school with a D average.  Kayla and Ryanne never got along, both of them complete opposites, so that was another reason why she tried avoiding the family at all costs.  Randy wanted a 2 day sex fest with his wife and Ryanne wanted to make him happy, but at the same time Jeremiah was depending on her to be at his graduation.  She was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

 

“Randy has to be back on the road Friday morning.  So unless you have the party tomorrow or Thursday…”

 

“It is.” Adele cut her off briskly, excitement welling up inside of her. “The graduation is at noon Thursday and we’re having his party afterwards at the house.  Everything has already been set up and scheduled.  So does this mean my eldest is finally coming for a visit?”

 

“I guess so…”

 

Ryanne had to hold the phone away from her ear as her mother squealed with excitement, hearing her father chuckling.  Adele scolded him playfully, smacking him upside the head and Timothy merely growled, pulling her on his lap.  It was sickeningly sweet how much in love her parents were and Ryanne secretly wished she had that kind of marriage.  Due to her body not responding the way they both wanted, everything was slowly falling apart for them and Ryanne didn’t know how to stop it.  This pregnancy was the only thing that could salvage their marriage, so Ryanne had to find a way to conceive a baby and fast.

 

“Mom, I have to go so I can call and see about changing our plane tickets from St. Louis to Denver.” They lived in Colorado, having moved from St. Louis a few years ago to retire in the mountains.

 

“If you need help, call me back.”

 

Ryanne hung up the phone and rubbed her temples, knowing Randy wouldn’t be happy about this when he got back with food.  What was she supposed to do?  Let her side of the family down?  They thought of Randy as family too, so he would hurt their feelings as much, if not more, than Ryanne if they didn’t show up for Jeremiah’s graduation ceremony and party.  They had to go, Randy would have to get over it.

 

~!~

 

“Maybe we shouldn’t go.”

 

Randy glanced over at his wife and took her hand, seeing the nervousness in her emerald eyes lacing their fingers together.  When Ryanne told him they were going to Denver to see her parents for Jeremiah’s graduation, Randy wasn’t happy about it at first.  They had plans to go home and spend 2 days in bed trying for a baby since Ryanne was ovulating.  It was a precious small time gap and Randy had looked forward to being alone with her in their bed.  Then he thought about it and realized what a selfish dick he was being toward her side of the family.  The Moore’s were a huge part of Randy’s life since he’d known them for years and Ryanne wouldn’t have brought this up if she didn’t want to go.  They had time to make a baby, but Jeremiah would only graduate high school once in his life and the fact he was valedictorian was an outstanding accomplishment.

 

“Babe, I know our plans got changed at the last minute, but this is your brother and I know you wanna be there.” Randy reasoned in a low gentle voice, trying to ease her apprehension somewhat while flying in the sky toward Denver from Buffalo, New York. “Let’s just enjoy the family and worry about everything else later.”

 

“I just…” She paused and looked away from him out the window, tears shining in her eyes.

 

“You just what?” Randy hated when she tried shutting down on him and turned her face back to meet concerned mystic blues. “Talk to me, Ry.”

 

Ryanne hated how emotional she was getting and pulled some tissue out of her purse to dab her eyes, not wanting her makeup smeared. “I just hope we get another opportunity to have 2 days off where I’m ovulating.”

 

There were so many other things Ryanne wanted to tell him, but she was steadfast when it came to her husband.  Every month that passed by when getting her period instead of missing one felt like she was letting him down.  What if she couldn’t get pregnant?  What if they had to go through life never having kids?  Randy had siblings and so did she, but she knew Randy wanted a child of his own someday.  Ryanne couldn’t confide in her husband though because he’d just pity her and that was the last thing she needed.  So she kept her feelings bottled up and tried dealing with them on her own.

 

“We will.” Randy was confident and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, having no clue how his wife really felt currently.  He wasn’t a mind reader. “It’ll happen when it’s supposed to, so stop stressing out about it.  I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” She leaned up brushing her mouth against his and suddenly had an idea, wondering if Randy was up to meeting her in the bathroom for a little action. “Meet me in the bathroom in 5 minutes.”

 

Randy blinked, watching her stand up and walked down the aisle toward the bathrooms, wondering if she was serious.  His wife had gotten bold recently and there was no way Randy would disappoint her.  They were in first class and almost everyone had either fallen asleep or had headphones on.  The stewardesses were on the other side of the plane catering to coach flyers, so this was the perfect opportunity to have a little fun.  Knocking on the bathroom door quietly, Ryanne yanked him inside and immediately their mouths sought each other’s, her hands going to the belt on his pants while he delved up her skirt to remove her panties.  Ryanne gasped when the material gave way under Randy’s strength and he swallowed her moans, quickly shoving the ripped panties in the back pocket of his jeans.  This was probably the only time they’d be able to have sex over the next 2 days, so both made it last as long as possible.

 

After their airplane bathroom romp and landing a few hours later, Ryanne had stopped in the airport bathroom to pull a fresh pair of panties out of her bag to slip on.  There was no way she could go see her parents and siblings without panties, even though Randy tried convincing her otherwise.  He could be such a naughty man when he wanted to be.  Randy had tried sliding his hand up the white skirt she wore repeatedly on the drive to her parents, but Ryanne chastised him every time.  Pulling into the driveway, Randy walked around to open Ryanne’s door and helped her out of the Ford Explorer rental, he pinned his beautiful wife against it capturing her mouth in a soul searing kiss.

 

“I’m thinking we need to get a hotel room while staying here.” Randy suggested in a low husky voice and pressed his jean covered crotch against her, letting her feel just how hard he was.  Luckily, the jeans were tight enough to cut the circulation off to his dick or else the Moore’s would be witnessing their son-in-law’s current problem. “What do you think, beautiful?”

 

“That sounds great, but you know how my Mom is.  She’s gonna want us to stay here.” Ryanne caressed his strong muscular tattooed sleeved arms and gasped when Randy nipped her ear with a soft growl. “I’ll talk to her about it.  Book the room.”

 

Randy smirked, rubbing his nose against hers and squeezed her backside beneath the skirt lovingly before giving her one final kiss.  They walked up to the front door and Ryanne knocked, trying not to look too heated after the tease from her husband.  The door opened seconds later and the smile on Ryanne’s face faltered a little at the sight of Kayla instead of their mother.

 

“Well – well, look who finally decided to pay us a visit.” Kayla commented in a smarmy voice, folding her arms in front of her chest and flashed a phony smile.

 

Some things never changed, Ryanne thought, feeling Randy tighten his arm around her a little to let her know he was there if she needed him.  She smiled up at him, ignoring Kayla’s scoff and walked inside the house toward the kitchen while Kayla went back to the living room to plant her backside in front of the television.  She was a big woman and had always been jealous of Ryanne and Randy’s relationship because no man wanted to be with her.  She was a fat slob who never cleaned up after herself, wore clothes that didn’t compliment her body and slept with anyone who gave her attention – man or woman, it didn’t matter.  Kayla made Ryanne sick to her stomach, but she would keep her comments to herself, not wanting to cause problems during their brother’s celebration.

 

“Hey Mom.” Ryanne greeted, watching the older brunette haired woman turn around to face them both with a smile the size of the Grand Canyon.

 

“Finally!” Adele rushed to her daughter and hugged her tightly, then moved to Randy kissing both of his cheeks. “I’m so glad you two are here!  Timothy, your daughter is here!”

 

Timothy came clomping down the stairs and lifted Ryanne in his arms in a tight embrace before moving to Randy, shaking his hand.  Jeremiah was next, doing the same thing his father did.  Timothy and Jeremiah had emerald eyes while Kayla and Adele had deep brown.  They were all brunette, though Ryanne wanted to stand out from her family so that’s why she kept her hair dyed every 6 months blood red.  It suited her a lot better.  Adele ordered everyone to sit down at the table because lunch was ready, which consisted of chicken salad sandwiches and Italian pasta salad with chips if desired.  Halfway through the meal, Ryanne decided to bring up Randy’s hotel idea, wanting to get it out of the way.

 

“So Mom, I was thinking since Grandma Sheila and Aunt Caroline are coming in from out of town, Randy and I could get a hotel room to stay in.” Ryanne announced, taking a sip of her strawberry homemade lemonade.

 

Adele frowned, raising a slow brow at her oldest. “Well, you do realize we have 7 rooms in this house, right?” It was huge and secluded, the scenery nothing except beautiful mountains surrounding them. “Why would you want to spend your hard earned money on a hotel room when you can stay with us for free?”

 

Ryanne was afraid this would happen, but she couldn’t exactly say the reason why she and Randy wanted a hotel room.  So Kayla decided to do it for her. “Isn’t it obvious, Adele?” She never used the term ‘mother’ or ‘Mom’, preferring to call their parents by their actual names. “They want to get their fuck on.”

 

“Kayla Anne!” Adele scolded instantly, brown eyes widening at the filth coming from her daughter’s mouth. “Do NOT use that language in this house, young lady!  My goodness…” Her eyes turned to Ryanne, who was red as a cherry tomato and Randy had lowered his head, clearing his throat awkwardly.

 

“Why when it’s the truth?” Kayla shot back, folding her arms in front of her chest and shot a smug smirk at her sister. “It’s sad you can’t even keep your legs closed for 2 days for our brother.”

 

Ryanne had enough and stood up from the table, tossing her napkin on the table. “You know what?  I don’t need to put up with this attitude and hostility!  You guys are the ones who decided to move out here and left me behind with Randy!  So it’s not MY fault you never get to see me anymore, it’s YOURS.  I came here for Jeremiah and I will keep my word, but as far as staying in this house with a no good, selfish, inconsiderate BITCH is something I will NOT do!” Tears swelled in her eyes as Kayla merely glared at her, both of them having nothing except hatred for each other. “And for your information, Kayla, yes I do want to be alone with my HUSBAND because we’re trying to have a baby!  We want to give Mom & Dad the opportunity to be grandparents before they’re dead since you can’t keep YOUR legs closed long enough to have a serious committed relationship!”

 

“YOU CUNT!!” Kayla squealed indignantly, standing from the table and went to shove Ryanne, but Randy immediately stepped in the way, blocking the sisters from hurting each other.

 

“ENOUGH!” Randy barked angrily, blue eyes flashing dangerously down at his spiteful sister-in-law and felt Ryanne physically shaking behind him.  She hated confrontation, always kind to everyone around her, but when pushed far enough she was a ball of fire.

 

Adele couldn’t believe this was happening and shook her head sadly while Kayla stormed out the backdoor, slamming it shut behind her. “Ryanne…”

 

“No mother.” Ryanne cut her off, already knowing what was going to be said and held her hand up. “I don’t want to hear it.  She’s a spiteful bitch and always has been when it comes to me.  I don’t know what I ever did to her to make her hate me so damn much, but I’m fed up dealing with her attitude.  You guys can cater and spoil her all you want, but the more you keep doing it, she’s not gonna learn a damn thing about life.  She’s gonna rely on you for the rest of hers and expect you to bow down to her every whim and want.  I’m sick of her taking advantage of you guys and I get she’s your kid and everything, but sooner or later the bird has to leave the nest.”

 

Timothy wholeheartedly agreed with his older daughter and pulled her into his arms for a tight hug, hating that Kayla once again scared her away. “I’m sorry about this Ry-Ry.” He murmured, glaring at his guilt-ridden wife and heaved a sigh. “I’m going out in the garage.  We’ll see you tomorrow right?”

 

“Yes, I won’t let Jeremiah down.”

 

“Thanks Ry, that means a lot.” Jeremiah and Ryanne always got along, but he loathed Kayla and wished his mother would grow a backbone with her.

 

“You just don’t understand…” Adele tried making more excuses for Kayla, but Ryanne refused to hear them along with her husband and Jeremiah.  They were all fed up with Kayla at this point.

 

“And none of us ever will, mother.  I’m sorry, but I agree with Ryanne and so does Dad.  I’m going up to my room to work on my valedictorian speech.  See you guys tomorrow.” Jeremiah went upstairs to his room, leaving Ryanne and Randy standing in the kitchen.

 

When Adele didn’t say anything and started cleaning up lunch, Ryanne couldn’t handle being there anymore, leaving with Randy.  He’d already booked a hotel room in hopes Ryanne would agree to go to it instead of staying at her parents.  After that blowup with her sister, Randy was more than happy to take his wife out of that hostile environment and planned on making her forget all about it by making love to her for the rest of the day and night.

 

Chapter 23

 

Holding on for dear life, Coralie held her emotions in while embracing one of the most important people to her. “I love you, Aunt Maggie.” She mumbled against the woman’s neck, gripping her long sleeved shirt.

 

“Love you too, Coral.” Margaret Brown replied, slowly pulling back to look into her niece’s leaf green watery eyes. “Don’t cry, sweetie.  We’ll see each other again soon.  Just make sure to keep in touch, you hear me?”

 

Coralie nodded, wiping a stray tear away from her cheek and hugged her Aunt one last time before heading off the front porch toward her rental car.  Aunt Maggie had stage 3 cervical cancer, but the doctor’s hadn’t caught it nearly as fast as they had Coralie.  She was diagnosed 3 years ago, taking chemotherapy and radiation treatments to try getting rid of it, but so far nothing was working.  There were countless surgeries to remove tumors and Margaret even had a full hysterectomy done, but the cancer had already spread to her bladder and intestines.  She had to wear a colostomy bag because her bladder wasn’t working properly due to a huge chunk of it being removed because of the cancer. 

 

Once a month, Coralie did her best to visit her Aunt since her mother was worthless and didn’t care if her sister lived or died.  A big part of that Coralie felt responsible for since her mother had to deal with her daughter’s cancer scare as a teenager.  It wasn’t Aunt Margaret’s fault or hers – their family just had the worse luck when it came to cancer, especially downstairs.  Still, Aunt Maggie wouldn’t be around for more than a couple years and she’d been brutally honest with Coralie during this visit about the status of her illness.  The doctors gave her 3-5 years at best, but they were aiming more toward the 2-3 year mark.  It depended if the cancer continued spreading or stayed where it currently was. 

 

Coralie didn’t want to lose her Aunt Maggie because she was more of a mother to her than her sister, who lived in Malibu with husband #3.  Her mother only cared about money and how much of it she could get, going after old men.  She somewhat reminded Coralie of a black widow, jumping from man to man and marrying them for their money.  It’d been that way since Coralie could remember and was always told her biological father had taken off shortly after her birth.  Whenever Coralie’s mother would take off with her current sugar daddy, she would stay with Aunt Maggie and sometimes it lasted for weeks at a time.  Because of Aunt Maggie’s health problems, she was never able to have kids and it made Coralie wonder briefly if she was really Aunt Maggie’s daughter instead of her biological mother’s.

 

Her cell phone ringing jolted Coralie out of her thoughts while she sat at a rest stop, needing a bathroom break and the tiniest smile crossed her face at the name flashing on the screen. “Hey Punkers.” She greeted, smirking when his deep chuckle resonated through the phone.

 

“Why do you insist on calling me that?” Phil was glad she hadn’t gotten back on the road yet because she never talked on the phone while driving.

 

“Because it’s part of you.  You are a punk.  I just added the E.R.S. to the end of it.” Coralie missed him more than she was willing to admit and wished he was with her at that moment.  She really needed comfort after visiting her sick Aunt.

 

“Whatever you want, kitten.” Phil leaned back on the bed in his lavish bus and draped a tattooed sleeved arm over his eyes.

 

“Kitten, really?” Coralie rolled her eyes, not minding anything Phil called her as long as he was loving about it.

 

Phil nodded, a smirk curving his mouth while running his tongue over his lip hoop piercing. “Mmm yeah my sexy feisty kitten…” He purred, snuggling further down in the bed in the darkened room. “What time will you be in Colorado Springs?”

 

The huskiness in his voice sent heat flooding through Coralie’s body and she could feel her panties dampening. “About 2 hours or so, depending if there’s any traffic.” Aunt Maggie lived in Saratoga, Wyoming, which was about 4-5 hours away from Colorado Springs, so it was within driving distance.  She didn’t like flying unless it was absolutely necessary. “And no, I’m not having phone sex with you at a rest stop, so get that idea out of your head.”

 

“Damn.” Phil snapped his fingers, hearing the tension in her voice though she tried hiding it. “How’s Maggie?” He loved the older woman and thought of her as a second mother, loathing his woman’s biological mother.

 

Coralie felt tears swell in her eyes at the mention of her Aunt, thankful Phil asked because it showed he actually cared. “Not good.” She wiped a stray tear from her cheek and put the hood up on her sweatshirt so people didn’t see her crying. “She’s – uh – stopped responding to treatments, but the cancer hasn’t spread further.  It’s just…staying where it’s at, I guess.  They gave her 3-5 years as a best case scenario, but…she has 2-3 years left at best.” It was a hard conversation to have with Aunt Maggie, but Coralie knew it would happen eventually if the cancer couldn’t be cured. “She asked me to come see her because she’s making me the only benefactor of her will.”

 

“Fuck Cora, I’m so sorry…” Phil felt like a prick for asking about Maggie and felt tears sting his own eyes, scrubbing a hand down his face. “There’s nothing we can do for her?  Baby, I have all the money in the world.  We can fly her to Switzerland for treatments or hire the best goddamn doctor on this planet.  I don’t care what it costs.”

 

“I can’t ask you to do that, Phil…”

 

“You’re not asking.  I’m offering.” Phil’s voice filled with determination to help his girlfriend anyway he could. “Maggie isn’t just your family, Coralie, she’s mine too.  Just like my family is yours.  Chez loves you to pieces.” Chez was Phil’s best friend; a sister since his biological family was full of drunks and drug addicts. “Let me help you with this.  I know losing Maggie will destroy you and I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t do everything in my power to at least try to help stop it.”

 

Coralie shook her head repeatedly, the tears flowing freely down her cheeks now while she curled up in the seat to hide her face as much as possible from bystanders. “She won’t let you.  I’ve already offered and she won’t let someone spend thousands of dollars on her.  I told her it’s not a big deal, but she’s stubborn.  So what makes you think she’ll take your money?”

 

“Simple, I’m not giving her a choice.” Phil pulled out a pad of paper and pen. “Now tell me everything she’s told you from the doctor and I’ll start making calls.”

 

It was a good thing Coralie decided to leave Aunt Maggie’s early because it was noon before she got back on the road again.  The drive was smooth except a small traffic jam that held her up an hour.  So by the time she arrived in Colorado Springs, it was going on 4 PM.  Phil had gotten caught in a huge construction zone, so he was running late as well.  Coralie decided to get a room to clean herself up, knowing the hotel wouldn’t overcharge her due to working for the WWE.  The job definitely had its perks.  Parking the rental, Coralie walked inside the hotel heading straight for the receptionist to check-in and looked down when her cell phone rang.

 

“Hey Auntie, I made it.”

 

“Girl, you are gonna give me a heart attack.” Maggie stated, relieved her niece made it safely to Colorado Springs. “How was the drive?”

 

“It was fine for the most part besides a minor traffic jam on the border.  No biggie though, I also stopped at a rest stop to piss.” Coralie stood in line since it was somewhat long and full of her fellow coworkers.

 

That didn’t surprise Maggie. “So I got a rather interesting phone call from my oncologist about an hour ago.”

 

“Really?” Coralie did her best to sound surprised because if Aunt Maggie found out what Phil did, she wouldn’t be happy. “What for?  Is everything okay?”

 

“Yeah, it’s…it’s great actually.” Maggie dabbed her eyes with a tissue, swallowing hard because she was still trying to wrap her mind around the news. “Do you remember the doctor in Switzerland they told me about that I couldn’t afford?”

 

“Uh-huh.”

 

“Well, they have some kind of experimental drug that could help me or at least give me more time.  And the strangest thing happened because Doctor Pathadia received a large sum of money today to pay for everything.” Maggie closed her eyes, trying to keep the shakiness out of her voice. “Coral, please tell me you didn’t…”

 

Coralie hated lying to her Aunt, but in this case it had to be done. “No Auntie, I would never go behind your back like that.  I respect your wishes.  Did they say who donated the money or gave it to your doctor?” She signed the sheet the receptionist handed her and flashed her license along with her WWE ID to prove she worked for the company.

 

“No, he said it was anonymous and apparently it was wired to them from an unknown destination.” Maggie knew her sister’s husband was loaded, but highly doubted they’d send a large sum of money to help.  Her sister was selfish and only cared about herself after all. “I just wish I knew who it was.”

 

There wasn’t anything in the world that could repay Phil for what he did for her Aunt, but Coralie would try to return the favor until her last dying breath. “So when do you leave for Switzerland?” She tried not to start crying because that would make Aunt Maggie suspicious.

 

“Tomorrow, can you believe it?!” Maggie was busy in her room trying to decide on what to pack. “My flight leaves at 6 AM and the oncologist there will be waiting for me.  I’m staying for 2 weeks, I guess.  I don’t know what I’ll do if I have to stay longer since they’re putting me in a hotel that looks like a castle.”

 

Phil didn’t pull any punches, Coralie thought, not able to wipe the smile off her face and took the key card the receptionist handed her. ‘Thank you.’ She mouthed, walking away toward the stairwell since there was a huge line at the elevator. “That’s great, Auntie, I’m so happy for you.  You need to keep me posted on how everything goes in Switzerland.”

 

“I will, tell Phil boy I said hi and the next time you come see me, he better come too.”

 

“I will, take care Auntie.  I love you.”

 

“Love you more, Coral.”

 

Coralie hadn’t paid attention to who else was in the stairwell and slipped her cell phone in her pocket, new hope for her Aunt Maggie filling her body.  She looked up and froze at the sight of Luke Harper standing on the stairs, blocking her from arriving on the next floor.  Not thinking twice about it, Coralie turned and fled back down the stairs, trying to get away from him, but she wasn’t fast enough.  Luke quickly caught up with her, grabbing the back of her t-shirt and slammed her against the wall, his dark eyes piercing down at her.  Her breathing became labored as Coralie locked eyes with him, remembering the last time he did this.

 

“What the fuck do you want?” She demanded hoarsely, her mind racing trying to figure out how to get away from him.

 

“I would think that’s obvious.” Luke replied, tilting his head slightly and surveyed the amount of fear on her face, a sick smirk curving his mouth. “Stop fighting.”

 

“Fighting what?  You?  Because last time I checked, I’m standing here while a sick psycho stops me from going up to my room.” Coralie smarted off, folding her arms in front of her chest and had to breathe out of her mouth since he stunk to high heavens.

 

Luke enjoyed her fiery temper and spirit, which made him want to pursue her more. “Stop fighting what you desire.” He stepped closer to her if that was possible and slid a dirty finger down her cheek, leaving a black streak behind.

 

“I don’t desire you, Harper.” Was this guy daft, blind or plain stupid? “I have a man and his name is Phillip Brooks AKA CM Punk.”

 

Growling, Luke decided to challenge her and cupped her jean covered sex in his strong hand, forcing a gasp out of the auburn haired beauty. “I beg to differ.  You’re lying and eventually you will fall to me.  Your boy will be executed and then you will have no one.  Join me and you will have an eternal family.”

 

“Go back to hell where you came from and leave me alone.” Coralie hissed, shoving his hand away from her and Luke lifted his arm to let her escape, his evil laughter echoing in the stairwell while she raced up the stairs.

 

What the hell was going on?  Why did Luke Harper suddenly target her?  And what did he mean when he said Phil would be executed?  Coralie felt disgusting and had to take an immediate shower to get Luke’s touch off of her.  The fact he touched her intimately pissed her off, but she couldn’t let Phil know.  Scrubbing her body from head to toe, Coralie didn’t stop until her skin turned raw, making the water as hot as she could stand it.  After her hour long shower, Coralie finally stepped out and dressed in jeans with a WWE logo black t-shirt, towel drying her hair.  She checked her cell phone and noticed Phil had arrived, waiting for her in his bus downstairs.  Grabbing her belongings, Coralie slipped her shoes on and trekked to the lobby to checkout before heading outside in the parking lot.  It was nearly impossible not to spot the silver bus waiting for her at the end and Coralie kept her eyes peeled just in case Luke Harper decided to try something else.

 

“There’s my kitten.” Phil stood in the doorway of his bus and hopped off of it to pull Coralie in his arms, kissing her breathlessly.

 

Coralie wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist getting lost in the kiss.  They hadn’t seen each other in 2 long days and it felt like an eternity since they were used to traveling together.  She broke the kiss only when they needed oxygen and Phil carted them on the bus, ordering his driver to grab Coralie’s luggage.  Her wet hair indicated to Phil she’d already had a shower, so he planned on getting her dirty all over again.

 

“Wait…” She breathed, cupping his face after Phil removed both of their shirts and kissed him softly, tenderly. “Thank you for what you did for Aunt Maggie.  She called me crying and has no idea it was you.”

 

Phil grinned, nipping her bottom lip and began grinding against her. “My pleasure.  We can talk about that after making up for lost time.”

 

No other words besides dirty ones were uttered for the next 2 hours as Phil and Coralie reached heights together only they were capable of together, Luke Harper the furthest thing from Coralie’s mind.

 

Chapter 24

 

Once again, the house shows were split between the Superstars on Saturday and Sunday.  Half of the roster went to Wisconsin while the other half stayed in Colorado, both areas within driving distance to each town they performed in.  The Shield stayed in Colorado with Phil and Randy had to go to Wisconsin.  Luckily, Coralie was on the ring crew for Wisconsin and Anisa could decide where she wanted to go, so of course she stayed with the Colorado roster.  It was nice not having to worry about flying arrangements, so the Shield boys decided to rent a bus like Phil had.  Plenty of rooms, bathrooms and 2 kitchens since the women planned on feeding their men homemade food.  Monday morning they’d drop the bus off in Loveland, Colorado and then take a flight to Indianapolis, Indiana for Raw.  For the 2 days, they would enjoy life on the road without dealing with hotel rooms and vehicle rentals.

 

“Wow, this is incredible!” Anisa crowed, stepping on the bus with the biggest smile as Jon followed suit, looking around in awe. “Look at this place!”

 

This was a little extravagant for Jon’s tastes, but if it kept the breathtaking smile on Anisa’s face the bus rental was well worth it. “Damn bro, was this the cheapest one they had?” He had to ask Joe, who made the reservation a week ago.

 

“Surprisingly yeah.” Joe was thrilled to have Mia on the same roster split as him, kissing the top of her head. “We got a good price on it, don’t worry.”

 

“This place is DOPE!” Colby jumped up and down, being his hyper energetic self while Krystal giggled uncontrollably at him.  Paul had no idea she was traveling with them due to being on the other roster in Wisconsin, thankfully.

 

“Is he like that all the time?” Anisa murmured to Jon, watching him nod emphatically and ruffled his dishwater blonde curls playfully, squealing when he retaliated by lifting her over his shoulder caveman style. “JON!  Put me down!”

 

Jon smirked while doing his little sway dance he always performed when wrestling and smacked her backside. “You sure you want that, darlin’?” He threw a thumbs up at Colby and Joe, both of them shaking their heads at him in response.

 

“YES!” Flipping her over, Jon dropped her on one of the long stretch leather black couches that was against the wall of the bus and he admired how her long blonde tresses fanned around her face. “You ass!  I didn’t mean for you to drop me!”

 

He ignored her light swat against his chest since Jon currently hovered over her and claimed her mouth with his, settling his weight on top of her.  Anisa couldn’t remember the last time a man made her this happy, feeling completely content with Jon.  It felt like nothing could ever get in-between them and the best part was there were zero secrets.  Jon was straightforward with her and the same went for Anisa, both of them 100% available to each other.  They still hadn’t established they were in an actual relationship, but at this point it wasn’t necessary.  The only people who knew were their closest circle of friends and that’s the way it would stay, even after Mark left the road.  She giggled against his lips when his long fingers began lightly caressing her sides, purposely tickling her.

 

“Alright you two, get a damn room.” Joe growled good-naturedly, blinking when Mia elbowed him in the stomach and yanked her flush against his rock hard body, blowing raspberries against the side of her neck.

 

Mia was the next to squeal out while Colby had Krystal piggybacked, all 3 couples having a blast together.  She glanced over at Anisa and Jon, not remembering the last time her best friend’s eyes sparkled the way they did whenever she talked about Jon or saw him.  Maybe she’d jumped the gun too soon regarding Anisa and Jon being together.  She just hoped he didn’t break Anisa’s heart and would have to trust Jon was one of the few good men left in the world along with Joe.

 

“Leave them alone, you brute.” Mia castigated, gasping when Joe lifted her in his arms to where her legs wrapped instinctively around his waist and a second later had her in a toe-curling lip lock.

 

“Now who needs to get a room, fucker?” Jon grunted and sat up on the couch, pulling Anisa to straddle his lap.  Joe promptly flipped Jon the bird behind Mia’s back while continuing to kiss her and Jon reciprocated, only for Anisa to nip the tip of it gently. “Ooo I got a biter on my hands, eh?”

 

“Maybe.” Anisa flashed her most innocent smile and Jon could feel his jeans hardening instantly, pulling her to where she could feel him beneath the thin material of her black leggings. “Not fair…” She mumbled, burying her face in the side of his neck so the others didn’t see her burning face.

 

Krystal and Colby were busy dancing with each other on the other side of the bus, getting lost in the music.  They were both lovers of dancing and Colby couldn’t believe how amazing she was.  Ice skating no, but dancing was a completely different story.  The way her body moved and her hips popped with every beat made his dick jump in his blue skinny jeans.  Her arms draped around his neck, letting herself loose a little more while whipping her head around in a circle, walking around Colby to slide her hands across his perfect backside.  Colby groaned and felt her jump up on his back again, her mouth nibbling on his ear asking if he wanted to go pick out their room.  Reading the code, Colby didn’t bother telling the others where they were going and trekked down the small hallway, picking one of the rather big bedrooms kicking the door shut.  They hadn’t had sex yet, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t play and enjoy each other a little before dinner.

 

Anisa wished that was her and Jon since all they had done was fool around.  She felt like exploding whenever they were close like this, his lips and tongue pure heaven.  The way his hands molded to her body didn’t help quell the fire inside of her either.  Ever since the vibrator incident, Jon had used it quite a few times on her and she’d reciprocated to make him cum with the blue dragon.  It was erotic exploration and Anisa didn’t mind it, but she was getting to the point where she craved the actual appendage attached to him.  She longed to feel his balls slap against her pussy lips while he claimed her as his own with his cock.  Sleeping in his arms was nice and the foreplay was even better, so Anisa had no doubt in her mind sex with Jon would be stupefying.

 

Eventually, both Joe and Jon allowed the girls some breathing room while they fired up the PS3 on the bus to do some gaming on Call of Duty.  It was their favorite game, though Colby was the gamer out of the group.  Since he was busy with his woman, Joe and Jon decided to have a competition amongst themselves while Mia and Anisa talked in the kitchen area of the bus.  They decided to make a batch of margaritas while the men stuck with longnecks since they had to wrestle later that night.  Krystal emerged an hour later looking disheveled with a satisfied grinning Colby behind her, heading over to join his friends in gaming.

 

“So, when are you going to tell your brother about you and Ninja Rollins?” Mia asked, popping a cherry in her mouth after dipping it in chocolate sauce.

 

Krystal shrugged, rubbing the back of her neck. “I really don’t think I should until after WrestleMania at the earliest.  He’s got a lot on his plate right now since Vince gave him and Stephanie more responsibility behind the scenes.  It wouldn’t be fair for me to drop this bomb on him.”

 

“I agree.  I think you should wait until after Mania for sure.” Anisa picked up a carrot and dipped it in ranch, popping it in her mouth while Mia raised a brow at her. “What?”

 

“You shouldn’t have a say in this conversation considering you can’t even come clean to everyone about you and the Eccentric One.”

 

Anisa rolled her eyes, elbowing Mia in the side. “This coming from the same person who tried telling me it was a bad idea to get involved with another wrestler.  And Jon is not eccentric…much.” She did not tell her friends about the vibrator incident and swore Jon to secrecy, not wanting anyone to know about it. “Besides, I’m waiting until after asshole leaves the road and THEN I’ll be more than happy to come clean to the whole roster about me and Jon.”

 

“If you ask me, you shouldn’t let that prick dictate your life.” Mia hated Mark Calaway with a fiery passion and wanted to kill him for what he did to her best friend. “You’re divorced and you’re not his anymore.  He has another wife who is more than willing to give up everything she loves and wants for him.  So he shouldn’t be concerned with who you’re with.”

 

“You obviously don’t know Mark Calaway from a hole in the ground then.” Anisa had to change the subject, not wanting to talk about her ex-husband anymore. “So, what are we making for dinner?”

 

Days with the bus flew by in the blink of an eye.  The Shield feuded with John Cena, Stephen and Ryan (Ryback), losing both nights consecutively, but the boys didn’t mind.  They knew losses were part of the gig and didn’t mind as long as they were in front of a crowd wrestling.  Nobody knew about what happened between Ryan and Krystal otherwise Colby would’ve tried taking his head off along with his brethren.  Jon commented how rough and irresponsible Ryan was in the ring, not appreciating the man adding more power to the moves he performed than necessary.  Something was definitely going on, but the Shield getting put their fingers on it to save their lives.  After dropping the bus off, the crew walked 4 blocks to the airport with their gear in hand, the men carrying theirs along with the girls.  Once inside, Anisa told everyone to hand over their plane tickets and she would check them in so they could go through security.  They all thanked her and she waved them off, winking over at Jon on her way to the reception counter.

 

Colby was careful with what he did with Krystal, the same going for Jon and Anisa, neither couple wanting their other coworkers to know they were together. “You’re tense.” He commented quietly in Krystal’s ear, clasping his hands in front of him.

 

“I am?” Krystal looked at him blankly. “I don’t feel tense…”

 

She was a little anxious because on their way inside the airport she caught Ryan Reeves blatantly undressing her with his eyes.  It made Krystal extremely uncomfortable to say the least, but there’s no way she could tell Colby about it.  Colby felt her whole body tense again and he frowned, wishing she would tell him what was wrong, not realizing the problem sat directly across from them currently.  He opened his mouth to ask her something else when Anisa returned, handing them back their plane tickets and sat next to Jon.

 

“Everything check out?” Jon asked, fighting the urge to reach for her hand while staring straight ahead.

 

Anisa nodded, cracking a small smile up at him and could tell he wanted to touch her.  Joe and Mia were cuddled up together, not caring who saw them and Anisa was genuinely happy for her friend.  Mia deserved to be happy just as much as the rest of their clan did.  Anisa knew it was her fault for the sneaking around, but she honestly didn’t want to deal with Mark’s jealousy.  It was easier to make him think she was single until he left and then she could resume life the way she wanted.  Yes, it was the coward’s way out, but until Jon told her he had a problem with it, she would continue to sneak around with him.  For all she knew, Jon didn’t want anyone besides their close circle of friends knowing about them and she was fine with it.

 

“Flight 434 to Indianapolis, Indiana now boarding.”

 

“That’s us.”

 

Everyone made their way to the terminal and had their carry-on bags checked, none of them having issues passing through to board the plane.  Anisa and Jon made sure to have their seats beside each other when travel arrangements were made, so they made their way down the aisle to the first class section.  Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Anisa swallowed hard at the sight of Bray Wyatt sitting in their row of seats – in Jon’s spot.  What the hell was this about?

 

“Hey asshole, you’re in my seat.” Jon barked, watching Bray’s cold calculating blues turn to look at both of them and raised a slow brow, looking down at his plane ticket.

 

“Not according to this, Ambrose.”

 

“We had our seats booked together.” Anisa couldn’t believe this and looked at her plane ticket to make sure they had the right seats, seeing hers was by the window while Jon was supposed to be by the aisle.

 

“You don’t believe me, Anisa?” Bray handed over his plane ticket to prove to her this was his seat and smirked when her face suddenly became devoid of color.

 

“Shit.”

 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Jon growled, snatching the ticket from her and sure enough the plane ticket read correctly. “What the fuck is this shit?!”

 

“I don’t know…” Anisa wished Jon would keep his voice down and rubbed her temples, taking Jon’s ticket from him since he was too angry to look at it correctly. “Fuck, he’s right.  They must’ve mixed the damn tickets up when we booked them.”

 

Bray took his plane ticket back and tucked it securely in the jacket he wore, not believing how lucky he was to be sitting next to Anisa Brooks for the duration of this flight.  Then he heard Jon mention switching seats and Bray knew he wasn’t aware of the airport policy.  They could switch only IF the plane wasn’t booked to capacity and, fortunately for Bray, it was packed full.  Anisa tried calming Jon down while he used his freedom of speech and used every cuss word he could think of, pissed beyond belief at this sudden turn of events.  She tried calling a stewardess over to see if there was anyway Bray could have a different seat or switch tickets with Jon, but she denied them, stating it was for safety reasons.  The last person Anisa wanted to sit next to on a 4 hour flight was Bray Wyatt and she felt helpless since Jon was across the aisle a few seats ahead of them.

 

“This is such bullshit.” Jon didn’t bother hiding his disgruntled attitude and slammed his headphones over his ears, watching Anisa reluctantly sit down beside Bray.

 

Turning his attention on Anisa, Bray snuggled back in his seat and decided they would be talking whether she wanted to or not. “So, how are you doing this fine day, Anisa?  Beautiful day for flying, isn’t it?”

 

This was going to be the longest flight of Anisa’s life.

 

Chapter 25

 

Turns out, sitting next to Bray on the plane wasn’t horrible, not the way Anisa envisioned anyway.  Bray was persistent talking to her and Anisa tried ignoring him, but she caved after the first hour.  They talked about music and movies, mostly horror and classic rock.  Anisa enjoyed the old horror movies, hating the new ones and Bray agreed with her, though they didn’t enjoy the same type of music.  There were a few classic rock bands she liked, but for the most part she was a country bumpkin.  Bray respected that, liking older country instead of today’s pop/country garbage.  It was a decent conversation that lasted the whole flight, both of them even sharing a few laughs.  Anisa hadn’t forgotten her last encounter with Bray and the other Wyatt’s, but he also didn’t have the creep factor while they sat next to each other.

 

However, through the whole flight Anisa could FEEL the anger radiating from Jon across the plane.  If looks could kill, Bray would’ve collapsed at her feet dead as a doornail.  She tried her best to ignore Jon while talking to Bray, but it wasn’t easy by any means.  Jon had every right being ticked off at the airlines for screwing his ticket up, but he couldn’t blame Bray for that.  It was an honest mistake and could’ve happened to anyone.  Bray even apologized to Anisa for the trouble he caused, which was a very classy thing to do and she appreciated it.  That’s how he got her to open up to him and their conversation took off with a simple apology.  When the plane landed, Anisa and Jon retrieved their luggage before getting their separate rental vehicles.  He didn’t say a single word to her, deciding to wait until they were in the safety and privacy of their adjoined hotel rooms to confront her.

 

No sooner had the door closed to her hotel room and Anisa set her luggage down did the adjoining room toss open, her back facing it.  Huge muscular hands planted on her hips and Jon pulled her back to mold with his chest, his hot breath on her ear.  Luckily, Anisa had braided her hair so it hung over her shoulder, so the other side was completely exposed.  Her eyes drifted shut as Jon’s hand slid beneath the front of her top to splay it against her soft abdomen, forcing her breathing to become slightly shaky.  He could feel how tense she was and glided his nose across the back of her neck, breathing her in while trying to hold his temper in check.  Jon was irate at how friendly Anisa was toward Bray Wyatt; the bastard looked like something straight out of the movie Deliverance with a ratty beard that probably hadn’t been washed in years.

 

“I know you’re angry…”

 

“That’s an understatement.” Jon interrupted, pressing a soft kiss to the pulse point on her neck.

 

“Jon…”

 

“Did you enjoy it?”

 

That question confused Anisa and she tried turning around to face him, but Jon held her tighter, preventing it. “What do you mean?” A shiver surged down her spine at Jon’s low growl against her throat while his hand inched further up her top.

 

“Talking to Bray Wyatt, did you enjoy it?”

 

The amount of raw jealousy and anger in his tone made warmth pool in her panties.  Anisa was being turned on by this man being angry – was that normal? “I – um – I don’t know – maybe.” Now she was stammering like an idiot and Jon reciprocated by pulling the shoulder of her top down along with her bra strap, biting gently into the succulent flesh. “Ohh…”

 

“You were laughing with him and had a beautiful smile on your face that should’ve been caused by me, not that cocksucker.” Jon’s other hand snaked down her side to cup her jean covered crotch, beginning to work her body into a heated frenzy against him.

 

This definitely wasn’t the argument she thought they’d have and Anisa was thoroughly enjoying it, reaching up to bury her fingers in his curls. “What do you want me to say?” She breathed, her voice nothing more than a soft whimper and felt his fingers begin rubbing her in tantalizingly slow circular motion.

 

“Tell me why you enjoyed it.” Jon ordered, feeling her melt against him and loved how her body responded to his administrations. “Maybe you want him instead of me…”

 

That snapped Anisa right out of the passion haze Jon put her in. “No I don’t!” She broke away from him instantly and whipped around to face him, those normally pale blues blazing blue fire. “How could you say that to me?  Just because I talked to him doesn’t mean I want him!  Are you really that closed-minded?”

 

Jon shrugged, folding his arms in front of his chest. “Maybe.” He tossed back the same answer she gave him just a few minutes ago and stopped Anisa from stalking into the bathroom. “Don’t walk away from me, Brooks.”

 

“I’ll go wherever the hell I want, Ambrose!” She retorted scathingly, trying not to show how much he hurt her with his words and failed, tears already stinging her eyes. “Get out and leave me alone.”

 

“No.”

 

Jon wouldn’t let her dismiss him that easily and yanked her flush against his body, his hands cupping her face capturing her mouth before Anisa could utter another word.  This was the first fight they ever had and Anisa didn’t want him kissing her, but her body betrayed her mind screaming at her to stop this.  Anisa followed her heart, feeling Jon’s hands slide down her back to grab her jean covered backside, lifting her up to wrap her legs around his waist while continuing to kiss.  Only when they needed air to breathe did Jon break the kiss and immediately pressed his forehead to hers, moving to sink down on the bed with her straddling him.

 

“If I wanted to be with someone else, I wouldn’t be here with you right now.” Anisa stated truthfully, stroking the side of his face with her fingers. “Yes, I did enjoy talking to him, but that’s all it was.  Talking.  I want you, Jon.  I’m risking being caught by my demented ex-husband by sharing adjoined rooms with you and I wouldn’t do that for just anyone.  That’s how much I know and believe what we have is real.  I only talked to him because there really wasn’t anything else to do and he did apologize for the ticket mix up.  He was just as pissed about it, believe it or not.” How was that for some honesty and truth, Anisa thought, seeing the doubt slowly diminish from Jon’s eyes and replace with guilt.

 

One thing Jon wasn’t good with was apologizing, the word ‘sorry’ always leaving a bad taste in his mouth.  He didn’t like being wrong and accusing Anisa of enjoying her talk with Bray more than he made himself believe was horrible. “Alright.” He kissed her again and laid back on the bed, rolling over to where he hovered over her, Anisa hooked a leg around his waist.

 

That was the closest to an apology she would get from Jon, his actions speaking far louder than words.

 

~!~

 

“We gotta hurry!”

 

“Man, what the fuck do you think I’m trying to do?!”

 

“Will you two shut the fuck up and keep your voices down?”

 

A huge gallon of bleach sat on the floor of the Shield’s dressing room completely empty, having been poured onto the black tactical vests, cargo pants and undershirts Jon, Joe and Colby wore to the ring.  There were white spots already forming on the ring gear, backpacks and luggage.  Whatever was in their luggage as far as electronics were also destroyed, soaked with Clorox bleach.  It’d been a little while since the Shield needed reminding there were people in the company that hated them and they were being targeted.

 

“It’s hilarious they don’t know it’s us.”

 

“Yeah, those piss ants won’t know what to do when they find all of their gear destroyed.”

 

“Looks like the Hounds of Justice have just been served.”

 

Boisterous laughter echoed out of the locker room as high fives were exchanged among the culprits, neither of them realizing they were being watched and videotaped on an Android.  From the moment they were spotted dousing the Shield’s luggage with bleach to laughing about it – all of it was recorded.  The person recording quickly put their Android away and left the scene of the crime before being spotted.  It was time to go pay Paul and Stephanie a much needed visit.

 

~!~

 

“So what did you need to talk to both of us about that’s so urgent?” Stephanie asked, curiosity filling her blue eyes while staring back at one of the top stars in the WWE. 

 

She had to page Paul back to the office because this meeting couldn’t be done without both of them since they were currently running things while Vince was on vacation with Linda.  Vince had been stressing out about WrestleMania to the point of having chest pains, so Linda ordered him to take a break from the road.  He was getting older and his age showed, but they wanted the old man to stick around for at least a few more decades.  Linda surprised him with a late Valentine’s gift to a secluded house on the beach of Cape Canaveral overlooking the ocean.  It was supposed to be a time of peace and serenity, no phones or televisions, no contact with the company whatsoever for a week.  Paul had been in the middle of a phone call with Linda asking about how their vacation was going –She had a secret stashed cell phone just in case any emergencies sprung up while they were gone and to keep in touch- when Stephanie paged him saying it was urgent.

 

“I need you to look at this.  It’ll explain everything.”

 

Stephanie took the Android and pressed play on the video recording, blue and hazel eyes both widening simultaneously as they watched the destruction of the Shield’s gear happen. “When did this occur?” Stephanie demanded once the video finished, setting the Android on her desk while Paul tried very hard not to let the pulsating vein in his forehead pop.

 

“Tonight, about a half hour ago.  I was walking down the hall and…caught them vandalizing the Shield’s gear.” Dark eyes lowered to the floor while the bosses listened silently. “I came straight to you after recording them because I didn’t want it to be their word against mine.”

 

“You did the right thing.” Paul stated, scrubbing a hand down his face and had no idea what they were supposed to do about this. “The Shield came to us a few months ago complaining about their stuff being messed with, but we brushed it off.  We were wrong to do that and this WILL be dealt with.” Natural ribbing and messing with each other was one thing, but destroying another man’s gear, especially a top group in the company they relied on, was unacceptable and disrespectful.

 

“Go get ready for the show and keep this quiet.” Stephanie instructed, turning to face her husband after the Superstar left their office and shook her head sadly. “Thankfully they won’t be missed.”

 

“We’re not firing them.”

 

Stephanie’s eyes widened. “What do you mean?  Then what will their punishment be?”

 

Paul smirked wickedly, rubbing his hands together. “Call the boys in here discreetly.  I have an idea and I know they’ll be more than happy with it.”

 

~!~

 

Jon, Joe and Colby all sat in front of Stephanie and Paul with angry expressions, watching the video on the Android that was brought in earlier.  They watched as none other than Heath Miller, Raj Singh Dhesi and Andrew Galloway –They were known collectively in the WWE as 3MB…Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal and Drew McIntyre- destroyed their gear with Clorox bleach.  No wonder their gear looked like Dalmatians!  Jon wanted to cut their fingers off, Joe wanted to rip their heads off and Colby wanted to stuff both up their backsides sideways.  They were livid and had every right to be.

 

“Those mother fuckers…” Jon hissed, standing up raking fingers through his wet hair and felt guilt course through him since he was the last one to leave the locker room. “I’m sorry, bros.  I forgot to lock the fucking door…”

 

“Who filmed it?” Was Joe’s first question, his thick black brows lowered – a clear sign he was ready to demolish 3MB for screwing with them.

 

“We can’t tell you that.  Only the person who filmed it can and it’s up to them if they’re going to or not.” Stephanie answered, folding her hands on top of the desk. “I understand why you 3 are angry and we don’t blame you.  We didn’t take this seriously when this first started, but we are now.  At first, we were going to fire Heath, Raj and Drew, but then my husband convinced me that would just be the easy way out for them.  You 3 deserve some retribution for what happened, so that’s what you’re going to get.  At the next house show on Friday, we’re changing your match from a tag match against Cena, Ryan and Stephen to 3MB.  No disqualification, no count-outs and no holds barred.  That means anything goes and since it’s a house show, we don’t mind a little bloodshed.”

 

The Shield rubbed their hands together, all 3 men having wicked smiles on their faces and nodded in approval.  Jon was glad those pricks hadn’t been fired for their actions because now – now they were going to get the beating of a lifetime.  They would regret screwing with the Hounds of Justice and prepared to give them the teeth that would bite a chunk out of their backsides.  Stephanie and Paul dismissed them to go get ready for the show, having instructed Sandra, their lead seamstress, to do her best to come up with gear for them that night.  Luckily enough, Sandra always kept extra gear lying around for all the Superstars in the wardrobe department with correct sizes.  Jon would make sure to cram his IPOD and headphones up Heath, Raj and Drew’s backsides at the house show along with Joe and Colby.  Music was part of their everyday routines and now they would have to wait until tomorrow to replace everything.  The more the guys thought about it, the angrier they became and swallowed it all down until Friday arrived.

 

“At the very least, we know who’s been fucking with our shit now.” Colby was always the one to look for any shred of positivity out of situations, no matter how bad they were.

 

“I suppose, but that still-” The words died on Joe’s lips as they walked inside the locker room and saw his girlfriend standing there in her ring gear, a tense look on her face. “Gorgeous, what are you doing here?”

 

“It was me.” Mia couldn’t keep the truth from any of them and swallowed hard when Joe came toward her, taking both of her hands in much larger ones. “I couldn’t let them get away with what they did to you guys.”

 

Joe was grateful to this beautiful Indian goddess and wrapped his arms around her body, hugging her close. “Thank you, Mia.” He whispered, all of them laughing when Jon and Colby embraced both of them from the sides in a group hug.

 

“They don’t know it was me and I want to keep it that way.” Mia requested once the group hug ended, shifting eyes from each member of the Shield. “I just didn’t want to keep you guys in the dark, especially my man.  I have to go do my match, but I’ll see you at the hotel later?” She directed that question to Joe, hoping this wouldn’t destroy their newfound relationship.

 

“Count on it.” Joe looked at his best friends once she left and bumped fists with both of them.

 

“Do NOT let her go, bro.” Colby ordered, not believing Mia risked herself to catch 3MB messing with their belongings.

 

“Don’t plan on it.”

 

“She’s an angel, man.  Now we can fuck those assholes up and stop pussyfooting around here.” Jon added, tired of walking on eggshells around the company when he knew they all belonged there.

 

Chapter 26

 

“Are you serious, Rick?  Tell me you’re screwing with me right now, please.”

 

Rick shook his head, frowning. “Afraid not, Anisa.” He planted a huge stack of new scripts in her arms along with the sign-in sheet on a clipboard. “Double duty tonight, I’m afraid.”

 

“Where is Bradley?  Shouldn’t he be handing these out?” He was the man responsible for making sure all the Superstars and Divas received their scripts.

 

“Usually yes, but he had to take time off due to his mother’s death.”

 

Rick didn’t sound sympathetic at all and all Anisa could do was frown, knowing how close Bradley was to his mother.  He brought her to a few of the shows and she met the sweet lady.  It was a shame she was gone.  The callousness and lack of heart made Anisa want to switch up her job position in the WWE that much more.  Just a few more weeks and she’d be able to do that, already having her meeting planned with Stephanie the following week after WrestleMania.

 

“Mother fucker left us at the worst time because Vinnie Mac decided to take a vacation too.”

 

There was a huge difference between taking a vacation and planning a beloved family member’s funeral.  What an asshole, Anisa thought, turning and walking away before she belted Rick across the face.  He wasn’t worth losing her job over.  Anisa wondered if the bosses knew how Rick talked about them behind their backs or any of the Superstars for that matter.  Hell, he probably talked smack about her too, though Anisa didn’t care.  She had more important things to worry about in her life than worrying about what others thought of her.

 

Turning the corner, Anisa’s night went from bad to worse.  There they were walking hand in hand down the hallway, not bothering to hide their affection the way he used to do with Anisa.  Mark and Michelle Calaway.  Anisa could remember when they got married how Mark hated showing affection to their coworkers and treated her as if she was a dirty little secret.  Maybe she was.  Only a handful of people knew about their marriage until after the news broke about Mark cheating with Michelle.  Never once did Mark hold Anisa’s hand while walking the hallways of an arena.  The sight split Anisa’s heart down the middle and she had a hard time breathing, fighting the urge to turn in the opposite direction.

 

Michelle laughed softly at her husband talking about the latest UFC news he heard.  She wore a tight light blue dress that barely covered her backside and showed off half her breasts.  Her dark brunette hair was piled on top of her head, the bleach blonde long gone and heavy makeup caked her face.  How could Mark enjoy being with fake Barbie dolls was beyond Anisa, but she wouldn’t let the Calaway’s chase her off.  If only Michelle knew the hell her husband put his ex-wife through every chance presented to him, maybe she’d see the light and get out of the marriage before he too hurt her.  Anisa highly doubted it though since Michelle hung on every word Mark said like a sick lovesick puppy.  It was nauseating to watch.

 

Spotting his ex-wife, Mark removed his hand from Michelle’s to wrap around her waist, pulling her boney body against him possessively. “Hello Nissy.” He greeted with a smirk, stroking Michelle’s side with his long fingers.

 

“It’s Anisa.” She corrected him, holding the scripts tightly against her chest and tried to ignore Michelle staring holes through her.

 

“He knows your name, Annie.” Michelle purposefully called her the wrong name, a smile just as devious as Mark’s crossing her face. “Marky, I’m hungry baby.”

 

Mark LOATHED whenever she called him that and the fact Michelle did it in front of Anisa pissed him off.  He would definitely punish her later once they were back at the hotel for the evening. “We’ll go in a second, darlin’.” He drawled, feeling her swoon against him and rolled his eyes, never taking them off of his delicious looking ex-wife.

 

“My name is Anisa, not Nissy or Annie.” Anisa gritted her teeth, already feeling her temper rising with each passing second and wanted to choke Michelle with her hair. “Excuse me, I have work to do…”

 

Mark’s large hand snapped out, stopping Anisa from passing by them. “Not so fast, what’s the hurry?  I think you can give the top star in this company a few minutes of your time.” He blatantly gave Michelle a slow scan with his acidic eyes in front of Anisa, chuckling wickedly. “I mean, Shelly should give you a few pointers on what it takes to pleasin’ a man in the bedroom.”

 

“Mmm licking his pickle and fondling the oranges is a good start.”

 

Anisa would never look at pickles and oranges the same way again, watching as Michelle’s hand reached down to stroke Mark through his tight black jeans. “I know what you’re trying to do and it’s not going to work, Calaway.” She informed him coolly, raising a challenging brow and pulled out his script from the stack, thrusting it against his chest. “You can try to bait me all you want with your whore wife, but at the end of the night when you’re lying in bed after having mediocre sex with her, you’ll be thinking about me and how much I used to make you cum.” Midnight blue eyes slid over to an appalled looking Michelle, a smirk curving her lips this time. “And it takes A LOT more than giving him oral sex to satisfy him, but you SHOULD know that since you’re his wife now, right?  Or are you just the flavor of the year?”

 

“You fucking bitch!” Michelle shrieked like a banshee, stepping up to Anisa and shoved her none too gently, but somehow she managed to keep hold of the paperwork in her arms. “How DARE you speak to us that way?!”

 

“Hey, I’m not the one who brought up his lower region.  You did.  So step off before you get hurt.” Anisa could hold her own, thanks to Phil and Mark teaching her how to fight in case she ever had to defend herself in the back.

 

Michelle scoffed, squaring her boney shoulders and planted her hands on her hips. “And what are you gonna do if I don’t?  You can’t hurt me.  Marky will make sure of it.”

 

“Then I suggest Marky takes you down to catering so you can pack some meat on those bones before he breaks you in bed.”

 

Even Mark had to cover his mouth with his hand to keep from laughing at that remark from his fiery ex-wife.  Just as Michelle raised her hand to slap Anisa across the face, big brother came sauntering up draping an arm over his sister’s shoulder.  Michelle instantly backed off and stood beside Mark again, all 4 individuals facing off in the middle of the hallway.  Unbeknownst to Anisa, there had been a small crowd forming around them and several coworkers overheard what she said to Michelle.

 

“Is there a problem here?” Phil demanded, ready to protect his sister from the likes of Mark’s whore wife if need be.

 

“Not at all, just the women havin’ a friendly conversation.” Mark lied, draping an arm around Michelle’s trembling body and knew what Anisa said to her stung. “Though I do think Nissy owes my wife an apology.”

 

THE HELL I DO, Anisa’s mind screamed, pursing her lips tightly together to make sure those words didn’t come out of her mouth.  It would be a cold frosty day in hell when Anisa ever uttered the words ‘I’m sorry’ to either of these lowlifes.  Mark had destroyed her mentally and emotionally, thinking baiting her would reopen the fresh wound of what he did to her.  If anything, it fired Anisa up and made her realize just how lucky she was not to be married to Mark anymore.  Michelle deserved him just as much as he did her and Anisa finally felt like she could finally move on with her life.

 

“Her name is Anisa, asshole.  Get it straight.” Phil stated in the kindest, friendliest tone he could muster up, pushing Anisa to stand behind him while Mark did the same thing with Michelle.

 

“And what if I don’t, boy?” Mark taunted, spitting a hock of tobacco spit right on Phil’s wrestling boots and dared the punk ass to make a move.

 

“I’ll put your ass to sleep, Deadman.”

 

“Try me and I’ll make your ass famous, kid.”

 

“Enough both of you.” Anisa couldn’t let Phil jeopardize the match against Mark at WrestleMania, wedging herself between both of them. “Phil, now isn’t the time.” She didn’t bother touching Mark, both of her hands against her brother’s chest. “Please, don’t fuck your career up because of him.  He’s not worth it.”

 

As much as Michelle hated Mark’s ex-wife, she couldn’t disagree with the logic.  There was too much at stake with WrestleMania right around the corner. “Come on Marky, let’s go get something to eat and leave these idiots alone.” She crooned, trying to calm him down and glared at Anisa, both women sharing a secret understanding. “Come on, you can tear his ass up at Mania.”

 

“Damn right I will.  I’ll make sure I put you 6 feet under, BOY.” Mark growled, agitated he couldn’t finish heckling his ex-wife all because of her meddlesome brother. “That’s why we never worked out, NISSY, because of your brother always gettin’ in the way!”

 

“To protect her from YOU!” Phil snarled, trying to push past Anisa to get his hands on his ex-brother-in-law, but she was steadfast. “Your ass is mine at Mania, prick!”

 

Anisa ignored what Mark said, too focused on Phil and kept pushing him back down the hallway.  She smiled thankfully at Trinity who gathered her paperwork off the floor she dropped when Phil and Mark tried tearing each other apart.  Taking it, Anisa kept a firm hold on Phil’s arm and guided him back to his locker room, tossing the door open startling Coralie.  She’d been waiting for him so they could go to catering for some food during her hour break, but he was MIA until now.

 

“Lord, what happened?” Coralie was almost afraid to ask, her voice resigned and could see the anger flashing through Phil’s hazel eyes.

 

“Run-in with Mark and his whore wife.”

 

“They tried baiting my sister into their web of mind games and I put a fucking stop to it.” Phil spat, kicking a steel metal folding chair across the locker room and punched the wall, leaving a small dent in it. “I wanna kill him!”

 

Coralie couldn’t remember the last time she saw Phil this enraged and frowned at Anisa, both of them not really knowing what to do or say. “If you keep doing that, you won’t make it to Mania because your hand will be broken.  Paul and Stephanie will be livid at you if you injure yourself like an idiot before the event.”

 

“Listen to her, bro, please.  I know what they said pisses you off and it angers me too, but you can’t come unhinged right now, especially with the likes of him.” Mark had a ton of stroke in the company and could easily get anyone fired if he truly wanted to. “Just calm down, take a few deep breaths and go stand under a cold shower.  Do something besides hit walls and scare your girlfriend.”

 

Aside from Chez and a few other people back in Chicago, Phil had the most important women in his life beside him and he couldn’t have been more grateful. “I’m sorry.” He muttered after a few minutes and pulled Anisa into his arms, hugging her tightly. “I swear I’ll make him pay for what he did to you at Mania, sissy.  I swear it.”

 

“I know you will, bro.” Anisa murmured soothingly, stroking his back trying to calm him down more while sharing a worried look with Coralie.  She was concerned about his mental state just as much as Anisa was, that much was obvious. “You have to be stable in all ways before you step in the ring with him, Phil.” She pulled back, staring up into his eyes, seeing the regret and guilt swirling through them over what happened with her and Mark. “And stop blaming yourself for my marriage failing with Mark.  It was a blessing in disguise as far as I’m concerned.”

 

Try as she might, Anisa couldn’t stop the tears flowing down her face and hated how Mark could still screw with her emotions.  The things he and Michelle said to her did hurt, but what he did with Michelle instead of her hurt more.  Mark’s actions instead of his words.  Pulling away from Phil, Anisa tried leaving the dressing room, but Phil stopped her pulling her back into his arms for another hug.  She cried on his chest, clutching the back of his t-shirt in two fistfuls and her whole body shook from head to toe.  Anisa was ready to move on with her life and be happy with Jon, but at the same time she wondered what Michelle had to keep Mark satisfied that she didn’t.  It had to be more than just not wanting to have babies and give up her career with the WWE.

 

“I just…” Anisa’s voice broke as Phil lifted her up princess style in his arms, carrying her over to the bench in the locker room sitting down while Coralie looked at them both.  She kept quiet because Anisa was getting ready to open up more about what Mark did to her, which was something Phil had been waiting for since her divorce. “I try not to let them bother me, ya know?  I try to be happy with my life and I am for the most part.  But when I saw him walking down the aisle hand in hand with her tonight…” Her head lowered and Anisa buried her face in her hands, crying harder. “H-He never did that with me.  H-He never showed me an ounce of affection whenever we were working.  He treated me like a secret or something and it hurts to see him treat her the way he should’ve treated me.  Like a wife instead of a doormat.”

 

Coralie’s heart broke for Anisa and decided a change of subject was definitely in order, not bothering to comment on her feelings regarding Mark.  It would only open the wound in her heart further. “I know this isn’t the best time, but…they found out who was screwing with the Shield’s shit in their locker room.”

 

That grabbed Phil’s attention. “Who was it?”

 

“You’re not gonna believe this.” Coralie shook her head, still not believing what Mia told her when they ran into each other earlier on her way to see Phil. “Mia caught 3MB pouring a whole gallon of bleach on their luggage and inside of it.  They destroyed everything and she recorded it happening and went to the bosses immediately.  Now it’s going to be those assholes against the Shield at Friday’s house show.”

 

“At least they caught who did it.” Anisa mumbled, not able to get excited from the news and stood up from the bench, handing Phil his script. “I have to get going and finish my job.  Thanks for listening to me.” She kissed his forehead and walked out, heading straight for the exit to get some air.

 

Once outside, Anisa let fresh tears fall from her eyes while smoking a much needed cigarette alone, hoping she’d be rid of Mark for good one of these days.

 

Chapter 27

 

Jon could tell something was bothering Anisa and had tried asking her about it, but once again the woman was being stubborn.  There were times when it was cute and other times, like now, when it irritated him to no end.  They parted ways to go to their separate adjoining rooms to shower and get ready for bed.  After his shower, Jon pulled on a pair of white basketball shorts that had black stripes going down either side and didn’t bother with a top, shaking the excess water out of his hair.  He opened the door linked to Anisa’s and stopped in the doorway, hunger instantly filling his pale blues.  From the top of her wet honey blonde head to her knees sticking out of what she wore, Jon slowly devoured her visually.  Any other woman would’ve worn a sexy negligee that showed nearly everything and left nothing to the imagination, but not Anisa.  Instead, she chose to wear one of his black Shield t-shirts that pooled around her hips and barely covered her thighs since Anisa sat on her knees on the bed.  He couldn’t tell if she wore anything underneath or not, dying to seek out the answer with his hands.

 

“You’re a thief.” Jon slowly moved toward her, not bothering to close the adjoining door and kept his eyes locked on her.

 

Anisa shrugged, sitting up on her knees and stretched her arms in the air, the t-shirt rising just an inch to give him a quick glimpse of black laced panties. “I didn’t think you’d mind, but if you want it back…” She reached down and started to pull the t-shirt over her head, but Jon shot forward stopping her.

 

“Don’t.” He ordered in a rough gritty voice, his hands sliding down her arms as the t-shirt once again covered the upper half of her body. “Leave it on.” If she let him, Jon planned on laying claim to her with that t-shirt on whether it be tonight or further down the road.

 

Little did Jon know Anisa had a plan in mind and wanted everything he had to offer that night.  Running into Mark and Michelle put everything into perspective for Anisa, making her realize what an idiot she’d been for the past 4 years mourning over a marriage that had been broken from the beginning.  She was done hurting over Mark Calaway and knew the only way to fully move on from him was giving herself to Jon.  It wasn’t the best incentive to have sex, to trust Jon with her heart, but Anisa was determined to move on with her life.

 

“There’s something bothering you.” Jon couldn’t let it go, not even with Anisa’s soft hands caressing his muscular bare chest. “Talk to me.”

 

“I’d much rather finish what you started earlier today.” Anisa retorted seductively and buried her fingers in Jon’s curls, pressing his body flush against hers their mouths inches apart. “Unless you don’t want me?”

 

This woman was insane to think for a second Jon didn’t want every piece of her.  He could see the slight hesitation in Anisa’s eyes, knowing it stemmed from her past with Calaway.  It took a lot of courage for Anisa to present herself this way and Jon wouldn’t disappoint her, his hands already caressing her outer thighs just under her delectable backside.  Not bothering to respond, Jon’s mouth sealed to the side of her neck, pushing her hair over her shoulders and Anisa moaned, lulling her head back giving him full access.  She could feel her nipples hardening against the rough material of the Shield t-shirt and they’d barely done anything.  That’s how powerful Jon’s touch affected her body.  While his mouth devoured her neck, Jon did some exploring with his hands and brushed against her panties covered backside, giving both cheeks a firm squeeze.  Then his hands slid up her bare back and Jon pulled back when he realized she didn’t have a bra on, both shades of blue clashing together in a lust-filled cloudy miasma.

 

“Why didn’t you tell me you weren’t wearing a fucking bra, darlin’?” That was a naughty trick and Jon could feel his dick springing to life, hardening with each passing second.

 

“Half the fun is finding out for yourself.” Anisa shot back in a deep moan, his mouth by her ear and shivered at his deep throaty growl rumbling from deep in his chest. “I contemplated going without panties…”

 

Jon almost wished she had, flicking her lobe with the tip of his tongue and suddenly pushed her down on her back, covering her body with his.  Her body burned along with his, both of them aching for a release, but Jon had another idea in mind first.  If this was happening, there’s no way he would leave her unsatisfied like her ex-husband had.  Anisa had such a beautiful body with curves any Diva on the roster would kill to have.  It was amazing she wasn’t a Diva herself.  Pulling away from her neck, Jon looked up at the headboard and smirked, his eyes sliding back to dance between hers.

 

“Do you trust me?” He had to ask because what he had in mind required the answer.

 

“Of course I do.” Anisa smiled, stroking his face with the back of her hand and brought his mouth to hers, sharing a soft loving kiss. “And I want to be with you anyway I can.”

 

That was all Jon needed to hear.  He kissed her again and sat back on his haunches, lifting Anisa up with ease to plant her on his knees.  Jon had cooked something up in his mind and Anisa gripped his strong shoulders, the kiss never breaking.  Their tongues entwined together in a dance of seduction, each battling for dominance.  That was until Jon lifted her up from the bed and walked across it to slam her against the wall, planting her backside on the ledge of the headboard.  Anisa didn’t mind the roughness and loved Jon’s animalistic side coming out, craving to be dominated by him.  Jon tore his mouth from hers, the vision of her swollen plump lips from his kisses searing in his memory.

 

“Hold onto me.” Jon instructed, his voice dropping lower if that was possible and Anisa could feel her juices seeping through her panties. “Don’t let go yet.  You’ll know when.”

 

Nodding, Anisa leaned back against the wall while Jon reached beneath the t-shirt to rip her panties from her body, the material giving way under his strength.  Anisa didn’t mind, her eyes not leaving Jon and felt her mouth go dry when he positioned her legs over his broad shoulders, replacing them with her hands.  They gripped the headboard to keep her balance and Jon remained on his knees, tall enough with his 6’4 frame to be able to do this.  Her dripping sex was eyelevel with his hungry mouth and Jon began assaulting her inner thighs, feeling her open up further for him.  Gripping his wet hair, it was all Anisa could do not to start cumming from just his hot breath puffing across her sex.  She’d never forget when Jon made her cum gallons for him with her vibrator and had a feeling his tongue would feel 10x better than any sex toy.  Keeping her steady, Jon fought back from sinking his tongue inside of her, the smell of her arousal completely intoxicating.  He wanted to draw this out as long as possible, seeing the confusion enter her eyes and pushed her back against the wall with his long arm outstretched to press his hand against her abdomen.

 

“Don’t move.”

 

His rough raspy voice would be the death of Anisa, she was sure of it. “Jon…” She whimpered, gasping when his mouth slid across the top of her right foot and moved up to her ankle, nipping the tender flesh.

 

“Feel good, darlin’?” Jon already knew it did from the way her body trembled against him and moved further up her leg, caressing the back of her calf.

 

“Dumb question.” She breathed out in a remark, jumping when Jon nibbled on her kneecap and bit her bottom lip.

 

So she was ticklish, Jon surmised in thought, filing that away at a later date to exploit.  He used his tongue, teeth and lips to torture her leg until arriving back between her thighs.  Then he proceeded to do her left leg, taking his time while making sure she didn’t fall off of the headboard of the bed.  It was thick enough wood to where it wouldn’t hurt her backside and, even if it did, Jon would make it all better.  Anisa dripped with sweet essence by the time Jon finally had both of her legs draped over his shoulders again and tested the waters by sliding his tongue just along her smooth hairless outer lips.  If she went bare all the time, Jon would most assuredly use that to his advantage, not having a preference on women going bare or being hairy just as long as they kept it neatly trimmed.

 

Good thing she had used Veet on her legs and sex earlier in the shower or else it would’ve been awkward having sex with Jon all hairy.  Shaving was a pain and besides Veet made her skin soft afterwards instead of giving her prickly aftermath.  Tightening her fingers in his hair, Anisa became lost in the toe-curling sensations Jon sent spiraling throughout her heated body.  She burned and yearned for him to end both of their torment, wanting to reciprocate the attention he gave her.  When his tongue buried inside of her, Anisa’s legs tightened on his shoulders and she threw her head back against the wall, crying out.

 

She smelled and tasted like ambrosia, the sweetest nectar coating his tongue at the first thrust.  It was over from the moment he took the plunge and Jon couldn’t stop himself from making Anisa fall apart.  Her sweet cries and moans filled the room while he devoured her whole, flicking her throbbing clit with his tongue and added two fingers inside of her to help her release build faster.  Because it’d been 4 years since a man last touched and tasted her this intensely, it didn’t take long for Anisa to start cumming in waves, try as she might.  Covering her whole sex with his mouth, Jon drank every drop of essence she gave and suckled a little longer to make sure he didn’t waste any.  No other dessert could ever compare to Anisa.  Jon pulled back again, his eyes nothing more than dark blue fire while Anisa’s had blackened over, her chest heaving up and down.

 

“You gonna make it?” Jon half-joked, a hint of concern in his tone and lifted Anisa from the headboard, planting her on the bed seconds later.

 

Honey blonde tresses haphazardly surrounded her in a curtain of gold and it was possibly the most breathtaking sight Jon ever seen in his life.  Anisa smiled up at him and felt her legs leave his shoulders to slide down his sides, crooking her finger beckoning him to her.  They kissed softly, tenderly while Anisa tried regaining her breath and just as Jon went to pull away from her, she stopped him by locking her legs around his waist.

 

“Where do you think you’re going?” She murmured, caressing his chest and caught Jon off guard before he could answer her question, using the strength of her legs to flip him on his back. “If you think that’s all you’re getting tonight from me, think again, Dr. Feel Good.”

 

Jon chuckled, not knowing what to expect after having his snack and bolted upright to passionately capture her mouth in another searing kiss. “You know it’s against policy to fuck one of my patients, Ani.” He rasped, already sliding the t-shirt up her body and tossed it over his shoulder, pressing their bare chests together. “Mmm I think I can make an exception this once for you though.”

 

“Just shut up and fuck me, Jon.” Anisa demanded, whimpering in his mouth when he plucked her nipples between his thumb and forefinger, causing them to harden instantly.

 

“Mmm with pleasure, darlin’.”

 

No other words were spoken between them except dirty ones as Jon pushed Anisa to lay on her back so he could stand up from the bed.  He removed his basketball shorts and stepped up to the bed, his well-endowed erection standing at full attention.  Anisa licked her lips and moved to sit on her knees in front of him, reaching out to stroke his beautiful cock with her fingers.  Jon tilted his head back letting out a low groan that resonated around the room.  When she tried putting her mouth on his cock, Jon stopped her and instead turned her around to where her back faced him.

 

“On your hands and knees, Ani.”

 

The simple command lit something inside of Anisa she hadn’t felt in what felt like ages.  She obeyed him, positioning herself the way he wanted and Jon slid the tip of his cock up and down her drenched sex, both of them groaning at the contact.  Anisa didn’t bother telling him to put a condom on because she was on birth control, though it wasn’t 100% effective.  Even though she hadn’t been sexually active with another man in 4 years, Anisa refused to risk the possibility of getting pregnant in case she ever did have sex again.  She was willing to take the risk with Jon, too engrossed in the moment to ask him to stop to slip a condom on.  They burned her anyway and Anisa trusted Jon was clean, just wanting him buried to the hilt inside of her body.

 

“Stop teasing me!” Anisa growled, wiggling her ass against his cock and felt Jon bury his fingers in her hair, yanking her up to where her back molded with his chest, his mouth sealing to her neck again. “Take me already, make me yours…”

 

“Mine!” Jon hissed in her ear before pushing her back down to slide inside of her body, knowing better than to stop once he began. “Holy fuck, you’re tight!” 4 years without a cock made her feel like Jon was crashing through Fort Knox, gritting his teeth to keep himself in control. “Goddamn girl…”

 

Anisa would’ve lied if she said it didn’t hurt to feel Jon push past her tight walls and inside her body, but enjoyed the pain of it all.  Because once the pain subsided, it was nothing short of euphoric the feeling of being filled to capacity again.  Once she fully adjusted to Jon, he pulled her back up to where she’d been and his hands caressed her breasts while thrusting in and out of her at a slow rhythmic pace.  They moved together as one, matching each other’s intensity and Anisa had never felt so amazing in her life.  Jon pushed her back down on her hands and knees to slide his tongue up her spine, sending shivers throughout her body before pulling her back up.  Tilting her head looking back at him, Anisa buried her fingers in his hair while their tongues tangled together, each making this last as long as possible.

 

“JON!”

 

“ANISA!”

 

He held her tightly against him after their worlds shattered together, cumming in unison and belting each other’s names.  Anisa was dead weight against Jon, completely spent and it took the rest of the strength inside his body not to let both of them collapse on the bed with him on top of her.  The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.  Carefully, he lowered both of them on the bed with him spooned up against Anisa, smiling as she laced her fingers together with his.

 

“So that was…”

 

“It was…”

 

They both laughed trying to talk at the same time and Jon turned her over to gaze down into her midnight orbs, running the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. “I meant what I said.” Her eyebrow rose in question and Jon pressed his forehead to hers, pecking her mouth softly. “You are mine, Ani.”

 

“We belong to each other.” Anisa clarified, stroking his face with her hand and didn’t move an inch, content with Jon hovering over her.  She felt safe and wanted, two things a man hadn’t made her feel in a very long time. “I think I’m falling in love with you, Dr. Feel Good.”

 

“You think or you know?” Jon had to ask, his heart rate picking up in speed and couldn’t believe she dropped the L bomb so soon into their relationship.

 

Anisa didn’t know what possessed her to say it considering they’d only been together a short time, but she also didn’t regret it either. “I know.” She murmured quietly, not looking away from him and felt tears swell in her eyes. “There’s no thinking about it.  I’m in love with you, Jon.  And if you don’t feel the same way about me yet, I understand, so don’t say it unless it’s the truth.”

 

“Alright.” Jon took a deep breath, waited for about 10 seconds and then kissed her, feeling tears slide from the corners of her eyes. “I’m in love with you too, Anisa.”

 

“Really?”

 

Jon nodded, wiping her tears away with his thumbs and hated this made her cry. “Yeah, really.” He rubbed his nose against hers and held her while she cried on his chest, knowing it had to do with her messed up marriage to Calaway.

 

After calming down a little, Anisa finally looked up into his eyes and could see all the love for her shining through. “Please don’t break my heart, Jon.”

 

“I’ll never hurt you the way he did, darlin’.  I promise.”

 

As they made love for a second time that night, Jon didn’t realize he was about to break that one promise to the new love of his life.

 

Chapter 28

 

Despite what happened with Kayla, Ryanne kept her word attending both Jeremiah’s graduation ceremony and party afterwards at their parents.  She didn’t say a word to their mother and stayed by Randy’s side, avoiding Kayla at all costs.  Kayla remained by their mother’s side and Adele looked more lost than ever while Timothy walked around greeting everyone.  Jeremiah was ecstatic when he opened Ryanne and Randy’s gift, which was a check made in only his name for $50,000 to help with college expenses or to buy a car since he didn’t have one yet.  He’d been accepted into Harvard, the elite of ranked colleges in the country, and planned on becoming a lawyer.  Jeremiah was floored by the amount of money they gave him and stood up, hugging Ryanne tightly with tears in his eyes.  Even Adele and Timothy were stunned while Kayla glared spitefully and kept her mouth shut.  She’d gotten him a $25 gift card to Best Buy, thanks to her mother feeling sorry for her current financial state.

 

“I want you to use that money however you see fit, you hear me?” Ryanne murmured quietly to Jeremiah, not wanting anyone else to overhear. “I mean it, Jer.”

 

“I will, I promise.” Jeremiah squeezed his sister and then moved onto his brother-in-law, both of them grasping hands before hugging.

 

“I’m proud of you, man.” Randy meant it, knowing how smart Jeremiah was and knew the kid wouldn’t have an issue making a comfortable living in the world. “You deserve it.  We love you.  And if you need any more help, don’t hesitate to ask.”

 

“Love you guys too.”

 

Jeremiah already had a car in mind he wanted that wasn’t too expensive and would get him from point A to B.  The rest of the money would go toward books, school supplies and his dorm room fee.  Whatever was left, if any, would go into his savings account his parents opened for him when he was born.  So he was set financially for school because of the savings account and his full ride scholarship to Harvard he earned.  The Moore’s had planned for his future along with his sisters, but Kayla squandered her savings on booze and drugs while Ryanne opened her own business.  So 2 out of the 3 Moore children had made something of themselves, or rather Jeremiah was on his way, with Kayla being the black sheep of the family.

 

“You are an angel, Ry-Ry.” Timothy affectionately held Ryanne’s face in his hands and kissed her forehead, hugging her close. “Thank you so much.”

 

“Don’t forget Randy, Dad.” Ryanne smiled over at her husband, the love of her life and Timothy moved to him, hugging him tightly in a fatherly embrace.

 

Kayla was busy complaining to Adele about their lavish gift, trying to convince her it was disrespectful to flash that amount of money at all the guests.  Nobody minded except her though and Adele just stood there with a lowered head.  Why couldn’t she be stern with Kayla the way she’d been with Ryanne and Jeremiah?  Why did their mother constantly coddle Kayla?  Ryanne couldn’t handle seeing the heartbreak and exhaustion in her mother’s face, leaving the party early.  Timothy was irate at his wife for letting Kayla run off Ryanne again and stormed inside the house, not knowing how much more he could take.  Luckily, Jeremiah was too busy with his friends celebrating and didn’t let the tension in his family ruin his day.

 

Instead of staying at the hotel, Randy and Ryanne caught a flight back to St. Louis to sleep in their bed before he had to go back on the road.  Randy had a long talk with Ryanne and mentioned hormone testing, but didn’t mention where he’d gotten the information from.  The last thing he wanted was to make Ryanne feel worse than she already did and Randy talking to his bosses/friends about it would do just that.  So after they made love in the beautiful 5 star hotel suite for several hours, he held her close and brought it up, convincing her it couldn’t hurt to do the testing.  Ryanne hadn’t snapped at him like she normally would and agreed with her husband’s logic, deciding to call the doctor first thing the following morning before Jeremiah’s graduation. 

 

Surprisingly enough, the doctor scheduled her appointment for that following Friday, March 15th, so Ryanne couldn’t go back on the road with Randy until Monday for Raw.  Randy felt horrible he couldn’t go to the appointment with her, but Ryanne assured him it was fine since all they were doing was the testing part.  After going back on the road for house shows, Raw and Smackdown!, both couldn’t have been happier when Wednesday rolled around.  They spent 2 days in bed like they originally wanted to the past weekend and Randy had made sure to make love to her in every position possible.  They stayed naked throughout the 2 days, christening every room in the house.  It was an all-out sexual escapade with little naps in between bouts, both of them determined to have a baby.  Before they knew it, Friday morning arrived and Randy had to go back on the road for house shows while Ryanne stayed behind for her testing.

 

“I love you, Ry.” Randy whispered against her mouth while they stood in the doorway of their beautiful home, mystic blues piercing emerald stones.

 

“I love you more.” She rubbed her nose against his, not wanting him to go, but she knew he had to.

 

“Look, don’t get mad at me, but I called my Mom…”

 

Ryanne groaned as Randy pressed his forehead to hers and held him tighter. “Why would you do that?” The last thing she wanted was Elaine Orton worrying on whether her son’s wife would bless her with grandchildren or not.

 

“Because I don’t want you doing this alone and you know my Mom thinks of you as one of her own.” Randy slid a finger down her cheek, wishing he didn’t have to leave Ryanne alone. “If you don’t want her to go with you for the testing, at least let her be there for the results in case I can’t.”

 

It was hard denying her beautiful husband anything and Ryanne felt herself nod, accepting one last soft passionate kiss from him. “Call me when you land so I don’t worry about you.”

 

“You got it.” Randy winked, reluctantly releasing her and walked down the stone steps to hop in his yellow Hummer, roaring out of the driveway.

 

Ryanne walked back inside the house and went to get ready for her appointment for the hormone testing, trying to keep herself busy so she didn’t cry.  That didn’t last more than 5 minutes.  She hated every time Randy went on the road without her because she missed him badly and being alone in their beautiful house felt like a prison.  Having a baby would change that because she wouldn’t be alone and be able to keep her mind busy on their child instead of the clock, waiting for him to come home Wednesday morning.  Sniffling, Ryanne began undressing for a much needed shower when her cell phone rang.

 

“Dad?” Rarely did he call her, so Ryanne knew it was important.

 

“Hey Ry-Ry.” His voice was low and quiet, an instant sign something was wrong.

 

Ryanne frowned, not remembering ever hearing her father this saddened. “Daddy, are you okay?  What’s wrong?”

 

Timothy didn’t know how to drop this bomb on his eldest child, especially when she was stressed out enough trying to have a baby with her husband. “Pumpkin, I wanted you to hear this from me before your mother started making calls and spewed lies at you.” He scrubbed a hand down his face. “I can’t take it anymore, Ry-Ry.  We’re getting a divorce.”

 

This was all Kayla’s fault, was Ryanne’s first thought, trying to swallow down her anger the best she could. “What happened?”

 

Apparently after Jeremiah’s graduation party, Timothy confronted Adele about Kayla’s behavior and wanted her out of their house.  Adele wouldn’t let him kick one of their children out on the streets and they had a 5 hour fight about everything.  All the problems they had throughout their marriage surfaced and once the wave started, there was no stopping it.  Honestly, as heartbreaking as it was to hear, Ryanne was relieved their toxic marriage was ending.  They didn’t have the type of unconditional love for each other her and Randy had. 

 

“Please tell me you don’t hate me.”

 

“Dad, why would I hate you?” Ryanne’s heart broke for her father and wished he was there so she could give him a hug, always a Daddy’s girl. “I understand you can’t take Mom choosing Kayla over you anymore.  You deserve better than that and I’m glad you finally realize it.”

 

Timothy nodded, squeezing his eyes shut to try to keeping the tears at bay. “I don’t want you hating your mother either, Ryanne.  She’s a wonderful woman and I’m lucky to have her in my life.  She gave me you and Jeremiah.” He disowned Kayla long ago when she started ruining her life with drugs and running around with any guy who flashed a smile her way. “I’ve had enough of Kayla sponging off of us though.  I’ll never be able to retire and live comfortably for the rest of my life if I stay married to your Mom, who keeps giving her my hard-earned money.”

 

They talked for a while longer and Ryanne skipped the shower or else she’d miss her hormone testing appointment.  It took an hour for the test to finish and Ryanne was informed they would rush her results, but they wouldn’t be in for 3 days.  That was the quickest they could push them through.  Ryanne left her OBGYN office feeling more alone, lost and anxious than ever.  She sat in her car, knowing Randy was still on a plane headed for the house shows, so calling him isn’t an option.  Chewing her bottom lip, Ryanne pulled her cell phone out and dialed the number before she could stop herself, putting it up to her ear waiting to see if the person answered.

 

“Hello?”

 

“Elaine, its Ryanne.” The dam broke and she started sobbing, curling up in the driver’s seat while her mother-in-law tried calming her down. “I need you to come get me, please.  I can’t drive home.”

 

~!~

 

Throughout the 3 days Randy was gone, Elaine had Ryanne stay with her and Bob at their house, taking care of her.  She was a mess and needed their support now more than ever, thinking of them as her second parents.  Her heart broke for her own parent’s impending divorce and on top of that she had to wait until Monday to find out if she had a hormone deficiency.  Elaine assured her everything would work out as it should, making hot tea and talking to her daughter-in-law whenever Ryanne wanted.  She did call Randy telling him Ryanne was staying with them, but didn’t mention Ryanne calling her sobbing in her OBGYN’s parking lot.  Worrying Randy while he was on the road couldn’t happen, especially during WrestleMania season.  Randy thanked his mother and promised to be there Sunday night to be with them after the house show.  They would take a redeye flight to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where Monday night Raw would be since Ryanne’s result appointment was first thing in the morning.

 

When Randy arrived at his parents late Sunday night, Ryanne jumped out of her skin because he scared the daylights out of her.  He hadn’t meant to scare her and when she realized who was in bed with her, Ryanne tackled him with a tight hug.  Elaine hadn’t told her Randy’s plan, knowing it would be a nice surprise and would hopefully lift Ryanne’s spirits.  Ryanne couldn’t fall back to sleep and laid in bed with her husband talking for a couple hours.  She told him about her parents’ divorce and Randy held her close, his own heart breaking since he knew the Moore’s for years.  They would all be fine and Randy wasn’t that surprised about the divorce considering how Adele treated Timothy during their visit.  He vowed silently to never let any children they had wreck their marriage, to always stick by Ryanne no matter what.  They fell asleep in each other’s arms around 3 AM, getting exactly 4 hours of sleep and got up at 8 AM to get ready for Ryanne’s 9 AM appointment.

 

With clasped hands and rapidly beating hearts, Randy, Ryanne and Elaine walked inside the OGBYN office, sitting down to await Ryanne’s name being called.  They were the first patients of the day due to Ryanne needing to catch a flight with Randy at noon.  They already had their belongings packed in the car, so all Randy had to do was drop his mother off at home before going to the airport.  Elaine insisted on coming and held Ryanne’s other hand, giving her as much support as possible since it was clear the woman needed it.

 

“Come on back, Ryanne.” The nurse, Stacy, announced with a smile and guided them to a waiting room.

 

20 long minutes later, Doctor Hobbs tapped on the door and walked in, apologizing for taking so long.  They had an emergency birth she had to rush to the hospital down the street for. “So according to your test results, you do have a hormone imbalance.  I don’t know how we missed it because we did this same test when you came in originally for testing, so for that I apologize.  But the good news is we found the problem and it’s curable.”

 

Hope seared through Ryanne and she felt Randy squeeze her hand, both of them staring at Doctor Hobbs with bated breath. “H-How do you correct it?” Ryanne stammered softly, trying to breathe in and out normally, but it was difficult considering her heart felt like it would fly out of her chest any second.

 

“There’s a medication you take and it gives you the hormones you’re lacking.  If all goes well, you should end up pregnant in no time as long as you’re having regular intercourse.”

 

“Oh trust me, we are.” Randy assured her with a smirk, chuckling when both his mother and Ryanne scolded him. “What?”

 

“Randall Keith Orton, I did NOT teach you to speak that way in the presence of a lady!” Elaine chastised, not realizing her face had reddened at her son’s confession.

 

Randy lowered his head to make his mother think he was ashamed and shot a secret grin at his wife, who merely shook her head at him in response.  They left the OBGYN office with a prescription to pick up at the pharmacy and newfound hope they would have a baby soon.  As soon as Elaine was dropped off and Ryanne’s medication was picked up, Randy took them to the airport to catch their redeye flight to Pittsburgh.  Once again, they joined the mile high club on the plane and screwed in the bathroom, celebrating their good news from the doctor.  They didn’t leave the bathroom until it was almost time for the plane to land.

 

Chapter 29

 

“So, Colby had an idea he wanted me to run by you and Jon.”

 

Anisa currently stood outside the arena with a cigarette between her fingers, taking a small break with Krystal.  They had become fast friends and Mia was swamped with appearances because of WrestleMania, so Anisa spent her breaks with Krystal for the time being.  Mia and Krystal got along too, so it worked out and Mia didn’t feel like she was being replaced.  Everyone in their circle of friends had accepted Krystal fully and Colby couldn’t have been happier since he was secretly dating her.

 

“An idea from Ninja Rollins?  I’m intrigued, what is it?” Anisa took a drag of her cigarette and held the smoke in to let the nicotine filter completely through her system, slowly letting it out while Krystal talked.

 

“He wants all of us to go out dancing tonight after the show to celebrate 3MB’s demise.” Krystal blinked when Anisa began coughing harshly, pounding her chest and frowned, rushing over to make sure she was alright. “Sorry!”

 

“It’s okay.” Anisa wheezed softly from some of the smoke sliding down her esophagus and flicked the cigarette away, hacking a few more times. “Ugh, those things are gonna be the death of me.”

 

Krystal silently agreed, but kept her opinions on smoking to herself, patting Anisa’s back a little more. “I didn’t mean to just come out and say it.”

 

“Don’t worry about it, not your fault.  But I am curious why Colby wants us to go out dancing together given the circumstances.” Joe and Mia’s relationship was the only new solid one that the whole roster knew about. “Or did he forget about that?”

 

“No, I brought that point up and he has a plan to still keep our relationships secret.” Krystal couldn’t let her brother know about her and Colby, not until after WrestleMania at the earliest. “The 4 of us can all take separate vehicles or me and you can ride together and we all ‘run into each other’ at the place we choose.”

 

Anisa had to give Colby credit; it was a brilliant idea, but still risky nonetheless for both couples. “I take it Joe and Mia have been invited?” She wondered if Jon would go for this and leaned against the guardrail, chewing her lip pensively.

 

“Yeah, along with Coralie, Phil, Randy and Ryanne.  They all have something to celebrate as well, I guess.” Krystal moved to stand beside Anisa, both of them staring straight ahead. “I know it’s risky, but…it would be a great opportunity for all of us to hang out together.  We haven’t had a lot of time to let loose and have fun.  At least think about it and talk to Jon.  See if he agrees with Colby.”

 

“If he hasn’t already.”

 

Due to scheduling conflicts, the Shield’s match against 3MB had been postponed until tonight.  So the boys had to wait 2 weeks to get their hands on the idiots who vandalized their ring gear.  3MB didn’t know what was happening yet, only their match against Brodus Clay –His real name was George Murdoch- and Tensai –His real name was Matt Bloom- had been changed to face the Shield.  Stephanie would fine them heavily after the evisceration and made the Shield promise not to kill them.  So Jon hadn’t been in the best mood throughout the wait and Anisa did her best to keep his mind occupied.  She couldn’t remember ever having as much sex as she had the last 2 weeks with Jon.  Not that she was complaining.  Anisa knew tonight Jon was full of intensity and planned on staying out of his way, but now the plans would have to change with Colby’s idea.

 

“I’ll talk to him and get back to you, but I make no promises.”

 

~!~

 

Fingertips pressed into the concrete floor of the dressing room as Jon pumped his body up and down, his mind completely focused on the match that night.  Pushups fired him up and made the transition from Jonathan Good to Dean Ambrose a lot easier.  He always did them on his fingertips too, refusing to plant his palms on the ground because it strengthened his arms and fingers.  His hands were already wrapped in black tape, his hair was drenched hanging over his eyes and he had his black cargo pants on, no tactical vest and undershirt yet, ready to go beat some respect into the punks known as 3MB.  Joe and Colby had gone down to catering while Jon stayed behind, not able to eat until after the match was over with.  How those two managed to eat before matches was beyond him, but Jon didn’t question his brethren.  Jon felt eyes boring into him from the doorway of the dressing room and didn’t bother looking up to see who it was, a smirk curving his mouth.

 

“Ani, undressing me with your eyes isn’t fair considering I can’t fuck you until after my match.”

 

The sight of Jon’s bare muscular sweat slicked back sent a rush of heat throughout Anisa and she shook herself out of the temporary passion haze, stepping inside closing the door. “You shouldn’t say things like that.  Someone could overhear.”

 

Jon snorted, rolling his eyes and increased the speed of his pushups. “Who gives a shit?” He remarked, sweat beading on his face and bulging arms, his back muscles rippling every time Jon pushed his body up and down on his fingertips. “I don’t care who finds out about us.”

 

Anisa heaved a sigh, knowing Jon was tired of them sneaking around with each other and truthfully so was she. “I didn’t come here to argue with you.” Every argument they had led to sex and that wasn’t an option right now because of his match. “I came here to ask you something.”

 

Of course she did, Jon thought, and continued doing his warm-up routine, grunting slightly. “What do you want then?” He was sharp with her, but Jon was currently in Dean Ambrose mode.

 

Not appreciating his tone of voice, Anisa decided now wasn’t the right time to talk to him. “Never mind.  Sorry I bothered you.” She headed for the door and was stopped by Jon’s hand wrapping around her arm, turning her around to face him. “Let go of me.”

 

“No.” Jon pushed her back against the door and flipped the lock on it, his mouth descending on her neck pinning her with his strong sweaty body. “Now tell me why you’re here.”

 

Normal pale blues were electrically charged and Anisa knew Jon was in character for the match.  She wanted to talk to Jon, not Ambrose, if that made sense. “It can wait.” Anisa murmured, trying to ignore the fact his bare chest looked edible with the perspiration coating it.  A tongue bath was in his future for sure. “Just do your match and then we can talk.”

 

“Why do you have to be so goddamn stubborn?” Jon growled, sliding his hands down her sides to rest on her hips and buried his face in the crook of her neck, breathing her scent. “Talk to me now.”

 

Anisa was fighting a losing battle and sighed, letting her eyes drift shut when Jon began suckling on the flesh of her neck tenderly. “Have you talked to Colby?” He pulled back with an arched brow, perplexity in his electric eyes.

 

“Of course I have…” Jon stepped back from her, folding his arms in front of his chest. “What about him?”

 

Explaining her earlier discussion with Krystal outside, Anisa could tell Colby hadn’t talked to Jon about the idea yet. “It’s a risk because we’re keeping this secret, but it would be nice to go out with our friends too.  I figured I’d talk to you about it, see what you thought.”

 

Truth be told, Jon was tired of the sneaking around with Anisa and hated how intimidated Mark Calaway made her.  He wanted to take the old dog out so they could be together without worrying about the Deadman lurking over their shoulders.  At the same time, however, Jon had to respect her wishes no matter how much he hated doing it.  Anisa sounded like she wanted to go out with their friends and take the risk of being caught, so Jon was all for it.  As long as she was happy, that’s all he really cared about.

 

“I told you I don’t care who sees us together.”

 

“No, you said you didn’t give a shit who found out about us.” Anisa recalled, trying to hide her hurt from his words and failed, lowering her eyes to the floor. “I know it’s not easy…”

 

“It blows, Anisa, and I’m not gonna pretend to be happy about it.  I love you and you love me, so I don’t understand why we have to sneak around.  You are not married to that piece of shit anymore, yet you act like you’re committing a sin against him or some shit.  Do you want to be with me or not?” Jon had to ask, the question burning on his tongue for the past week ever since they decided to change their dating to an actual relationship.

 

“Of course I do…”

 

“Then why hide?  Why hide from that asshole?  You’re with me and if I have to, I’ll take him out to make sure he doesn’t hurt you.” Jon had no doubt in his mind he could take out Mark Calaway, especially after all the sadistic things he did in the Independents prior to coming to WWE.

 

Anisa wasn’t sure if Jon could back up his words and refused to take the risk of losing him at the hands of her psychotic ex-husband. “I don’t want you to do that though.  Love him or hate him, Mark is a vital asset to this company and it would be catastrophic for something to happen to him…and you.  You’re vital as well.  You’re the new blood that’s going to carry this company into the future and I won’t let you jeopardize any of that because of him.  Nobody has to know about our relationship right now anyway, it’ll just complicate things.  Please, I’m begging you to just wait until after Mania and then we can shout it from the rooftops of every arena in the world we’re together.  Everything will be as it should, I promise.” She cupped his face in her hands, forcing his eyes to meet hers. “I love you.”

 

All Jon could do was kiss her, hoping their new relationship and love for each other was strong enough to maintain the secrecy until after WrestleMania.

 

~!~

 

It was risky, but against all odds 5 couples walked inside a nearby club a few hours later to celebrate the evisceration of 3MB.  Heath, Raj and Drew all ended up being stretchered out of the arena after the lethal beating the Shield gave them.  They even had a gallon of Clorox bleach under the ring and poured it over the men laying prone in the ring after receiving each of the Shield’s finishing moves.  Headlock driver, Blackout and Triple Power bomb respectively.  Heath had a shattered nose courtesy of Joe’s fist planting in his face, Raj had internal injuries and Drew had a few broken fingers.  In the Shield’s opinion, they all got off way too easy, but hopefully they learned a lesson in screwing with coworker’s belongings and would never do it again.  True to her word, Stephanie had fined all of them while they were wheeled to the back and loaded in ambulances to be taken to the hospital for treatment.  She had to plug her nose because of the strong stench mixed with blood and bleach, which wasn’t an appetizing scent.

 

“This was such a great idea, Ninja Rollins.” Anisa winked and laughed at Krystal ruffling his two toned hair, receiving a kiss for her troubles.

 

“Not a problem, I’m tired of hiding out and wanted to celebrate with all my bros tonight.” Colby held his beer up, toasting his best friends along with their ladies before dragging Krystal on the dance floor.

 

Randy could tell Ryanne was sleepy, so they wouldn’t be staying long and she stuck with 7up just in case she was pregnant.  There could be zero chances taken and the medication she was on was strict about alcohol intake.  Everyone in their circle of friends knew about their good news and Randy couldn’t wait to get his wife back to the hotel to have another round with her.  They had done it 3 times at the arena after finding out he wasn’t on the card, so Randy bypassed the time by making love to his wife in the dressing room he shared with Stephen, in the nosebleed sections behind fans without them knowing and finally outside behind some equipment trucks.  Anywhere Randy could be buried inside of his wife he took the opportunity and Ryanne enjoyed every second of it, enjoying her husband’s attention.

 

While Jon, Randy and Phil conversed and Joe took Mia on the dance floor when a slow song came on, Coralie and Anisa quietly talked amongst themselves. “Have you heard anything else from the Wyatt’s?” Coralie asked, sipping her Vodka cranberry while Anisa nursed a beer, keeping it simple.

 

“No, have you?” That was a stupid question and Anisa regretted it as soon as it popped out of her mouth. “What happened?”

 

Coralie went over the events of what happened with Luke Harper a week ago at the hotel in Colorado Springs after spending her 2 days off with Aunt Maggie.  She was a sweet old woman and it broke Anisa’s heart listening to Coralie talk about her cancer.  Then the dam broke once she found out what Phil did and Anisa stood up from the booth they were in, walking around to sit beside Phil since he was on the outside and hugged him tightly around the neck.  Phil chuckled at his sister’s embrace, sharing a look with Coralie and knew she’d told Anisa about Maggie.

 

“She’s gonna be fine, Nisa.  Then we can all go pay her a visit.” Phil assured his sister, trying to calm her down since she was crying and Jon physically lifted her by the hips to plant her on his lap.

 

“What the hell happened?”

 

Jon listened to both Phil and Coralie explain about Coralie’s Aunt Margaret, Randy and Ryanne chipping in their 2 cents since they knew the woman as well.  Phil told Randy what he’d done as soon as he could since they were like brothers and Coralie filled Ryanne in.  Holding Anisa close, Jon tried soothing her the best he could and tried not to show emotion for Coralie’s Aunt, but it was obvious how much the woman meant to everyone.  Colby and Krystal were the only ones that were isolated from the moment, but they would be filled in after exerting some pent up energy on the dance floor.

 

“I wanna go back to the hotel.” Anisa would talk to Coralie more in depth about Luke Harper at a later date, but right now she just wanted Jon to hold her close in their hotel bed.

 

“Alright, come on darlin’.”

 

They bid everyone goodnight and walked out with Randy and Ryanne since she was slowly falling asleep against her husband after having a good cry over Margaret.  Jon vowed not to argue with Anisa over keeping their relationship secret anymore, knowing this was hard for her since she hadn’t been in one for 4 years.  He had to keep that in mind.  Just as Jon went to whisper an apology in Anisa’s ear, he stopped dead in his tracks along with Randy and Ryanne, all of their eyes wide as saucers.  His rental car had been vandalized and destroyed – broken windows and flat tires all around.  Anisa gasped, covering her mouth with her hand and began trembling against Jon, wondering who could’ve done this.  Nobody knew where they were going!  Randy called the police while holding Ryanne close and all Jon could do was try to keep Anisa from freaking out.

 

Her first suspect in this was Mark, but how would he find out about their secret rendezvous?  Anisa wouldn’t put it past Mark do to something this heinous, but at the same time she had no proof he’d done it.  Whoever had was onto them, knew she was with Jon and they were being punished for being together.  While Jon talked to the authorities, Anisa and Ryanne stood off to the side as the rest of their friends joined the fray to find out what happened.  As Anisa looked around, she wondered if one of her friends had sold them out and frowned at the thought.  Now she was losing her mind.

 

Regardless, their night of fun had turned into a nightmare.

 

Chapter 30

 

Squeals filled the hotel room as Anisa squirmed on the bed with a strong body holding her down, his sinful mouth blowing raspberries against her neck.  Their fingers were laced together pressed into the mattress above her head, preventing Anisa from escaping and all she could do was let this beautiful man torture her.  Jon was a wonderful man and they’d spent every night together, though she hadn’t been invited to Las Vegas to see where Jon lived.  Instead, Jon always insisted they go to Atlanta, claiming he loved her house and wanted her comfortable.  Anisa would’ve been comfortable anywhere with Jon, but did what he wanted nonetheless.  Maybe it was just the stress of WrestleMania season and the fact they were hiding their relationship from nearly the entire roster.  Anisa would be patient and enjoy any amount of time she had Jon to herself like this, pushing all the other questions in the far recesses of her mind.

It’d been 2 weeks since Anisa and Jon decided to give their relationship a shot and 3 days since Jon’s rental vehicle had been vandalized.  The authorities concluded it had to be a group of local punk kids causing trouble in town since a few other vehicles had been reported for vandalism.  It was brushed off and Jon was left to pay for the damages to the rental.  Luckily, Colby chipped in since he felt responsible for what happened, so they split the cost in half.  Anisa didn’t believe this was done by punk kids, however, and couldn’t shake the feeling deep in her gut something awful was going to happen.  With her ex-husband’s wife now on the road, Anisa felt further cornered and had to be careful since she had the overwhelming urge to rip Michelle’s head off her shoulders.  Her hatred for Michelle and Mark had forced Anisa to take the next step with Jon by having sex with him.  It was the only way she could fully move on from Mark since no other man had come into her life or close to her panties until Jon.  As horrible as it sounded, Anisa felt guilty for having sex with Jon and she didn’t understand why because they both wanted to.

 

“Woman, your attention is supposed to be on me right now.” Jon’s gravelly voice growled against her ear, noticing Anisa had stopped responding to his raspberry attack.

 

“Huh?  What?” Anisa snapped out of her deep thoughts and locked on deep blue, reaching up to caress his face with the back of her hand. “Sorry, what did you say?”

 

This wasn’t the first time Anisa had escaped into her deep thoughts and Jon had to pull her back out. “What’s going on up here?” He lightly nudged her temple with his lips since both of his hands had hers captive.

 

“Nothing.” That was a flat lie and Anisa didn’t bother trying to sound convincing, having nowhere to hide since Jon literally had her pinned to the bed with his body. “It’s not important.”

 

“Yes it is.” Jon used his strength to sit back on his haunches and pulled Anisa to straddle his long legs, their hands still laced. “Anything you think about that deeply has to be important, especially when it distracts you from me.” A hint of cockiness seeped into his tone with that statement. “Now talk to me.”

 

Anisa wasn’t sure if she could tell Jon she pushed herself to have sex with him because of her ex-husband and his wife.  That wasn’t the best way to start their new relationship.  No, she would take that to the grave, dealing with the guilt on her own.  Eventually it would fade, especially when Mark and Michelle left the WWE after WrestleMania.  Jon noticed the slight panic enter her midnight eyes and sighed, releasing her hands to wrap them around his neck, his arms encircling her waist.

 

“You can tell me anything, Ani.  You know that, right?” Jon needed complete and total honesty between them if this relationship had a shot in hell of surviving. “I don’t want you to be afraid to tell me things.”

 

“Alright…” Anisa took a deep breath and kissed him softly, rubbing her nose against his. “I’m worried about what happened at the club with our friends.  I know the cops said it was punk kids, but…I just have this feeling in my gut it’s not.  It’s too coincidental.”

 

Jon frowned attentively because he’d had the same thought process over what happened, even after Colby and Joe told him not to worry about it.  Coming from the type of life he did, Jon was naturally skeptical and couldn’t let what happened to his rental vehicle go.  The smashed windows and slashed tires were a sign – a message – that something was coming.  He would be a fool to think otherwise, to brush this off as an act of mere vandalism by a bunch of juveniles.  Now that he knew Anisa had the same doubts, Jon felt a lot better and could talk to her about his suspicions.

 

“You’re not alone.” Jon admitted, watching her eyes widen slightly and ran his fingers down her cheek.

 

“Jon…”

 

Extricating from her, Jon stood up and began pacing in just a pair of black boxer/briefs that molded to his backside and muscular filled out hips. “Growing up the way I did, I learned very quickly there’s no such thing as coincidence and ‘wrong place, wrong time’.  Shit happens for a reason and destroying my rental car sent a fucking message to both of us.  Either the asshole already knows and is toying with us or…”

 

“It was meant for someone else.” Anisa finished his thought, both of them looking at each other simultaneously. “But who if not Mark?”

 

“I don’t know.” Jon sounded troubled, rubbing the back of his neck and wished he had answers for his girlfriend. “But you can bet your fucking sweet ass, I will find out.”

 

Anisa shivered at the deadly tone to his voice and accepted a soft kiss, glancing at the clock momentarily. “Get in the shower.  We have to leave for the arena in an hour and you take forever to get ready.” She’d already had one prior to Jon pinning her to the bed after a morning of lovemaking.

 

“Yes ma’am.” He smirked as she tossed a pillow at him because she hated that term of endearment.

 

“Idiot.” Anisa muttered with a smile and scooted toward the nightstand to reach for her lotion.

 

The screen on Jon’s cell phone lit up suddenly and caught Anisa’s eye, the word UNKNOWN flashing back at her.  It was a text message.  Anisa looked at the bathroom door and heard the shower cut on, her eyes moving back at the small contraption.  Reaching her hand out, Anisa had no idea what possessed her to do it and slid her finger over the screen, unlocking his phone.  Her heart pounded furiously in her chest like a beating drum as Anisa pressed the envelope button to open his text messages, her whole body trembling.  And suddenly, she went completely numb from head to toe while reading the messages.

 

You can’t avoid me forever, Jonny.

 

We’re stuck together forever, no matter who you’re with, what you do or where you work!

 

Get over it and fix this marriage!!

 

Marriage?  Who the hell was this?  Anisa couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think and couldn’t move, hot tears sliding down her cheeks as a few landed on the screen.  She dropped the cell phone on the bed and managed to make her legs work, standing up shakily.  Anisa didn’t realize how long she’d sat there with the cell phone in her hand until Jon emerged from the bathroom, her head snapping up to lock watery midnight blues on confused pale blues.

 

“Anisa, what’s wrong?” Jon had noticed her demeanor had changed drastically and glanced at his cell phone on the bed quickly looking back at her. “Who called?”

 

“Your wife.” Her voice was hard, cold as ice and dead, the hot tears streaming down her face doing nothing to quell the pain in her heart.

 

Jon blinked, his mouth dropping open in shock and that was all the reaction Anisa needed to see.  It was true.  Those text messages weren’t a fluke.  This man was married to another woman or man, she didn’t know at this point and Anisa felt sickened.  She had to get away from here, from him, and rushed for the front door in a pair of orange cotton shorts and spaghetti strapped tank top, bare foot with no bra.  In just a towel, Jon used his quickness to go after her, managing to catch her by the elevator and received a slap to the face for his troubles, the sound resonating throughout the room.  Staring back at her in shock, Jon couldn’t believe she just struck him and wasn’t giving him a chance to explain, not expecting her to fly off the handle.  He took another tentative step toward her just as the elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing Bray Wyatt.  Anisa couldn’t stop crying to save her life, holding her already bruising arm from Jon grabbing her and didn’t care if King Kong Bundy stepped off the elevator at this point. 

 

Bray noticed the tension between Anisa and Ambrose, immediately stepping in front of her blocking her from Jon’s view.  Her tear streaked face combined with Ambrose’s angry expression told Bray all he needed to know.  He immediately stepped in front of Anisa blocking her from Jon’s view and folded his bulky arms in front of his chest.  Anisa didn’t know why Bray did that and didn’t care, not able to look Jon in the face right now.  She needed time to process what just happened and what she was supposed to do about it.  Jon shot her a glare, or what he could see of her anyway, and couldn’t believe she was acting like this.

 

“When you’re ready to talk and stop acting like a fucking child, you know where I’ll be.” Jon snapped, stalking away from Bray and Anisa back to the room to get ready for Raw.

 

As soon as Jon was out of sight, Anisa crumbled to the floor in a sobbing heap and buried her face in her hands, every part of her body hurting from head to toe.  Bray rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, not sure what to do considering Anisa didn’t like him much.  He didn’t help matters from their last encounter, but she looked like she needed help right now and he couldn’t leave her there.  Squatting to be eyelevel with her, Bray wrapped a timid arm around her shoulders and felt Anisa lean her head against his shoulder.  She would take any comfort she could get, even if it was from Bray.  Rubbing her back in a purely platonic way, Bray didn’t know what to say to her and wondered what happened with Ambrose of all people.  Once Anisa pulled herself together as much as she could, she looked up into his softened ice blue eyes and swallowed hard, wiping her tears away.

 

“Sorry.” Anisa mumbled, feeling mortified and sniffled, slowly pulling away from Bray as he stood back up.

 

“Need help?” He offered his hand and cracked a small smile when she took it, pulling her up with ease on her feet. “Here.” Bray procured a bandana from his back jean pocket and handed it over to her. “It’s clean.”

 

“Thank you.” She whispered, dabbing her eyes with it and sniffled more, refusing to blow her nose in his bandana. “I know we don’t know each other very well, but…I need a ride to the arena.  Do you think you could give me one?” No matter what was going on in her personal life, Anisa would not let her job suffer because of it.

 

Bray raised a slow surprised brow at the honey blonde and wondered if she whacked her head or had a slight case of amnesia. “Sure…” Was she really going to the arena wearing cotton shorts and a spaghetti strapped tank top?  Not that Bray was complaining because Anisa had one killer body; he was a man after all and noticed contrary to popular belief. “Do you need a change of clothes or…?”

 

“My brother has some for me.  Just drop me off at his bus.” Anisa assumed Bray knew she was Phil’s sister since everyone else on the roster did.

 

“Lead the way.” Bray guided her on the elevator when the doors open again and took his brown leather trench coat off to drape over her shoulders.  It wasn’t the warmest in Philadelphia this time of year.

 

~!~

 

Jon was beyond livid, wanting to snap his ‘wife’s’ head off her shoulders for possibly ruining the best thing that ever happened to him.  He paced in the Shield’s dressing room like a caged animal, having went outside to smoke every 5 minutes.  It was the only vise he had to calm down, but so far it wasn’t working.  Pushups weren’t doing the trick either.  He couldn’t stop thinking about Bray coming to Anisa’s aid and blocking her from his view.  That prick was lucky he still had his teeth because Jon wanted to knock them out of his mouth.  Anisa was HIS and he would make things right with her, so the creepy Deliverance looking dick had better stay away from her.  Growling, Jon used his freedom of speech and cussed violently since Colby and Joe were currently down in catering stuffing their faces.  His cell phone ringing just pissed Jon off more as he picked it up and looked at it, gritting his teeth as more text messages flooded through.

 

I still love you!

 

Don’t do this to us!

 

You can’t run from me forever!

 

I WILL NEVER LET YOU GO!

 

Then the cell phone rang and Jon answered it, already knowing who it was. “What the fuck do you want?” He demanded, trying to reign his temper in, but it was almost impossible. “Just sign the fucking divorce papers!  How fucking hard is that to do?!”

 

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about!  I’ve never received any divorce papers!  What the fuck is wrong with you, Jonny?  Are you on drugs again?”

 

Not able to hear her voice a second longer, Jon hauled off and threw his phone as hard as he could against the wall, smashing it into a million pieces. “I DON’T FUCKING WANT YOU, CUNT!!” He roared angrily, trembling from head to toe and leaned back against the wall sliding down until his backside hit the floor.

 

3 years – 3 years of pure hell after a one night stand with a porno star that ended with him marrying her in a drunken state in a Las Vegas wedding chapel.  Jon hadn’t trusted a woman since that happened and the next day when he sobered up realizing he was married, he immediately went to the courthouse.  He didn’t live in Las Vegas at the time because it was back when he was in the Independents.  They gave him the papers, Jon gave them to her and she hadn’t signed them, making countless excuses.  He handed them to her the day after they were married and even forced her to take a morning after pill just to make sure she didn’t get pregnant with his baby.  Jon wanted nothing to do with the skank, but she was steadfast and he’d sent her over 50 copies of the divorce papers within the 3 years they were married.  If one could even call it marriage.  Anisa coming into his life changed Jon’s opinion on women and he was finally ready to open his heart again to a woman because she was the opposite of the porn star.  She was all woman, not fake at all and spoke her mind, which was one of the many things Jon loved about her.  He should’ve told her about his ‘wife’, but honestly Jon wanted to forget the evil whore existed.  Jon could only hope once Anisa simmered down, she would hear him out because he would tell her everything that happened like he should’ve from the beginning.

 

He had to get Anisa back and just had to figure out how to do it, by any means necessary.

 

Chapter 31

 

Raw found Krystal stuck in her office with a line of Superstars and Divas needing medical treatment.  Some required massages on sore limbs and she didn’t mind it, knowing it was part of sports medicine.  The only thing she didn’t do was snap joints and bones unless it was a dire medical emergency.  That was for Brady, the WWE’s personal chiropractor.  Luckily, nobody was severely hurt from the house shows, just a few sprains and sore ligaments that only time could heal.

 

“Alright Jimmy, you’re all set.” Krystal announced, finishing wrapping his sore shoulder he dislocated on at the Saturday house show.  It was heavily bruised and he’d have to work through the pain since the USO’s had a 2-on-1 handicapped match against Mark Henry toward the beginning of the show. “Try to be careful tonight.”

 

“You know my name is Jonathan, right?  Just call me Jonny, momma.”

 

Krystal felt her face flush with heat at that term of endearment and could FEEL the smirk crossing his face. “Sorry Jonny, I’ll try to remember that.” She mumbled, knowing he along with his brother, Joshua –He was Jey to the WWE fans- loved screwing with her every chance they got. “Now get out of here and stop messing with me before I tell Trinity on you.”

 

“Oh snap!  She just totally tossed Trin at you, bro!” Joshua crowed from the doorway, already having the left side of his face painted while Jon had the right side, their gear matching.

 

“Man, shut up!” Jonny grumbled good-naturedly and physically cringed when the devilish woman herself showed up.

 

“Tell Trinity what exactly?”

 

Jonny turned to smile at his beautiful fiancée, accepting a soft kiss from her juicy red lips and wrapped his good arm around her waist. “Nothing girl, damn you lookin’ fine tonight.” He figured a compliment would deter her attention from what she apparently overheard.

 

Fat chance of that happening. “Uh huh, is he screwing with you again, Krystal?” Trinity asked, leaning against the love of her life and ran her fingers through his wet raven hair. “Because if he is…”

 

“Nothing bad, just teasing me for calling him Jimmy again.” Krystal chuckled at the adorable pout Jonny shot Trinity and her take no bull attitude. “He’s fine, I promise, Trinity.”

 

The stern look dissolved into a smile as Trinity stepped away from Jonny to drape an arm around Krystal’s shoulders. “Good, I’d hate to have to knock my man down a peg or two for upsetting my favorite trainer.” She winked at the blushing woman and laughed, nudging her. “Loosen up, girl!”

 

“Now who’s messing with her?” Jonny smarted off, immediately lowering his eyes when Trinity shot him another firm look.

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“Bro, I’d stop if I were you before Trin knocks you on your ass.” Joshua was laughing so hard, he could barely talk and clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go find Mark and strategize the match with him.”

 

“What’s to strategize?  We’re gonna get our asses handed to us for about 2 minutes.”

 

Both women laughed at Jonny’s summary of what was happening in their handicapped match that night, shaking their heads. “He’s quite a character.” Krystal concluded and patted the bedding to start looking over Trinity’s knee she tweaked at last night’s house show.

 

“Yeah he is, but he’s my character and I love him, even if I wanna stick my foot in his ass 90% of the time.” The way her eyes sparkled whenever she talked about Jonny made Krystal wonder if she looked at Colby that way.

 

“He’s a good guy and I honestly call him Jimmy because of Jon.”

 

“Ambrose?” Trinity nodded, understanding that. “That’s why a lot of the guys go by their wrestling names around here because of the name shit.  There are so many Jon’s around here, it’s ridiculous.”

 

Luckily, Colby had a name that nobody else did in the company, though coworkers called him Rollins or Seth.  She admitted only to herself Seth fit him better than Colby, but she loved his name regardless.  Krystal finished up with Trinity’s knee, wrapping it and told her to keep pressure off of it as much as possible.  All Trinity had to do was valet Brodus Clay and Tensai to the ring with her other Funkadactyl, Cameron.  Her real name was Ariane.  Cleaning up and deciding to take a much needed break, Krystal had just finished putting a fresh padding on the bedding when her door opened, keeping her back to it.

 

“I’m on break, come back in 15.” The sign on the door had been ignored, but Krystal wouldn’t be snide about it.

 

“I think you should make time for me, sugar.”

 

Krystal shut her eyes briefly at that voice and shivered involuntarily, wishing she had locked the door until she was ready to leave the office. “What do you want, Ryback?” 

 

There was only one man who called her ‘sugar’ and Krystal had grown tired of him always making excuses to see her.  The last time had been about his scratched elbow, which was nearly healed and she tried sending him out.  Michael had to be the one to scare him off every time he tried coming to visit Krystal and she could only imagine what his ‘injury’ was this time.  Then there were the hotel shenanigans where he’d be in the same area she was at the same time.  He hadn’t cornered her or anything, but it was starting to become borderline stalking and Krystal was tired of it.  She hadn’t told Colby or Paul about these encounters with Ryan yet, but if the man didn’t leave her alone soon she’d have to turn him in.

 

Ryan was used to her referring to him by his ring name, not bothered by it. “You know, I’ve tried being patient with you and waiting for you to come around to my way of thinking.  But I can see you’re going to need a different nudge in that direction.” He smacked on his gum loudly, already in his wrestling tights for the night and squared his shoulders.

 

“What are you talking about?” Krystal felt her stomach tighten and her eyes widen at his smug smirk, having a sinking feeling she knew what he was about to say.

 

“How’s Colby?  Or should I call him Seth or Rollins?”

 

Krystal bit back a gasp of surprise at the mention of her boyfriend and crossed her arms in front of her chest, raising a slow brow. “How should I know?  I don’t converse with him often.”

 

“Now – now sugar, it wouldn’t be in your best interest to lie.” He plopped down on the fresh bedding and eyeballed her shrewdly, telling her with his crystalline blue eyes he knew the truth. “Unless you want me to go to your brother with this?”

 

That caught Krystal off guard and there was no point trying to convince Ryan she wasn’t with Colby. “How long have you known?” She caved, lowering her voice to a quiet tone, but didn’t take her eyes off him.

 

“Long enough.” Ryan spat, cracking his neck and decided to keep his distance from her for the time being. “And I know big brother doesn’t know what his perfect little innocent sister is doing – or fucking, I should say.”

 

“What do you want?” Krystal cut to the chase, fed up with this game of Ryan’s and stepped back when he stood from the bedding.

 

Now she was starting to come around, Ryan thought, rubbing his hands together while closing the distance between them. “It’s simple.  I’ll keep your dirty little secret if you do ONE thing for me.” He ran his finger down her cheek, surprised when she didn’t push it away.

 

Krystal was afraid to ask what, but knew if she didn’t Ryan would go straight to Paul and tell him about her relationship with Colby.  That couldn’t happen. “Tell me.” She hated herself for doing this, but she had to protect Colby at any and all costs.

 

“One date.” Ryan stepped away from her, holding his finger up. “Just one date with me and your secret will be kept safe.”

 

“But I’m with Colby…”

 

“Like I care?” Ryan snorted, not believing how daft this woman truly was and shook his head almost sadly. “If you can keep a secret like this from your flesh and blood, you can keep another from Rollins.” He made it sound so simple, his eyes shimmering wickedly under the lights of the office. “You have one week to decide.  If you don’t come to me with an answer by the 1st, I will tell your brother what you’ve been doing.  Then we’ll see just how long Rollins lasts in the company.”

 

Krystal could only watch the bulking man saunter out of her office and blinked repeatedly, completely appalled and sickened by Ryan’s ultimatum.  She wanted nothing to do with him!  What part of that didn’t he understand?  At the same time though, Paul couldn’t find out about her relationship with Colby with WrestleMania on the horizon.  Ryan gave her one week, which meant the Raw before WrestleMania was her deadline.

 

This was one hell of a dilemma and Krystal didn’t know what to do about it.

 

~!~

 

“Anisa, are you alright?” Rick demanded, seeing his assistant had gone off into her own world and handed over the infamous clipboard. “Signatures, go.”

 

Numbly, Anisa took it without a fuss and turned to walk down the hallway, trying to wrap her mind around what she discovered earlier at the hotel.  He was married.  Jonathan Good was married…and she’d had sex with him!  Whoever he was married to was probably experiencing the same type of pain she had when she found Mark and Michelle together.  Anisa felt sick to her stomach and suddenly flew to the nearest women’s bathroom, emptying the contents or whatever she had in her system.  How could she put another human being through that amount of heartache and pain?  Granted, she didn’t know about Jon being married, but it did nothing to suppress the guilt deep inside.  The bottom line was she had screwed a married man repeatedly and there was no changing it.  After she was sure nothing was left in her stomach, Anisa stumbled out of the bathroom stall and rinsed her mouth out, looking up to stare back at her hideous reflection.  Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, bloodshot from crying ever since leaving the hotel with Bray.  Jesus, she had to pull herself together and stop thinking about this at work since she had a job to do.

 

“Fuck it.” She muttered, splashing cold water on her face and patted it dry, hoping the swelling in her eyes would go down sooner rather than later.  Maybe the makeup artist had time to fix her up a little so she didn’t look like a walking heartbroken mess.

 

Tossing the paper towel away, Anisa walked out of the bathroom trying to put on a brave front and went to retrieve her first signature of the night.  The brave front didn’t last long because, after an hour of doing her job, Anisa was yanked into a dark dressing room and slammed against the door effectively shutting it.  The light flicked on temporarily blinding her for a moment until her blurred vision cleared, staring back at an agitated Jonathan Good.  No, she couldn’t deal with this right now.  Anisa reached for the handle on the door, but Jon’s hand wrapping around her wrist prevented her from pushing it down to open, their eyes locked.  Jon could see all the pain and anguish swirling through her midnight orbs, wishing he could do something to take it away.

 

“You have to let me explain.” Jon didn’t bother asking her to hear him out and made it a command, his other hand resting on her hip. “You don’t know the whole story…”

 

Anisa’s stubborn side was kicking into high gear and she refused to listen to anything he had to say right now. “No.” She shook her head, letting the anger consume her. “There’s nothing you can say or do to change the fact I know you’re fucking married.  You made me the other woman, just like Michelle was with Mark until he left me for her.  No, I don’t want to hear it, Good!  Now let me out of here so I can do my fucking job!”

 

“Ani…”

 

“My name is Anisa, asshole.  You lost the privilege of calling me that when you kept the fact you’re married from me.  I have nothing to say to you and we have nothing to discuss.  Goodbye.” She managed to escape the room before Jon could utter another word and rushed down the hallway, looking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn’t coming after her.

 

Only to slam into a warm muscular body.

 

Two hands caught her wrists before Anisa could hit the floor and when she looked up, relief flooded her body at the sight of Bray. “Are you alright?” He asked quietly, immediately releasing her and peered down at the woman beneath the fedora he wore.

 

“No.” Anisa didn’t bother trying to be brave in front of Bray and buried her face in his chest, clutching at the Hawaiian buttoned down shirt he wore.

 

He frowned, feeling the hot tears soak through his black muscle under shirt and heaved a sigh, hesitantly placing a hand on her back to give her some kind of comfort. “What happened?” Bray realized they were being stared at by a few of their coworkers and decided this wasn’t the place to have a conversation. “Come with me.”

 

“W-Where are we going?” Anisa stammered out, not fighting him off and let him lead her where he wanted to go.

 

“My dressing room.”

 

Once inside, Bray guided her to the hard bench and retrieved a bottled water, opening it for her since her hands were trembling.  Anisa took a long swig from it and began breathing a little easier since sobbing took her breath away.  Bray watched her carefully, wondering if she’d have another breakdown and figured it had to do with Ambrose.  He didn’t bother surmising whether or not they were together since it was none of his business.  All Bray cared about was making sure Anisa didn’t have a breakdown at work of all places because the rumor mill would start up and he didn’t need any drama in his work life.  His debut with Erick and Luke was upon them and he had to stay focused on that.  However, this beautiful honey blonde had captured his attention and Bray found himself wanting to help her.  Why – he had no idea, but it was obvious she needed someone to confide in.  If he was that person, Bray would be there for her without question and kept his hand on the small of her back, rubbing up and down trying to calm her down further.  They talked for a little while to help Anisa stop crying, but the emotional exhaustion had been too much for her and she ended up falling asleep against him.  Bray watched her sleep, brushing some hair from her cheek and forehead, deciding maybe it would be best to take her back to the hotel so she could rest properly.

 

Chapter 32

 

“Fucking idiot.  I’m such a fucking idiot.  I’m a fuckup.  Goddamn it, what the fuck am I supposed to do now?”

 

Mia stood in the doorway of the Shield locker room listening to Jon, who stood in the corner hitting the wall repeatedly with his fist and wondered what happened.  She had come down to visit Joe quickly and see if he wanted to go to catering for some food before the show started.  Instead, she found a perturbed Jon standing in the far corner of the locker room mumbling the F word every couple seconds.  The amount of sadness and anger radiating off of him took Mia by surprise, finding herself checking on him to make sure he was alright.

 

“Jon.” She called his name softly, frowning when he didn’t turn at the sound of her voice. “Jon, its Mia.” Taking a chance, she reached out to touch his shoulder and regretted it instantly.

 

“Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.  Fuck.  FUCK!” He roared out, whipping around as soon as he felt a hand on his shoulder and grabbed the person disturbing him by the throat, immediately jolting out of his anger at the sight of his hand throttling Mia. “Shit!” Jon released her instantly and backed up, covering his mouth with his hand while she stumbled back coughing.

 

Mia didn’t expect him to do that and coughed a little more since he’d literally cut off her air supply for a good 20 seconds. “It’s…okay…” She wheezed, finding her voice and could see the regret in his pale blues, holding her hand out to him. “Take my hand…”

 

Joe would maim him if his friend ever found out this happened and Jon would gladly take the whooping he deserved. “I’m so sorry…” He whispered, not taking her hand and blinked when she snatched his, guiding him away from the wall to the hard bench. “Fuck, you’re already bruising…”

 

“Don’t worry about it.  I’ll be fine.” Mia assured him in a raspy voice, clearing her throat roughly and Jon immediately stood to grab her a bottled water from their cooler. “Thank you.” She murmured after taking a few long swigs, the coolness against her esophagus feeling heavenly.

 

“Mia…”

 

“What’s going on with you, Jon?” They had known each other for a while, but hadn’t gotten close until she started dating Joe. “I don’t want to hear an apology from you.  I want an explanation on why you snapped like that and why you were saying you fucked up.” Did Anisa know what was going on with her man?

 

Jon lowered his head and clasped his hands tightly together in front of him, shutting his eyes. “Because I did.” He murmured quietly, covering his face with his hands and tried willing the emotional pain to stop circulating through his body.

 

That didn’t sound good. “What happened?  Talk to me.” Mia urged softly, placing a hand on his shoulder to let him know she was there for him.

 

“I fucked up with Anisa.” Jon admitted, refusing to meet Mia’s eyes because he knew how close she was to Anisa. “And I have nobody to blame.  I knew what I was doing and did it anyway thinking I could get away with it.  I’m a fuckup.”

 

Instead of getting defensive and yelling at Jon, Mia remained calm because she knew there was more to this story. “What did you do to Nisa?” Before she castrated the man, she would hear him out first and then decide if he deserved to keep his balls or not.

 

Jon didn’t know why he felt the need to explain what happened to Mia, but once his mouth opened there was no stopping it. “Back when I was on the Indies scene, I used to drink heavily.  I’m talking to the point where – I mean I was blitzed out of my mind.  I didn’t know who I was or what was going on, that type of drunk.  It got to the point where I’d have blackouts for hours at a time and not remember a fucking thing.  And I couldn’t stop.  I was going hot and strong in the business; I was champion in 4 different promotions at the same time and I was on fire.  I had no stop button.  It was worse than when I was on drugs back when I had long hair and went to Puerto Rico to wrestle for 6 months.”

 

When he paused, Mia took one of his hands and squeezed it, encouraging him to continue. “Go on.” Jon was her friend and right now he needed someone to hear his side of the story since she was 100% sure Anisa hadn’t.

 

“Anyway, I was in a storyline with this broad named Reby Sky and we fucked around a little, but nothing serious.  I dated her for a few months, nothing came of it and we both moved on to better things.  Obviously since she’s with Matt Hardy now.” Jon took a swig of his own water since talking this much made his mouth dry and continued. “She’s actually a good friend of mine and we talk every once in a blue moon.  So getting back to – yeah anyway, the promotion I was involved in at the time, Dragon Gate, brought in a porn star named Trina Michaels to fight against Reby since she had constantly fucked me over in matches and interrupted my promos, whatever she could do to generate and spark heat from me, she did.  I was cool with it because it made for a great storyline.  Anyway, so the owner approaches me and he’s all ‘well we’re gonna bring in Trina Michaels.  We think she’d be a good match for your character against Reby’.  Whatever, I was cool with it.  I just went with the flow.  So they brought in this blonde bitch with huge tits and she was looking good.  We worked a couple matches together where she’d valet me to the ring, beat up Reby and afterwards we’d hang out to get to know each other.  And I’ll admit, I was horny and wanted to fuck a porn star, so I did.”

 

Mia didn’t like where this was going and scrubbed a hand down her face, still holding onto his with her free one. “Moving on…”

 

“Right, anyway the storyline only lasted a couple months and Trina had gotten close to me.  We got sloppy drunk one night and I swear I don’t remember what happened.  The next morning I get up in an unfamiliar hotel room in Las Vegas of all places and I’m married to Trina.” Jon felt Mia release his hand and didn’t blame her, keeping eyes staring straight ahead.

 

“Wait a minute, are you telling me you got so drunk you flew to Las Vegas from the East coast, married a porn star and you don’t remember ANY of it?” Did Mia hear him correctly?  She had to because the guilt-ridden expression on his face spoke volumes. “Oh my god, Jon…”

 

“Welcome to the wonderful world of Absinthe.” Jon snorted, remembering taking shot after shot with Trina while they both laughed about the silliest things. “This shit was banned in the United States at one point because of a certain ingredient it had that caused people to hallucinate and shit.  It’s wicked, don’t ever drink it.  It will fuck your world up.”

 

Filing that information away in the back of her mind, Mia turned her focus back to Jon’s story. “So what happened when you woke up and found out you were married to her?” It was obvious that Jon didn’t love Trina and he regretted the marriage happening.

 

“I flipped my fucking shit, dressed in record time and got the hell out of there.  She tried coming after me, begging me to listen to reason about being married, but I wanted no part of it.  That slut has had 3 cocks in her asshole all at the same time.” Jon ignored the sickened face Mia made and went on with his explanation. “You think I really wanna be married to someone THAT loose?”

 

Mia shook her head, not blaming him a bit. “No.” Truthfully, Jon wasn’t the marrying kind and she could surmise that by the type of person he was. “Is that why you never invited Anisa back to your place?” Her friend had come to Mia a few times asking for advice on what to do about never going to Jon’s place, always hers.

 

Jon nodded, slumping back against the lockers in defeat. “Yeah.  Trina lives there and has for a while.  It’s why I never want to go home on my days off because she’s on my nut sack.  And I don’t talk to her at all.  I’ve cut off all communication with her and even changed my cell number several times.  Somehow, she keeps finding a way to get her hands on it and blows it up to the point where I smash the fucking thing.” Just as he had earlier prior to Mia walking in on his psychotic moment.

 

“So what did you do about the marriage?”

 

“I went to the courthouse to have it annulled, or tried to, but Trina never showed up for the appointment to have it done.  And both husband and wife have to be there together to sign the papers.  She skipped town or some shit because I couldn’t contact her at all.  I was livid.  Then 3 months later, a day after the deadline passed to have an annulment, she calls me out of the blue and tries telling me she’s pregnant with my kid.” Jon rolled his eyes, remembering that call vividly and could feel the anger consuming his whole body from head to toe. “She claimed she was 3 months pregnant, which would make sense since we’d been married exactly that amount of time.  So after I got over the initial shock of possibly being a father, I met up with her in LA where she lived at the time.  I was still living in Cincinnati.  I took one look at her flat stomach and knew she’d lied to me just to get me to come to LA so we could ‘talk’.  I walked away telling her to expect a phone call from my lawyers.  I was pissed the fuck off and wanted to strangle that cunt, just like I want to do now.”

 

“Wow, what a stupid bitch.” Mia shook her head in disbelief, her heart going out to Jon because it sounded like Trina had put him through the ringer. “So did you file for divorce?”

 

“Tried to several times.  No response.  I’ve sent her over 50 copies of the divorce papers and she always comes up with some lame excuse every time she doesn’t sign them.  I lost them.  I never got them.  I’ve even overnighted copies to her only to have them returned because the address she gave me was fake.  She’s a fucking cunt and she wants me stuck in this marriage with her because of how big I am now in WWE.  I’ve talked to my lawyer, gotten a second and third opinion – everything and anything, but she always manages to get away with not signing the papers.  And it costs me $250 every time I have to send her a copy of the fucking things.  It’s bullshit.” Jon was frustrated and at the end of his rope with his wife, wishing he could kill her just so he wouldn’t be attached to her anymore. “I’m surprised the WWE took a chance on me because they know I’m married to her.  I had to tell them in order to get a tryout.”

 

There had to be something that could fix this mess, but nothing came to Mia’s mind at the moment.  She would definitely research this and talk to her lawyer friend, Melanie, who lived in New York and was one of the best.  If anyone could help Jon with this situation, it was her.  Mia wouldn’t tell him anything yet because she didn’t want to get his hopes up in case Melanie couldn’t help.

 

“So I’m going to take a wild guess and say Anisa found out tonight, which is why she’s been crying and refuses to talk to anyone including me.” Mia didn’t bother questioning any of it, simply stating facts and heaved a sigh. “You’ve gotten yourself into quite a pickle, Jonathan.”

 

“Don’t I know it.” Jon grumbled, sitting upright when the door opened and Joe stepped inside, his dark brows rising at the sight of Mia holding Jon’s hand.

 

“What’s going on here?” Joe folded his arms in front of his chest, eyeballing Mia and blinked when she kissed Jon’s cheek.

 

Mia ignored Joe for the moment, her focus solely on Jon. “Go outside and have a smoke.  Calm down.  We’ll figure this out, I promise.  I’ll talk to Anisa about it.”

 

Jon immediately shook his head, snapping out of the shock of her kissing his cheek. “No!  You can’t tell her about my past.  If anyone tells her, it needs to be me.  Please Mia, don’t tell her.” He wasn’t above pleading at this point and felt relief course through him when Mia nodded.

 

“I won’t, I promise.  But I am going to try convincing her to hear you out.  Once she hears the whole story, I know she’ll have a different outlook on things.” Mia hoped she could work her magic with Anisa because the woman could be stubborn when she wanted to be.  And after what happened with Mark, this was definitely a wound that wouldn’t heal overnight.

 

Jon could only hope Mia found a way to get Anisa to at least hear his story before she decided to push him out of her life.  Losing Anisa wasn’t an option.  Trina would not win, Jon would figure a way out of the marriage, no matter the price.  He made plenty of money, never squandered and would hire the best lawyer in the United States if he had to in order to get rid of her.  Something told him Mia would be doing some investigating of her own and he was fine with that.  Standing, Jon didn’t say a word to Joe on his way out the door to go have a much needed cigarette, leaving Mia to explain what the kiss to his cheek was about.

 

“So what’s up with my bro?” Joe demanded, turning grey eyes on the Indian beauty he had spent an obscene amount of time with lately.

 

“Don’t pry, Joseph.” Mia had a promise to keep and wouldn’t tell a soul what Jon revealed to her, hating the fact she couldn’t tell Anisa about it. “Let’s just say your bro is in a bad way, but hopefully I can help pull him out of it.”

 

Joe raised a brow while they headed out of the locker room down the hallway toward catering. “Oh really?  And how do you plan on doing that?”

 

Mia smirked, smacking his cargo pant covered backside and shivered at his responding growl. “Don’t you worry about it, baby.  If Jon wants you to know what we discussed, he’ll tell you.  It’s not my place.” Joe had no idea about her lawyer friend in New York and Mia preferred it that way.

 

“Whatever you say gorgeous, I trust you.” Joe stopped and lifted her in his arms to where her legs wrapped around his waist, softly kissing her mouth.

 

“You better.” She murmured breathlessly, pressing her forehead to his momentarily and then patted his arms. “Come on big man, time to eat and get ready for the show.”

 

Setting her down, Joe laced his fingers with hers unable to deny his beautiful girlfriend anything and walked into catering with her, both hoping Jon was alright.

 

Chapter 33

 

It was happening again.

 

She could only watch the man she thought loved her unconditionally pack his bags without so much shedding a single tear.  It wasn’t fair.  Why didn’t he love her the way he did the woman he was leaving her for?  Why wasn’t she good enough?  Anisa had shed gallons of tears ever since catching Mark and Michelle in the act, feeling as though her whole world was falling apart at the seams.  Anisa wanted to ask him so many things, but not a single question came out of her mouth.  All she could do was watch him pack his things to leave the house they once shared together happily as man and wife to go venture off with a bottled whore.

 

“It’s better this way, Nissy.” Mark grunted, zipping up his final bag and set it on the carpeted floor, looking up at his wife. “I love you, but…”

 

“No you don’t.” Anisa cut him off, wiping her tears away that kept falling, no matter how hard she tried stopping them. “You don’t love me or you wouldn’t be leaving.”

 

Mark snorted, picking his bags up with a shrug. “Think what you want then.” There was no point in fighting and arguing since there was nothing left between them.  At least on Mark’s end. “I’ll contact my lawyer and…”

 

“Don’t bother.” Anisa walked past him to the nightstand and ripped it open, turning around to hand over the divorce papers. “I filed 3 days ago when you called and told me our marriage was over.” Doing it over the phone instead of to her face just proved how little respect Mark had for her. “Just sign and my lawyer will contact yours with a court date to settle assets and whatnot.”

 

“I’m not givin’ you anythin’.” Mark informed her gruffly, snatching the papers from her and quickly flipped through them, having dropped his bags to the floor again. “We signed a prenuptial agreement.”

 

Anisa rolled her eyes, holding her hand up before Mark could go on a rant about the divorce proceedings. “I’m aware of that.  I didn’t forget, don’t worry about it.  I don’t want anything from you anyway.  I am changing my last name back to Brooks as soon as possible though.  So I won’t have the Calaway name much longer.”

 

Mark didn’t know how to feel about that information and couldn’t worry about it right now, glad Anisa wasn’t trying to take any of his assets. “That includes this house.  I want you out within a month.” He planned on selling the ranch since another property caught his eye in Dallas, sick of living in Houston.

 

“I’ll be out within a few days.” Anisa had already found a small house in Atlanta, Georgia within her budget and all that was left to do was dot I’s and cross T’s. “See you in court.”

 

Knowing there was nothing left to discuss, Mark grabbed his bags and walked out of the bedroom, the front door to the ranch shutting moments later as the sound resonated back to Anisa.  The tears she’d desperately held in cascaded down her cheeks like two rapid waterfalls and her knees hit the carpet, collapsing in a sobbing heap.  Her marriage was ending and Anisa had to move out of a place she called home for the past 3 years.  It was beautiful, but also cold and empty, filled with happy memories she wanted to forget.

 

“Why Mark?” She sobbed, clutching her chest with both hands and let the sobs tear throughout her emotionally wrecked body. “Why?”

 

~!~

 

Anisa bolted upright in bed caked in sweat and a tear streaked face, her heart hammering violently against her chest.  That dream – she hadn’t had it in years and now suddenly it was back.  Anisa knew why.  Finding out Jon had a wife had reopened the wound Mark caused years ago deep within her heart and made her relive the hell all over again.  Only this time, she was the other woman who would more than likely be abandoned by the married man she had fallen in love with to go back to his wife.  The way it should be.  The fresh pain of what Jon did made its way back inside her mind and heart, forcing stinging tears to slide down her chapped cheeks.  When would the pain stop?  Was she doomed to feel this way for the rest of her life?

 

Then Anisa realized she was in her hotel room and immediately looked around to make sure Jon’s things were gone.  As she became more conscious of her surroundings, she surmised this wasn’t her hotel room and thankfully no adjoining room.  The last thing she remembered was talking to Bray in his locker room and whatever happened with him was blank.  Had she fallen asleep against him?  Did he bring her back to the hotel before Raw started?  Frowning thoughtfully, Anisa turned around to look back at the bed and sat down on it, spotting something on the nightstand.  A piece of paper with Bray’s cell number scrawled on it and a simple note.

 

“Call if you need to talk.” She read aloud, cracking a small smile that barely stretched her lips upward and set it back down on the nightstand, deciding a shower was in order.

 

Shedding her clothes in the bathroom, Anisa turned the shower sprays on and stepped under them, making the water as hot as she could stand it.  She didn’t want any reminder she’d made love to Jon only hours ago, needing his touch off of her.  Maybe she was being selfish and cruel, but Anisa had been burned once by a wrestler and now Jon was the second.  Would she ever learn her lesson not to get involved with coworkers?  Anisa had made the vow for a reason after her divorce from Mark and what did she do?  Broke it all because of a beautiful man with pale blue eyes and curly dishwater blonde hair.  Mia even warned her not to get involved with another wrestler, her best friend, and if she did, to make it strictly a fuck buddy situation.  No, Anisa had done the opposite and opened her heart to another deceitful man.  Letting the sprays flow over her, Anisa washed away the day’s event, trying to release some of her stress in the process.  She had to relax enough to be able to sleep since she had a 6 AM flight to go to the Smackdown! taping.

 

The shower didn’t work.

 

Anisa stepped out feeling rejuvenated and angry - irrationally angry.  She wanted to stalk down to Jon’s hotel room, kick his door in and beat some answers out of him.  Technically, she hadn’t asked him a single question, but Anisa felt justified beating the snot out of Jonathan Good.  Growling, Anisa changed into a pair of cotton black shorts and a black sports bra, pulling her black tennis shoes on to go down to the hotel gym for a workout.  Swimming was out of the question because of what happened the last time she’d decided to go for a late night dip.  Jon had been there and that’s how he’d caught her in his web, his love for swimming not helpful with the resolve either.  So the gym late at night seemed to be the suitable option considering she wanted to beat the tar and kick box for a while with the punching bag they had. Once Anisa got down to the gym, she wrapped her hands and feet with thick black tape, slipping it back into her bag.  Her honey blonde hair was pulled up in a high ponytail to keep it out of her face, midnight blue orbs zeroing in on the grey bag staring back at her, almost mockingly.

 

The first hit felt good.  The second felt better.  The third felt amazing and with each hit after that made Anisa’s temper skyrocket.  She envisioned punching Mark at first, aiming for his nose and mouth since those two parts of the anatomy were used for breathing.  Then Mark dissolved and was replaced with Jon, making Anisa stop hitting the bag just staring at it.  Sweat caked her body as she wiped it away from her forehead with her arm, sniffling from tears stinging her eyes.  She wanted to hurt him as much as he hurt her, to make him feel the same pain she did.  Being used didn’t feel great at all.  Didn’t men understand that or was that part of their brain missing?  At what point did all the men of the world decide it was alright to screw with women’s heads and hearts?  Whoever thought it was a great idea deserved to have their scrotum wrapped around their throat and choked out with their own balls.

 

“I gave you everything.” Anisa kicked the bag, gritting her teeth angrily. “My trust,” Another kick. “My loyalty,” And another. “My body,” A punch came next. “And my heart!” A double punch. “And you took it and stomped on it by lying to me about being married!  How could you keep something like that from me?  Don’t I deserve to be loved?  Don’t I deserve to have the whole truth?!” She began kicking it repeatedly as hard as she could, wearing her body down quickly to the point where Anisa fell to the mats below on her back, staring up at the lights. “Goddamn it, why?”

 

Narrowed blue eyes watched her every move as Anisa attempted to destroy the punching bag with her lethal kicks and punches.  He had no idea how strong she truly was, especially since she was so tiny.  Standing at 5’6 with a curvy body, the clothes always covered them up and he didn’t see her in the gym hardly ever.  She must’ve came late at night when she thought nobody would workout.  His gaze slid down her sweat slicked body and could feel his dick jump in his pants, tongue slipping out to wet his upper lip.  Anisa was quite a beauty and he knew she’d be a tiger in bed.  What she needed right now was a thorough tongue bath, one he would not mind giving her, but all in due time.

 

Anisa suddenly sat upright on the mat and snapped her head to the doorway to see if someone was there. “I’m losing my mind now.” She muttered, swearing she felt eyes watching her just a few moments ago. “That’s it, time for another shower and bed before I start hallucinating shit.”

 

Standing, Anisa walked out of the workout room with burning muscles and the same pair of eyes watching her every move, following her all the way to her room until her door closed.

 

~!~

 

“Oh god…”

 

Randy heard his wife groan beside him and snapped his eyes open just in time to watch her bolt from the bed to the bathroom.  He’d never seen Ryanne move so fast in his life and they’d been married for over a decade.  The sounds of her vomiting quickly echoed back at him and Randy frowned, not realizing his wife was sick.  He knew the traveling couldn’t be easy for her and wondered if maybe sending Ryanne back home would be in her best interest.  As much as he loved having his wife on the road with him, Randy had to do what was best for her health too.

 

“Ry, are you alright?” Randy called out after a few minutes of silence, the vomiting stopped for a moment and slid from the bed toward the bathroom door to peer on.

 

“I-I don’t know…” She stammered shakily, sitting on her knees in front of the porcelain toilet with her forehead resting against the lid. “I was fine at dinner tonight.  Maybe it’s food poisoning or something.”

 

“I hope not…” Randy frowned, feeling horrible for his wife and pulled her blood red hair back from her face when it looked like she would vomit again.

 

Ryanne ended up spewing for a good 40 minutes with Randy beside her the whole time, wiping her face full of cold sweat with a towel along with her neck.  He was contemplating calling Michael or Krystal down here to check on Ryanne, but she finally stopped when there was nothing left.  Her face was pale white and she was incredibly shaky, leaning against Randy’s leg while he stroked her drenched hair soothingly.

 

“Sorry.” She mumbled weakly, looking up at her husband and felt him press a kiss to her forehead.

 

“Don’t apologize, babe.  It happens.”

 

Helping her stand up, Ryanne started heading out of the bathroom and suddenly froze, her eyes widening.  A pack of tampons were on the sink and it triggered something in her head, forcing her to freeze in her tracks.  Randy stared at his wife apprehensively, looking over at the tampons with her and raised a slow confused brow.  Why was she staring at them in perplexity?

 

“Ryanne?” He nudged her slightly, jolting her out of whatever shocked state she slipped into. “Babe?”

 

“I’m late.” Ryanne blurted out, walking past Randy to sit on the bed and tore her fingers through her hair, feeling disgusting from sweating so much. “I can’t believe I didn’t realize…”

 

“Late?” Randy joined her, taking her hands in his and forced watery emerald eyes to meet concerned mystic blue. “Late for what?”

 

“My period.  I’m late.” Ryanne grabbed her purse and took the calendar out, counting the days. “4 days late actually.”

 

Randy swallowed hard, taking the calendar from her and knew she’d been keeping an eye on it since they were trying to have a baby. “Late…” Didn’t she take a pregnancy test a few weeks ago though?  Could it have happened that fast? “You just started taking the medication…”

 

“I know, but…why else wouldn’t I get a period?” Ryanne blinked as huge tears slid down her cheeks, hoping Randy would’ve had a better reaction than this. “There’s only one way to find out, right?”

 

Quickly dressing in jeans and long sleeved shirt, Randy rushed out of their hotel suite to go down to the 24 hour drug store open down the street.  Ryanne watched him rush out to the rental vehicle and sped off out of the parking lot, staring out the window in thought.  What if she was finally pregnant?  Was it the right time?  Ryanne didn’t want to disappoint Randy again with another negative on a pregnancy test, but it really was the only way to prove if she was or not.  It’d been about a month since her last pregnancy test and it’d only been a week since the medication to balance her hormones out started.  Her and Randy had been sexing it up like crazy, but Ryanne doubted the medication could work that fast.  There was a slim chance she was pregnant with Randy’s baby, the child they’ve wanted and worked for the past 2 years.  Ryanne sat down on the bed and placed a hand over her flat stomach, hoping and praying they had finally extended their family.

 

Chapter 34

 

For some reason, Phil couldn’t sleep after the show and laid in bed staring up at the ceiling of his luxury bus.  Coralie was still working taking the ring setup down and wouldn’t be done for a couple hours.  Adrenaline pumped through every vein of his body from the segment he had with Mark, though Phil would’ve rather ripped the man’s head from his shoulders.  No matter how hard he tried, Phil couldn’t forget or let what the Deadman did to his sister go, wanting revenge for what happened to her.  He felt like a crappy big brother for not defending his sister’s honor, even though she specifically asked him not to.  How could he let Mark get away with hurting Anisa?  He warned Mark not to hurt her when they decided to get married, against it wholeheartedly.  However, it was Anisa’s life and decision, so Phil supported her choice in a husband like a good brother, standing beside Mark in their small Vegas wedding.  As cheap as it felt, Phil would never forget how beautiful his sister looked in a simple white lace white dress that went to her knees, short sleeved and had a keyhole cut in the back.  Since they didn’t have parents or a father to walk Anisa down the aisle, Phil did it and felt like a proud daddy giving his daughter away.  2 years apart or not, it didn’t change how Phil felt that day and nothing would take that memory of how she looked away.

 

His cell phone beeping jolted Phil out of his deep thoughts about the past and hazel eyes slid over to the nightstand, seeing the screen light up.  It was probably Coralie telling him the crew was running behind schedule taking the setup down.  Sighing, Phil reached over and grabbed the cell phone, swiping his finger across the screen.  His eyebrows rose slightly at the text message from an unknown number and his finger pressed on it, opening the text.  It was a video.  Phil sat up in bed, tilting his head slightly and felt fear grip his insides instantly.  Who the hell would send him a video?  Unless it was Coralie trying to be cheeky and spice up their sex life.  The fear turned to excitement at that possibility and Phil pressed the play button, watching the screen tentatively.  He was half right in his assumption of the video involving Coralie, but she wasn’t alone in it.

 

It was exactly one minute long full of Coralie and Luke Harper moments, revealing what she’d apparently kept from him.  Luke had touched her intimately a few times and Coralie hadn’t pushed him away, the video black and white so it was hard to tell what her reaction was.  One thing Phil knew about Coralie was she didn’t put up with anything.  If she didn’t like something happening, she voiced her opinion and fought back.  With Luke Harper, that didn’t happen and he felt sick to his stomach when Luke actually kissed her.  The video ended abruptly and Phil could only sit there on his bed staring at his phone, hardly believing what he just watched.  Coralie had cheated on him with LUKE HARPER of all people?!  Gritting his teeth to the point of gnashing, Phil glanced at the clock and knew Coralie would be coming to the bus at any time, not able to face her right now.  Jumping up, Phil slipped his shoes on, snatched his black hooded sweatshirt and rushed to the front of the bus where his driver sat waiting to leave.

 

“I’m going out for a while.”

 

Phil didn’t bother waiting for his driver’s response and hopped off the bus into the cool air of Philadelphia, closing his eyes to try fighting back the pain threatening to consume his heart.  He brought his phone with him so Coralie couldn’t look at it and find the video, not wanting to chance it being deleted.  To be on the safe side, Phil locked the message so even if it tried being deleted, it wouldn’t budge.  Phil didn’t know what to do or think about this newfound information, knowing going to their circle of friends was out of the question.  Randy was busy with Ryanne trying to have a baby and the Shield had their own women to deal with.  Anisa had enough on her plate with Mark being back on the road and she was good friends with Coralie.  Right now, Phil needed an unbiased opinion about this video and suddenly the perfect person popped in his mind.

 

“Please answer.” He whispered into the night, walking away from the bus as if it would give him more privacy.

 

“Hello?” A soft sleepy voice resonated into the phone after 5 rings.

 

Phil mentally cursed, not meaning to wake his friend up. “Hey it’s me.”

 

Just the sound of his sad broken voice jolted the caller out of their sleep haze. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Look, I know it’s late, but…I need you to come get me.  I need to talk and taking the bus isn’t an option.  I’m at the arena, can you come pick me up?” He hated asking this, but Phil couldn’t be anywhere near Coralie until he figured out what this video was about.

 

“I’ll be there in 10.”

 

Exactly 10 minutes later, a black Cobalt pulled up beside Phil with tinted windows and he looked over his shoulder to make sure nobody spotted them.  Then he slipped into the passenger seat and shut the door, turning hurt hazel eyes on none other than April Jeanette Mendez.  She was the conniving WWE Diva AJ Lee, but behind the scenes she was one of Phil’s closest friends on the roster.  Coralie knew about their friendship and was fine with it, though Phil maintained a distance from April out of respect to his girlfriend.  That all flew out the window though now that he found out Coralie was screwing around with Luke Harper.

 

“What happened?” April asked, wearing black skinny jeans and a pink hooded sweatshirt, her hair pulled back in a messy bun.

 

“Drive.” Phil mumbled, leaning back against the seat and kept his cell phone handy in case anyone decided to call.  Coralie would wonder where he was, but Phil wasn’t answering any calls from her right now.

 

They couldn’t leave the city, so April drove through Philadelphia and waited patiently for Phil to talk to her.  He had to do it on his own time and she wouldn’t push him to do it.  If they had to drive around for the rest of the night until she had to drive to the next area for Smackdown!, that’s what she’d do.  A little sleep deprivation was worth it to help a friend and it was nothing coffee couldn’t take care of.  April could sleep when she was dead.

 

“Pull over here.” Phil spotted a park he frequented since he spent a lot of time wrestling in Philadelphia throughout his Independent days.

 

April did as requested and kept the car running so they wouldn’t freeze outside. “Come on Punk, we’ve known each other for a while and you can talk to me about anything…” She blinked when Phil snapped his hand out to give her his cell phone, the screen already unlocked with a video ready to play. “What is this?”

 

“Watch it.”

 

Frowning, April had a feeling whatever this video entailed was the reason for Phil’s dark mood and she pressed the play button, watching Luke Harper and…Coralie together.  April covered her mouth with her hand, dark eyes widening almost to the point of falling out of her skull.  What the HELL?  After the video ended, April felt as ill as Phil looked and she handed his cell phone back to him, shaking her head in disbelief.  How could Coralie hurt him like that?  April thought their relationship was concrete and nothing could ever split them up.  Apparently she was dead wrong in that assumption.

 

“Well?” Phil practically barked, seeing the perplexed look on April’s face and wasn’t surprised. “What do you think?”

 

“I – I um…” What in the world was she supposed to say after watching Phil’s girlfriend cheat on him with a hairy beast like Luke Harper?! “I – well…”

 

Phil scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration. “April, I called you to try to figure this shit out, so give me something more than ‘um, well…’!”

 

“What the fuck do you want me to say after watching that, Phillip?” April shot back flippantly, folding her arms in front of her chest in defense. “Am I supposed to be happy about some bitch you’ve been with for god knows how long ripping your heart out?!”

 

“No, but you can give me SOMETHING!” Phil growled, suddenly needing fresh air and opened the passenger door, slamming it shut.  He was surprised the window didn’t shatter.

 

April unbuckled and jumped out of the car after him, stopping him from walking away. “Phil, stop!” She ordered, grabbing his upper arm and gasped when he whipped around to tower over her small 5’2 frame.

 

“WHAT?” He roared, not caring who heard him at this point and grabbed both of her upper arms, yanking her flush against his body. “I thought you would have answers for me!”

 

“You have to talk to Coralie.” April ignored her sore arms since Phil had a vise grip on them, her eyes focused solely on his face staring in his eyes. “Something’s not right about this and you damn well know it.”

 

Why did it feel good having April this close to him?  Never once did he think of April as anything more than a coworker and friend.  He remembered first meeting April down in FCW, which was later changed to NXT.  She looked so fragile; he thought wrestling was the last thing she should be doing, but April was a lot stronger than she looked.  Looks were definitely deceiving.  She wrestled for a small New Jersey-based promotion called Women Superstars Uncensored and Phil had caught one of the shows.  From the moment he saw her, Phil could see the fire in her eyes and passion for the wrestling business that no other woman had, at least in his opinion.  Shortly after that, April left WSU and signed a developmental contract with the WWE in 2009, staying there until 2011.  Phil had gone down to check out the new talent whenever he had free time and helped April with her training, which is where their friendship stemmed from.

 

“Phil, did you hear what I said?” April demanded, gripping the sweatshirt he wore and tried shaking him with her small hands, but all he could do was stare intensely down at her. “Punk…”

 

Realizing he was hurting her, Phil released April’s arms and stepped back, gripping his nearly shaved head in his hands.  She hadn’t relinquished her hold on his sweatshirt and moved her arms to wrap them around his waist, trying to give him some kind of comfort.  Phil’s arms swung around her in response, burying his face in her black hair and closed his eyes to will the tears away.  He couldn’t cry in another woman’s arms, it wasn’t right and not fair to April.

 

“I’m so sorry this happened to you.” She murmured after standing there on the sidewalk with him a while, both of them losing track of time.

 

“Not your fault.” He mumbled, the scent of her hair willing the anger in his body to slowly diminish until only pain and heartache remained, consuming his broken heart. “Goddamn, what am I going to do?”

 

April pulled back to look up at him and cupped his face in her hands, forcing his eyes to lock with hers. “Stay with me tonight.” She didn’t know why she offered or what would happen, but there was no way Phil could sleep in the same bed as Coralie tonight. “I have two beds in my room and you need some sleep.” The dark bags under his eyes were becoming worse and April didn’t want Phil running himself ragged.

 

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea…”

 

“Do you really want to go back to your bus with her there?” April shot back, already taking his hand leading him back to her rental vehicle. “Come on, you’re taking a shower too since I know you haven’t yet.”

 

“Was waiting for Coralie…” Phil grunted, shutting the door and buckled up as April sped off back to the hotel instead of his bus. “I need to tell my driver we’re not leaving tonight.”

 

The rest of the drive was made in silence with soft music flowing through the speakers.  She pulled into the parking lot and cut the ignition, looking over at Phil half-expecting him to have her drive him back to his bus.  Phil looked back at her and took his cell phone out, dialing the number to his driver.

 

“Phil, are you alright?” Keith demanded, spotting Coralie heading toward the bus and swallowed hard.

 

“Fine Keith, we’re not leaving tonight.  Go get a room, put it on my tab and I’ll see you sometime tomorrow.  I’ll be riding with someone else to the arena, so just go to the next hotel.” Phil instructed, leaning his head back against the seat and felt April grab his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze to let him know he wasn’t alone.

 

“Of course sir, anything else?”

 

“Yes, don’t tell Coralie where I am.  Just tell her you haven’t seen me.” He hung up before Keith could respond and shut his cell phone off, knowing they had plenty of time to get to the Smackdown! taping. “Mind if I ride with you tomorrow to the taping?”

 

April shook her head, cracking a small smile. “Not at all.  It’s been a while since we’ve hung out properly and sometime from Coralie might clear your head a bit about that video.  We’ll figure out what’s going on, Phil.  I promise.”

 

“I hope so.”

Phil heaved a sigh and yawned loudly, the adrenaline from the night’s events wearing off fast.  They got out of the car together and April wrapped an arm around his waist while his arm went around her shoulders.  It was purely platonic to them, but to onlookers it looked like they were a happy tired couple.  Unbeknownst to Phil and April, someone was smoking on their balcony on the lower floor and spotted them both entering the hotel together. 

Anisa had to rub her eyes to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating and wondered why her brother was with April Mendez instead of Coralie.  If her brother was another conniving dick that took pleasure hurting women like Mark and Jon, Anisa wouldn’t hesitate to castrate him.  However, something told her a bigger problem had arisen and she planned on finding out when she met up with her brother the following day at Smackdown!  Finishing her cigarette, Anisa called it a night and flicked the butt over the balcony, walking back into her room shutting the sliding door behind her.  She was out before her head hit the pillow, mentally, emotionally and physically exhausted.

 

Chapter 35

 

“Phillip, this is the last time I’m calling you!  Where are you?  What’s going on?  Your driver has no idea where you are and you’re starting to freak me out!  Call me back, ass!”

 

Coralie pressed the end button on her smart phone harshly and tossed it on the sofa, looking out the window for the umpteenth time to see if her boyfriend was anywhere to be found.  It wasn’t like Phil to disappear and cut contact with her.  What if something happened to him?  Luke had been relentless lately with finding Coralie alone so he could corner her.  The last encounter had been a forced kiss by Luke that left her mouth bruised to the point Coralie had to use makeup to cover them up.  She knew it was stupid to keep this from Phil and her coworkers, but turning him in wasn’t an option.  There was enough stress in the company with WrestleMania looming over their heads, so the last thing Coralie wanted to do was cause Paul and Stephanie another problem to deal with.  She would find a way to handle this situation with Luke on her own, not wanting Phil involved either.  He had to focus on his upcoming battle with his ex-brother-in-law and fight for his sister’s honor.  The bruising had diminished into a light yellow, so minimal foundation covered it up and Phil hadn’t noticed them thankfully.  Come to think of it, nobody had.  A knock at the bus doors jolted Coralie out of her deep thoughts as she turned around, her heart dropping to the depths of her stomach at the sight of Anisa instead of Phil.

 

“Phil?” Anisa called out, climbing the stairs and turned the corner, stopping at the sight of Coralie. “Oh, hey Cora.  Is my brother here?” This was a tad awkward.

 

Anisa didn’t even know where her brother was?  Now Coralie was officially in panic mode, though she didn’t show it. “No.  I thought he might’ve been with you.” She sounded exhausted, running on zero sleep and dark bruises surrounded her eyes, proving Coralie had no rest and she’d been crying.

 

“No.” There was no way she could tell Coralie about spotting Phil and April together the previous night, not until she talked to her brother. “You haven’t heard from him at all?” What the hell was going on?

 

“Nope, not a fucking peep and if he hasn’t spoken to you either, something must’ve happened to him.” What if Luke did something to him?  He had threatened Coralie several times in their encounters about hurting her precious boyfriend if she didn’t cooperate with him. “Oh god…”

 

Lying wasn’t in Anisa’s nature, but in this case she had to make an exception. “When was the last time you heard from him?” She asked, sitting down at the small table after retrieving a small cup of coffee Coralie made.

 

“Last night, but it was only through text.  You know how we are.  We text each other constantly and we were actually sexting.” Coralie bit her bottom lip when Anisa snorted her coffee, groaning as the liquid burned her nostrils.

 

“Fuck!”

 

That got a small chuckle out of Coralie. “Sorry Nisa.” She handed over a paper towel and looked out the window again, heaving a sigh. “I just want him to call me and let me know he’s safe.”

 

“Why wouldn’t he be safe?” The question was muffled, but clear enough while Anisa tried getting her nose to stop bursting into flames.

 

Coralie immediately regretted using that word and didn’t look at Anisa, keeping her gaze on the window. “Safe – you know – not maimed, well, alright, good, busy, something along those lines.” Even she didn’t believe what came out of her mouth.  That was horrible.

 

Anisa didn’t buy it either, but decided not to press Coralie for more information, setting the paper towel down on the table. “Everything alright between you two?” She had to ask, watching Coralie’s head snap to the side to stare at her wide-eyed.

 

“Of course!  Why wouldn’t it be?” Coralie demanded, raising a slow brow and folded her arms in front of her chest, giving Anisa her full undivided attention. “Do you know something, Anisa?”

 

Phil owed her big time for this. “No, I was just asking since you two went from sexting each other last night to him disappearing off the face of the earth.  He won’t return any of my phone calls or text messages either.” She knew Coralie had blown her brother’s phone up and god only knows what he’d been doing with April while making his girlfriend worry sick about him all night.

 

“He better have one HELL of a reason why he’s cut both of us off or else I’m killing him.”

 

Glancing up at the clock on the wall, Anisa frowned when the time struck 11 AM and they hadn’t left to go to the next town for Smackdown! yet. “He better hurry up or I’ll have to rent a car to get to work tonight.” Depending on traffic, it would take just under 2 hours to get to Hershey, Pennsylvania from Philadelphia for the taping.

 

“I might have to tag along with you.” Coralie muttered, knowing she had to be at the arena by 3 PM at the latest to start building the ring and set.  Phil knew this and yet he was nowhere to be found. “This is such horseshit.”

 

At a quarter to noon, Phil finally made his appearance and walked on the bus, using the back entrance of the hotel so nobody would spot him.  He stopped at the sight of his girlfriend and sister talking quietly amongst themselves, frowning.  Did Anisa know about Coralie cheating on him with Luke Harper?  No, if she knew the truth Anisa would’ve already beaten the hell out of Coralie since she was extremely protective of him just as much as he was with her.  They were all each other had besides Chez and their circle of family back in Chicago.

 

“Where the hell have you been?!” Coralie clobbered him with a hug and Phil held his hands up, not embracing her back right away. “I was so worried about you.” She whispered heartfelt, tightening her arms on his neck and Phil finally broke down, wrapping his arms around her closing his eyes painfully shut.

 

Anisa saw the agonized expression on her brother’s face and stayed where she was, keeping her mouth shut.  Something told her Phil would talk to her about whatever was bothering him when he was ready.  She’d already planned on traveling with him to Smackdown! because of what was going on between her and Jon.  They couldn’t talk with Coralie in the same vicinity though.

 

“Why didn’t you call either of us back?  Even a simple text letting us know you were still alive would’ve been enough.” Coralie chastised once the tense embrace with Phil ended, leaf green eyes meeting cold hazel.

 

“Sorry, had a meeting this morning and my phone died.” Phil lied, brushing past Coralie to pull his t-shirt off since it smelled of April’s perfume and not caring if he was believed or not. “Sis, go tell Keith we can head to Hershey now.”

 

“Sure…” Anisa was thankful to have an excuse to get away from the thick tension between her brother and Coralie.

 

Coralie couldn’t ignore the tension between them either, turning to stare at Phil incredulously. “What is going on with you?” He always asked her to inform the driver when they were supposed to leave.

 

“Nothing.  Something going on with YOU?” Phil shot back tersely, staring at the woman he thought loved him and would never betray their relationship.

 

Blinking, Coralie didn’t know how to respond to that and lowered her gaze from his, hurt quickly replacing her anger.  Did he know about Luke?  No, that was impossible, but it was obvious something else was bothering him.  Just the way he carried himself and the cold shoulder he gave her twisted Coralie’s stomach in knots.  She was exhausted and didn’t have the strength to fight about this, just thankful he was alive.

 

“I-I think I’m gonna take a rental to the show.  Give you some space and time to relax.” Coralie fought back tears when all Phil did was shrug in response, starting the small shower on the bus.

 

“Do what you want.” He stepped into the shower and slammed the door shut, ending their conversation.

 

Coralie swallowed hard and turned, leaving the bus with her luggage in hand as tears began cascading down her face.  She had no idea how she was supposed to get to Hershey and grabbed her cell phone out of her pocket, googling a local cab service.  The bus took off moments later and left the hotel parking lot, leaving Coralie behind to find her own way while Anisa stared out the window, waiting for her brother to finish showering.  Anisa would never be able to get the image of tears streaming down Coralie’s cheeks out of her head as long as she lived.

 

“Phillip Jack Brooks, what the fuck is your problem?”

 

He had stepped out of the shower only for his sister to jump down his throat, fully expecting it. “Let me get dressed and I’ll explain.” Phil walked back to his room and shut the door, leaving Anisa standing there perplexed and angry.

 

10 minutes later, he walked out and Anisa sat at the table staring out the window. “So explain to me what’s going on between you and April Mendez.” She couldn’t look at Phil, not after what she witnessed the night before.

 

That caught Phil off guard. “What do you mean?” He didn’t bother taking a seat and wore a pair of jeans with no shirt, not in the mood to wear one.  If Phil could, he’d run around the world naked and free, but that wasn’t an option since he wasn’t a nudist.

 

Anisa glared at him, pursing her lips tightly together. “Don’t give me that shit!  I saw you last night, Phillip!  I saw you and April walk into the hotel together while smoking on my balcony.  And you looked awfully fucking cozy together, so cut the innocent shit!” She snapped, ready to pounce on her brother and beat the tar out of him for hurting Coralie.

 

“You don’t know the whole story and you don’t know what you saw, so before you rip me a new asshole, shut your mouth and let me explain.” Phil growled back, both siblings at a stand-off since Anisa stood up from the table to size him up. “Sit back down, you need to watch something.”

 

Deciding to give Phil the benefit of the doubt, Anisa did as he commanded and took his phone when he handed it over to her, pressing the play button on the video.  For 5 minutes straight, she sat there and watched Coralie and Luke Harper encounters, including a kiss that sent shockwaves through her body.  What the HELL?  She knew about a few encounters Coralie had with Luke Harper, but definitely none of these!  Even after the video finished, Anisa just stared at the phone with her mouth dropped open and jumped when Phil snatched it away from her.

 

“Now you know.”

 

“Wait…” Anisa held her hand up, standing from the table to get a coffee refill. “Phil, you already know Luke Harper has been stalking Coralie and you’re going to actually believe she wants HIM instead of you?  That kiss…I admit, that was shocking, but…there has to be an explanation…” Did her brother have a sudden case of amnesia or did he simply forget about Coralie being cornered a month ago in Oklahoma City?

 

“What explanation could there be to explain THAT?” Phil barked, tossing his phone on the table so he didn’t break it as it skidded across the smooth surface landing on the floor. “You’re actually sitting there telling me to give her a chance to explain how she cheated on me with that hairy asshole?!

 

“She’s not cheating on you…”

 

“YES SHE IS!!” Phil exploded, sick and tired of his sister trying to make excuses for Coralie’s actions against him. “You wanna know why you saw me walking into the hotel last night with April?  You really wanna know?  Because she’s a close friend of mine and she’s the one I called when I had my heart ripped out of my fucking chest last night after watching that goddamn video!  We went for a drive and she calmed me down by talking to me about it instead of berating me for hurting my cheating girlfriend!!  So until I have SOLID proof she didn’t cheat on me, I don’t wanna hear a fucking thing about giving her a chance or talking to her about it!”

 

Anisa couldn’t remember the last time she saw Phil so irate to the point of physically trembling from head to toe, his fists tightened at his sides with ghostly white knuckles. “I’m sorry, bro.” She whispered, lowering her gaze to the table and decided she was staying out of this situation between her brother and Coralie. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”

 

“I’m going to lay down since I didn’t get shit for sleep last night.” Phil didn’t bother consoling his sister right now, too brokenhearted and angry to care, slamming his bedroom door shut behind him.

 

~!~

 

“Well – well, how the hell have you been?”

 

“I know, I know I’m sorry for not keeping in contact, Mel.”

 

“Uh huh, you say that now.” Melanie Rich countered with a smirk, leaning back in her leather black chair while staring out at the New York City skyline. “So what can I do for you, Mia darling?”

 

Mia took a deep breath and explained everything to Melanie regarding Jon’s situation, not leaving anything out.  She tried remembering as much as she could since the more details Melanie had, the more sufficient her help would be.  Melanie listened quietly, not interrupting Mia and tapped her pen on the armrest of her chair, pursing her lips together.  It sounded like whoever this Trina Michaels was, she was slick and had managed to slip through the cracks of the justice system.  That did not sit well with Melanie at all.

 

“My friend is in love with him and this is ruining their relationship.  If there’s anything you can do for Jon, I’d really appreciate it, Mel.”

 

“I want you to give him my number and have him call me.  I need copies of all the divorce papers he’s sent this woman over the past 2 years.” Melanie jotted down some notes, already planning on doing a background check on Trina Michaels. “You said she’s a porn star, right?”

 

Mia made a face, nodding. “Yeah, it was a drunken marriage and technically, isn’t it illegal for chapels to marry drunk people?”

 

“Not in Vegas, unfortunately.  You can get away with anything in that godforsaken city.  Don’t worry, Jon is in good hands with me, Mia.  And you owe me one drink for this when you’re back in town with the WWE.” Melanie smirked at Mia’s giggle, both of them meeting in law school, but Mia had a change of heart halfway through and decided instead to pursue wrestling. “Maybe set me up with a hot wrestler too.”

 

Both girls laughed and Mia promised to look into it for Melanie, knowing the woman had zero luck finding love in New York City.

 

Chapter 36

 

“Colby…”

 

He loved hearing her moan his name as her head tilted back against the wall, legs spread for him to stand in to press his cargo pant covered erection against her pant covered crotch.  Krystal was on her lunch break and didn’t realize it was nearly up, spending the whole time with Colby’s lips worshipping her neck with his hands on her shirt covered breasts.  His mouth brushed against the spot on her neck just below her ear and felt a shiver course through her body, pulling her even closer to him.  This woman had him completely spellbound and Colby couldn’t get her out of his mind.  It didn’t matter what he did.  Working out, wrestling, eating, sleeping…Krystal was everywhere along with her scent.  He’d just finished dressing for the taping and decided to go spend 30 minutes with his girl, wanting to drive her crazy.  Apparently, it was working.  He cupped her beautiful face in his strong hands and captured her mouth, feeling her finger delve in his two toned colored hair groaning.  Colby loved it when she did that and felt Krystal wrap her legs around his waist while his hands caressed her back under her t-shirt.

 

“Feel good, sweetheart?”

 

“Yes…” Krystal breathed out, her whole body lit on fire and became intoxicated by Colby’s cologne he wore.

 

All she could do was return his kisses with just as much passion as Colby gave her.  When he began grinding against her, Krystal couldn’t stop the moans spilling out of her mouth.  The amount of excitement in her body couldn’t be contained, especially when he devoured her neck with his sinful mouth and tongue.  If Colby kept rubbing against her, she was going to explode all over the place.  It’d been a while since Krystal had sex, so she was sensitive below the belt and it wouldn’t take much to make her orgasm.  Pushing herself against him to meet each hip thrust, Krystal didn’t know how much longer she could wait to be with Colby in every way.  Making out like this wasn’t enough for her anymore and she needed him to claim her, to make her his completely.  It’d been a little over a month since Krystal and Colby started their secret relationship, which was 4 weeks and a few days too long to let him in her bed.

 

“HEY!  I NEED MY KNEE CHECKED!!”

 

Colby had her mouth captive again and growled in her mouth, hearing someone’s loud mouth on the other side of her office door.  He wanted to strangle whoever it was. “I guess we’ve been caught.” He murmured, not bothering to hide the deep huskiness in his voice and kissed Krystal again, stopping his hips from rubbing against her. “Until tonight, sweetheart.”

 

“Meet me at the back exit of the hotel tonight after the show.” Krystal instructed in his ear, nipping it with her teeth. “Text me when you get there in case it takes me longer to get out of here.”

 

“Whatever you say, sweetheart.” Colby set her down on her feet and stole one more breathtaking kiss, pushing her gently to the side opening the door to meet the acid eyes of Mark Calaway. “See you later, Doc.” He quickly headed back to the Shield locker room to meet up with his brethren.

 

Mark had noticed the steamy looks they shot each other and shook his head, walking into the trainer’s office without an invitation.

 

“Please come in, Mr. Calaway.” Krystal mumbled under her breath, not appreciating his snide attitude and watched his big hulking figure plop down on the medical table.  He was massive, standing at 6’10 and weighed at least 300 pounds of muscle, his face a mask of grumpiness. “What seems to be the problem, Mr. Calaway?”

 

“If you couldn’t hear because of the tongue that was in your mouth earlier, my knee needs to be wrapped.” He growled, noticing the flush in her cheeks hadn’t completely vanished and knew he’d hit the nail on the head.

 

Krystal blinked in surprise at his brash tone and the growl from low in his throat. “Y-Yes sir.” She stammered, moving around the room to grab what she needed for his wrapping.  Lowering herself on a small stool, Krystal rolled his jean pant leg up and began taping his knee tight, not saying a single word. “There you go, let me know if you need anything else, Mr. Calaway.” She had her back turned to him and felt her breath catch in her throat when she felt hot air on her neck.

 

“Well, there is one thing you can do for me, darlin’.” Mark sneered quietly, adding a touch of huskiness to his tone and took advantage of the office door being closed. “I don’t believe I’ve received the proper bedside manner from you.  So do to me whatever it was you did to the shrimp.  I heard him moaning your name in here; you must have a very pleasin’ mouth.”

 

He grabbed her upper arms and spun her around her around to face him, acidic eyes piercing frightened hazel.  Before she could utter a word, Mark wrapped his hand around her throat and squeezed, shoving her against the door.  Krystal was officially terrified and frozen with fear, hoping and praying someone came to her rescue.  Maybe Michael would walk into the office much like he had on Ryback the few times that Neanderthal tried making a move on her.

 

“You do have a pretty mouth, don’t ya?”

 

“Please leave.” She rasped out through tears, trying to fight his free hand fondling her breasts through her t-shirt, but it was no use. 

 

Pinching her nipples, one at a time, to the point of making her body radiate with pain, Mark brushed off her fighting and continued his exploration.  Krystal yelped out, shaking her head repeatedly and coughed when his hand around her throat tightened, nearly cutting her air supply off.  Mark was so strong, even with only one hand.  Hazel eyes flew open when his hand moved from her breasts to the button on her jeans and Krystal didn’t think twice about her next move.

 

“FUCK!!” Mark roared out in pain, releasing her cupping his throbbing genitals in both hands as his knees hit the floor before her, eyes squeezed tightly shut.

 

Snatching her rental keys and backpack from the floor near the door, Krystal tossed it open and bolted as fast as she could out of the room.  Her vision was blinded by hot tears, so she didn’t realize she plowed past Anisa and April, nearly knocking them down.  April tracked Anisa down to explain what happened after receiving a text from Phil informing his little sister knew about him staying in her hotel room.  She assured Anisa nothing happened between them and she only thought of Phil as a friend.  The last thing she wanted was beef between them.  Anisa accepted her explanation and they started talking about bands, laughing having a great time together.  That was until Krystal decided to nearly bulldoze them down rushing out of the arena like her backside caught fire.

 

“What the hell was that about?” April questioned, turning around the same time Anisa did as Mark Calaway stumbled out of Krystal’s office in pain.

 

Anisa knew exactly what happened and felt herself trembling from head to toe, clenching her fists tightly at her sides gnashing her teeth.  So Michelle McCool wasn’t enough for him, huh?  Mark would never change, a cheater to the bitter end.  When would women learn?  With everything going on between her and Jon, her brother and Coralie and the other drama in their circle of friends, Anisa had reached the end of her rope.  Her patience was officially GONE.  Seeing red, Anisa stalked over to where her limping ex-husband was and tapped him on the shoulder.

 

“Hey asshole?”

 

“What the-”

 

Not able to get the question out fully, Anisa nailed him as hard as she could with black steel toed boots right between his legs, smiling in sick satisfaction at the LOUD bellow erupting from his mouth.  It echoed down the hallway and got the attention of every WWE employee that could hear.  Anyone within a 100 mile radius would hear him.

 

“YOU SON OF A BITCH!!” They would hear Anisa screaming as well.  She punched him right in the nose since he was at her height on his knees and Anisa followed that up with a lethal roundhouse kick to his chest, sending him flat on his back.  Phil had taught her a few things. “HOW DARE YOU TOUCH KRYSTAL!!?  WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?!”

 

All April could do was stand there gaping at an irate Anisa taking her ex-husband to the cleaners. “Shit.” She whispered, wondering if she should get help and took off to get it.  Whatever the Deadman did to the new trainer was bad.

 

Mark writhed in pain on the floor in front of his livid ex-wife.  Not only did the little bitch knee him in the nuts, but now Anisa was raging war on his testicles with her steel toed boots. “The little cunt threw herself at me and I declined because I’m fuckin’ married!!” He growled out through gasps of air, willing his genitals to stop throbbing.

 

That lie earned him ANOTHER kick below the belt, only harder this time. “Try again.” Anisa hissed angrily, midnight blues nothing more than flashing blackened orbs and looked up just as Phil, Glen and Stephen came running up along with Rick. “You’ve got ONE chance or I swear to god, I will make sure you NEVER have another child with your demon seed again!!”

 

“Whoa – whoa lass, what happened?” Stephen demanded, his thick Irish accent cutting through Mark’s growling.

 

“This sick son of a bitch decided to scare the hell out of Krystal and she’s GONE.  She flew out of here in tears and god knows where she went, thanks to this asshole!” Anisa pressed her steel toed boot against Mark’s genitals, daring anyone to touch her. “Last chance Calaway, or I’ll make you regret lying by smashing your boys.”

 

Glen made no move to stop Anisa, already knowing how Mark operated and folded his arms defiantly in front of his chest.

 

“What the HELL, Jacobs?!” Mark snapped, wheezing while looking up at his best friend. “Aren’t ya gonna help me?!”

 

“Not until you tell the truth.” Glen wasn’t stupid and knew exactly what happened, feeling his blood begin to boil.

 

“Even your best friend doesn’t believe you.  How sad and pathetic.  NOW TELL THE FUCKING TRUTH!” When Anisa’s temper spiked, it was dangerous and worse than Mark’s. “Tell the truth because everyone knows what really happened anyway.  She didn’t throw herself at you.  You assaulted her, didn’t you?”

 

“You fuckin-OWWW!!  ALRIGHT, ALRIGHT I DID IT!!”

 

“Did what?”

 

“Forced myself on her.” Mark wheezed out, afraid for his manhood at the moment.

 

Just then, Jon and Joe arrived having heard commotion down the hallway and came to see what was going on.  Jon couldn’t believe Anisa had her ex-husband PINNED to the floor with her boot on his dick.  Phil informed Colby what happened to Krystal, so he had already left the arena to go check on her.  Jon knew if Colby overheard the Deadman’s confession, he would’ve ripped the man’s testicles off and shoved them down his throat.  Colby promised to be back at the arena by the time their match took place since they were the main event.  It was Monday night Raw, but Krystal was more important at the moment and his brothers promised to have his back.  Colby couldn’t get consent from Paul and Stephanie without exposing the truth of their secret relationship.

 

“Colbs is gonna snap when he finds out what this asshole did to Krystal.” Jon grunted, loud enough for Joe to hear and enjoyed the scene of his still-girlfriend beating the hell out of her ex-husband.

 

“No, not good at all.” Joe shook his head, staring at all the damage before them.

 

Mark managed to peel himself off the floor to sit on his knees. “Who the hell are you callin’ an asshole, rookie?” He demanded, eyeballing the curly dishwater blonde with amused blue eyes. “Don’t you know who the fuck I am?”

 

“You’re the asshole who fucked with our friend’s girl.” Jon smarted off, ignoring Anisa shaking her head to try stopping him from running his mouth.  It was one of the only things he was good at. “You’re Mark ‘Piece of Shit’ Calaway.” He couldn’t help stepping up and rammed his knee as hard as he could into the bastard’s face.  Blood flowed instantly and Jon smirked sadistically, watching his body once again crash to the floor. “That’s for your ex-wife, dick.”

 

If Anisa was surprised by Jon’s actions, she didn’t show it and merely stood there with her arms folded, not a drop of remorse in her body at Mark’s pain. “You know, I really thought you couldn’t stoop any lower than what you have, Calaway.  I remember when you did this shit to Stephanie McMahon, who is now the boss.  You seduced her into sleeping with you and held it above her head because of the Ministry angle you had going.  You’re seriously sick in the head.”

 

Before Anisa married Mark, Stephanie came to her one night and told her what happened back in 1999.  It was part of his darker years.  The man was demonic and actually believed he was the Undertaker, the character he portrayed on WWE –WWF at the time- television.  She took it with a grain of salt at the time because love for the monster blinded her.  Now Anisa wished she’d listened to Stephanie because it could’ve saved her from wasting 2 years of her life on him.

 

Mark spat blood on the floor, stumbling to his feet and wiped his bloody nose, acidic eyes locked on Anisa. “You’re just jealous because you stopped cuttin’ it for me in the bedroom months before you found out about Michelle.” He sneered, wanting to hurt her as much as she did him.

 

“Trust me, I’m much better than that easy whore could only dream of being.” Anisa stalked away from everyone, needing space away from Mark and Jon, only letting the tears fall when she was out of sight.

 

“Mother fucker, that’s twice now.  You wanna go for a third and hit the fucking trifecta?” Jon growled, stepping up to Mark again and felt a hand on his arm stopping him.  It was Joe holding him back. “I know it’s not worth it, but I’m tired of hearing his mouth.  I want to shut him up!”

 

“Not now, man.  Come on, we gotta prepare for our match.” Joe pushed Jon down the hallway away from Mark, wanting to rip the Deadman’s dead heart out of his chest.

 

Distraught over what happened and her actions, Anisa didn’t bother working that night and ended up at the door of the Wyatt Family. “Bray, take me to the hotel.” She whispered, crying her heart out against him burying her face in his shirt covered chest, trembling violently.

 

Bray had no idea what happened and didn’t care, lifting Anisa into his arms nodding at Luke and Erick.  He walked out with her toward the exit, ignoring all the looks they were receiving.  Again, none of it fazed Bray.  His priority was getting Anisa back to the hotel so she could relax and hopefully open up to him about what happened.  Neither of them saw Jonathan Good watching them leave the arena together or the crushed pack of cigarettes left just outside of the arena from Jon’s fist.

 

Anisa had A LOT of explaining to do.

 

Chapter 37

 

Shaken to the core, Krystal sat in her rental vehicle crying and clutching her throbbing chest, tears streaming nonstop down her cheeks.  She couldn’t believe what just happened with Mark Calaway.  He was a legend in this company, one of the best in-ring performers the WWE ever had and she’d actually looked up to him growing up.  Every time a WWE event came to Connecticut, Krystal always went because she loved watching her brother wrestle.  He’d even brought her backstage a few times to meet his coworkers and Mark had been one of them, though most called him Taker.  It’d been a long time since Mark last seen her, so it was a good possibility he didn’t recognize her. 

 

There was no excuse for sexually assaulting a woman, no matter the circumstances and Krystal was no exception to that rule.  What Mark did to her was unacceptable and Krystal wanted to tell her brother, to turn him in, but she was terrified what the consequences would be if she did.  It was bad enough her deadline with Ryback had arrived tonight and she still hadn’t given him an answer about the date.  Maybe it was time to cut the games and just tell Paul about her relationship with Colby.  Krystal loved him deeply and didn’t want to lose him because her brother fired Colby for touching his sister.  It wasn’t just their relationship on the line now; Colby’s dream of wrestling in the WWE, the biggest pro-wrestling organization in the world, was threatened as well.

 

“W-What am I s-supposed to do?” Krystal stuttered through heart wrenching sobs tearing through her trembling body. “Colby…” He was the only person she wanted at the moment and pressed her forehead against the steering wheel.

 

Suddenly, her car door was ripped open and Krystal screamed bloody murder, her eyes closed tightly.  Her arms flailed wildly when strong hands clutched them and that just made her fight harder.  If Mark was coming to finish off the job, Krystal wouldn’t let him win until she was dead!  Why hadn’t she locked the damn car doors?!

 

“NO!  GET OFF OF ME!!”

 

“KRYSTAL, CALM DOWN!!” A familiar high-pitched male voice cut through her shrieking and watery hazel eyes snapped open, staring back at the worry filled chocolate orbs she loved.

 

“Colby…” She heaved out and didn’t bother waiting for him to respond, tossing her arms around his neck crying violently, burying her face in his skin to breathe him in. “Colby…”

 

From the moment April Mendez burst into the Shield locker room, at the request of Phil, and told them what happened to Krystal, Colby had been frantic.  He didn’t bother sticking around to hear what happened to his woman, his first priority finding her and THEN hearing the explanation.  The only person he wanted to tell him was currently sobbing in his arms and Colby rained kisses over her head, stroking her hair trying to calm her down.  He didn’t know how long they sat out there with him squatted inside the driver’s side, but eventually Colby managed to pull Krystal out to where he could hold her standing.

 

“Sweetheart, please calm down for me.” It killed Colby hearing the way Krystal sobbed because it sounded like her soul was being ripped from her body. “Tell me what to do, Krys.  Tell me and I’ll do it, anything to get you to stop crying as hard as you are.” He wasn’t above begging at this point.

 

Krystal slowly relinquished her tight grip on Colby and pulled back enough to look in his chocolate eyes, suddenly kissing him with as much passion as she could muster up, pouring every ounce of feeling into it.  This kiss knocked Colby for a loop and all he could do was return the passion, not believing how much intensity she gave off.  His hands slid down her back and clamped on her thighs, lifting her up to where her legs wrapped around his waist, the kiss never breaking.  Slamming her against the rental, Colby became completely lost in the moment and went to slide his strong hands up her t-shirt, but Krystal stopped him.

 

“Not here.” She mumbled against his mouth, both of them breathing heavily and Colby rested his forehead against hers. “Thank you for not pushing me away.”

 

“Why would I?” Colby countered in a lower voice, brushing tears away from her cheeks. “I love you, Krystal.” Did he really just admit that?

 

Krystal’s hazel eyes shot open at his confession, forcing fresh tears to sting her eyes and felt her heart rate increase. “You do?” She whispered, not trusting her voice at the moment for fear of it cracking because of how much emotion currently flowing through her.

 

“I know this isn’t the time or place to tell you, but…” Colby suddenly stopped himself and cupped her face in his hands, shaking his head. “No you know what?  Fuck that.  This is the perfect time and place to tell you.  When April came into our dressing room telling us what happened, I immediately took off looking for you.  I thought you were hurt or worse and I was scared of losing you.  I can’t live without you, Krystal Levesque, and I don’t care who the hell your brother is.  I don’t even care if I end up fired for fucking my boss’s sister because you’re not just the boss’s sister to me.  You’re the love of my life and if I can’t have you, then I don’t want anything including wrestling.  You are my life now, understand that?”

 

The amount of desire and intensity in his voice and eyes told Krystal everything she needed to know. “Yes, I love you too, Ninja Rollins.” She smiled in spite of what happened to her and kissed him softly, holding him against her as much as she could. “I love you, Colby Lopez.”

 

“Good, I was starting to wonder if you just loved my wrestling character.” Colby joked, chuckling when she smacked his chest playfully and the light had filled her beautiful hazel eyes again. “There’s my sweetheart.  Listen, whatever happened to you in your office won’t happen again.  We’ll talk about that later at the hotel.  You have a job to do and so do I, so let’s just go in there and take care of business.  There are two security guards stationed outside of your office, according to a text from Joe, so you’ll be safe.  And Michael is staying with you the rest of the night so you’re not alone.”

 

Krystal swallowed hard, glancing past Colby at the arena and then looked back into his eyes, trusting him with every fiber of her being. “I’m not running away from my job for anyone.” She was stronger than people gave her credit for and took a deep breath as her feet hit the asphalt from Colby setting her down. “And I’ve decided to tell my brother tomorrow at the Smackdown! taping about us.  I’m done hiding from him and everyone else.”

 

Beaming proudly and lovingly at her, Colby brought her hand up to his mouth and brushed his lips across the back of it. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that.  I’ll go with you if you want.  You don’t have to face him alone.”

 

“I’ll let you know.  Come on, we have to get back to work.” Krystal would tell Colby what happened after the show when they were in their hotel room, wanting Michael to check her nipples to make sure they were alright.

 

~!~

 

“Come on Anisa, answer your phone!” Phil growled, clutching his phone tightly and slammed his finger on the end button when he got her voicemail again.

 

While his sister was busy threatening to castrate her ex-husband for attacking Krystal, Stephen and Glen stayed put while he jogged down to use the bathroom.  By the time he got back, Anisa was gone and the group had dispersed, leaving him wondering where his sister went.  He tried calling her several times, but her phone went straight to voicemail and it was grating on his nerves.  If Anisa was doing this on purpose to give Phil a dose of his own medicine, he was paddling her backside until it was raw.  A knock on his dressing room door brought Phil out of his thoughts as Randy and Ryanne walked in holding hands with smiles on their faces.  With everything going on between him and Coralie, the last thing Phil wanted to deal with was a happily married couple.  However, Randy and Ryanne were the only exceptions since Randy was practically family to him.

 

“Hey guys, what’s up?” Phil greeted, sitting down on the bench and began wrapping his hands with white tape for his segment with Mark.

 

Randy and Ryanne looked at each other, the smiles turning to full-blown grins. “Where’s Cora?” Ryanne asked, trying to contain her excitement and frowned when Phil instantly lowered his gaze from them.

 

“Working.” Phil muttered, guessing since he’d left Coralie high and dry in Philadelphia to find her own way to Hershey.

 

That was weird considering Coralie usually went on break around this time and she always spent them with Phil.  Something happened and Randy planned on finding out as soon as possible without Ryanne present.  He didn’t need her getting upset over what he feared and knew would be bad news regarding Coralie.

 

“Oh, well we can tell her later then.” Ryanne brightened up quickly and felt Randy’s arm wrap around her waist. “We have something important to tell you.”

 

“I gathered.” Phil retorted with a smirk, noticing how much happiness shined in his friends’ eyes and blinked at their sudden announcement.

 

“WE’RE PREGNANT!”

 

The way they said it together simultaneously was another punch to the heart for Phil, but he plastered on a smile for them. “No way!  Really?” He hugged Ryanne first, being careful and then shook Randy’s hand before they embraced. “Congratulations, that’s awesome!”

 

“I just can’t believe it happened this fast!”

 

“Yeah she just started taking the medication to help balance her hormone levels out.”

 

“And a week later, BAM I’m pregnant!”

 

Phil couldn’t be sour about this happy news because he knew how much of a toll trying to have a baby had taken on their marriage.  Randy was on the verge of giving up and Ryanne had threatened filing for divorce with Coralie on several occasions.  Over 2 years it took for them to conceive, so this was definitely a time to celebrate instead of wallowing in his own self-pity.  Sitting Ryanne down in a steel folding chair so she was somewhat comfortable, Phil continued wrapping his hands while they told him everything the OBGYN said.  Ryanne was a month along, which meant she conceived prior to taking the hormone medication and her OBGYN assured her it was fine to keep taking since it was balancing her out.  She needed them to keep everything else in her body functioning the way it should.

 

“So she’s high-risk for the first trimester, which is 3 months and then we should be in the clear after that.” Randy was extremely protective of his wife now that she was carrying their unborn child.

 

“After WrestleMania, Randy’s sending me home for the first trimester and then I’ll rejoin him on the road once I’m 4 months.” They didn’t want to take any chances even after getting past the 3 month period.

 

Randy pressed a kiss to her temple while massaging her shoulders. “Until she’s 7 months and then she has to stay at home for the duration until after the baby is born.” He added, remembering what the doctor said about flying and turbulence could send her into premature labor if they weren’t careful.

 

“Absolutely NO overseas traveling.” Ryanne groaned suddenly and stood up from the chair, pecking her husband on the mouth quickly. “Bathroom calls.”

 

That was the 6th time since they got to the arena she had to pee and it didn’t include a stop at the gas station on the way there either. “Go, be careful.” Randy ordered, watching her fly out of the room and chuckled, turning his attention on his best friend. “Alright now that she’s gone, you can stop the charade and tell me what’s really going on with Coralie.”

 

“You really don’t wanna know.” Phil mumbled, hating how well Randy could read him and stood up from the bench just as his cell phone buzzed.  It was Anisa letting him know she went back to the hotel and she was fine. “I don’t wanna intrude on your happy day, man.”

 

“Well if my best friend isn’t happy, then I’m not happy.  Come on Phil boy, what’s up with you and Coralie?” Randy pressed, slapping his knee gently and could see the different emotions cross Phil’s face. “Is it really that bad?”

 

“Depends on what you constitute bad.” Phil remarked, scrolling through his text messages until he found the video, swallowing hard.  It still hurt to watch it even after the 100th time. “If you wanna know, watch this and then we can talk.”

 

Nodding, Randy took the phone from him and sat silent, having the same expression on his face April and Anisa had when they watched it. “Holy shit.” He grunted when the video ended and looked up at a sullen Phil, handing the phone back. “What the fuck, man?  Did you confront her about it?”

 

“No.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because I don’t know what to say to her.  The evidence is pretty fucking clear she wants that hairy piece of shit instead of me.  He obviously gives her something I don’t.” Phil growled, setting his phone down on the bench and began drawing the red X on both of his taped hands.  It was his trademark that carried over from his time in the Independents. “What would you do if Ryanne did something like that?”

 

That was a question Randy didn’t expect and he honestly didn’t know how to answer it. “I’d beat the fuck out of the guy she kissed and then demand to know what the fuck she was thinking.” It was the best answer he could come up with.  Randy had a volatile temper when provoked, so he could only hope Ryanne never cheated on him. “But maybe that video isn’t real or…”

 

Phil laughed, the sound bitter and chilling down to the bone. “You sound just like Anisa now.  How could this be faked?  I don’t think Luke Harper is that smart to come up with shit like this, Randy.  She did it and I don’t know what to do about it.  Confronting her is pointless because she’d lie to my face and claim the idiot forced himself on her!”

 

“But didn’t he scare her a month ago by cornering her and threatening you?” Randy remembered Phil talking to him about it, but couldn’t quite pinpoint the date. “How do you know she’s lying unless you talk to her about it?  Cora isn’t the type to lie, Phil.  You need to get your head out of your ass and talk to her about it before you end up losing the best thing that ever happened to you.  And that’s all the advice I’m giving you about this.”

 

Watching Randy walk out of his dressing room to go track Ryanne down, Phil couldn’t believe how many people were on Coralie’s side and looked at the phone again.  What if Randy was right?  What if the video had been faked somehow or made to make him believe she cheated?  Phil brushed all these thoughts away and pushed them in the back of his mind, needing to focus on making an impact on the final Raw before WrestleMania.

 

Chapter 38

 

Beating up her ex-husband wasn’t on Anisa’s itinerary for the evening and the last thing she expected to do.  That didn’t include going to the Wyatt Family’s dressing room and practically begging Bray to take her back to the hotel either.  Anisa had been full of surprises tonight, none of them planned.  She sat on the bed while Bray retrieved a glass of water for her, chugging half of it down before setting it on the nightstand.  Her whole body shook from the aftershocks of what she’d done to Mark.  Anisa was never one for confrontation, wrapping her arms around herself since she felt chilled to the bone.  Bray noticed it too and thought her shaking was due to his presence, so he started for the door.

 

“Where are you going?” Anisa asked in a soft voice, looking at him inquisitively.

 

Bray looked back at her, having pulled his long dark brown hair back in a low tail hanging down his back. “Leaving.” There was no reason for him to stick around now that she was safe and sound.

 

“Why?” Anisa stood from the bed and walked over to him, taking his hand. “You don’t have to go yet.”

 

The amount of vulnerability swirling through her midnight orbs and her soft hand in his sparked something inside Bray.  There was a connection between them that neither understood.  They refused to question it, just going with the flow of fate.  It was obvious Anisa was in pain from what Jon did to her, the heartache almost too much for her to handle.  Bray wasn’t sure staying with Anisa alone in a hotel room was the smartest thing to do, but he also couldn’t deny the overwhelming urge to comfort her either.  He had no idea where these feelings stemmed from and also knew Anisa’s heart was taken already.

 

“I don’t think that’s a wise idea.” Bray tried pulling his hand away, but Anisa’s grip tightened, two shades of blue mixing together as they locked gazes.

 

“Why have you helped me?” Anisa couldn’t mask the hurt in her tone no matter how hard she tried and moved closer to him.

 

Bray couldn’t think of a logical reason and shrugged, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Because you asked for it, even after I tried scaring you.  What was I supposed to do?  Deny you?  Make you handle this on your own?  Perhaps I should’ve.” Then he wouldn’t be in this uncomfortable predicament.

 

“But you didn’t.” Anisa pointed out, slowly backtracking pulling Bray with her until the back of her knees hit the bed, forcing her to sit down with him towering over her. “You brought me here after I fell asleep against you at the arena.  You did it again tonight, but this time I can thank you properly for what you’ve done for me.  So let me at least buy you dinner or something.  I don’t want to be alone right now.”

 

This was a mistake, but Bray couldn’t deny the honey blonde’s sweet plea and lowered to sit on the bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders to pull her closer. “Vulnerability is a weakness that can easily be exposed, Anisa.” He said after a stretch of silence between them. “If you allow it to devour you, enemies will bring you down.  So take control of your vulnerability and fight back.  Don’t let it control you, control it instead.”

 

He spoke in riddles a lot and Anisa wondered what he meant by her vulnerability was a weakness.  Then she thought of Jon and instantly her heart quelled with pain, forcing tears to come to her eyes.  Anisa didn’t want to think about him right now, having cried enough with Bray and she was sure he didn’t want to deal with a sobbing weak female.  Was he right?  Did she let what Jon did control her?  Why was she mourning for a relationship and love that was doomed from the beginning?  Sooner or later, Anisa would’ve found out about Jon’s secret marriage, so it was better to get it over with early in the relationship rather than a year from now.

 

“So how do I make it stop?  How do I take control of it?” Anisa looked up at him the same time Bray’s gaze dropped to hers and Anisa suddenly felt her mouth go dry. “I don’t want to feel this pain anymore.  How do I get rid of it?”

 

Reaching out, Bray ran a single finger down her cheek and hated seeing the tears in her eyes, wanting to take them away. “Anger.  Turn your pain into anger and make whoever pay for hurting you, for trying to control you.”

 

His voice was smooth as silk and Anisa became captivated, falling under some kind of spell from his words.  She wasn’t Jon’s anymore and free to do what she wanted, so Anisa decided to take Bray’s advice.  Standing up from the bed, she turned to face him and stood between his legs, taking his hands to plant on her sides while hers rubbed his broad muscular shoulders.  Bray wasn’t ripped like Jon, but he still had a nice body under the clothes he wore.  He didn’t have rock hard abs, but his arms and chest more than made up for his shortcomings.  Smelling like pine trees, the scent intoxicated Anisa and she made the first move, pressing her mouth to his softly.  There was definitely a link between them, though Anisa’s heart still belonged to Jon and she would never be able to hand it over to Bray.  Not unless he worked really hard for it, which was something she doubted he’d do.  Pushing negative thoughts in the back of her mind, Anisa continued kissing him and felt his fingers begin working the buttons on her blouse. 

 

When her mouth touched his, fire ignited throughout Bray’s body and he roughly gripped the back of her thighs, making her straddle him.  The softness of the kiss took him by surprise, especially when her tongue swiped across his lips and his parted, both of them groaning at the contact of their muscles touching.  His fingers delved into her hair finding the clip it was in and took it out while Anisa worked the holder out of his, both of them exploring each other.  Bray kicked his boots off once her blouse was completely undone and broke the kiss, sealing his mouth to her neck moments later.  Anisa gasped out, tracing his ear with her tongue and became lost in the sheer lust, letting all of her ambitions run free.  Groaning at her tongue, Bray moved lower to nip her collarbone while slowly pushing the blouse down her shoulders and arms as it pooled around her waist, leaving her clad in a black lace bra.

 

Anisa’s hands glided down his shoulders and bare arms since his shirt was sleeveless until she came to the end of it, pushing it up over his head to expose his massive chest.  This man was all muscle and had a stocky build, but absolutely nothing about him was fattening.  His hand reached behind to unsnap her bra with ease, pulling the offending material off her body to reveal perfectly shaped globes of flesh.  Bray licked his lips hungrily and captured one in his mouth, feeling her body arch back to give him full access while her fingers tightened in his hair.  He growled against her breast and suddenly stood to turn around planting Anisa in the middle of the bed on her back, hovering over her.  Once her nipple puckered for him, Bray moved to the next one and enjoyed the sounds of Anisa’s moans, knowing she was fully liking what he was doing to her.

 

Moving his mouth further down her body, Bray looked up into her blackened eyes and could feel his dick throb in the white pants he wore.  Foreplay was over, he knew exactly what she wanted and planned on giving it to her.  If this was her way of taking control of the pain inside of her, Bray was more than obliged to help.  Sometimes straight screwing was the answer.  It’d been a while since Bray had a woman, especially one who made the first move.  Unsnapping her pants with his teeth and tongue, Bray slid the pants down her toned legs along with her panties, tossing both articles of clothing over his shoulder.  They didn’t have to say a word to each other as Bray twirled his finger in a circular motion, ordering Anisa to turn her backside to face him.  Taking her from behind was too delicious of a thought to pass up.

 

There was no love between them, just a raw connection Anisa wanted to explore with Bray and apparently the feeling was mutual.  Bray divested his white pants, going commando since he wrestled in them and boxers bunched up too much with his moves.  Gripping her left hip in his strong hand, Anisa felt the strength radiating from his palm into her body and wiggled her backside, looking over her shoulder with a smirk.  Bray growled, guiding his cock in her dripping wet opening and began the journey through her canal, gritting his teeth at how taut she was.

 

“Such a tight cunt.” Bray grunted in approval, beads of sweat sprinkling his forehead and didn’t stop pushing until he was fully sheathed inside of receptive body. “Spread those thighs a little more for me, Anisa.”

 

She obeyed his command and gasped when his hand gripped the back of her neck and some of Anisa’s hair, plowing in and out of her without waiting for her to adjust to him.  It took everything inside of Anisa not to cry out in pain since her walls seared, but eventually she adjusted and began thrusting back against him.  His thrusts were hard and rough, using his strength to dominate her.  Anisa was his bitch, at least that’s what she felt like and figured being used for sex was better than the pain Jon caused her.  She was using Bray as well, biting her lip so hard the taste of copper touched her tongue, making Anisa realize she’d made herself bleed.  Bray pulled her up by the neck and gripped both of her shoulders, increasing the pace of his thrusts as they both reached their end.  Anisa suddenly realized she hadn’t made Bray wear a condom and could only hope he wasn’t full of diseases, the hot coil within her abdomen threatening to spring free.

 

“B-Bray…” She choked out breathlessly, both of their bodies coated in sweat. “P-Pull out…”

 

“What?” Bray growled, loving the sight of watching his dick disappear in her sweet pussy and noticed he hadn’t worn protection. “Oh fuck!”

 

“Cum on me…Cum on my back…” Anisa reached up to grab the headboard with both hands and couldn’t hold back much more. “I’m there…oh god, Bray!”

 

Anisa crying out his name as an orgasm ripped throughout her body triggered Bray’s and he quickly pulled out, coating her back with his hot seed. “Anisa!!” He bellowed out, his cock twitching and almost convulsing while exploding on her soft skin.  Bray didn’t mind not cumming inside of her, not knowing if she used protection or not. “Goddamn!”

 

Collapsing on the bed, Anisa turned her head so it wasn’t buried in the pillow and tried to learn how to breathe again, not believing what she just did.  The passion haze unclouded her brain and the reality of what Anisa just did crashed over her like a ton of bricks.  She just had sex with Bray Wyatt.  What the hell?  Tears swelled in her eyes and began sliding down her cheeks before Anisa could stop them, but she didn’t make a sound.  The bed became lighter as Bray stood up to dress while Anisa continued lying there, the pain within her heart increased tenfold.  Not only did Anisa betray her love for Jon, but her brother as well since Bray was his enemy.

 

“I-I need a shower.” She bolted off the bed and practically flew into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her before Bray could utter a word.

 

She regretted it, Bray surmised, especially when he could hear her sobs over the shower sprays.  Shaking his head, he dressed in record time and left the room to go back to his own, knowing Anisa needed time to wrap her mind around what just happened.  Bray didn’t regret having sex with Anisa for one solitary second and would do it again if the opportunity came up.  For now, he’d leave her alone in her misery and would be there the next time she came to him needing help.  It was only a matter of time.

 

After an hour long shower and scrubbing her body until it was raw, Anisa managed to pull the sheets off the bed since they smelled like Bray and collapsed in bed with just a robe on, falling asleep.

 

~!~

 

“Nissy, open the fuckin’ door, you stupid bitch, before I break it down!” Mark Calaway’s voice growled through the hotel room door of his ex-wife, low enough to where he wouldn’t disturb anyone else on the floor, but she would clearly hear him. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be, darlin’.  Take your fuckin’ punishment after the shit you pulled tonight.” His nose was killing him from Dean Ambrose clocking him with his knee and his genitals wouldn’t stop throbbing, heavily bruised.  This cunt was lucky she didn’t break his dick with those steel toed boot shots!

 

Midnight blue eyes snapped open blurrily at the sound of her ex-husband’s dangerous voice and Anisa stumbled from bed, trying to fully wake up.  She didn’t dare open the door, thankful it had a deadbolt lock on it so he wouldn’t be able to break it down easily. “Go away, asshole!  I want nothing to do with you.  If you think I’m stupid enough to open the door, think again!” Why couldn’t Bray stick around long enough to deal with this?

 

“Oh yeah, I know you’re stupid enough to open the door because, if you don’t, I’ll hurt that pretty boy toy of yours.  And you know it.  I’m the most dangerous man in the company when I come back, the most dangerous entity in the ring.  You think I would think twice about not cripplin’ him?  You either open the door or I’ll end his career.” It wasn’t a threat, merely a promise.

 

Anisa swallowed hard, knowing Mark would do it and have absolutely zero remorse, feeling tears slow down her cheeks. “What the hell do you want?” She demanded weakly, standing just outside the door with her hand on the deadbolt.

 

“I told you, I’m gonna punish you for what you pulled tonight.  Now open the fuckin’ door.”

 

“Calaway, stalking and punishing hotel guests is not permitted.” An angry gritty voice sounded from behind and when Mark turned around, he stared back into iced over pale blue eyes.

 

Jon had gone out drinking by himself to try to blow off some steam, so he had a nice buzz going.  However, he was still sober enough to know Mark was standing outside of Anisa’s hotel room.  He’d been on his way to try talking to her about what happened between them and ended up finding her dick ex-husband threatening his career if she didn’t do what he wanted.

 

JON, Anisa’s mind screamed, relief flooding through her as her hand instantly moved from the deadbolt, backing up from the door. “Please be careful.” She whispered, sending a silent prayer up above to anyone who would listen. “I’m not opening the door for you, dumbass.  Go sleep it off!”

 

Mark couldn’t believe what a defiant cunt his ex-wife was being and wanted to strangle her, growling angrily. “You’ll regret this, Nissy.  Trust me.” He punched the door for good measure, leaving a small dent in it and stalked away, daring the boy to try jumping him from behind.

 

Jon waited until the scumbag was gone before walking over to tap on the door gently with his knuckles. “He’s gone now, Anisa.  You can go back to sleep.” He would talk to her at a more appropriate time and wished she’d open the door for him so he could make sure she was alright.

 

All Anisa could do was stand there with a tear streaked face and crumbled to the carpeted floor in a heap, not knowing what to do anymore.

 

Chapter 39

 

It felt like her nipples would fall off, but after a quick examination from Michael, Krystal found out they were just heavily bruised and would be tender for a few days.  All she could really do was put ice on them and take Ibuprofen to help with the swelling.  There wasn’t anything more Michael could do, though he tried sending Krystal back to the hotel to rest.  She refused, swearing Michael to secrecy, not wanting this situation getting back to her brother.  Michael was against it at first, but he also had a patient confidentiality clause to follow, so with great reluctance he agreed.

 

“You really should tell your brother about Taker and Ryan.” He advised in a concerned fatherly voice that made Krystal smile.

 

“I will…after WrestleMania.”

 

Remarkably enough, Ryback did not pay her a visit that night nor contacted her in any way.  This concerned Krystal because her deadline was that night to give him an answer on his date ultimatum.  Of course her answer would be no, but the fact he hadn’t shown up to get his answer puzzled and troubled her deeply.  She finally chalked it up to Ryback coming to his senses and leaving her alone, wondering if he’d finally given up.  Krystal could only hope.  Her heart belonged to one man and it definitely wasn’t Ryback.  Pushing him in the back of her mind, Krystal focused on her job and finished up, leaving the arena to go meet up with Colby at the hotel.

 

“There you are.” Colby breathed a huge sigh of relief as soon as Krystal rounded the corner and quickly went to her, kissing her softly. “I was starting to get worried.”

 

Krystal understood, resting her forehead against his and closed her eyes briefly. “I’m alright.  Michael checked me out and my…nipples are heavily bruised.” She could feel every limb of Colby’s body tense and could tell he was trying not to blow a gasket. “Let’s go up to our room.  We have a few things to talk about.”

 

Frowning thoughtfully, Colby let Krystal guide him inside and while he waited in the stairwell for her, Krystal went to check into her room.  Paul liked checking in on her every once in a while, so they had to use hers instead of Colby’s.  It was a suite with a hot tub and all the works.  Tonight, Krystal planned on using it because her nipples felt like they were on fire.  Thanking the receptionist, she headed to the back stairwell and took Colby’s hand, guiding him up to the 3rd floor of the hotel to her suite.  Once inside, shoes came off and Krystal sat on the bed while Colby set his things against the wall out of the way.  Then he sat beside Krystal and took her hand in his, wondering what she had to talk to him about.

 

“How about we get the hot tub started and relax for a bit?” She suggested, caressing his soft beard with her hand. “Clothing is optional too.”

 

Colby smirked, standing from the bed and pulled her against him, cringing instantly when she let out a small yelp of pain. “Shit!  Sorry, are you okay?”

 

He was almost afraid to see the damage done to her chest and knew Mark Calaway was responsible for it.  Jon and Joe filled him in on what they knew, but Krystal had the full story.  Colby would not push her to tell him, having a feeling that’s what she wanted to talk to him about.  Mark Calaway was a marked man and once Colby had the opportunity, he’d make the man pay for hurting Krystal.

 

“Fine.” She whimpered out, clutching the t-shirt to her chest and fought back tears. “Go get the hot tub started.”

 

Nodding, Colby dropped a soft kiss on her forehead and took off to do her bidding.  Krystal knew this would hurt, but she refused to go into the hotel with her WWE t-shirt on she wore for work.  Besides, the hot water and jets would help with the swelling.  After gingerly removing her t-shirt, Krystal unsnapped her jeans and was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping around her waist, covering her hands with larger muscular ones.  A nose and beard covered mouth buried in her neck, making her melt back against the owner of the hands and arms.

 

“Let me help you with those.” He murmured in a husky voice, pulling her hands away and massaged her sides, giving her jean covered backside a firm squeeze.

 

“You think I need help taking my jeans off, Ninja Rollins?” Krystal retorted cheekily, sliding her eyes over her shoulder to look in one devious chocolate brown orb.

 

Colby shook his head, chuckling. “No, but I’d rather undress my woman before making love to her.” They could talk afterwards, he just wanted to make her forget about everything except them.

 

“But Colby…”

 

“No buts, sweetheart.” He cut her off, nibbling on her earlobe gently while unsnapping her jeans to delve his hand inside beneath her panties. “Let’s see how wet you are for me.”

 

Krystal gasped as soon as his long fingers came in contact with her slick sex, her body instantly caving into him. “Colby…” She moaned, hooking an arm around his neck to bury her fingers in his two toned hair while his mouth continued assaulting her neck. “Oh that feels so good…” The pain from her nipples had vanished as her whole body flooded with insurmountable heat.

 

“Good, that’s what I like to hear my sweetheart say.”

 

His fingers suddenly slid past her quivering folds and Krystal bucked against his hand, crying out softly.  His fingers were huge, but nothing compared to what he packed in his pants.  She’d gotten a preview several times during their playtime, but this was the first time they would finally take the plunge and have sex.  They had waited long enough to be with each other and Krystal craved him more than she ever had a man.  Colby felt the same way, but he didn’t want to hurt her either.  Their playtime consisted of foreplay, tasting each other and exploring, familiarizing themselves with one another’s body.  There would be no foreplay tonight.  Colby pulled his fingers from her sex and licked his fingers clean over her shoulder, growling approvingly in her ear.

 

“Tasty.”

 

Turning around, Krystal cupped his face and pulled him down for a rough passionate kiss and Colby undressed her the rest of the way before lifting her in his strong arms.  Her legs wrapped around his waist and Colby managed to find their way to the hot tub roaring with bubbles.  Breaking the kiss, he lifted Krystal over the wall and set her gently into the water, needing to finish undressing so he could join her.  Krystal bit her bottom lip, watching him through cloudy hazel eyes swirling with desire and need.  In turn, Colby’s were nothing more than black pools full of lust and love, an intense combination.  As he crawled into the hot tub, Colby noticed how black, blue and purple her nipples were, swallowing his anger down.  Nothing would ruin this moment for them and he’d make sure to be cautious with her chest, hot water engulfing his body.  He closed the distance between them and instead of claiming her mouth, Colby pressed a tender kiss to each of her nipples before moving to her mouth, showing Krystal with actions he still wanted her in spite of what happened.

 

That meant the world to Krystal and she wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling his hands slide down her legs under water to encircle his waist again.  They both breathed heavily as Colby’s mouth moved from hers to trail back to her neck, pinning her in one of the corners of the hot tub.  Through the hot water, Krystal felt Colby slide his erection up and down her sex, moaning in sheer satisfaction.  Her head lulled back against the edge of the hot tub while gripping his strong triceps, feeling his cock slowly start pushing past her folds.  Krystal was on birth control, so no other protection was needed.  They had talked about it and decided if she got pregnant while on birth control, then obviously they were meant to have a baby together.

 

“Oh god Colby…” Krystal groaned, her chest rising and falling rapidly from how fast her heart pounded in her chest, never feeling so full in her entire life.

 

“So tight, Krys…fuck!” Colby growled, gripping the sides of the hot tub to gain more leverage and sheathed himself completely into her receptive body.

 

It’d been a long time since Krystal had been with a man, so it took a few minutes to accommodate to Colby’s massive girth.  Somehow, he managed to fit all of him inside of her small frame and Krystal finally moved, experimentally rolling her hips against his cock.  Colby hissed out at the contact and suddenly had an idea, his smoldering blackened eyes locking on her beautiful ecstasy filled face.

 

“Hold onto the sides like I am.” He ordered, sliding out of her to the point of just leaving the tip of his cock inside and snapped his hips forward, burying himself to the hilt.

 

Krystal trusted Colby wholeheartedly, the heat helping with her bruised nipples so she didn’t feel much pain when her arms outstretched behind her.  Keeping her legs locked around him, Colby gripped her hips and stood straight up in the hot tub, the water reaching just a little past his mid-thigh.  It was the perfect height advantage and he could look into Krystal eyes, see the pleasure he caused wash over her face.  He would’ve teased her breasts as well, but given the current circumstances they were off limits.  Keeping his eyes solely on her face, Colby began thrusting in and out of her body, feeling Krystal start bucking her hips to meet his.  The upper part of her body was engulfed in the hot water while her lower half was arched up while he slammed in and out of her at a slow methodic pace.  That vision would forever be seared in Colby’s memory, even after the day he passed on.

 

“Oh I’m so close, baby…”

 

Krystal could barely breathe, her fingers digging into the ledge of the hot tub and couldn’t believe how erotic it was watching his cock disappear inside of her body with his thrusts.  It made her walls start spasming around his cock, the hot coil deep in her abdomen threatening to spring free.  She wasn’t ready for this to end yet and fought her release off, gasping when Colby suddenly lifted her completely out of the water to plant her backside on the ledge.  Her hands gripped his triceps, nails biting into his skin as their tongues tangled together passionately.  His hands slid up and down her back, caressing her body never stopping his powerful thrusts inside of her, bringing both of them closer to that fine razor edge.  It wouldn’t be long now.

 

“Come on sweetheart, cum for me.  Cum for your Ninja.” Colby crooned persuasively in a half groan, half growl, his mouth hovering over her ear and pulled back to stare in her eyes again. “Don’t hold back, let go, Krystal…”

 

Her whole body trembled, reacting to his low husky voice and the way he picked up the pace of his thrusts. “N-Not without you…” Krystal stammered in defiance, crying out since it nearly hurt to fight her orgasm and could already feel her body betraying her. “COLBY!!”

 

The second Krystal shattered against him and he felt her hot juices milking his cock, his release triggered shooting deep inside of her splashing against her back wall. “KRYSTAL!!” He roared out, the veins in every part of his body bulging out as the ecstasy washed over them, both reaching heights only they could with each other.

 

Colby loosened his grip on Krystal and felt his cock go limp inside of her, sliding out whether he wanted to or not.  Instantly, Krystal felt empty and hugged him tightly around the neck, shaking from the aftershocks of her intense orgasm.  It was unlike anything she’d ever felt before in her life.  Colby was unlike any man she’d ever met and all she could hope was he loved her enough once he found out all of her deep secrets.  Lifting her up, Colby settled both of them in the water to help the aches in their bodies and finally pulled back enough to softly kiss her lips.

 

“I love you.” He didn’t want to say it while inside of her, the blackened orbs turning back to chocolate brown slowly.

 

“Love you too.” Krystal whispered, hissing as the water washed over her bruised nipples and sank further into the water.

 

“Now, what did you want to talk to me about?” Colby asked, sitting with Krystal straddling his lap so he could wash water over her shoulders and arms, especially her chest.

 

Krystal knew now was the time to tell him everything that’d been happening with Ryback and Mark Calaway’s attack earlier at the arena.  Quietly, she began with Mark and how he’d come into her office asking to have his knee looked at.  She’d wrapped it the way he wanted and then he’d made a pass at her that quickly turned violent.  Trembling while recalling what happened, Krystal began crying looking down at her ugly looking chest and tried covering up, but Colby wouldn’t let her.

 

“Hey, you’re beautiful to me no matter what, Krystal.” He meant it, wiping her tears away with the pad of his thumbs and softly kissed each cheek.

 

“How the hell was Anisa married to that monster?” Krystal asked herself more than Colby, murmuring the question and sniffled, wiping her tears away. “She’s such a sweet girl and he’s…”

 

“Sick and sadistic.” Colby finished for her, shaking his head and didn’t have an answer to his beloved’s question. “One thing is for sure, Jon is pissed off and wants to kill the Deadman for what he did to you.  He’s gotten protective of you and Mia since you’re dating his brothers.”

 

Krystal nodded, heaving a sigh. “There’s something else I’ve been keeping from you.  Something you need to know in case my brother finds out about us.”

 

Now Colby was confused. “How would that happen?” He asked, the curiosity too much for him to resist.

 

In a stronger voice, Krystal explained all the encounters she’d had with Ryback and his ultimatum about going on a date. “Tonight was my deadline…and I didn’t see or hear from him.  So either he realized what he was doing and stopped or…” She was afraid to say it, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

 

“He told your brother already.” Colby scrubbed a hand down his face in frustration, not mad at Krystal for keeping this from him so much as at Ryback for threatening his girlfriend. “We’ll figure everything out, sweetheart.  I promise.  Even if your brother finds out about us before Mania, that won’t split us up.  You’re mine and I’m yours until WE say otherwise.  Everyone else can fuck off, including your brother.”

 

Nothing would tear them apart, not if Colby had to say anything about it.

 

Chapter 40

 

What the hell did Mia want to talk to him about?

 

That was all Jon could think about ever since receiving a text message from Mia asking to meet her for lunch once he arrived in Washington D.C. for the Smackdown! taping.  He immediately went to Joe to see if the man knew anything about it and got a vague answer for his trouble.  Joe knew about the meeting and was fine with it, so that’s all Jon really cared about.  The last thing he wanted Joe thinking was he was encroaching on the Samoan’s territory.

 

“Go meet my woman and no touching below the belt or tits.  Those are mine.”

 

Jon shook his head, freshly showered and ready to get the day started, having traveled with Joe to the taping.  Mia had gone with Coralie to try talking to her about Phil, which Joe didn’t mind.  Pulling his black leather jacket on since it was chilly in D.C., Jon headed to the restaurant Mia instructed him via text, instantly spotting her.  She was hard to miss with her long black hair all wrapped around the top of her head in a huge tight bun that shimmered in the sun.  Her dark eyes were outlined in thin black liner, her outfit a simple pair of black and white striped pants with a matching top, the sleeves sheer.  She had a silver belt around her upper waist since the top went past her hips, giving it a baby doll style.  Huge silver hoops dangled from her ears that matched the simple necklace and bracelet she wore along with the belt.  If Jon wasn’t in love with Anisa and didn’t have as much brotherly love for Joe as he did, he’d make a beeline for the caramel skinned beauty.  However, she was forever friend and sister-zoned in his mind and heart.  Taking a deep breath, Jon walked over to greet her and could only imagine what Mia had to talk to him about.

 

“Oh good you found the place.” Mia said by way of greeting with a smile, her lips shimmering from clear gloss and sipped some of her iced tea.

 

“Yeah, I know D.C. pretty well, thanks to my Indy background.” Jon replied gruffly and took a seat at the booth across from her, not bothering to look over the menu. “This is a nice place, been a while since I’ve been here.”

 

Mia arched a brow, not realizing Jon’s Independent background stretched to Washington D.C. “Awesome, you’ll find something to eat then, I’m sure.  Or should I just assume you’re having a cheeseburger?” That was his favorite food, Mia had learned with the times she went out to eat with the Shield after a show since dating Joe.

 

“Yeah…” Jon was uncomfortable and anxious, his right knee bouncing uncontrollably under the table. “Look, what is this about?” He cut straight to the chase, not in the mood to order food until Mia told him what this involved.

 

Reaching her hand across the table, Mia took his hand and squeezed it with a soft smile. “Jon, relax.  It’s nothing bad.” She assured him, trying to calm his nerves down at least a little bit. “Let’s order some lunch first and then I’ll tell you the reason you’re here, okay?”

 

“Sure…” Jon cleared his throat, pale blues dancing around the restaurant and wondered if anyone would recognize him or vice versa.  So far, he didn’t see anyone he recognized, so Jon relaxed a little, but still kept his guard up. “I gotta meet the guys at 2 for a workout.” It was a quarter past noon. “So ordering a cheeseburger is out of the question, unfortunately.”

 

Mia laughed softly while sifting through the menu. “Poor you, well maybe tonight after the show you can get a cheeseburger.  So, what do you recommend here?”

 

“Honestly, they have a great chicken sandwich here.” Jon wasn’t a big fan of chicken in general, but this place was one of the few exceptions to that rule. “Come to think of it, they don’t have anything bad here.”

 

Mia decided on a grilled chicken salad while Jon opted for the chicken sandwich and water, both of them sitting quietly not saying much.  She knew Jon had a lot on his mind right now regarding Anisa and his crafty wife.  The waitress came back with Jon’s water and Mia waited until she left the table before leaning forward, a serious expression crossing her face.

 

“Alright Good, let’s get to business.”

 

Finally, Jon thought, sipping his water slowly. “Out with it, what’s this about?”

 

“Remember when I told you I had a lawyer friend in New York City?” She slapped a manila envelope on the table in front of him with his name in big bold black print across the front.

 

Jon’s eyes grew wide as potatoes and his hand reached out to grab the envelope, swallowing hard. “From the office of Melanie Nelson, Divorce Lawyer.” He read aloud, keeping his voice down and slid a hand through his curls. “I-Is this – um – you know, for real?” He was slightly confounded.

 

Mia smirked, nodding and folded her arms in front of her chest. “Melanie was intrigued by your case and told me to send you directly to her.  There’s a list of information she requires you to fax over to her at your earliest convenience and, if I were you, I’d do it ASAP.  She’s been through the type of woman your wife is and she plans on ripping her apart in court as long as you follow her specific instructions.” If Jon wanted this marriage ended, Melanie was the person to make it happen.

 

“I – uh – I already have a lawyer t-though…”

 

“Not anymore you don’t.  She’s already contacted them and had all of your information sent to her.  She said and I quote ‘he doesn’t have a shot in fucking hell with those dumb fucks representing him’.” Mia grinned, taking a sip of her iced tea and remained quiet while Jon opened the envelope to sift through all the paperwork Melanie overnighted her.

 

Jon didn’t say anything for a while, not believing how quickly everything changed for him overnight. “Why are you doing this for me?” He finally asked after they were done eating, only consuming half of his chicken sandwich because, quite frankly, he’d lost his appetite at the thought of his impending divorce.

 

Mia grew serious again and looked down at her phone, answering the text message with a quick reply. “Because after everything my best friend has been through, she deserves to be happy.  You have no idea the amount of fucking bullshit Calaway put her through.  Making her feel worthless and breaking her down until she was practically nothing.  It was a year before she even considered coming out with me for a girl’s night, always wanting to lock herself away in her hotel room.  Even after the asshole signed a legend’s contract and limited his availability to once or twice a year, mostly for Mania, she still didn’t want to mingle with anyone.  It took me a long time to bring Anisa out of her shell and the fact she trusted you so easily in a short period of time tells me she’s finally over that piece of shit.  I tried telling her not to get into a relationship with another wrestler and she defended her actions, telling me to let her be happy.  She’s ready to give her heart to you, if she hasn’t already, but she’s terrified you’ll leave her for your wife.  I love Anisa, she is my sister and I will do whatever it takes to see her happy.  So, if you have even a shred of doubt about being with her, you need to come clean now before you break her heart further.  I figured me stepping in and getting you a proper lawyer to take care of your wife was a test to see if you’d accept the help or make some lame ass excuse up about not needing it.  The choice is yours, Good.  Are you gonna let Melanie help you out of this and help you get divorced so you can be with Anisa, or are you going to pretend you don’t want to be in a marriage you really do?” The ball was in his court entirely, so if Jon wanted to be rid of the porn star wife, he would do the right thing and let Melanie tear Trina apart.

 

Not realizing how badly he messed up with Anisa until now, Jon lowered his head at the mention of breaking her heart. “I’ll call Melanie in the morning once we get to New Jersey tomorrow.” He scrubbed a hand down his face, putting all the paperwork back in the manila envelope and stood up, grabbing Mia’s hand to stop her from leaving. “Hey, thank for helping me.  Out of curiosity, what do you owe your friend for doing this?”

 

“Told her I’d find a hot wrestler she can shack up with when she visits for Mania this weekend.”

 

They parted ways so Jon could go work out with Joe and Colby while Mia went to her next engagement.

 

~!~

 

“You WHAT?!”

 

“Keep your voice down!”

 

Mia didn’t bother apologizing for her sudden outburst and stared back at her best friend in shock, her mouth dropped nearly to the table. “Nisa…” What the hell was she supposed to say to this news?

 

The text message she received while on her lunch date with Jon had been from Anisa, needing to talk about something important.  Mia had taken it with a grain of salt, figuring it had something to do with Jon.  She couldn’t have been further from the truth, however.  Sleeping with…BRAY WYATT???  Mia didn’t know if she should vomit, faint or pop Anisa upside the head, suddenly ordering a shot of Tequila.  2 o’clock in the afternoon or not, she needed a stiff drink to calm her down and it was 5 o’clock somewhere.

 

“How – and I say this with love – how on god’s green earth could you have sex with HIM?” Mia demanded after downing 3 shots of Tequila, not ordering food since she didn’t have an appetite and she was still full from the lunch with Jon.

 

Anisa shook her head sadly, blinking as huge tears slid down her cheeks. “I-I don’t know…” She whispered, burying her hands in her hair and could feel the guilt swallowing her whole. “I just…After what happened with Mark and Krystal, me snapping on him and hopefully breaking his dick, and everything going on with Jon…I needed some kind of release.” That was the best explanation she had, still having a hard time wrapping her mind around the fact she slept with Bray.

 

Given this was the first time the girls had a chance to sit down and talk in almost 2 weeks, Mia had a choice to make.  She could come clean to her best friend or act surprised since it sounded like Anisa was ready to talk about it with her finally.  Mia was confused and didn’t know what to do, feeling like she was betraying Anisa by helping the man who broke her heart and kept the fact he was married a secret.  People made mistakes and Mia understood that, but Anisa had old wounds split open because of Jon’s deception.

 

“So, what exactly happened with Jon?  You guys were chummy and then suddenly you’re not together anymore.” Mia decided to play dumb, the guilt churning away in her stomach.

 

“You sure you wanna know?” Anisa challenged, arching a brow at Mia and watched her nod. “Fine, then get us both a round of shots and you have to promise not to toss ‘I told you so’ in my face.”

 

“I promise.”

 

Mia ushered the waitress over requesting another round of Tequila shots, waiting for Anisa to down a couple before she did one.  They had to drive to the arena still, deciding to go together and Mia couldn’t get too plastered.  Then again, she could always call Phil and have his driver come get them.  She sat there listening to the same story Jon told her, only Anisa made it sound like Jon was a lying cheating dick when he really wasn’t.

 

“I should’ve listened to you.” Anisa muttered, cutting herself off at 3 shots since she couldn’t hold her liquor nearly as good as Mia. “You were right.  All wrestlers suck and they’re all heartbreakers.  You better watch out for Joe because Dr. Feel NOT will rub off on him eventually and he’ll break your heart too.”

 

“No he won’t.” Mia argued, defending her man’s honor and knew Anisa was talking from a broken heart, but she wouldn’t let anyone badmouth Joe when he was innocent.

 

Snorting, Anisa rolled her eyes and shook her head. “Naïve, just like I was.”

 

Mia was getting angry fast and closed her eyes, counting backwards from 10 so she didn’t blow up on her best friend. “You know, I wasn’t going to tell you this and figured it was best left unsaid, but…you’re wrong about Jon.” She couldn’t lie to someone she considered a sister, no matter the circumstances.

 

“What are you talking about?  No I’m not!  He lied to me about being married!  He-”

 

“Innocent.” Mia cut her off, finishing her rant and stood up from the table, heaving a sigh. “Jon’s innocent, Nisa.  And if you’d take 3 seconds to hear him out, you would understand why.  Look, I can’t go into detail about what happened to him, but…my lawyer friend, Melanie.  I told you about her a while back.  She’s helping him with the situation.  You really need to open your eyes and stop being stubborn and hear him out before you end up losing him.  He fucked up, congratulations he’s human, but at least he’s owning up to his mistake and you refuse to see it!  Because you’re so goddamn scared of getting hurt again!  So before you start accusing my man of cheating, maybe you should focus on yourself since you fucked around on Jon with Bray.”

 

All Anisa could do was watch Mia storm out of the restaurant and clenched her fists tightly in front of her.  Mia was helping Jon and had gotten him a lawyer?  For what?  Why was everyone on Jon’s side instead of hers?  She didn’t understand it and felt fresh tears slide down her cheeks.  What Mia said hit below the belt regarding Bray, but Anisa would own up to her one night stand with him.  Technically, she had sex with Bray while single because her relationship with Jon ended the moment she saw those text messages from his wife.  Why should she hear him out?  He hurt her, not the other way around!  Whipping her cell phone out, Anisa paid for her tab and walked out of the restaurant, getting into her rental vehicle.  Somehow, Anisa made it back to the hotel and collapsed in bed to sleep off the Tequila shots, hoping a hangover didn’t greet her when she woke up for Smackdown! later that night.

 

Chapter 41

 

“We have to do something.”

 

“Well, what the fuck do you wanna do?”

 

“I don’t know, but pushing that hard will do more harm than good.”

 

“If you think I’m going over there, you’re out of your mind.”

 

“Fine, I’ll do it, pussy.”

 

“Whatever dickhead.”

 

Shaking his head, Colby walked away from Joe to let him finish his reps on the battle ropes and headed over to Jon.  He was pushing himself too hard on the ring dips, muscles straining to pull his body up and then drop down, doing it repeatedly to work his arms.  It’s the only workout Jon had done since meeting them at the gym 2 hours ago and he normally trained on other equipment.  Sweat poured down the sides of his reddened face, his chest rising and falling rapidly; Colby was afraid his friend would pass out from overexertion.  Jon also didn’t have a drop of water since his workout began and he wasn’t breathing the way he should’ve.

 

“Punishing yourself isn’t the way to go, bro.” Colby had a bottled water in hand while Jon kept moving up and down on the ring dips, his hands taped so they didn’t get chapped.

 

Jon still hadn’t come clean to his brothers about Trina Michaels and didn’t know why considering he trusted them more than Mia.  And yet, he spilled his guts to her.  Now thanks to her lawyer friend, Melanie, Jon was on the verge of finally having this sham of a marriage ended once and for all…once he made the call to finalize everything with Melanie.  Why he couldn’t tell Colby and Joe about his porn star was beyond him.  Maybe he didn’t feel up to being judged since his best friends and comrades were big family men.  Finally stopping since his arms were screaming at him and threatening to give out, Jon finally did one last rep and dropped to the floor, coughing violently. 

 

Expecting this to happen, Colby waited until Jon was done hacking himself to death before handing the bottled water over.  They had to leave to go to the arena in less than an hour to prepare for the taping, but had enough time to hear Jon out about what was bothering him.  Mia had been tightlipped about it, no matter how hard or seductive Joe had been with her to try getting answers out of her.  The woman was smart and knew what Joe was doing, simply telling him she would not fall for his tricks.  Krystal was clueless on what was going on, keeping her nose out of other people’s business since she had her own problems to worry about.  Jon took the beverage and sucked the whole thing down, not remembering the last time he’d exhausted himself during a workout after only 2 hours. 

 

Joe had finished up with his reps on the battle ropes and walked over to where Colby and Jon sat, headphones draped around his neck with his body coated in sweat.  They all had basketball shorts on, but Jon and Colby were shirtless and Joe had a grey tank, all 3 of them drenched in sweat from their workouts.  Colby had stuck with strict CrossFit training, jumping boxes to improve his agility as well as tossing a medicine ball up in the air repeatedly.  It didn’t look that hard, but what a lot of people didn’t realize was the medicine ball was extremely heavy, full of some type of sand, and worked every muscle in the arms, especially biceps and triceps.  The ring dips and battle ropes were also part of CrossFit, but Joe preferred the battle ropes while Jon opted for chin-ups or working on the ring dips.

 

“Out with it, Jon.  You told Mia, so it can’t be that bad.” Joe coaxed, grabbing a fresh ice cold water out of the cooler they brought with and opened it, downing half of it.

 

“It is.” Jon grunted, keeping his gaze on the floor and felt Colby drape a towel around his neck, nodding appreciatively in his direction. “But I’m gonna fix it, thanks to your girl.  She’s a gem, bro.” He directed that at Joe.

 

“Yeah she is.” Joe agreed, sitting down on the other side of Jon and clapped his shoulder gently. “Now tell us what’s going on with you and Anisa.  Because she’s a gem too and I know you love her.”

 

Jon couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to, heaving a sigh. “Fine.” If they wanted to know that badly, he wouldn’t deny his brethren and men he considered brothers.

 

There in the back of the CrossFit gym in Washington D.C., the story of Jon’s marriage to a porn star came out.  Nothing was left out.  Jon spilled the whole truth about his heavy drinking back in the Indies and how he’d worked with Trina Michaels a few times, even slept with her.  It was hard talking about his past, but Jon pushed through it and explained why he was still linked in marriage to the wretched woman, who refused to give him a proper divorce.

 

“She just keeps giving excuses about not receiving the fucking papers.  I’ve spent so much money sending them to her and I won’t spend another dime unless I know for a fact the divorce will go through.  That’s why Mia called her lawyer friend to help me because apparently the lawyer I have now is a piece of shit.  For all I know, Trina is fucking him just to make sure she stays married to me.  She wants to work our marriage out because I’m a huge star now in the WWE.  Fucking money-grubbing whore.” Anger filled Jon’s tone whenever he spoke Trina’s name, Joe and Colby not blaming him.

 

“So she won’t stop lying about it and hasn’t been caught?” Colby found that to be very fishy and frowned, stroking his beard thoughtfully. “What did Mia’s lawyer friend say?”

 

“Don’t know yet.  Have to call her tomorrow once we get in town for Mania.” Jon stood up from the bench, ignoring the burning in his body from overexertion and cracked his neck. “I just want this to be over so I can fight for Anisa.”

 

“What do you mean fight for her?” Joe questioned, arching a black brow and stood along with Colby, all of them heading to the shower room.

 

No matter how hard he tried, Jon couldn’t get the image of Bray Wyatt carrying Anisa out of the arena and could only imagine what happened between them.  For all he knew, Bray was in the room when Mark came to her door threatening to punish her.  Even through Jon’s drunken state, he remembered and had sobered up quickly, ready not fight Calaway if necessary.  Luckily, the man had walked away and left her alone, but if Bray had been with Anisa, why didn’t he come to her rescue?  Why didn’t he open the door and make Calaway leave?  Maybe Anisa had been alone after all.

 

“Well, she won’t hear me out, so once I get divorced I can flash it in her face and then she won’t have a choice.  She’ll have to listen to reason.”

 

Jon could only hope.

 

~!~

 

“HAVE YOU COMPLETELY LOST YOUR FUCKING MIND, KRYSTAL DANIELLE LEVESQUE?”

 

Krystal physically cringed at the use of her full name and lowered her eyes to the floor, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.  When Stephanie called asking her to come to the arena early, Krystal figured it had something to do with her job.  She half-expected Paul to call her in if he knew about her and Colby, tricking her by using his wife to summon her instead.  The moment she walked in the office and spotted Paul’s red angry face, Krystal knew she was in hot water, deciding to let him rant and rave before saying her piece.

 

“SCREWING WITH THE TALENT IS THE LAST THING YOU SHOULD BE DOING!!  YOU’RE JUST STARTING YOUR CAREER OUT WITH THE WWE!!  AND WITH A ROOKIE OF ALL PEOPLE!!”

 

Stephanie moved to stand beside Krystal, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and could feel how badly she was shaking.

 

“I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW STUPID AND NAÏVE YOU ARE TO SPREAD YOUR LEGS TO THE FIRST WRESTLER WHO SHOWED YOU A SHRED OF ATTENTION!!”

 

“Brother…”

 

“DID YOU FORGET WHAT HAPPENED IN HIGH SCHOOL OR DID YOU GET A SUDDEN CASE OF AMNESIA, KRYSTAL?!”

 

That was all Stephanie could handle hearing, cold blue eyes shooting up to lock on her husband. “Step outside right now and cool off.” She ordered in a low voice, pointing at the door daring her husband to defy her.

 

Knowing better than to argue with his wife, Paul stormed out of the office slamming the door shut and Krystal instantly burst into tears.  Why would Paul bring up such a sore subject for her, a piece of her past Krystal just wanted to forget about?  It was low, even if his intentions were good.  Stephanie consoled her, waiting for her sister-in-law to calm down enough so they could have a heart-to-heart talk without Paul blowing up every 5 seconds.

 

“I’ve been seeing Colby for several weeks now.” Krystal admitted once she could speak without stammering, wiping her tears away. “I know it’s fast and wrong to be with him, but I can’t help it.  I love him and he loves me.”

 

Stephanie understood that, remembering her rocky past with Paul vividly. “Sweetie, Paul is just worried about you because of your past with men, especially what happened to you in high school.” She knew all about it and her heart broke when Paul brought it up, not expecting it.

 

Senior year was supposed to be the best year of Krystal’s school life.  She was on the cheerleading squad and had dated the captain of the football team, Derek Schultz.  He was the best looking boy in school and every girl wanted him, but his eyes were set on Krystal for some reason.  They had dated for 2 years since sophomore year and Krystal thought they’d be together even after graduation.  Senior prom came and Krystal looked exquisite in an emerald green gown that really brought the green out in her eyes, her chestnut locks piled up on top of her head.  It was strapless, long and flowing, the material from the waist down chiffon while the top had been a sweetheart neckline with sequins.  Krystal had never been so happy, especially when Derek showed up in a stretch black limousine and slipped a matching corsage on her wrist matching her dress along with his tie.  They were the perfect prom couple.  Derek had a few of his friends from the football team along with their prom dates and the champagne began flowing.  They snuck it in the limousine without the driver or their parents knowing, wanting to properly celebrate prom.  Krystal refused to drink though, wanting to be responsible and stayed quiet while Derek partied with everyone else.  Once they got to prom, the night went from bad to worse.

 

Krystal had excused herself to use the bathroom and didn’t realize Derek had followed her, not realizing he’d snuck in a flask of Vodka into the prom.  She stepped out of the stall and there he stood, his tie undone draped over the sink.  The predatory gleam in his eyes alarmed Krystal and she tried diffusing the situation by being sweet to Derek, only to be backhanded across the face.  He shoved her in the corner of the bathroom and ripped the lower half of her dress completely off, leaving her exposed in green panties.  The music was too loud for anyone to hear Krystal’s screams as Derek raped her against the wall, calling her a teasing whore and nearly choked her out when she tried fighting him off.  He was a lot stronger than her and Krystal had been helpless, sobbing uncontrollably while Derek took her innocence in the bathroom of all places.  After he was done, Krystal ended up passing out from the shock and pain of Derek’s attack and woke up the next day in a hospital bed.  Paul was at her side, holding her hand and Krystal started crying as soon as she saw her big brother.  She told him what happened through a croaked voice since her larynx had been heavily bruised from Derek’s hand wrapped around her throat.

 

Needless to say, Paul tracked down Derek and beat the living hell out of him, but nobody found out about it.  They did however find Derek’s semen inside of Krystal during her rape kit and he was arrested on rape charges since he was 18 years old, an adult in the state’s eyes.  Krystal had to testify against him in court and had sobbed throughout the whole time while reliving her horror at prom.  Derek was sent to prison for 7 years, receiving the maximum punishment since he was legally an adult and would have to finish his education while locked up.  Derek’s parents were beside themselves with grief because he’d had a full ride football scholarship to any college he wanted to attend.  They felt Krystal destroyed their son’s life and hadn’t spoken to any of the Levesque’s since, moving out of Connecticut shortly after Derek was found guilty.  There had been far too much evidence against him, including the flask that was found on him when he was arrested.  The last Krystal heard of Derek Schultz, he’d gotten out of prison and committed suicide, ending his pathetic excuse for a life.

 

Paul walked back inside the office 20 minutes later and felt his heart twinge with pain at the sight of his sobbing sister in his wife’s arms.  Stephanie glared up at him and pointed to the chair, silently ordering him to sit down.  Before he started blowing up on his sister again, Stephanie was about to take Paul for a stroll down memory lane, wanting him to remember what her father had done to them when they first started dating.  He listened, frowning because he remembered how much heartache and break both he and Stephanie went through because of Vince.  He’d given them the green light to date when they started working together during the McMahon/Helmsley Era, but then forced them to split up.  It wasn’t a smart business decision.  In the end, the heart won out and Paul had defied Vince by seeing Stephanie secretively until they finally told his now father-in-law they were together.  Vince had known all along and welcomed Paul with open arms, accepting him into the McMahon family.

 

“Paul, don’t do the same thing to Krystal that my father tried doing to us.” Stephanie could tell just by looking into Krystal’s eyes how much she loved Colby.  It was obvious. “She deserves to be happy just like everyone else and so what if it’s a wrestler?  Colby is a good man and he makes her happy.  You can’t protect her forever.”

 

Realizing what he did to his sister, Paul’s heart ache at Krystal’s trembling sobbing form and walked over to squat down in front of her, taking both of her hands from her face. “I’m sorry, sis.” He whispered, wiping her tears away and squeezed her hands when red-rimmed swollen hazel locked with his. “Do you forgive me?  I didn’t mean to yell at you or bring up the past.  I was wrong.”

 

Krystal sniffled and threw her arms around Paul’s neck, crying harder. “I’m s-sorry too…” She whispered in a stutter and felt her brother hug her back tightly. “I-I should’ve been honest with y-you…”

 

“Shhh it’s alright, Krys.  I understand why you kept it from me.  I know I made you promise not to date anyone in the company and I was wrong.  You are a grown woman and I have to accept your decision to be with whoever you want.” He pulled back enough to look in her eyes, becoming stern. “But I will say one thing: If Colby hurts you once, the boy won’t have a WWE career for long because I’ll end him.  Understand me?”

 

“Yes.” Krystal kissed his cheek, a small smile crossing her face, but it quickly vanished when the harsh reality crashed over her. “Who told you about me and Colby anyway?”

 

“Ryan Reeves.” Paul answered, not realizing how much grief the man had caused his sister. “I don’t know why either, but I guess he heard how protective I am of you and wanted to let me know.”

 

“Oh for god’s sake, he was brown-nosing, Paul!” Stephanie chimed in with a snort, rolling her eyes. “Sucking up will get him nowhere in this company.”

 

Knowing it was time to come clean to her brother and Stephanie about Ryback, Krystal told them exactly why the man told them about her secret relationship with Colby.  Paul was livid and promised his sister Ryan would be dealt with swiftly, having an idea on how to punish him.  Krystal left her family’s office feeling a huge weight lift from her shoulders now that she no longer had to hide her relationship from the company.  She couldn’t wait to see Colby later that night because she planned on planting a lip lock on him in the hallway where everyone could see.

 

Chapter 42

 

Her head felt like a 50 ton weight currently crushed it, throbbing mercilessly even after a few cups of coffee.  Anisa was surprised she managed to wake up at all for the taping.  The shower helped settle the beating drum pounding in her head, but not much.  She popped 3 Advil liquid gels and sucked water down like it’d been the first time she had it.  The Tequila shots had dehydrated her combined with all the crying Anisa had done.  Every time she had a moment to herself where she was alone, crying ensued and she hated it.  Anisa felt alone, confused and betrayed, not knowing who to trust anymore.  She never thought Mia, her best friend, would help a man who hurt her. 

 

Deep down, Anisa knew she was being stubborn and bullheaded about this situation with Jon, but hearing him out wasn’t an option right now.  She wasn’t ready and could care less what other people thought, including those closest to her.  Keeping his marriage hidden made Anisa wonder what else Jon had lied about.  The trust was gone and, if there was no trust, a relationship was doomed to fail.  Nobody understood that.  Everyone was on Jon’s side it seemed and, granted, Anisa sleeping with Bray wasn’t a smart idea, but it also wasn’t a crime.  She wasn’t with Jon anymore and free to do whatever she wanted.  Anisa hadn’t cheated on him and anyone who thought otherwise could kiss the darkest part of her backside.  Bray had been there for her a lot the past week and Anisa had a moment of vulnerability that lead to her making a move on him.  The sex wasn’t half bad, but she did feel horrible for crying afterwards and basically using Bray to stanch some of the pain Jon caused.

 

“I have to talk to Bray about this.” Anisa muttered, rubbing her temples and sighed with relief as the Advil began working its way through her system, the pounding in her head slowly subsiding.

 

Dressing in a pair of tan suede pants with a long sleeved tan and black striped top with a V shaped neckline, Anisa quickly did her makeup and hair before heading out the door.  Simple black liner, maroon gloss and foundation to hide her swollen face from crying made Anisa look nearly flawless.  But the amount of sadness in her midnight blue eyes couldn’t be hidden and the light that once filled them had been extinguished.  Pulling into the parking lot 20 minutes later, Anisa stepped out with her bag in hand and stood outside in the designated smoking area to finish her cigarette.  She watched several coworkers walk inside the arena, waving at Brianna and Bryan Danielson while receiving a stink eye from Nicole.  Apparently someone was still heated over having their sexual romp interrupted.  Oh well, maybe Cena would start following protocol and signing in, then he wouldn’t have Anisa coming to his dressing room unexpected.  Taking the final drag from her cigarette, Anisa flicked it in the huge bucket and turned around, colliding into a solid muscular chest that felt like a brick wall.

 

Jon had just finished changing into his Shield gear and went out for his pre-show cigarette when he spotted Anisa smoking.  He spent a good 10 minutes standing behind her and smoking silently, surprised she didn’t feel his presence.  Her mind must’ve been occupied, not that he blamed her.  The way her honey blonde hair pooled down her back in soft waves and the smell of her Dove soap intoxicated him.  All Jon wanted to do was reach out and touch her, to feel her soft skin against his and run his fingers through her hair, to prove to her with actions she was the only woman for him.  The only thing that stopped him from doing those things was the possibility Anisa moving on with Bray since they left together the previous night.  He still didn’t know what to think about that, deciding it was time to confront her about it so he knew where they stood.

 

“Sorry.” He grunted, holding his half-smoked cigarette away so Anisa didn’t get burned. “Are you okay?”

 

Why?  Why did he have to be out here with her right now?  It wasn’t bad enough she was suffering from a hangover and got into a fight with her best friend over this man?  It wasn’t fair how gorgeous he looked either, completely edible.  The black cargo pants hugged his backside and thighs perfectly, the black sleeveless skintight top he wore under his tactical vest really showed off his muscular frame and his hair was slicked back, temporarily getting rid of his unruly curls.  She missed him, wanting to jump into Jon’s arms and make everything right with them in that moment.  It was just a moment though and clarity quickly overtook her mind.  Anisa couldn’t deal with this and tried walking past him, but Jon’s long arm shooting out prevented her from doing so.  The duck and dodge game had to end somewhere.

 

“I asked you a question.” He flicked his cigarette to the side, blowing smoke out of his mouth to the side so it didn’t go in Anisa’s face. “It’s rude not to answer.”

 

“I’m fine.” Anisa replied in a clipped tone, avoiding eye contact with him and folded her arms in front of her chest, the tension between them impenetrable.

 

Jon snorted, wondering who Anisa thought she was trying to fool. “That’s a lie.”

 

“Yeah well, you know all about lying, don’t you?” Anisa shot back, gritting her teeth and mentally cursed for letting her emotions take over her mouth.

 

Now they were getting somewhere. “I didn’t lie…”

 

“Oh no, of course not.  You just kept the fact you’re married to a slut porn star from me.” Was he really trying to convince her otherwise?

 

“I never…”

 

Anisa refused to let him talk, holding her hand up to stop him. “I don’t have time for this right now.  I have a job to do and so do you.  This is not the time or place to have this discussion.”

 

“Then when is?” Jon countered, not letting her dismiss him that easily and stepped to the side to block her when Anisa tried sidestepping him again. “Give me a time and place we can talk, then you can leave.”

 

Shaking her head, Anisa could feel the anger and pain surging through her, fighting the urge to hit him. “No.  I don’t want to talk to you or hear anything you have to say, Jon.  You’re not the man I thought you were.  And I don’t have to talk to you about what happened if I don’t want to.”

 

“Right, but fucking another man, another coworker, is the smarter way to go.” Jon retorted angrily, not believing how stubborn she was being and wanted to throttle her, pale blues turning icy in seconds.

 

Midnight blue eyes shot open at his accusation, not sure how he found out about her and Bray, but Anisa didn’t care. “We’re not together anymore, so I can fuck whoever I want, when I want and how I want.  If you can fuck around on me, I can do the same thing to you.” She felt ashamed for sleeping with Bray, but refused to let Jon know that and went with her current mentality.

Growling venomously, Jon suddenly shoved Anisa against the wall and pinned her, his thigh lodging between her legs. “This isn’t you!  Goddamn it, Anisa!” He suddenly rammed his taped fist as hard as he could into the wall beside her head, eyes never leaving hers. “You made a fucking mistake sleeping with that backwoods psycho!”

 

Anisa swallowed hard, tears shimmering in her eyes and felt her heart nearly leap out of her chest when Jon punched the wall, positive he would hit her instead.  Her whole body trembled with fear against him and Jon’s shook as well from sheer rage.  She was frozen against the wall while Jon glowered down at her, their noses practically touching and mouths mere inches from each other.  If Anisa leaned forward or Jon moved any closer, they would’ve touched and kissed, his hot breath puffing across her face.

 

“J-Jon…”

 

“What the fuck is going on here??”

 

Her eyes shut at the sound of Phil’s voice yelling behind them, shattering the moment into pieces. “N-Nothing, bro…”

 

“Doesn’t look like nothing.” Phil remarked, reaching out to pull Jon away from his sister, but April stopped him, shaking her head silently.

 

“This isn’t over, Anisa.” Jon promised in a gritty voice, reluctantly stepping away from her and stormed back inside the arena to go have his already bruising hand looked at.

 

The tears she desperately held back streamed down her cheeks as Anisa managed to place a hand over her pounding heart, hardly able to breathe. “April, go inside.  I wanna talk to my sister alone for a minute.” It wasn’t a request.

 

April understood, following Phil’s order and left them alone.  Phil waited until they were alone before pulling Anisa into his arms, hugging her tightly while she sobbed against him.  He had no idea what was going on between Jon and his sister, but the second he saw Jon’s fist collide with the wall by her head, his overprotective brotherly instincts took over.  A talk with Jon was in the very near future because Phil refused to let Anisa be with an abusive dick, not sure if he trusted Jon yet.  After that display of anger, his doubts had heightened more.

 

“What the hell is going on, Nisa?” Phil demanded, pulling back to look down in her swollen eyes and gave her a cursory scan to make sure she wasn’t physically harmed.

 

He hadn’t overheard what happened and Anisa didn’t want to put more problems on her brother’s plate, but she needed his advice now more than ever.  His guidance. “Tell me what to do.” She sobbed brokenly, feeling Phil guide her over to the nearby table and they both sat down with her leaning against him. “I fucked up, bro.  I fucked up so badly.”

 

“Whatever it is, you can tell me, sis.” Phil assured her gently, rubbing her arm and felt his heart shatter every time a sob escaped her. “Just calm down and talk to me.”

 

For the next half an hour, Anisa told Phil what happened with Jon and what she found out.  He was married to another woman.  She didn’t know the details of it and wasn’t sure she wanted to at this point.  Jon kept the secret from her, destroying all the trust she had and now Anisa didn’t know what to do, where to go from here.

 

“I’m in love with him.  So tell me how to stop.”

 

Phil wished he could, but he didn’t know what to say considering he was in the same boat his sister was.  In love with a woman who cheated on him.  Granted, Jon didn’t cheat on Anisa, but he did lie to her about being married.  There had to be more to the story, so before Phil knocked his head off, he would hear Jon’s side.  He felt the same way Anisa did as far as giving his girlfriend a chance to explain what happened.  They really were siblings cut from the same cloth and had the same stubbornness in their bloodstreams.

 

“I have a feeling you want to tell me more.” He could tell the way Anisa had her head lowered something else transpired.  Nothing prepared him for the next set of words to come out of her mouth.

 

“I slept with Bray Wyatt.”

 

5 minutes of silence passed by before Phil spoke, his voice low and quiet. “When?”

 

“Last night.”

 

Bray and Phil hated each other, so the fact Anisa slept with one of his enemies did not set well with him at all.  What the hell was she thinking?!  That’s what Phil wanted to say, but all he could do was sit there with his hands clasped in front of him staring straight ahead blankly.  What could he say to his sister that wouldn’t offend or anger her more than she already was?  Anisa was on the brink of having a nervous breakdown and the last thing she needed was big brother berating her for having sex.

 

“Did he hurt you?” His tone remained the same.

 

Anisa bit her bottom lip, shaking her head. “No.” The eerie calmness made her unsettled, her stomach twisting and turning violently. “Phil, I didn’t mean to…”

 

“It’s alright.” Those words left a bad taste in his mouth as Phil took her hand, squeezing it gently.  It was her life and her decision on who she invited in bed, but he would make sure Bray didn’t do anything nonconsensual with his sister. “I don’t need to know the details.  I just want you to promise me something.”

 

“Anything, bro.” It was crazy how calm Phil was being about this whole situation and scared Anisa, hoping he didn’t go off on a tangent and kill both Jon and Bray. “I know you must be angry…”

 

Phil stopped her, standing from the table and pulled her with him. “No I’m not, actually.  I thought I’d be, but…you’re a grown adult, Anisa.  I can’t tell you who and who not to sleep with.  But you need to promise me here and now that if anyone – ANYONE – tries to hurt you in anyway, you’ll come straight to me.  That means Jon, Wyatt, anybody in that locker room, even the Divas.  Even April or Coralie…”

 

Coralie would never hurt her, but Anisa understood what Phil was doing and nodded, looking into his unreadable hazel eyes. “I promise.  You have my word.”

 

“Good, thank you.” Phil pressed a soft kiss to her forehead and hugged his sister again, cupping the back of her head to give her the comfort she needed. “Everything is gonna work out the way it should, Nisa.  You’ll see.  Just be careful and watch yourself, alright?”

 

They walked inside the arena and parted ways, leaving Anisa unsettled from her talk with her brother.  What did he have planned?  What was he going to do?  She had no idea, hoping Phil remained calm and collected until after or at WrestleMania.  She spotted Coralie walking down the hallway and immediately ducked behind a dark curtain, not wanting to talk to the woman who hurt her brother right now.  Anisa hadn’t talked to Coralie since she left the bus to travel on her own and Phil had invited April to take her place.  Honestly, the more Anisa thought about the video on Phil’s phone, the more resentful she became because Phil had given Coralie everything.  The woman refused to get married, even after her brother asked, stating they didn’t need jewelry and a piece of paper to prove their love to each other.  Isn’t that what normal people did though?  Getting married and starting a family?  Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be between them, but then again Coralie could be innocent too.  Shaking her head, Anisa peeked out of the curtain not seeing Coralie anywhere and made her way down the hall to find Rick.

 

All Anisa could hope for was tonight went smoothly with no more problems.

 

Chapter 43

“Enough with Coralie.”

 

Luke raised a slow brow at Bray, tilting his head slightly to the side. “Why?” He was curious considering Bray had been the one to send him after Coralie and rather enjoyed watching her squirm like a fish on a hook.

 

“Anisa.” Bray answered, sitting in a metal folding chair and leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him.

 

“Punk’s sister?” Now Erick was confused, folding his arms in front of his chest and narrowed his eyes slightly. “I thought she was the enemy?”

 

“She was, but no longer.” Bray didn’t know how to tell his men about the night he spent with Anisa, the feeling of her soft skin etched in his memory. “Punk is still the enemy, that hasn’t changed.”

 

Going after the people closest to Phil had been Bray’s primary goal since being called up from NXT.  He’d been called up once before as Husky Harris, but the gimmick failed horribly and Phil treated him like a dog.  Revenge had been the only thing fueling Bray when it came to Phil Brooks, but all of that changed once Anisa fell into his arms.  That hadn’t been part of Bray’s plan, though it worked to his advantage in many ways.  She had fallen into his arms at the perfect time and Bray could use their night together against Phil if he wanted to.  Bray sent Luke after Coralie for obvious reasons, but Anisa was a definite wild card.  He knew about her even before coming up to the main roster, after changing his gimmick from Husky Harris to Bray Wyatt – The Wyatt Family.  Did Bray plan on caring and wanting to protect Anisa as much as he did?  No.  Did he plan on having sex with her?  Another no.  But it all happened and Bray no longer wanted to use Phil’s loved ones as a means of revenge because it would only upset Anisa in the end.  He liked her and if they were going to be together after last night, Bray had to tread carefully with her brother.  Protecting her from everyone, including his own posse, was all Bray wanted to do from this point on and he hoped the Family understood.

 

Luke looked affronted by Bray’s request, confusion swimming in his dark eyes. “So how are we supposed to exact revenge on him if we don’t use his family?”

 

Did Luke enjoy tormenting Coralie for his own sick and twisted amusement?  Bray stroked his beard thoughtfully, suddenly standing from the metal folding chair. “We strike him down by force in the ring.” They still had a few months until their debut, so it was plenty of time to think of a brilliant strategy against Phil Brooks. “Let me ask you something, big man.”

 

“What?”

 

“Do you enjoy being around Coralie?” Bray clamped his hands on Luke’s arms, their eyes locked. “Because if you continue pursuing her, the Family must not be involved.  I won’t stop you from claiming her though, if that’s what you want.”

 

Luke had to admit, he felt pleasure stalking Coralie around and scaring her, the scent of her completely intoxicating.  He wasn’t sure if he wanted Coralie as his own or to merely keep playing with her like his own personal toy.  That’s what she was at the moment.  Bray was against using her against Phil though, which was baffling.  Even though he had the green light to keep pursuing Coralie for his own gain, Luke refused to anger Bray considering the man had done him a huge favor asking him to be part of the Wyatt Family.  If it wasn’t for Bray, Luke knew he’d still be stuck down in developmental hell and owed his career to Bray for choosing him as well as Erick.

 

“Not worth it.” Luke grunted, deciding it wasn’t worth going after a measly woman anymore and scrubbed a hand down his face. “What about the video?”

 

“Nothing to be done about it now.  Let the chips fall where they may.”

 

The video Luke referred to was the one Phil received on his cell phone and showed Coralie cheating with Luke.  It was amazing what money and little persuasion could accomplish these days.  Technology was simply amazing.  Every time Luke cornered Coralie had been strategically planned and Erick filmed everything.  A little editing and lots of cutting made a 30 second video of Coralie and Luke moments that ended with them kissing.  It had been the kiss in the hotel stairwell and Coralie had fought him off the whole time.  However, that’s not what the video showed.  It had all been done under Bray’s orders, but Luke was responsible for making it believable Coralie was cheating on Phil.  So far, Phil and Coralie were separated and on the verge of a breakup, which is exactly what Bray wanted.  Targeting Coralie had been the perfect revenge because Bray wanted Phil to lose the one person he loved and cared about most in this world, his girlfriend.  However, plans changed, the damage was done and the Wyatt Family had bigger things to worry about now.

 

All eyes in the room snapped to the door when it was tossed open, banging against the wall and Bray squared his shoulders at the sight of Mark Calaway. “Bargin’ in here unannounced is rude, man.” He commented, long hair hanging somewhat in his face. “What do you want?”

 

Mark’s upper lip curled in a slight snarl at the boy’s impudence, knowing he could smash Bray Wyatt like a bug.  Or so he thought anyway. “Stay away from Anisa.” It was an order. “She belongs to me.”

 

“Last I checked, Deadman, she was a free woman.” Bray remarked with a harsh chuckle, flashing his pearly whites with gleaming bright blues.

 

“We may be divorced, but she’s still MY property.” Mark cracked his knuckles threateningly, an eyebrow rising as the taller men stepped forward to stand beside Bray. “Nobody will have her except me.  So whatever it is you got goin’ on with her, end it and move on down the road, son.”

 

The Deadman was in for a rude awakening. “Interesting.” Bray walked back and forth, the smile still on his face that did not touch his eyes. “Your property, eh?  Well then, I feel obligated to inform you that your property has gone to another.”

 

Mark stepped forward, acidic eyes narrowing to slits. “What do you mean, boy?” He growled vituperatively, feeling his temper climbing at an alarming rate.

 

“What I mean, SON, is she’s already moved on down the road from you.  She’s no longer your property, man.” Was this so-called legend of the WWE that daft or just blind? “She’s fuckin’ Ambrose.” There was no reason to put the heat on himself when another could take the fall.

 

Without warning, Mark’s fist swung out connecting with Bray’s face and watched him stumble back slightly, acid eyes widening when all the rookie did was laugh at him.  The sound was bone chilling and maniacal, reminding Mark of himself back in his dark days.  Where had the company found this fruitcake?  He stepped up again to strike Bray only for Luke and Erick to stand in his way, blocking their leader from harm.  They were poised and ready to uncoil if Mark so much as breathed in Bray’s direction, eyes narrowed.  Bray stood upright wiping blood from his bottom lip and stood between the Family, an arm on each of their shoulders while blues shined pure wickedness.  There was a new monster in the company and the sooner Mark Calaway realized that, the better off he’d be.

 

“She is your EX for a reason, Deadman.” He purposely put the emphasis on EX, hoping to get a rise out of the legend. “Mmm, I do love the taste of my own blood on my tongue.”

 

“Wyatt, I’m warnin’ you…”

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

Anisa stood in the doorway of the Wyatt Family locker room, deciding the talk with Bray couldn’t wait, especially after her confrontation with Jon.  She did not expect to walk in on an apparent stand-off between the Wyatt Family and her ex-husband.  What did Mark want with them anyway?  There was no way he found out about her and Bray, at least Anisa hoped not.  Midnight orbs moved past Mark to lock with electric bright blue and Anisa gave Bray a quick cursory scan, frowning at his slightly swollen lip.  Mark had thrown a punch.  She decided to wait before blowing up on her ex-husband just in case he didn’t know what transpired between her and Bray the previous night.  Maybe this had nothing to do with Anisa, though she highly doubted it.

 

“Bray, I need to talk to you about something when you’re done with…Him.” She couldn’t keep the malice from entering her tone and kept her eyes on Bray, ignoring Mark’s presence.

 

The maniacal smile turned into a smug smirk as Bray sauntered past Mark, nodding at her. “Sure, lead the way.  I have all the time in the world for you.” Winking at Mark, Bray followed her out the door leaving the Family to deal with tossing the Deadman out of their dressing room.

 

Once they were outside of the arena away from prying ears and eyes, Anisa lit up a cigarette to help calm her nerves.  Bray noticed how tense she was and frowned, pulling his hair back in a low tail with a hairband to keep it out of his face.  Silence ensued between them for a few minutes while Bray watched Anisa take a few deep drags from her cigarette, waiting patiently for her to talk.  He wanted to reach out and take her hand or comfort her in some way, but had a feeling Anisa wouldn’t appreciate being touched.

 

“Last night was a mistake.”

 

Bray felt his heart plummet to the pits of his stomach and shatter, swallowing incredibly hard to the point of clearing his throat. “Oh.” It came out rougher than he intended.

 

Anisa felt horrible, tears shining in her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Bray.  I really am.  I know I initiated what happened by kissing you and I should’ve stopped it…”

 

“So why didn’t you?” His voice was low and quiet, scrutinizing her.

 

“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer. “There’s no excuse for it either.  I did enjoy it while it was happening, but afterwards I felt awful, which is why I rushed into the shower.  It wasn’t you.”

 

“I see…” Bray didn’t buy that for a second. “So you basically used me for sex.”

 

Blinking, huge tears slid down her face as Anisa dropped her cigarette and couldn’t argue that accusation.  That’s exactly what she did.  Bray had been nothing short of amazing to her, sweet and kind.  And what did she do?  Used him like a cheap piece of meat all to try forgetting about Jonathan Good!  What the hell was wrong with her?  How could she do that to someone like Bray?  Brother’s enemy or not, he’d never done a thing to harm her, so until Bray did something, Anisa had no reason not to trust him.

 

“Bray, I’m-”

 

He had closed the distance between them and pressed a finger against her lips, pulling Anisa into his arms.  Placing his hands on her shoulders, Bray leaned forward brushing his mouth against her forehead in a soft caress and effectively silenced whatever Anisa was about to say.  He didn’t need to hear it, getting her message loud and clear.  She regretted what happened between them and had to accept it, refusing to hurt her.  Not saying a single word, Bray released her and walked back inside the arena, leaving Anisa behind to watch him helplessly.

 

~!~

 

Great, Jon thought when a shadow fell over him while he ate in catering, looking up at an indecipherable Phil Brooks.  He didn’t know how much Phil witnessed between him and Anisa outside, honestly not caring.  His right hand was bandaged heavily and wrapped in ice to keep the swelling down.  He broke his middle knuckle and nothing else, luckily, so he could still compete in the ring.  Krystal had been the one to take care of him and promised to keep it between them since Jon didn’t want the bosses knowing about his stupidity.

 

“Look, if this is about your sister…”

 

“Finish eating and then we’ll talk.” Phil ordered, sitting down at the table with Jon, popping a carrot in his mouth.

 

“I don’t wanna talk about her.”

 

“What makes you think it is about my sister?” Phil retorted, raising a brow and gestured to Jon’s food. “Now finish eating.”

 

10 minutes later, Phil dragged Jon to the nosebleed seats of the arena, a place he knew nobody would look for them and they could have privacy.  The fans hadn’t been let in yet, so they had a little bit of time to talk and hash some things out.  There was no need to catapult Jon over the ledge below, at least not yet.  Depending on how this conversation went, Phil might change his mind and end Jon’s existence if he didn’t have a legitimate reason for hurting Anisa.

 

“Start talking.” It was another order, short and to the point.

 

Jon raised a brow, leaning back against the seat. “About what?”

 

Phil narrowed his eyes at Jon defiantly. “Don’t try to bullshit me, Ambrose.  Anisa told me everything about you being married and you need to explain it to me.  I know there’s more to the story.  And knowing my sister, she hasn’t heard your side of it.  So tell me and maybe I can help with her stubbornness and make her see what’s really going on.  You gotta tell me what happened though.” He was willing to help Jon if it meant making his sister happy because right now she was living in misery.

 

Just like he had earlier that day at the gym with Colby and Joe, Jon spilled his guts about everything that happened between him and Trina.  Phil listened, not saying a word and when Jon finished, he reached out to clamp a hand on the man’s shoulder.  Jon had been through hell and back with this porn star, who held him hostage through marriage.  That wasn’t right and Phil knew if Anisa heard the whole story, she would not be acting out the way she currently was.

 

“Look, I know things are bleak between you two right now, but don’t give up on Nisa.  I’ll admit, I wasn’t happy when I found out you were dating her, but…she was the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time and I’ll do anything to see the light back in her eyes.  Even putting up with the likes of you.” Phil smirked, breaking the tension a little by ribbing Jon and both men chuckled softly. “Seriously though, she loves you and I know you love her.  So keep fighting and eventually she’ll see the error of her ways.”

 

Jon was left sitting there perplexed, not believing Phil had basically given him a blessing to date Anisa.  He thought for sure Phil would kill him for keeping the fact he was married to a porn star away from Anisa.  Looking down at the ring in thought, Jon knew what he had to do.  If he was going to win back Anisa, it would take time, effort and patience.  One way or another, they would fix what was broken between them, especially after Jon’s divorce was finalized from Trina.

 

Chapter 44

 

“You will be in a 6 Diva tag team match at WrestleMania.”

 

The moment Mia was told that news, she immediately rushed to the Shield locker room with the biggest smile on her face.  To wrestle on the grandest stage of them all, the biggest event of the year in WWE, was incredible and a huge honor.  Even if the match lasted 5 minutes, Mia would still shine and looked forward to perform in front of 80,000+ fans.  It didn’t get much better than that besides holding the WWE Diva’s championship, which was a goal of Mia’s.  She’d get there eventually too.  Walking into the Shield locker room, Mia stopped to admire her man bare from the waist up, the muscles in his back flexing with every move he made.  No matter how many times she saw Joe without a shirt on, it never ceased to amaze Mia how fast her heart rate quickened at the sight of him.  He was truly a specimen worth admiring – a masterpiece.

 

Joe felt eyes on him and turned around, smirking at his Indian goddess standing in the doorway looking exquisite.  She wore a simple 2 piece red outfit that had ¾ quarter sleeves and round neckline, the back dipping low to rest just above her bra strap.  The pencil skirt had a waistband and hugged every curve of Mia’s beautiful body, the fabric stretchy.  Gold 2 inch heels adorned her feet, open toed since Mia couldn’t stand wearing pumps.  Her ravenous hair was down and parted over her shoulder, gold hoops dangling in her ears along with a round bracelet and necklace, both matching.  Her nails had been redone in black and natural makeup accentuated her natural beauty, her lips a shimmery cherry gloss.

 

“See something you like, Reigns?” Mia asked cheekily, stepping forward and closed the door behind her.

 

“More than like, baby girl.” Joe assured her, closing the distance between them and pressed her against the door, his mouth descending hungrily on hers.  Sure enough, she tasted like cherries.

 

Mia returned the kiss, burying her fingers in his damp tresses and felt Joe lift her by her underarms since her legs wouldn’t be able to wrap around his waist without ripping her pencil skirt.  Her arms encircled his neck and Mia bent her knees to cross her ankles while Joe dragged her away from the door.  He sat on the bench near the lockers, positioning Mia to sit sideways on his lap and continued kissing her, addicted to cherries.  They were his favorite fruit…or maybe it was just Mia in general he was addicted to.

 

“So I was thinking…” Joe finally spoke while nibbling on her exposed ear and neck not covered by her hair, his hot breath puffing against her skin.

 

“Mmm about?” Mia purred, caressing his bare arms and became lost in the sensations, her dark eyes shut.

 

“Since we have 5 days off after Mania…” He trailed off again, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull his woman closer and continued devouring her skin with his mouth.

 

Mia smiled, massaging his broad shoulders and could feel her nipples hard through the material of her bra and top, poking his chest. “I think we’re on the same wavelength, baby…” If Joe kept this up, Mia would end up needing a change of panties, if she didn’t already.

 

“Good, then we’re spending our 5 days in Pensacola with my family.”

 

“With my family.”

 

Those last 3 words were said at the same time, both Mia and Joe freezing their actions.  They both pulled back to stare in each other’s eyes, the same emotion streaming from the lovers.  Confusion.  Maybe they weren’t on the same wavelength as much as Mia thought.

 

“What do you mean your family?” Mia tried keeping the edge out of her voice and failed, folding her arms in front of her chest.

 

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” Joe lifted Mia from his lap and set her on the bench, walking over to his gear bag to pull his tactical vest and undershirt out to wear. “I already told my family we’re coming.”

 

Mia couldn’t believe this and stood up from the bench, now planting her hands on her hips. “EXCUSE ME?  Joseph, are you deaf or do you have selective hearing?  Don’t you remember me being on the phone with my Mom the other day and I asked you if you wanted to go meet my parents?” Nothing had been set in stone then, but Mia figured he’d get the hint since Joe didn’t bother answering her that day.  She figured he would go wherever she wanted.

 

“I didn’t think you were serious!” Joe exclaimed, grey eyes wide at how upset Mia was with him. “You never mentioned anything else about it!”

 

“Because I assumed you would go wherever I did since you refused to answer my fucking question!”

 

Joe scrubbed a hand down his face, feeling his temper skyrocketing quickly. “Mia, I already told my family we’re coming.  I can’t back out of it.  We can go see your parents some other time.” This was not up for discussion.

 

“Oh really?” Fire erupted in Mia’s dark eyes, turning them to nearly black with anger. “I can’t believe you!  I already promised my parents we were coming for a visit since you HAVEN’T MET THEM YET!!” Why couldn’t he do this ONE thing for her? “I’ve already met your family and every time I bring up wanting you to meet mine, you make excuses not to go!” Granted, it’d only been twice that Mia brought it up, but Joe was either sucked into television or busy whenever she did.

 

Joe had brought Mia home to Pensacola, Florida the Wednesday after ending her avoidance game to meet his whole family.  Mia didn’t mind, enjoying being around them and Patty was a riot along with Sika, Joe’s parents.  His sisters Summer, Myritza and Vanessa were complete sweethearts to her and Matt gave her the biggest bear hug.  His nephews and nieces were adorable too, all of them warming up to Mia almost instantly.  They were loud, friendly and loving, an unbreakable family.  There was a big reason Mia wanted to go see her parents this time around – a reason she hadn’t told Joe about yet.  She wasn’t sure if she wanted to now, wondering if she should make this trip on her own.

 

“If you only knew…”

 

“I don’t remember you asking me if I wanted to go meet your family because YOU NEVER MENTION THEM!!” Joe couldn’t hold back his annoyance anymore, shooting grey steel at his irate girlfriend. “My parents are having a family barbeque to celebrate my first WrestleMania.  I HAVE to be there!” What didn’t she understand about that?

 

“You know what?  Forget it.  Forget I ever asked you to meet my family.  In fact, forget you know who I am.  Because until you get your head out of your family’s ass and stop putting them first, you don’t have a girlfriend anymore!” Mia snapped, fighting back tears because she didn’t want her makeup ruined and stormed out of the dressing room down the hallway.

 

Joe couldn’t believe what Mia just said to him and felt his heart shatter in his chest, noting the tears in her eyes.  What was the big deal about meeting her parents?  Mia rarely mentioned them and Joe didn’t pry because they hadn’t been together that long.  It wasn’t that he didn’t want to meet her family because he did.  However, this was his first WrestleMania and his family wanted to celebrate it Anoa’i style, was that so wrong?  They could always go see Mia’s parents on their next days off or even during the mini-vacation, but the stubborn woman hadn’t stuck around long enough for him to make any suggestions.  Deciding to give her time to cool down, Joe would talk to her later tonight at the hotel about this, not able to lose her over a misunderstanding.

 

Meanwhile, Mia was in turmoil and currently locked in a stall in the women’s bathroom crying.  She already missed Joe and it hadn’t even been an hour.  His cold attitude toward her lit a fire inside of Mia and before she could stop herself, she’d ended things with him.  Was it the right decision?  Mia didn’t know.  Joe acted as though his family was more important than hers and maybe they were, but he didn’t know the whole story with hers.  He didn’t know her parents disowned her for becoming a professional wrestler and going against everything in her Indian culture.  Such as having her fiancé picked out and forced to marry she wasn’t in love with.  It was a tradition passed down through generations for the parents to choose their daughter’s spouse. 

 

Since birth, Mia was betrothed to her parents’ closest friends’ son, Narhari.  He was 3 years older than her and had zero personality.  When Mia turned 16, her parents informed her at age 18, she would be married to Narhari to continue the tradition.  Mia defied them, refusing to let Indian traditions run her life and tell her who and when she married.  Her father, Milan, had been devastated and kicked out of the house, ordering her never to return again until she was ready to embrace her culture.  Naturally, her mother, Vedi, agreed with her father and they hadn’t spoken until recently.  Vedi called and informed Mia her father was dying, that she would regret not seeing him one last time before he passed on.  After seeing Joe with his family, it made Mia realize how much she missed hers and she wanted to make amends with everyone, especially her father.  Mia didn’t want her father dying without knowing she loved him, even though she would never budge on following the culture.

 

Distracted by her fight with Joe, Mia didn’t see someone following her until she was pulled into a dark dressing room and slammed against the door, effectively shutting it.  The light flicking on temporarily blinded her, but once her vision cleared Curtis Hennig stared back at her.  She hadn’t heard anything from him in weeks and thought he’d moved on to stalk someone else.  Apparently not.  Ever since she started dating Joe, Curtis had made himself scarce, waiting for the opportune moment to strike when Mia had a moment alone.  It was almost too easy cornering her in this room and Curtis smiled down at her, sliding his finger down her cheek.  Mia wasn’t in the mood for games and swiped his hand away, her whole body tensed because of how close Curtis was.

 

“What do you want, Hennig?” Mia demanded, cutting to the chase and wished a black hole would form to swallow her whole just so she didn’t have to be near him.

 

“That’s a loaded question, cupcake.” He pushed her against the door, his hand sealing to the bare skin of her abdomen not covered by the skintight outfit. “Trouble in paradise?”

 

Mia rolled her eyes. “That’s none of your business and I don’t have time for this shit.” She tried turning to open the door, but Curtis quickly stopped her.

 

“Oh but I think you do.  And if you don’t, you will make time for me.” Curtis growled, not appreciating the way she tried dismissing him and whipped her around to face him, squeezing her upper arm. “We have unfinished business, CUPCAKE.”

 

Gritting her teeth, Mia struggled against his vise grip and whimpered when he increased pressure on her ligament. “You’re hurting me…” She murmured nervously, remembering the last time he put his hands on her.

 

“Good, maybe it’ll make you be a good little girl for me then.” Curtis pressed his full body against hers and lifted her arms to rest against the door above her head, his hands locking around her wrists. “Goddamn you’re so beautiful...”

 

Mia shut her eyes tightly and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying, Curtis’s mouth descending on her neck.  The same neck Joe had loved on earlier before their fight.  The pencil skirt prevented Mia from cracking Curtis in the balls because of how tight it was, so she was trapped like a rat in a cage with a hungry feline.  Her stomach tightened and twisted violently as Curtis’s mouth sealed to her ear, biting it none too gently.  She wouldn’t be surprised if he left marks behind to brand her.  It was a good thing Mia hadn’t ate anything from catering or else it would’ve came up all over Curtis.

 

“I can give you so much more than that Ape, cupcake.” Curtis purred seductively in her ear, feeling her body shiver and smirked, thinking she was enjoying this assault. “If only you’d give me a chance.  Now how about a taste of those sweet looking lips.”

 

Before Mia could protest, Curtis latched his mouth to hers in a rough kiss that made her bottom lip split open.  His tongue tried shoving past her lips, but Mia fought him off and twisted her wrists in his hands attempting to break free.  Curtis’s strength overpowered hers and his tongue delved into her mouth, a low groan escaping him.  The groan turned into a roar of pain and Curtis jumped away from Mia, his mouth full of blood.  His blood.  Mia had bit his tongue as hard as she could the second it invaded her mouth.

 

“YOU FUCKING WHORE!!” Curtis screamed and winced because it hurt to talk much less scream, covering his mouth with his hand after spitting a wad of blood on the floor. “You’ll pay for that!”

 

Mia’s head bounced off the door when Curtis backhanded her as hard as he could, her body slumping to the floor in a heap.  She was unconscious from the lethal blow and didn’t hear Curtis cussing up a storm while trying to check his tongue to make sure it hadn’t been severed by her teeth.  His blood coated her fronts, though Curtis didn’t notice because her mouth was closed.  He snorted at her fallen body and kicked Mia in the stomach for good measure, shoving her out of the way so he could storm out.  Maybe the whore would learn to play nice next time they met.  Unbeknownst to Curtis, he didn’t realize Mia had fallen forward to where her hand stopped the door from shutting, sticking out with the gold bracelet around her wrist gleaming under the hallway lights.

 

Soon after the attack, Mia was found by none other than her best friend, Anisa.  Screams for help from Anisa resonated down the hallway and Michael along with Krystal were paged instantly.  Anisa refused to leave Mia’s side while they checked her over and Krystal called for an ambulance from the extensive damage done to Mia’s face.  The whole right side was swollen and 3 times its normal size, so Michael knew something was broken.  He tried waking Mia up, but she was unresponsive and had a steady pulse, so he didn’t do CPR on her.  The ambulance arrived and Mia was loaded up with Anisa by her side.  The Shield was currently taping their segment for the show, so there was no way to contact Joe to let him know what happened until they got backstage.  Anisa wasn’t waiting and Stephanie assured her Joe would be notified, giving her the clear to go with Mia to the hospital.

 

“Please be okay, Mia.  Please don’t leave me here with all the crazies.” Anisa whispered while kissing Mia’s hand the whole time, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for what I said to you.  So you have to be okay.  We have to talk and I have to beg your forgiveness for being such a cunt.” Several prayers were sent above on the long ambulance ride to the hospital, Anisa not releasing Mia’s hand for a second.

 

Whoever attacked her best friend would pay dearly, possibly with their miserable life.

 

Chapter 45

 

“So, you’re leaving after Mania for sure?”

 

Phil nodded stiffly, sitting on the bench looking up at the woman he used to love more than anything.  They were strangers now.  He felt like he didn’t know her and hated himself for feeling this way.  Ever since he saw the video, which was still on his cell phone, Phil couldn’t be anywhere near Coralie for more than a few minutes.  April tried convincing him to confront Coralie about the video, but in Phil’s mind, it wasn’t worth it.  What was the point?  Even if the video wasn’t real, the damage was done.  It was hard to believe how an epic love like theirs could be turned to stone, but somehow it had.

 

“Yeah, I’m pretty beat up and need time off to decompress, get my life back on track.”

 

“I see.” Coralie’s heart broke at his words, especially when he said ‘my life’ instead of ‘ours’. “I’m taking time off too after Mania.  Gonna go see Aunt Maggie and spend time with her for a few weeks.”

 

Phil’s leave of absence would be months, not weeks, but Coralie didn’t need to know that. “Good, she needs all the support she can get right now.” He’d gotten Maggie the best care possible in the world, having done research, so if Switzerland couldn’t help her nobody could.

 

“Yeah…” Coralie shuffled her feet back and forth, not remembering ever feeling this uncomfortable talking to Phil. “What’s happened to us, Phil?  We’re standing apart from each other when we should be together.  Do you even love me anymore?” She deserved an explanation and was tired of ignoring whatever problems they had.

 

Why did she have to bring this up now? “Of course I do…” Phil muttered, gritting his teeth and sat down on the bench to start wrapping his hands with tape.

 

“Then what’s going on between us?” Stepping forward tentatively, Coralie stood in front of Phil and ached to touch him, missing him a lot. “Why can’t you look at me?”

 

Ripping the tape off, Phil began wrapping his other one and did what he could to fight off the amount of rage slowly filling his body. “I don’t have time for this, Coralie…”

 

“Then fucking make time!” She snatched the tape from him and tossed it across the room, leaf green eyes blazing with a mixture of emotions.  Love, anger, resentment, confusion, hurt, pain…all of it combined and swirled through a tornado of green. “You say you still love me, so why the fuck won’t you look at me and actually TALK?  Why are you avoiding me?  I love you, Phillip Brooks, you stupid asshole!!”

 

It had finally boiled down to Coralie being the one to confront him instead of the other way around.  Phil admitted, leaving her to find her own way had been cruel.  He was angry though and apparently hadn’t gotten a handle on his temper.  Coralie pushing him to talk about what was bothering him made Phil’s anger skyrocket and he found himself, grabbing her harshly by the upper arms yanking her body to slam against his.  Coralie gasped, not expecting him to do that and could see his hazel orbs erupt in anger and resentment.  There was no love in his eyes for her and it broke Coralie’s heart.  What happened to make Phil stare at her with such hostility and hatred?

 

“Phil…”

 

Burying his fingers in her auburn tresses, Phil’s mouth crushed hers in a brutal kiss, keeping her pinned against him.  He didn’t want to talk.  Coralie whimpered at how rough he was being with her, but returned the kiss because she couldn’t deny it felt wonderful having his mouth on hers again.  A flashback of the video suddenly hit Phil like a ton of bricks – the kiss between her and Luke Harper – and he ripped his mouth from hers abruptly.  Kissing her wasn’t an option because he had no idea who else she’d been with and where her mouth had been.  So instead, Phil spun Coralie around and shoved her down to bend over, her hands planting on the bench by the lockers.

 

“W-What are you doing?” Coralie asked breathlessly, eyes shooting up when he cupped her jean covered sex and his mouth rested over her ear, his hot breath caking it.

 

“Shut the fuck up and don’t speak.” He ordered callously, unsnapping her jeans and shoved them down her legs to where they pooled around her ankles. “Such an obedient cunt, aren’t you?” When she didn’t respond to him, Phil growled and slapped her bare backside, the sound resonating around the locker room. “Answer me!”

 

“Y-Yes!” She cried out, knowing her backside would be bruised from that one smack and closed her eyes when Phil growled approvingly in her ear.  Phil never called her names during sex, so either this was new or something was seriously wrong with him. “Phil…”

 

“No more talking.” His wrestling trunks were down around his thighs, giving Phil enough room to be able to thrust as hard as he wanted to inside of her. “Reach into my bag in front of you and get a rubber.” Whatever diseases she might have, he didn’t want to catch.

 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Coralie did what he ordered and pulled a foil packet out of his bag, handing it over silently.  She couldn’t stop the tears from falling even if a gun was pressed to her temple at this point.  Phil was being unusually cruel and Coralie could feel it all the way down to her bone marrow.  She stayed bent over for him and heard the foil wrapper rip, suddenly wondering when did Phil start using condoms.  Coralie couldn’t get pregnant, so why did he bother wrapping it up?  When Phil positioned the head of his cock at her tight hole, Coralie’s eyes flew open because she didn’t think he’d want to have anal sex.  They were kinky in the bedroom, but this was the arena and Phil hadn’t locked the door!

 

“Oh fuck…” Phil grunted, not caring if he hurt Coralie and shut his eyes, not stopping the push until he was fully inside of her delectable region. “Stand up and plant those filthy hands on the lockers.  I don’t want you touching me.”

 

Coralie was stretched and used to anal sex since it was one of Phil’s favorite positions, so his cock slipping in her tight hole didn’t hurt.  It was a lot of intense pressure, but nothing she couldn’t handle.  They had used every sex toy known to man.  The book Fifty Shades of Grey had nothing on them.  Every town they visited, Coralie made sure to find a sex shop, if there was one, and purchased something to experiment with.  Phil enjoyed her kinky side, or at least he did, and for some reason he had an obsession with taking her backside first.  Doing as he commanded, Coralie had never felt so full in her life and gasped when Phil began moving, thrusting inside of her without warning.  It was a good thing she had zero appetite and only drank water or else this would’ve been a messy bout.

 

“You like that, huh?  You like my cock pounding your filthy pussy?  You’re such a whore.” Phil growled, every thrust harder and rougher than the last, his dick threatening to explode, but the amount of rage in his body prevented an instant release. 

 

He wanted her to feel as much pain as she caused him by falling into the arms of Luke Harper.  Coralie could only stand there digging her nails into the lockers and bit her bottom lip to keep from shrieking out, the taste of copper on her tongue signaling she was bleeding.  Silent tears slid down her cheeks at Phil’s harsh words and comments, feeling her heart shatter further in her chest.  Cunt was bad enough, but now he was calling her a whore?  Where was her fun, loving Phil she fell in love and vowed to be with for the rest of her life?  The man who paid to have her Aunt flown to Switzerland and paid for her whole visit along with all the treatments and lodging?  This wasn’t him, Phil was gone and had been replaced with an angry, bitter, resentful monster.

 

“What’s the matter?  Got nothing to say, slut?” Phil taunted, gripping her hips and pressed Coralie’s face into the lockers, his chest molding with her t-shirt covered back. “You’re going to pay for what you’ve done to me!  For making me love you!”

 

Strong tattooed hands wrapped around her wrists in a vise grip that was unbreakable while Phil continued pounding relentlessly inside of her.  His mouth sealed to the back of her neck and bit into the skin, sucking as hard as he could and Coralie couldn’t hold back anymore, trying to move her head from side-to-side to get him to stop.  Phil narrowed his eyes and suddenly sat down on the bench with his cock buried in her backside, beginning to lift her up and down, groaning.  He pinned both of her hands behind her back with one of his and slid his free one up her shirt beneath the cotton material of her bra, roughly plucking one nipple and then the other.  The sensations combined with his rough thrusting felt surprisingly amazing and Coralie could feel her body responding to him.  Even through all the derogatory comments and his brutal assault on her body, the hot coil within Coralie formed threatening to snap open at any moment.

 

“Cum for me.” Phil buried his fingers in her hair again and pulled her back to rest her head on his shoulder, biting her ear gently. “Give it to me NOW!”

 

Heaving to try to catch her breath, Coralie couldn’t hold back any longer and shut her eyes tightly, screaming out his name in her release. “PHIL!!” She didn’t care who heard her, more hot tears stinging her cheeks as she began cumming in waves, the pressure only intensifying.

 

“FUCK YOU!!” Phil bellowed out, exploding his seed filling the condom and didn’t stop thrusting until his cock went limp, slipping out of her body.

 

They sat there for what seemed like ages until Coralie finally moved, her legs and thighs trembling violently.  Phil didn’t say a word to her and pulled the condom off, tossing it in the nearby trashcan before pulling his trunks back up.  While Coralie fixed herself, snapping her jeans back in place, Phil’s cell phone suddenly blared making both of them jump.  Phil frowned because it was his sister’s ringtone and immediately rushed over to his bag pulling his phone out, hitting the answer button.

 

“Sis, what’s going on?  Everything alright?”

 

“No…” Anisa’s voice broke on that word and Phil instantly felt his heart shatter at how sad she sounded.

 

“What’s wrong?  Talk to me, Anisa.” Phil listened to his sister crying and held his hand up when Coralie tried opening her mouth to say something.  He couldn’t deal or worry about her right now.

 

“I can’t believe this is h-happening!  I found her…hospital…cracked cheekbone and might have to have surgery…I’m scared!” She was rambling incoherently, only saying half sentences because her mind raced with worry.

Phil frowned, knowing his sister was about to go into either shock or hysterics and glanced at the clock on the wall, cursing. “Anisa, you have to calm down, sissy.  You have to breathe.  I don’t understand what you’re saying because you’re talking too fast.  Start over again and this time go slow.” Keeping her talking on the phone was the best thing to do.

 

Trying to follow her brother’s instructions, Anisa told him everything that happened to Mia.  She’d been brutally attacked at the arena and they were currently at the hospital with Mia being worked on.  She might need reconstructive surgery to repair her face too, depending how bad her x-rays are.  Whoever struck her had enough power to damage the whole side of her face.  Luckily, her vision wasn’t too bad, but the doctor hadn’t come back with another update and it’d been over an hour.

 

“Anisa, you hang in there, you hear me?  I’ll be on my way as soon as I can.  Just stay calm, everything is going to be alright.” Phil still had a match to go through and couldn’t leave until he was done, wondering if Paul and Stephanie would mind shortening the time on it.  He had to get to his sister as soon as possible.

 

“I’ll try.  Hurry Phil, please.”

 

“What’s going on?” Coralie asked quietly once Phil was off the phone and frowned when he merely waved her off.

 

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” He grunted, scrubbing a hand down his face and knew he was screwed as far as his match went after having that rough encounter with Coralie. “You need to leave.  I need to finish getting ready.”

 

His cold demeanor had returned and Coralie couldn’t handle it anymore, shaking her head sadly. “When you figure out what you want, let me know.  Until then, we’re done.” She walked out of his dressing room and went into the first empty dressing room she could find, crying her heart out.

 

Phil snorted, rolling his eyes and finished wrapping his hand before drawing X’s on both of them, punching each of his hands to test the durability.  As far as he was concerned, that was breakup sex because Phil wanted nothing to do with her.  He had bigger things to worry about such as his sister and Mia.  He looked up when Stephanie came through his door, immediately wrinkling her nose at the smell hitting her in the face.

 

“What is that awful stench?” Stephanie demanded, plugging her nose and covering her mouth trying not to breathe it in.

 

Phil shrugged nonchalantly, jumping up and down getting pumped for his match. “Don’t know.  Must be a dead rat or something.”

 

“Smells like rotten pussy.”

 

“Well damn Steph, didn’t know you knew what rotten pussy smelled like.” Phil countered with a smirk, ignoring the glare she shot him. “What’s up?”

 

Ignoring his brash arrogance, Stephanie took a step back to stand in the doorway so she could breathe better. “You need a different dressing room then.  Why didn’t you tell us about the smell?”

 

“Is there a point to your visit, boss lady?” Phil demanded, stopping to fold his arms in front of his chest and walked over to her.

 

“Just came to tell you that Mia was taken to the ER tonight…She…”

 

“Was attacked, I know.” Phil cut her off, waving his hands theatrically. “Anisa called me already and I’m on my way to the hospital as soon as I do my match.  Now my question to you is, do you know who did it?”

 

Stephanie frowned, shaking her head. “No, unfortunately not and Mia is unconscious, so until she wakes up we don’t have anyone to target.”

 

The first name that popped into Phil’s mind was Curtis Hennig, but only because of the time he caught the prick hurting Mia.  He hadn’t bothered her since then though. “If you find any leads, you let me know immediately.  That mother fucker is going to pay for hurting Mia.”

 

“I will, just focus on doing your job and let us do ours, Punk.  Good luck tonight.”

 

Stephanie walked away and left Phil standing there contemplating who Mia’s attacker was.  Then he had another thought.  Where the hell was Joe Anoa’i during this attack?  Why wasn’t he with her?  Cracking his knuckles, Phil planned on having a talk with the Enforcer of the Shield and would put him to sleep permanently if he was the one who hurt someone he considered family.

 

Chapter 46

 

Pacing.

 

Anisa couldn’t sit down for more than a minute before she was back up on her feet, wearing a hole in the carpet of the waiting lobby.  It was the only thing she could do so she didn’t go insane with worry over Mia and tried keeping her nerves settled.  It was close to impossible at this point though.  All Anisa could think about and picture in her mind was Mia lying in the dark empty dressing room with just her hand sticking out.  The heavy bruising covering the right side of Mia’s face and blood seeping slowly out of her mouth…it was a horrific scene.  What Anisa didn’t know was it was Curtis’s blood in Mia’s mouth, not her own.  What if Anisa hadn’t looked down when she turned the corner and not spotted the hand?  Would Mia still be lying unconscious in that dressing room with nobody looking for her?  Without realizing it, tears slid down her cheeks while Anisa continued pacing, chewing her thumbnail.  Her brother would be here soon and then Anisa wouldn’t be alone anymore.  Turning back around, Anisa halted mid-step in her pacing and felt her teary midnight eyes widen at the sight of the Shield rushing through the emergency room doors, the boys instantly spotting her.

 

Colby was the first to reach her, but didn’t make a move to give her a hug.  He could see how distraught she was and felt his heart break into pieces. “Krystal is finishing up and then she’ll be here.” He informed her quietly, Joe and Jon standing behind him.

 

She didn’t respond, keeping her eyes averted from Jon and just nodded at Colby to acknowledge she heard him.  What was Jon doing here?  If he was trying to get her to talk to him again, this was NOT the time or place to do it.  Her best friend was currently being worked on by doctors and there was a possibility of surgery.  Anisa turned her eyes to Joe and folded her arms in front of her chest, putting her guard up with him.  Nobody knew what happened to Mia, but if Joe did this to her, Anisa would castrate him without thinking twice.  Dating or not, no man had a right to put their hands on a woman for any reason.  The amount of damage done to Mia’s face could’ve only been done by one of the wrestlers backstage and Joe wasn’t a small man by any means, his strength scary.  What if he was the one who hurt Mia?

 

Worry and concern replaced the anger in Joe’s grey eyes as Anisa continued glaring at him. “Your brother…”

 

“Did you do this?” Anisa cut him off, pursing her lips tightly together.

 

Why the hell was everyone assuming Joe was responsible for this?  Nobody knew about his argument with Mia, not that he knew of anyway!  Had Mia spread some kind of vicious rumor around the locker room he’d done this?  A bruise on his left cheek pulsated, courtesy of Phil Brooks’ fist.  Phil had attacked first and then asked questions, doing what he felt best for a woman he considered family.  Both Jon and Colby had to restrain Phil while Joe regained his bearings and held him long enough for Joe to defend himself against the accusation.  Phil hadn’t apologized for the shot, instead ordering Joe to get to the hospital immediately because Mia had been taken there for further medical treatment.  He didn’t have a lot of details, deciding to let Anisa handle that part if she wanted to.

 

Jon couldn’t believe Anisa would ask an asinine question like that to one of his brothers and stepped forward. “What the hell is wrong with you, Anisa?” What made her automatically think Joe was the culprit?

 

“Fuck no I didn’t!” Joe growled, anger and resentment lacing his voice while narrowing stormy eyes back at Anisa. “Your brother…”

 

Once again, Anisa interrupted him and began pacing like a caged animal. “Well someone did this to her.  Someone lulled her into a dark dressing room and bruised the whole right side of her face to the point of cracking or breaking her cheekbone.  I-I found her…” Burying her fingers in her hair, Anisa gripped it tightly while continuing to pace. “Someone brutally attacked her and left her to rot in a dark dressing room with just her hand sticking out of the door.  So if it wasn’t you, then I’m fucking clueless.”

 

Normally, Joe would’ve ripped someone apart for interrupting him twice, but Anisa’s mental and emotional state stopped him from becoming angry with her.  She was worried sick about her best friend and he didn’t blame her, especially how close they were.  They were closer than sisters.  Joe vowed silently to kill whoever had hurt his girlfriend, the love of his life, and couldn’t believe this happened just days before WrestleMania.  However, if Mia was the one to tell the roster it was him who did this to her, he would make her pay as well, snarling at the thought.  It wouldn’t be the first time a vindictive bitch played a card of abuse against him simply because of his sheer size.

 

“Breathe big man.” Colby murmured quietly, placing a hand on Joe’s shoulder and sighed when he merely shrugged it off. “Blowing up right now is not going to help Mia, so you need to swallow your anger down.”

 

“Are you done or do you have more to say, Anisa?” Joe asked in a low baritone, eyebrows dropped low showing just how irate he was over what happened.

 

Anisa shook her head, not sure she wanted to listen to what Joe had to say, but did anyway. “Go ahead.” She owed it to Mia to at least give Joe the benefit of the doubt until her friend woke up.  Then the truth would come out.

 

“For the final time, your brother sent us here.”

 

“After clocking him in the face.” Jon piped in, electric blues still narrowed on the woman who currently had his heart in the palm of her small hands.

 

“Thanks man, I got it from here.” Joe appreciated Jon trying to help, but this happened to him and he had to be the one to deal with it, not his brethren. “He thought I did this to Mia too.  Have you…heard anything about her condition?”

 

Anisa sniffled, wiping her tears away in frustration. “No, nothing besides she might need reconstructive surgery.  There’s no reason for him,” She paused, pointing directly at Jon with a shaky finger. “To be here.  He needs to leave.”

 

“Anisa…”

 

Colby stepped forward, holding his hand up at Joe to stop the big man from snapping on Anisa.  This was a hard situation for everyone involved. “Go sit down with Jon and let me talk to her.”

 

“Colby…”

 

“Just wait a minute.” Colby cut her off this time, his voice low and soft, but Anisa also sensed the desperation in his tone. “Look, I know you and Jon aren’t in a good place right now and I understand why.  He told us what happened and I’m not saying he’s not at fault for it.  But…we’re family, Anisa.  When one of us is hurting, we band together and Jon is all we’ve got.  He has no family and he has to be here for Joe or he’ll end up going on a destructive path none of us, including you, want to see.  Please, I’m begging you to let him stay.  If not for Joe, then do it for Mia.  She’d want all of us here waiting to see what her diagnosis is together without fighting.”

 

Moving her gaze from Colby to where Jon and Joe sat, she could tell how worried Jon was for one of his best friends and felt her heart break in her chest all over again.  He actually held Joe’s hand in a purely platonic way, trying to comfort him in some way.  It was obvious Joe needed his friends now more than ever.  Anisa looked back at Colby and nodded with great reluctance, swallowing her pride down.  This was not the time to let her stubbornness run amuck and the only person who mattered right now was Mia.  Whether she liked it or not, she was part of the WWE dysfunctional family and had to learn to cope with Jon being around a lot.

 

“Thank you, Anisa.” Colby kissed her hand with a smile, relief coursing through his body and chocolate eyes. “Krystal will be here soon.  I just got a text from her and she’s on her last patient.”

 

Nodding, Anisa walked away from Colby and went on the other side of the waiting room to sit down, feeling exhausted and drained.  Jon watched her for a while, noticing the dark circles surrounding her eyes since her makeup had dissipated from all the crying she’d done.  Even in an emotionally unstable condition, Anisa was still the most beautiful woman Jon ever saw in his life.  How he ached to go over there and pull her into his arms, wanting to ease her mind about Mia.  She looked alone and sad, it killed Jon seeing Anisa that way and he hated himself because his marriage was part of the blame.  Trying to keep his eyes off of her, Jon continued sneaking glances at her and would look away whenever she looked in his direction.  Then their eyes locked across the room when Anisa looked at him the same time Jon did her, the magnetic attraction burning through them.

 

“Anisa?”

 

Snapping out of the heated staring moment with Jon, Anisa immediately stood up and walked over to the doctor.  Joe joined her seconds later. “This is Mia’s boyfriend, Joe Anoa’i.”

 

The doctor nodded, holding a clipboard with a stethoscope hanging around his neck. “The x-rays did confirm a cracked cheekbone.  Her CAT scan confirmed a severe concussion and the MRI showed minor internal bleeding in her abdomen.  She has a fractured wrist and heavy bruising on her stomach region as well.  It looks like she was kicked, which would cause the internal bleeding.  We want to keep her overnight for observation and see how she responds in the morning.”

 

“What about surgery?” Anisa asked before Joe could, trying to keep her emotions in check until after the doctor left.

 

“No surgery as of right now.  If the internal bleeding gets worse, we’ll have to go in to stop it, but it should heal on its own.  Her wrist is in an arm wrap and she will need to wear a face mask to keep her from moving her cheeks too much.  Talking needs to be at a minimal until the cheekbone heals.  We did drain the fluid out of it, so she needed minor stitches and we want to sedate her so she sleeps through the night pain free, but she refused.  She’ll also be required to stay on strict bed rest for 4-6 weeks.”

 

No WrestleMania match, Anisa immediately thought, feeling horrible for Mia since she knew how hard her best friend worked to achieve that goal.  And it had been ripped away from her in the blink of an eye. “I-I want to see her.” Anisa tried to keep the shakiness out of her voice and failed, a few tears escaping her eyes. “Please.”

 

“Sure, but please keep it down and try to convince her to take the sedative.  She really needs to rest and not talk.  She’s in room 2.  They’ll be moving her up to a more comfortable room shortly.” The doctor instructed, walking away to go check on his other patients.

 

Anisa started heading toward the double doors leading to the trauma rooms when both Colby and Jon stepped in her way. “Let Joe go first.” Colby could tell the big man was on the verge of losing his mind if he didn’t get to see with his own eyes Mia was alright. “I know you want to check on her…”

 

As much as she wanted to see Mia right now, Anisa desperately needed a cigarette too and receded, stepping back from the boys. “Tell her I’ll be in after you.” She directed that at Joe and walked past both Jon and Colby toward the exit doors, pulling her pack of smokes out of her purse. 

 

Not only did she need a nicotine fix, but Jon-free air as well, the intense gaze between them shaking her whole body’s foundation.  However, a few minutes later Jon joined her with a cigarette of his own, leaning against the bench while Anisa stayed leaning against the wall near the entrance doors.  Anisa tried ignoring him again, looking at the grass while sucking her cigarette down, relieved Mia was alright and her injuries didn’t require surgery.  The doctor sounded confident for her recovery, so Anisa could relax a little, but refused to leave the hospital.  She would be staying the night with Mia unless Joe did, which was a huge possibility.

 

“Why did you sleep with Bray?”

 

That question snapped Anisa out of her thoughts about Mia and hardened midnight orbs looked at Jon, a slow brow rising almost to her hairline. “Excuse me?” She shot back, flicking ash from the tip of her cigarette.  Was he really asking her this outside of a hospital?

 

“You heard me.” Jon couldn’t stop himself from asking her even if a gun was pressed to his temple, the thought of another man touching her fueling his temper. “Why did you fuck him?”

 

“Better question, why did you keep the fact you’re married hidden from me?” Two could play this game and Anisa had plenty of ammunition to use against Jon if that’s the way he wanted things to go.

 

They were at a standstill, their gaze locking again and Jon couldn’t handle it anymore.  The tears in her eyes combined with trying to be brave was the breaking point for him.  Closing the distance between them, Jon cupped her face in his strong hands and passionately kissed her, stealing the breath from her body.  All Anisa could do was grip his leather jacket with fresh tears falling down her cheeks and kissed him back with equal amount of passion, missing him deeply.  Jon pressed her against the wall and slid his hands down her arms to her sides, gripping them to pull her body against his fully.  Her mouth opened and Jon took the invitation, both of them groaning at the contact of tasting each other for the first time in over a week.  One week and one day to be exact, technically 2 days since it was past midnight.

 

Neither of them noticed Krystal walking up to the entrance doors and she quickly hurried past them, not wanting to ruin the moment.  Colby looked up when the doors opened and smiled at the sight of his woman, rushing over to pull her into his arms softly kissing her.  Krystal broke the kiss after a minute and could tell Colby was bushed from the night’s events, stroking his beard covered jaw with her hand lovingly.

 

“How’s Mia?”

 

“She’s beat up and Joe is with her now, but nothing she can’t handle.  I just wish we knew who did this to her.” Colby wrapped his arms tightly around Krystal, vowing to protect her from everyone and wouldn’t let anyone rip them apart.

 

Krystal didn’t bother telling Colby what she witnessed outside and let him hold her as much as he wanted, giving him what he needed most.

 

Chapter 47

 

The last person Mia expected to walk through the door to see her was Joe.

 

She hadn’t been awake long, maybe a half an hour and still groggy from the pain medication they gave her.  The right side of her face throbbed along with her fractured wrist.  She hated the sling, wishing she could take it off, but the doctor highly suggested against it.  Before the doctor informed Anisa what was going on, he talked to Mia first and explained to her everything they did.  When she was brought into the hospital, she was unconscious so they automatically did a rape kit and didn’t find any traces of semen, everything coming back clean.  They patched her up, gave her x-rays, an MRI and CAT scan just to be on the safe side to make sure nothing else was broken.  Mia was relieved she didn’t need reconstructive surgery on her face, but hated the mask she had to wear, which was clear.  It still made her face look very disoriented.  As far as the blood in her mouth, Mia had bit her lip somehow during the attack, so it wasn’t tested and any evidence she had from her attacker was gone.

 

There was no memory loss.  Mia remembered who attacked her and everything that happened prior to being dragged into the dark dressing room.  So when Joe stepped through the door, it shocked Mia because of their earlier heated argument at the arena.  She didn’t know why he was here and could already feel tears stinging her eyes, trying not to let them fall because it would hurt to cry.  Mia hated admitting she was wrong, but the argument about their families was ridiculous.  How could she expect Joe to put her before his family when they’d only been together a little over a month?  Besides, did Mia really want to bring him into her family drama?  The visit regarding her sick father wouldn’t be pleasant and she’d be an emotional wreck throughout the whole ordeal.  Maybe going alone was in her best interest.  Joe wouldn’t be accepted into her family because of their traditions, so putting him through that rejection wouldn’t be smart either.

 

Joe shut the door silently behind him and stayed where he was, not wanting to upset Mia by rushing to her side.  More than likely, she was still angry with him over their argument and Joe couldn’t blame her.  He’d been a royal prick and came to terms with it while waiting in the lobby for the doctor to report an update on her condition.  What was he thinking putting his family before her?  He loved Mia and wanted to marry her one day, to have babies with her, however many she wanted.  Personally, Joe wanted a football team worth, but he would leave that decision up to her.  He had to make things right between them.  Even with a face mask and arm sling, Mia was beautiful and no other woman would ever compare to her.

 

“What are you doing here?” Mia broke the silence between them, speaking in barely above a whisper, but it was loud enough for him to hear.

 

“Came to see you.” Joe took a few steps forward and stopped, slowly inching his way closer to her.

 

“Why?”

 

Joe frowned, arching a thick black brow. “You’re my girlfriend.  You were attacked.  Where else would I be?”

 

Mia shrugged, lowering her eyes to the hospital blanket covering her from the waist down since her outfit had been shredded and replaced with a hideous gown. “I didn’t think…”

 

“You didn’t think what?” Joe cut her off, finally closing the distance between them and reached out to take her hand lacing their fingers together. “I wouldn’t show up just because of one argument we had?  Mia, you mean so much to me, baby girl.” She didn’t realize just how much apparently.

 

She couldn’t hold the tears back any longer and winced as soon as they started sliding down her cheeks.  Her crying killed Joe and he wanted to eviscerate whoever put their hands on his girlfriend.  Joe hated himself for not protecting her, the guilt eating away at his insides slowly.  Sitting on the bed beside her carefully, Joe brought her hand up to his mouth and softly kissed the back of it, wishing there was a way to take all of her pain away.  The fact everyone had assumed he did this to her was a bitter pill he couldn’t swallow either.  Joe had to ask Mia about it for his own peace of mind, but he didn’t want to upset her further.

 

“There’s something I need to ask you, Mia.” He didn’t release her hand and reached out with his free hand to lift her chin until those beautiful dark eyes met his. “And I want you to stay calm, no matter what.  Can you do that for me?”

 

Mia swallowed hard, her mind and heart racing with all the possibilities of what he wanted to ask her. “I’ll try.” She whispered, sitting up a little more in bed to get more comfortable.  Hospital beds sucked.

 

“Everyone is assuming I did this to you.” Joe figured saying it outright would be easier than beating around the bush. “And I hate asking this, but…this happened to you right after our fight.  So I need to know,” He paused, having trouble finding the right words to say because he could already feel Mia tensing. “Did you tell anyone I did this to you to get back at me?”

 

Feeling sick to her stomach, Mia pulled her hand out of his and shook her head, the tears falling faster.  How could he think she would ever do something like that to him?  Is that the type of person Joe thought she was?  Some vindictive bitch who would go around spreading untrue rumors about him attacking her?  She didn’t know whether to be shocked, appalled or insulted by his question.

 

“I would never do something like that to you over an argument, Joe.” She said quietly, refusing to meet his eyes. “I – I love you too much to ever make people think you’re abusive.” Her eyes suddenly widened and Mia covered her mouth with her hand, not believing she just dropped the L bomb on him.  Was she insane?! “I – I mean…”

 

The second Joe heard that 4 lettered word spill from Mia’s mouth, relief flooded his huge frame and his finger pressed against her lips to silence her.  The next second his mouth replaced his finger, kissing her carefully and softly, holding his intensity back so he didn’t hurt her.  His hand cupped the left side of her masked face, bringing her closer and Mia melted against him, gripping his muscular biceps moaning softly.  Before the kiss became too heated, Joe pulled back enough to look in her eyes, seeing all the truth and love shining in them.  He wiped her tears away with his thumbs, being careful of her left cheek and lifted her mask long enough to brush his lips against the bandage covering her stitches.

 

“Lay with me.” Mia scooted over on the bed and Joe couldn’t deny her anything, wrapping an arm around her body to pull her closer with her head on his chest and his chin on top of her head. “I’m sorry for what I said about your family.”

 

“Don’t worry about it.  You were right.  I do need to meet your family since you’ve already met mine.”

 

Mia shook her head and looked up at him, knowing she had to tell him the reason why she’d been so upset. “No I was wrong, Joe.  There’s a reason why I wanted you to come with me to meet my family after Mania.  But I don’t anymore now.”

 

That tore at Joe’s heartstrings. “What are you saying, Mia?  We love each other and…”

 

It was her turn to press her finger to his lips. “No.  Just listen to me before you get all bent out of shape and let that Samoan temper of yours flare.” Mia held his hand and kissed his chin. “My family and I…don’t see eye-to-eye and they’ve disowned me since I decided to become a professional wrestler.”

 

Joe’s eyes danced between hers, confused on why her family would disown her for going after her dream. “I don’t understand…”

 

“My family are huge on traditions with our Indian culture.  When I was born, my parents arranged for me to marry their friend’s son, Narhari.  I wasn’t told until I turned 16 and I defied them.  I told them flat out I would not marry someone I wasn’t in love with and my father was irate.  I would not let traditions run my life.  My mother was devastated and my father kicked me out of the house, ordering me never to return again unless I was ready to embrace my culture.” Mia rolled her eyes, her tone filled with scorn over what her father did. “I never thought I’d hear from them again.  And then my Mom called and told me my father is dying.  He doesn’t have much time left and she wants us to mend the broken bond between us before he passes on.”

 

Being a huge family man and coming from a loving home with supportive parents, Joe couldn’t imagine what he’d do if his parents ever disowned him. “You’re afraid they won’t approve of me, aren’t you?” It was more of a statement than a question.

 

Mia nodded, relieved he caught on. “They won’t.  You’re Samoan and they’re Indian.  In their eyes, it’s blasphemy for us to be together.  Indians are supposed to stick with their own ‘kind’, at least to them.  To them, I’m betraying the family and traditions by being with someone they didn’t choose for me.”

 

“So you don’t want me to meet them because of what they will say about us.” Joe concluded, stroking his goatee thoughtfully and Mia nodded again, snuggling against him.

 

“It doesn’t matter what they think or feel.  I’m only going to say goodbye to my father and leaving.  Nothing, especially traditions and cultures I don’t believe in anymore, is going to keep me from being with you.  I love you and they’ll have to deal with it.” Mia felt her heart flutter when she said the word ‘love’ again and this time didn’t try backtracking on him.

 

He smiled, kissing the top of her head and made sure to keep his arm from resting on her lower abdomen since it was heavily bruised. “I love you too.  And that’s why I’m going with you when you go say goodbye to your father.”

 

“Joe…”

 

“No, it’s my turn to talk now.  If they don’t approve of me, fine I’ll deal with it.  But I’m not letting you deal with your family’s wrath alone.  We’re in this together.  And anything you go through, I go through too.  When they try to shatter your spirit, I’m gonna be there to piece it back together for you.” Joe knew that sounded corny, but he meant every word and softly kissed her lips. “Together, baby girl.”

 

Mia couldn’t argue with him even if she wanted to and by now it was pointless.  Joe would do what he wanted. “Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” She wasn’t sure what her parents would think bringing a man home to meet them, a Samoan man at that.

 

“Good, now onto another subject.” Joe’s brows dropped low, grey eyes hardening slightly. “I want to know who did this to you.”

 

She wasn’t surprised by that request, wondering when Joe would demand that information, but Mia didn’t want his temper flaring in the hospital. “I’m not telling you here.” Mia was hesitant, chewing her bottom lip nervously. “I don’t want you getting angry right now…”

 

“I promise I won’t lose my temper.” His blood boiled as soon as the name came out of Mia’s mouth and closed his eyes to reign his temper in.

 

“Curtis Hennig.”

 

~!~

 

With a crimson flushed face and swollen lips, Anisa walked back inside the hospital with a smug Jon behind her.  She couldn’t believe what he did outside for the world to see!  The worst part was Anisa enjoyed every second of it, her body still tingling from the exhilaration of what Jon made her experience.  Colby and Krystal looked up at them and Anisa immediately excused herself to use the bathroom, rushing off.  She could hear Jon’s laughter behind her and didn’t turn around, thankful nobody else occupied the bathroom when she arrived.  First, she relieved her screaming bladder and then washed her hands, splashing cold water on her face.  Looking up to stare back at her reflection, Anisa touched her still slightly swollen lips with her fingertips, tears stinging her eyes.

 

The moment Jon kissed her, Anisa lost all sense of resolve and control, letting Jon do what he wanted to her.  His fingers rubbed her sex through the dress pants she wore, making her orgasm right in front of the emergency room entrance.  The way he whispered in her ear, coaxing her to fall apart made aftershocks rush through her body and Anisa did a full body shiver.  Her hands gripped the sink tightly while her knees shook at the intense memory washed over her, making Anisa realize what a huge mistake she made.  By giving into Jon and cumming for him, she opened a door that should’ve remained closed since he was married.  Sniffling, Anisa cleaned herself up and stopped crying, washing her face again before heading out of the bathroom to join the group again.

 

“Krystal and Colby went up to Mia’s room.  Joe’s still with her and they seem good now.” Jon informed her, reaching out to take her hand and blinked when Anisa immediately pulled away. “I thought we could go up together to see her…”

 

“What happened outside changes nothing between us.” Anisa had to stay strong and unwavering, folding her arms tightly in front of her chest.

 

Pale blues turned glacial within seconds as Jon glared back at her. “What the fuck does that mean?”

 

“I won’t give my heart to another cheater.  I have more self-respect and worth than that.”

 

Growling, Jon’s frustration had finally peaked and he couldn’t hold it back, grabbing Anisa roughly by the upper arms to yank her flush against his muscular body. “Goddamn it, Anisa, I’m not a cheater!  If you’d just listen to me for 5 seconds, you would know that, but you won’t!” He kept his voice low and raspy, anger lacing his tone at how obstinate she was. “I want you and only you, stubborn ass!”

 

Anisa suddenly remembered what Mia suggested a month ago when all of this began between her and Jon. “Fuck buddies then.” She didn’t bother breaking away from him and stood her ground, pursing her lips tightly together. “You wanna be with me, it’s for sex only.  Or you need to leave me alone.  Your choice.”

 

This was the only olive branch she was extending to him and Jon would be damned if he didn’t take it.  Everything had to be settled with Trina Michaels first before he had a chance of winning Anisa back.  If this was all Anisa wanted for now, Jon would give it to her without a fight.  He cupped her face and passionately kissed her, almost to a brutal point, effectively answering her ultimatum.

 

“Wanna go back to the hotel and get our fuck on then?” He rasped, already attacking the side of her neck and began backtracking toward the exit doors of the emergency room.

 

“But Mia…”

 

“Is fine with the others.  She’s in good hands, darlin’.”

 

Anisa wanted Jon badly, especially after their foreplay earlier and let him guide her to his vehicle, hoping Mia wasn’t too upset with her for not sticking around to check on her.

 

Chapter 48

 

“Do you need anything?  Pillow?  Food?  Something to drink?”

 

Mia had been released from the hospital yesterday before they had to travel to the Smackdown! taping and Joe had been at her every beck and call.  Anything she wanted, all Mia had to do was ask and she’d get it without an argument or anything.  She knew he felt guilty for the argument they had regarding their families and this was his way of making it up to her.  However, he was on the verge of driving her crazy and Mia had even contemplated going home for the duration of her recovery.

 

“Actually there is.” She patted the bed beside her and waited for Joe to sit down before taking his hand, lacing their fingers together. “I love you, but you’re driving me insane with all the questions, babe.  If I need something, I will definitely let you know, but I can do SOME things on my own.  Such as going to the bathroom.  My wrist is fractured, not my legs or ankles.” Mia pressed her finger to his lips, knowing Joe would try arguing with her over this. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, but it’s only been one day and I’m happy to have time away from you.  So please – PLEASE don’t make me book a flight and leave your side on the road.  Because I’d much rather spend my nights in your arms instead of alone at home.”

 

Joe frowned at her words and heaved a sigh, nodding reluctantly. “I’m just trying to take care of you…” He mumbled, acting like a child who had just been scolded by their parents for doing something wrong. “I’m sorry…”

 

“No, don’t be sorry.  I love that you want to take care of me.” Mia reached up with her good hand to force his greys to meet understanding brown, smiling softly. “I’m just trying to be honest with you.  I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about it.” Now she felt like a jerk for hurting her man’s feelings when all he was trying to do was make her as comfortable as possible.

 

Truthfully, Joe had spent every waking moment taking care of Mia to keep his mind from going after what he really wanted.  Curtis Hennig.  He wanted to wrap his hands around the man’s neck and squeeze until his head popped off his shoulders.  Joe wanted the man’s blood to splatter all over his body and he would wear the red liquid with pride, knowing he got vengeance for what happened to Mia.  Stephanie and Paul assured Joe he would have his shot at Curtis, but it had to wait until after WrestleMania.  They would give him the opportunity at a house show so the massacre wouldn’t be aired on live television and also wanted Curtis to think he was safe.  Luring Curtis into a false sense of security was the ultimate payback that would follow his demise at the hands of Joe.  He just had to be patient a little longer, but it was easier said than done.

 

Mia noticed the change of demeanor in Joe and kept eye contact with him. “Don’t.  Don’t you dare blame this on yourself!  None of this is your fault.  Even if we were happy and hadn’t argued, that asshole would’ve found a way to get to me.  You can’t focus on that right now, do you hear me?  You have to prepare yourself for Mania.”

 

“I know…”

 

Joe’s heart broke for Mia because every time she said Mania, her voice shook a little.  She’d come clean to him about having a match at the biggest event of the year, only it’d been taken away thanks to Curtis’s attack.  That just gave Joe more incentive to destroy him.  Bringing her hand to his mouth, Joe brushed his lips against the back of it and leaned forward to softly kiss her, staying away from the right side of her face.  The swelling had gone down, but now it was nothing more than a black, blue and purple mess.

 

“You better go get ready for Axxess.” Mia murmured once the kiss broke, stroking his bottom lip with the pad of her thumb. “And remember, no murdering spree.”

 

Smirking, Joe nodded and walked into the bathroom to get ready, leaving Mia lying in bed praying he maintained his temper since Curtis would also be at Axxess.

 

~!~

 

“So he knows…”

 

Krystal nodded, chewing her bottom lip holding Colby’s hand while they sat on the bed together in their hotel room. “Yeah, Ryback told him, just like we predicted.”

 

Colby didn’t like how quiet her voice was and scrubbed a hand down his face with his free hand, squeezing hers with the one who she held captive. “What did your brother say about this?” He wanted to kill Ryback for opening his mouth about their relationship.

 

“He was angry at first, but Stephanie calmed him down and reminded him what Vince tried doing to them when they first started dating.”

 

For the past several hours, Krystal and Colby had laid in bed talking and she finally came clean to him about what happened to her in high school.  It was horrific and hard to relive, but he deserved to know why huge men made her skittish and Paul’s overprotectiveness over her.  When she finished the story, Colby had pulled her into his arms and promised he would never hurt her the way her ex did.  She deserved every happiness in the world and he wanted to give it to her, even if that meant going through her big brother obstacle.

 

“So…what happens now?” Colby looked down at her, their hands entwined over his heart and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead.

 

“I can start kissing you in front of everyone and we no longer have to keep this quiet.” Krystal beamed up at him with sparkling hazel eyes that made her more beautiful, if that was possible, to Colby. “I love you and even if my brother didn’t approve of us, I would still be with you.  But I am glad he respects my decision and won’t interfere with us.”

 

There was another obstacle they had to get past and Colby planned on taking care of that one personally.  He worked out with Joe the previous day along with Jon, both of them getting their aggression out over the men who had hurt their women.  Joe was angrier than Colby and rightfully so while Jon tried making sense of what he was doing with Anisa.  Neither men had advice for Jon because, honestly, he had put himself in the predicament with Anisa and the only one who could make the decision on when to walk away, if he ever did.  After WrestleMania, Colby planned on going to Paul and asking him face to face for a match against Ryback – a hardcore, no holds barred fight.  Colby had a lot more patience than Joe and would wait out his revenge.  As much as he wanted to go after Mark for attacking Krystal, Anisa had more than taken care of that for him, so Colby wouldn’t waste his energy on the old man.  Pulling Krystal on top of him and wrapping his arms around her waist, Colby captured her mouth in a passionate gentle kiss, taking his time with her.  When she started grinding on top of him though, Colby tried stopping her and groaned when Krystal fought through it, swallowing hard.  The only thing separating their bodies was the thin cotton material of her panties and his boxer/briefs.

 

“Make love to me, Colby.” Krystal plead, wanting him to make her forget about everything else except them.

 

“I don’t want to rush you, sweetheart…”

 

Taking his hand, Krystal pressed it against her soaked panty-covered core and didn’t stop the grinding, feeling his dick harden along with his fingers. “Does it feel like you are?” She retorted in a breathless mewl and gasped when Colby bolted upright, his mouth capturing hers again wrapping her legs around his waist.

 

Within seconds, he was buried to the hilt inside of her delectable body and gave them both what they craved.

 

~!~

 

Watching his sickly wife sleeping in bed tore at Randy’s heartstrings and frustrated him to no end.  He couldn’t do anything for her because it was morning sickness from the pregnancy.  From morning, noon and night Ryanne had been vomiting anything she tried eating and Randy knew that wasn’t good for her or the baby.  They had called the OBGYN in St. Louis and Ryanne was prescribed a mild anti-nausea pill.  She’d taken 3 and so far, nothing worked.  It was miracle she slept now after once again vomiting.  Randy wasn’t convinced Ryanne was alright, but the OBGYN assured them it was normal.  She wasn’t holding any solids down, but at least she was still drinking and keeping herself hydrated along with the baby.  He could only hope the morning sickness phase passed sooner rather than later, hating how pale his wife currently looked.

 

“I love you, Ry.” He whispered, brushing his mouth softly against her cheek so he didn’t wake her up and went to get ready for Axxess.

 

An hour later, he was ready to walk out the door and Ryanne still hadn't woken up, her chest rising and falling in slow even breaths.  Randy contemplated calling his mother to ask what else they could do for the morning sickness, any home remedies she might know they hadn’t tried, but Ryanne didn’t want to worry her.  WrestleMania was just a few days away and then Randy planned on taking the 5 days he had off to pamper his wife as much as possible in the comfort of their home in St. Louis.  If he had his way, Ryanne would get some decent sleep and it was Randy’s mission to make the dark circles surrounding her eyes disappear.

 

As soon as Randy walked out the door, Ryanne snapped her eyes open and didn’t move from the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  Tears rushed down her face silently while she rubbed her flat stomach, hoping and praying the nausea didn’t return.  Randy was worried about her and Ryanne felt guilty because he had to focus on his upcoming WrestleMania match.  If it was any other event, Ryanne wouldn’t care as much, but this was WWE’s Super bowl.  Shaking her head, Ryanne managed to sit up and slid out of bed to go to the bathroom, turning the light on.  She could smell Randy’s cologne he sprayed on before leaving to go to Axxess and picked up one of his t-shirts from the sink counter, inhaling it.  Then she looked in the mirror and hardly recognized herself, frowning at the frail complexion staring back at her.

 

“I have to do something…” She murmured, touching the dark circles under her eyes.  It looked like someone had punched her in both eyes from how dark and swollen they were. “This is awful…” Ryanne started pulling her makeup bag out of the drawer when a wave of nausea rushed over her.

 

She barely made it to the toilet, crying violently and Ryanne suddenly wondered if getting pregnant was the right thing to do after all.

 

~!~

 

The other woman.

 

It was official.  Anisa had sunk so low in life to become Jon’s mistress and there was nothing she could do about it.  Being fuck buddies only had been Mia’s idea, but it was Anisa’s decision to execute it.  She had nobody to blame except herself.  Her stupidity level had reached an all-time high, especially waking up in Jon’s strong secure arms.  If they were sex only, why the hell didn’t she kick him out the door after they were finished the previous night?  Sleeping in his arms and waking up to his handsome face killed her because he could never be fully hers.  Jon was married and nothing could change that, especially if his wife was begging him through text messages to fix their marriage.  Extricating from his arms, Anisa sat up in bed and swung her legs over the side, rubbing her eyes trying to fully wake up.  Her whole body tensed when a strong hand slid up the middle of her back directly on her spine and down in a soothing rub.

 

“Where you going?” His gritty voice asked, a yawn following by the bed shifting slightly.

 

“Bathroom.” Anisa murmured, standing up before Jon could make a grab for her and hurried to go take care of her business.

 

“I think it’s time we talk.” Jon suggested when Anisa walked out of the bathroom, wearing a white terry cloth robe stopping at her mid-thigh.  He already knew she wore nothing beneath and had to resist temptation to rip it off of her. “About…”

 

“About how I’m going to suck your dick?  Sure, let’s talk about that.”

 

Anisa knew what Jon wanted to talk about and didn’t want to hear an explanation, untying the robe letting it slide off her body to the floor, sauntering toward him slowly.  For the past 2 days, every time Jon mentioned talking this is what happened.  Anisa would distract him with her beautiful naked body and he would end up letting her do whatever she wanted.  Whether it was sucking his dick, sitting on his face so he could snack on her wet sex or straight screwing, Jon couldn’t deny the beautiful honey blonde anything.  She stood in front of him and wrapped her soft hand around his already hardened cock, stroking the smooth flesh, his pubic hair neatly trimmed tickling her fingers.  Jon groaned, unable to hold it back and Anisa pressed soft kisses while slowly squatting until she was on her knees in front of him.  Stopping her, Jon lifted Anisa back up to her feet and sat on the bed, pulling her down to straddle his lap.  They both hissed the second her dripping sex came in contact with his erection and Anisa began grinding against him, coating his cock with her essence.

 

“I wanna be buried in your sweet pussy now, Anisa.” Jon growled low in her ear, his voice filled with greed as his mouth sealed to her neck.

 

“Then do it.” Anisa challenged breathlessly, gripping his strong shoulders and felt her erect nipples brush against his muscular chest, gasping when his cock slammed inside of her. “Oh Jon!”

 

Would they ever get tired of each other?  They had been naked for the better part of 2 days now and had Axxess in a few hours.  Smackdown! had been taped the previous night with Jon and Anisa acting like total strangers in front of everyone, avoiding each other like the plague.  But in the confines of their hotel room, they devoured each other and were worse than rabbits during mating season.  Anisa could speculate how long this would last between them all she wanted, but when it was all said and done she would lose him.  Nothing except heartache could come from this.  Still, the exquisite sensation of Jon’s cock inside of her was worth every ounce of emotional and mental pain Anisa would endure once all of this ended.

 

“Eventually, you will have to talk to me…oh fuck…” Jon pointed out in a growl, snapping his pelvis up to collide with hers and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist to grip her backside.

 

Was he trying to talk to her about his wife while screwing her?  Anisa would’ve stopped if she wasn’t close to climaxing and didn’t say a word, simply digging her nails into his broad shoulders moaning uncontrollably.  Her silence drove Jon crazy and he suddenly lifted her off of him to bend her over the bed, sliding right back inside of her a few seconds later.  Anisa cried out, loving when Jon became animalistic and felt his fingers bury in her hair to pull back while pounding relentlessly.  The sound of his balls slapping against her slick pussy lips resonated off the walls, but neither cared who heard them, both only focused on making each other shatter.  It didn’t take long for Anisa to start cumming in waves and Jon soon followed, her climax triggering his as they came together.  Breathing heavily and trying to slow down his racing heart, Jon slid his hands up Anisa’s back over her shoulders and down her arms to lace their fingers together, his mouth by her ear.

 

“I love you.  Nothing changes that.  So I’ll fuck you all you want, but sooner or later I will break you down until you talk to me.” He promised, nuzzling her neck and made it crystal clear this wasn’t just sex to him and he wasn’t going anywhere.

 

Once again, Anisa pretended to ignore what Jon said and waited until he went into the bathroom to shower for Axxess before letting tears flow down her cheeks.  She collapsed back on the bed covering her face with her hands, keeping her crying jag silent.  Jon’s words sliced through her like a sharp blade and Anisa knew deep down inside he was right.  Now she only wondered how long it would take for him to break her down until she finally listened to him.  How much longer would she fight him off?

 

Chapter 49

 

Somehow, Anisa ended up traveling with Jon from Smackdown! to East Rutherford, New Jersey, both of them sharing a room instead of getting separate ones.  Little did she know Jon made sure she’d be stuck with him for the duration of WrestleMania week and weekend.  One way or another, he would get through to Anisa and make her see the truth.  That included making her drive with him to the IZOD Center for WrestleMania Axxess, where thousands of fans were waiting to meet the Superstars and Divas.  They would part ways for the duration of the signings and then Jon planned on taking Anisa back to the hotel for more alone time together.  He was her only ride considering Mia was stuck at the hotel on bed rest, Coralie was busy setting up the WrestleMania set at MetLife Stadium, Ryanne was too sick from her pregnancy and Krystal was training with Michael since this would be her first WrestleMania.  So unless she hitched a ride with someone else, highly unlikely, Anisa was stuck being with Jon.

 

Jon would be lying if he said he wasn’t nervous about Axxess and WrestleMania, having the window cracked halfway with a lit cigarette between his fingers while Anisa drove.  What if he stunk the joint out?  Ever since he first found professional wrestling on his small television in the small apartment he lived with his mother in Cincinnati, Ohio, Jon was hooked like an addict to heroine.  It was an escape from the crappy childhood he endured and at age 16 he began conquering his dream of becoming a professional wrestler.  10 years later, -Jon had recently turned 26 in December- he never thought in a million years he’d be wrestling at the biggest event in professional wrestling history.  Granted, they called it ‘sports-entertainment’, but to Jon it would always be dubbed professional wrestling.  He was a professional wrestler – not an entertainer, no matter what the bosses claimed.

 

Glancing over at Jon, Anisa suddenly pulled over on the side of the road and put the vehicle in park, watching Jon’s head snap around to stare at her wide-eyed. “What’s wrong?” She demanded, feeling the apprehension oozing from every pore of his body.

 

“What do you care?  We’re only fuck buddies, remember?” Jon shot back gruffly, taking another drag from his cigarette and held it in as long as he could.  Or tried to, until Anisa smacked him upside the head forcing the smoke to release from his mouth and nose. “What the fuck?!”

 

“You are so full of shit!” Anisa exclaimed, midnight eyes narrowing to slits and merely glared at him knowingly. “And yes, we are only fuck buddies, but you’re more jittery than usual.  So what gives?” Showing concern for him wasn’t a smart move, but Anisa was human and did have a heart.

 

“I’m fine, drive.” Jon tried again, growling when she smacked him a second time and shot a deadly scowl in her direction.

 

Anisa rolled her eyes, waving him off dismissively. “Please, take that curled lip somewhere else.  You don’t scare me, Dr. Feel Good.” She immediately looked away from Jon as soon as the nickname slipped out of her mouth, cursing herself mentally.  What the hell was she doing?!

 

Another chip in her armor, Jon thought, when he heard the nickname and he couldn’t stop a small smile curving his mouth. “Nice to know you still care about me.” He couldn’t stop baiting her if he tried, enjoying messing with her to see what made Anisa tick.

 

“Just shut up!” Anisa snapped, annoyed and stared straight ahead, pursing her lips tightly together. “You gonna tell me what’s bothering you or not?”

 

Jon knew she wouldn’t budge the vehicle and he would either have to come clean about his nerves for WrestleMania or walk the rest of the way to the IZOD Center.  It was too cold to do that, even though the sun shined brightly outside.  He could hear the worry in her tone hidden behind annoyance and Jon decided it wouldn’t kill him to confide in her.  Anisa had done it enough ever since the night outside of the arena back in February when all of this began.  Hard to believe it’d only been a little over a month and so much had happened since then.  That was the life of a WWE Superstar though – unpredictable at every turn.

 

“My nerves are a little on edge about Mania.” Jon confessed after a few minutes of silence between them, his eyes turning to stare out the window.

 

That confused Anisa because this wasn’t Jon’s first rodeo and he’d been in the professional wrestling business a long time. “Why?” She had to ask, turning her head to look at him the same time Jon did, their eyes locking again. “There’s no reason for you to be nervous.”

 

“The hell there isn’t!” Jon crowed, arching a brow at her and knew Anisa would understand what it was like performing in front of the WWE fans because she’d never been in the ring. “I’ve never wrestled in front of a huge crowd like this.  There’s gonna be around 80,000+ people I have to perform against along with Colby and Joe on Sunday.  I’ve never…I mean I’ve been wrestling a while and – you see, wrestling in front of that many people compared to like 15,000 is a lot of pressure.  I’m good at what I do, but…this is the biggest event in pro-wrestling.  It don’t get any bigger than this.”

 

He was adorable when his words became jumbled and the rambling started. “So you’re afraid of sucking in front of 80,000+ fans?  Since when are you afraid of anything?” Anisa smirked, reaching over to take Jon’s free hand in hers and squeezed it. “You have nothing to worry about, Jon.”

 

“Why do you say that?”

 

“Because this is where you’re meant to be.  Everything you’ve gone through and suffered has lead you to this moment.  When you step into MetLife Stadium and walk through the 80,000+ fans during your entrance, it’s your time to shine.  You’ve got all the tools and you know what it takes to put on a 5 star performance.  You proved that last year at TLC and that was your first match – Colby and Joe’s too.  And you guys tore the house down and made fans start believing in all of you.” Anisa released his hand to cup Jon’s face in her hand, caressing his cheek with her thumb. “I believe in you.”

 

Her words went directly to his heart and Jon reached his hand up to cover hers, lacing their fingers together.  She’d been so cold toward him lately because of his marriage situation, but in this moment Anisa had warmed him from the inside out with her heartfelt words.  Anisa meant every single thing she said and it showed in her eyes, never once breaking eye contact with him.  If she believed in him so strongly being a wrestler, than some part of her had to love him.  Keeping eye contact, he flicked his cigarette out of the cracked window and suddenly brought her mouth to his and kissed her, pouring every ounce of feeling into it.  Anisa could only melt against him, the kiss taking her breath away and sending electric volts throughout her body combined with an overwhelming warmth.  It was so intense, Anisa felt tears sting her eyes under the closed lids and kissed him back with equal amount of passion, not pulling back until Jon broke the kiss.

 

“Why the tears?” He whispered against her trembling lips, pressing his forehead to hers while swiping them away with his thumbs.

 

“I don’t know…” Anisa sounded helpless and defeated, finally lowering her gaze from his pulling away to place her hands on the steering wheel. “W-We have to get to Axxess.” Putting the vehicle in drive, she headed back on the road and the rest of the trip was made in silence.

 

~!~

 

It was pandemonium.  Nothing Mark couldn’t handle though.  He was used to this, not believing this was his 21st WrestleMania.  He’d missed only 2 in his career, which is why he wasn’t going on 23-0 instead of 21-0.  Phil didn’t stand a chance against him on the grandest stage of them all.  He smirked at the thought of being able to pummel Phil and Anisa would have no choice except to watch from the back.  The boy was in for a night of pure hell and if Mark had his way, Phil would not walk out of MetLife Stadium of his own volition.  While waiting for the rest of Axxess to be setup, Mark’s eyes glanced at the entrance and zeroed in on his ex-wife with…Dean Ambrose.  Another rookie.  Not only was she screwing around with Bray Wyatt, but now Dean Ambrose as well?  That didn’t set well with him at all considering they were members of the biggest factions currently in WWE.  He would have to put a stop to it and would wait for the perfect opportunity.

 

A few hours later, Mark finally got a break from signing and meeting fans, standing to stretch his legs.  He headed to the back for a cup of much needed coffee and stopped, spotting Anisa walking into a room labeled employees only.  This was the only chance he’d get Anisa alone and Mark couldn’t pass it up, heading in the direction of the backroom.  Michelle was currently at a local spa getting the royal treatment, so Mark could do what he wanted without her lurking around.  Tapping on the door, Mark heard Anisa’s voice flow through it to enter and he smirked, twisting the knob walking inside, the door closing behind him.  There she was at a computer looking up something and the scent of flowers hit him in the face, the same scent that attracted him to her from the beginning.

 

“So when did you decide to start whorin’ yourself out to the rookies?”

 

Anisa heard that low southern accented voice and whipped around in the chair she sat in, not expecting Mark to be the one to walk in the room.  She was looking up some information for Rick regarding WrestleMania in his email and had to retrieve more pictures for the Superstars since everyone was running low.  Basically, she was errand woman at Axxess and anything the Superstars or Divas needed, they came to her.  She didn’t mind for the most part, but dealing with her ex-husband was definitely a task Anisa didn’t want.

 

“It’s none of your business what I do with my personal life, Calaway.” She tried keeping the anger out of her voice and failed, standing up from the chair folding her arms in front of her chest. “I’m busy doing my job, you should be doing the same thing.”

 

“See that’s where you’re wrong, darlin’,” Mark paused, stepping closer to her with glowing emerald eyes full of evil intentions. “EVERYTHIN’ you do is my business, includin’ who.  Fuckin’ rookies doesn’t look good for your reputation.”

 

Didn’t he understand divorce meant they were no longer joined together?  They could live their lives separately and do their best to avoid speaking?  No, apparently not.  Mark always had a problem with being berated and his possessiveness had reached an all-time low.  Where the hell was his bimbo wife when she was needed to handle her husband?

 

“No, that’s where YOU’RE wrong, asshole.  I’m not yours anymore, get it through that thick-skulled redneck head of yours.  I can fuck whoever I want, when I want and how I want.  And my reputation was ruined the moment I said ‘I Do’ to a lying, cheating mother fucker like you.” Anisa smiled coldly, keeping her voice cool and calm, knowing that would irk Mark to no end because he was purposely baiting her.

 

Her frosty demeanor definitely got under Mark’s skin because she wasn’t falling for his game. “Nissy, if anythin’ bein’ married to me HELPED your stupid ass, which is why you still have a job with the WWE.  If it wasn’t for me, you’d be nobody.” Mark stated, beginning to back her up against the wall of the room by the computers and placed both of his forearms on either side of her head, acid burning in his eyes. “And if those rookies can have a piece of you, then one more romp with me won’t hurt.”

 

He still owed her for the little stunt she pulled at the arena kicking him twice in the genitals and embarrassing him in front of everyone.  Not to mention destroying his friendship with Glen.  Whenever Mark promised a punishment, he always kept his word and things would be no different with his smarmy ex-wife.  It was time she was taught to respect her superiors and used her mouth for something for more than spewing insults.  Anisa swallowed hard at his words and knew what was coming next, the obvious intentions in his eyes.  She had to get away from Mark, knowing there was no way to overpower him.  Without thinking twice about it, the moment Mark’s mouth lowered to capture her mouth Anisa brought her knee up and nailed him between the legs as hard as she could.  It was a good thing she wore dress pants instead of a skirt that day.  A vicious roar resonated throughout the room as Anisa ducked under Mark’s arm while he cupped his lower region, hightailing it out of there as fast as she could.  Not watching where she was going, Anisa slammed right into a solid muscular chest and felt arms grab her upper arms, looking up into the bewildered bright blues of Bray.

 

“ANISA!!”

 

What the hell was going on?  Bray could feel Anisa trembling against him like a leaf and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, hearing growling coming from the room she fled from. “Stay here.” He ordered quietly, not wanting to attract attention to them and peeked in the room, eyes wide at the sight of Undertaker curled up in a fetal position on the floor with a crimson face. “Did you…?”

 

Anisa nodded, trying to learn how to breathe again because slamming into Bray had knocked the wind temporarily out of her.  Bray smirked, admiring the honey blonde for standing up to the Deadman and shut the door, muffling the cussing and snarling a little more.  She was still shaking, so Bray went back to her and wrapped his arms around her body, hugging Anisa close.  Whatever happened between her and Calaway had scared the daylights out of her.

 

“Are you alright?” He asked in her ear once the shaking stopped and pulled back to look in her eyes. “Did he hurt you?”

 

“No…” Anisa didn’t want to hurt Bray any more than she already had and extricated from his arms, wrapping hers around her body tightly. “I-I’m fine.  Thank you for…whatever.” Turning, she quickly hurried away from him to continue doing her job after stopping at the bathroom to clean herself up a little.

 

Bray could only watch her go, noting the confliction in her body posture and eyes, heading back to his signing table for NXT trying not to let it bother him.

 

Chapter 50

 

“Krystal, are the trays off the truck?”

 

“Yes.” Krystal couldn’t wipe the smile off her face and checked off the trays from the checklist. “The medical equipment arrived an hour ago too.”

 

“Excellent.” Michael noticed how much happier Krystal was and arched a brow, stopping what he was doing. “What’s got you in such a good mood, kid?  I figured you’d be ready to drop dead after hauling all the shit we need in here.”

 

Krystal beamed at the question, hazel eyes sparkling under the lights in the room. “It’s WrestleMania weekend and I don’t have to hide my relationship with Colby anymore.”

 

Michael blinked, his jaw dropping to the floor. “Whoa wait, WHAT?  You and…Rollins?  Seth Rollins?” How had he missed that?  Granted, Colby visited Krystal a couple times in the medical room, but Michael figured they were just friends. “How long have you two been together?”

 

“Since I started basically.  He took me on a date ice-skating when we were in Toronto and it was the most fun I’ve ever had with a guy.  And don’t worry, Paul knows so you don’t have to go running off to tell him.” Krystal smirked when Michael blushed, giggling and winked before continuing to stock the closet of medical supplies.

 

He found it hard to believe Paul approved his little sister dating a wrestler, but stranger things had happened in the WWE.  Michael wouldn’t question any of it and hoped Colby treated Krystal well because, if he didn’t, his career wouldn’t last long.  Paul could be vindictive when he wanted to be and messing with his family was a surefire way to get fired on the spot.  Granted, Krystal deserved to be happy, but he wasn’t sure dating a coworker was the smartest way to go.  Then again, he’d met his wife at a WWE signing event and they were going on 5 years of marriage.  Maybe Krystal and Colby would be together for the rest of their lives.  Only time would truly tell.

 

Krystal looked down when her cell phone buzzed against her hip and saw her sister-in-law’s name light up the screen. “Steph’s calling, I’ll be right back.” She walked out of the room and flipped her cell phone open. “Hey Steph, what’s up?”

 

“How’s it going at the stadium?” Stephanie asked, signing off on a piece of paper while walking around Axxess to make sure no shenanigans were going on.  Today was about the fans.

 

“Fine, great actually.  We’re almost done stocking the medical room and then I think we should be good to go.” Krystal frowned, feeling uneasy about this phone call and had a feeling Stephanie wasn’t calling to ask her about the progress of the medical room. “What’s on your mind, Steph?”

 

Stephanie smiled, waving Paul over since he was done with his signing. “You can read people too well sometimes, girl.” She accepted a soft kiss from her husband and put Krystal on speaker phone. “Say hi to your brother.”

 

“Hey bro.” Krystal leaned against the wall in the middle of the hallway to stay out of the way. “Everything alright?”

 

Paul knew instantly Stephanie hadn’t asked Krystal and shook his head, letting his wife off the hook this time. “What are you and Rollins doing tonight?” He asked bluntly, pulling on his tie a little since it bothered him.

 

“We were just gonna go back to the hotel and relax, order room service.” Krystal felt her stomach tighten, swallowing hard.

 

“Well cancel those plans because you’re coming out with me and Steph.  Both of you.” Paul didn’t bother asking, chuckling when Stephanie shot him a stern expression and waved her off dismissively. “It’ll be friendly, I promise.”

 

Dinner with her brother and sister-in-law sounded nice, but Krystal didn’t know if Colby would be up to going out tonight. “I haven’t really…”

 

“Hey Steph, go grab Rollins.  He’s over there on break.” Paul pointed to the snack table where Colby currently stood with the other Shield members. “I’ll just ask him right here.”

 

Krystal’s eyes shot open. “Paul, I don’t think…”

 

“It’ll be fine, sis.  Relax.” Paul smiled at an apprehensive Colby heading toward them with Stephanie’s arm looped through his.

 

Colby had no idea what was going on and tried not to be nervous walking toward Paul, but it was close to impossible.  He could only imagine what Joe and Jon thought when Stephanie whisked him away to chat with the bosses.  Krystal could be heard over the speaker phone of Paul’s cell and Colby became more nervous, cracking a small smile when the boss extended his free hand and Colby took it immediately.

 

“How’s it going, Rollins?  Say hello to my sister.” Paul jiggled the phone in his hand a little, a calculating smile on his face and released Colby’s hand.

 

“Colby, I’m so sorry…”

 

“No need to apologize to him, Krystal.  You didn’t do anything wrong.” Paul chastised politely, cool hazel eyes noting how nervous the rookie was in his presence.  Good, that’s exactly what Paul wanted. “I was just talking to my lovely sister about dinner plans tonight.  Wanted you to join Steph and I, but if that’s a problem…”

 

“N-No!” Colby hadn’t meant to shout and felt his cheeks turn beat red. “I mean no, sir.  If your sister is up for it, then so am I.” There was no way in HELL he’d turn down an offer to go to dinner with the bosses.  That would be career suicide!

 

Krystal would maim her brother for this, not believing what he was doing and shook her head, rubbing her temples. “Paul, what time do you want to meet for dinner?” She asked in a tense voice, wishing she was with Colby right now. “Colby…”

 

“Will talk to you later after his signing.” Paul cut her off again, clapping the rookie’s shoulder and Stephanie released his arm. “Dinner is at 9.  I’ll have a limo pick you up at the hotel.  Be ready, sis.”

 

“You are an asshole, Paul.” Krystal muttered and Paul’s laughter echoed through the phone, making her blood boil more. “Leave him alone.”

 

“Until tonight.”

 

The call ended abruptly and Krystal stood there groaning, wondering how she was supposed to get out of this. “This is not gonna go well.” She reluctantly headed back to the medical room to finish up with Michael, hoping Colby didn’t break up with her because of her overbearing brother.

 

~!~

 

“I really don’t want to go out tonight.”

 

Colby walked over and wrapped his arms around his anxious girlfriend, kissing the side of her bare neck. “I don’t either.  I’d rather remove the towel around your body and make love to you for the rest of the night.  But we have to go.” Paul wouldn’t condone them bailing on dinner. “So let’s just go and get it over with.”

 

“Then we can make love?” Krystal turned in his arms to look into deep chocolate eyes and kissed Colby softly, reaching up to wrap her arms around his muscular neck.

 

“Absolutely.” He smacked her towel covered backside and nibbled gently on her bottom lip. “Now get dressed and stop teasing me.”

 

Krystal giggled, feeling a little better about dinner and decided to wear something conservative.  Paul and Stephanie dined at the finest restaurants that required a certain dress code.  So Krystal slid on a red pencil skirt with a black and red striped silk buttoned up short-sleeved blouse, a black camisole under.  She tucked the blouse in, fluffing it out a little and slipped black 2 inch pumps on, leaving her hair down.  Then at the last minute, Krystal decided to braid it over her shoulder, making sure nothing was out of place.  The bathroom door opened and Krystal lost her breath at the sight of Colby, her mouth turning into an instant desert.  Colby had on a tan short-sleeved polo with black dress pants, black dress shoes and a black blazer.  His two toned hair was parted perfectly and slicked back in a tight bun at the nape of his neck, no hat.  Colby usually wore hats tilted to the side, but tonight he left it off and Krystal was thankful because Paul wouldn’t ridiculed him for that.  He looked incredible, edible and Krystal gravitated toward him, drinking every inch of him in.  Colby was doing the same thing to Krystal, devouring her visually from the top of her gorgeous chestnut hair to the tips of her black pump covered feet.

 

“You look sensational, sweetheart.” He carefully pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, not wanting to smudge the red gloss painting her lips.

 

“You don’t look so bad yourself, Ninja Rollins.” Krystal winked, taking his hand and grabbed her purse while Colby slid his wallet in his back pocket. “Ready to go?”

 

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

 

They walked out of the room together and headed downstairs, the limousine already parked outside waiting for them.

 

~!~

 

Paul and Stephanie were already seated when Colby and Krystal ventured in the restaurant, lead to their table. “Bout time you got here.” He stood up, shaking Colby’s hand and then hugged his sister before they all took a seat at the large round booth.

 

“We’re 10 minutes early, Paul.” Krystal muttered, feeling Colby take her hand and laced their fingers together under the table.

 

“No need to be snarky, sis.” Paul smirked, sipping his glass of wine and wrapped an arm around Stephanie’s shoulders while she had her own. “So kid…”

 

“His name is Colby.” Krystal glared at her brother, feeling Colby’s grip tighten on her hand and looked up at him.

 

Colby smiled gently. “It’s fine, sweetheart.  I don’t mind being called that.” He was a rookie in the WWE and the last thing he needed was the boss’s sister defending him. “He can call me what he wants.”

 

With a resigned sigh, Krystal decided to let Colby fight his own battles with Paul and nodded, leaning her head on his shoulder briefly.  Stephanie started talking to her about her job, asking how it was going and if she enjoyed it while Paul and Colby discussed business, mostly his upcoming 6 man tag match with Jon and Joe against Orton, Sheamus and Big Show.  He was ready for it, though Colby would be lying if he said he didn’t have butterflies the size of Brazil in his stomach.  Admitting that to Paul probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but Colby couldn’t lie when the man asked how he was feeling mentally for the biggest event of the year.  Paul understood, giving him some advice on how to handle the nerves and Colby took everything he said to heart, soaking every word up he could.  After the business discussion, Paul decided to turn the conversation to Colby’s personal life.

 

“So where are you from, Colby?” Paul used the rookie’s actual name so he didn’t annoyed Krystal.

 

“Davenport, Iowa, born and raised.” Colby had expected the questions and smiled down at Krystal, feeling her tense slightly beside him.

 

“Good family?  Parents still together?”

 

“Paul.” Stephanie injected warning into her voice, shaking her head when he glanced at her.

 

Colby wasn’t offended though, the smile never leaving his face. “I have a very good family and yes they’ve been married for 30 years.” It’d been a while since he went home to see his parents and Colby planned on doing that during his 5 days off coming up. “I’ve already told them about Krystal.” He looked down at her, stroking the top of her hand with his thumb. “And they can’t wait to meet you.”

 

Krystal blinked up at Colby, not knowing he’d been talking to his family about her so soon into their relationship. “Really?”

 

Keeping their eyes locked, Colby turned to full face her and took both of Krystal’s hands in his, the world suddenly vanishing around them or so it seemed. “I told them I found a beautiful woman who was a little shy until you got to know her.  And that I love her and I don’t see a future without her in it.” Saying the L word in front of Krystal’s brother would hopefully quell the overprotectiveness Paul felt for her.

 

Tears shined in Krystal’s eyes and a few slipped down her cheeks, not expecting Colby to say that. “I love you too, Colby, so much.” She leaned up and brushed her mouth against his, not caring if they were in front of her brother and sister-in-law.

 

Stephanie dabbed her eyes with a napkin trying not to cry and looked at Paul, silently telling him to stop grilling Colby.  That was the sweetest thing she’d ever witnessed and Stephanie couldn’t be happier for her sister-in-law.  Krystal deserved every bit of happiness, the way they looked at each other told the entire story of how they felt.  It was real and raw, just the way Stephanie and Paul felt for each other.  Nodding in acceptance, Paul decided to leave Colby alone and let him make his sister happy.  Their food arrived a few minutes later and the rest of the dinner was enjoyable, the tension gone.  They thanked Paul and Stephanie for a lovely night, both couples heading back to the hotel to relax and get some rest.  As soon as Colby and Krystal arrived at their hotel room, he backed her into the door closing it and covered her mouth with his.

 

“I want you to come back to Davenport with me during our 5 days off.” Colby murmured in Krystal’s ear hours later while they spooned together in bed, his hands stroking any part of her body he could.

 

Krystal slowly turned on her back to look up in his eyes, seeing he was completely serious. “Are you sure?” She had to ask since they’d only been dating a short amount of time.

 

Colby nodded, stroking the side of her face with his fingers. “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t want you to come with me.  They want to meet you, sweetheart.  But I’ll understand if you don’t want to…”

 

Pressing her finger to his lips, Krystal slowly shook her head and felt his forehead rest against hers. “I’d love to meet your family, Colby.  I want to be with you.  And I won’t let you disappear on me for 5 days.” She’d miss him too much and had no other plans, hooking her leg around his waist as soon as she felt Colby’s erection against her thigh. “I’m going with you.”

 

“Good.”

 

No other words had to be said except dirty ones.  Colby filled her to the brink, gliding in and out of her body while devouring her mouth, ears and neck with his own.  Krystal had never felt so much pleasure in her life, gasping when Colby slid out of her, positioning her on her side before continuing their lovemaking.  He was thrilled she agreed to go back to Iowa with him on their days off coming up, knowing his parents would love her as much as he did.  Right now, Colby had one thing on his mind and that was making his girlfriend cum harder than she ever had before.  Their bodies molded and moved together as one, both begging each other to climax and it didn’t take long since they’d already had two other bouts prior to this one.  Krystal fell asleep spooned up against Colby with their fingers laced resting over her steady beating heart and he soon followed, not wanting to be anywhere else.

 

Chapter 51

 

3 AM found Krystal and Colby being woken up by an urgent phone call from Randy, begging her for help.  Ryanne had been up most of the night dry heaving since she refused to eat and Randy was worried for both her and the baby.  She was so terrified of vomiting again Ryanne wouldn’t drink anything either, which in turn dehydrated both her and the baby.  Randy didn’t know what to do, apologizing for waking Krystal up, but he’s desperate.

 

“Its fine, Randy.  I’ll be there shortly.” Krystal murmured, feeling Colby’s hand on her side and hung up the phone, sighing heavily. “I have to go check on Ryanne.”

 

“What’s wrong with her?” Colby tried not to sound irritated, but they’d only been asleep for 2 hours and he was exhausted.

 

Krystal turned to look down at her tired man and lowered her head to softly kiss him. “She’s sick.  Go back to sleep.  I shouldn’t be too long.  Randy’s terrified because she’s pregnant, so he needs someone to ease his mind.” She explained quietly, standing up from the bed and began dressing since they both fell asleep naked.

 

Being a first time father, Colby could only imagine how Randy felt and understood why he was worried about his wife being sick.  He started laying back down only to sit upright, the memory of Krystal’s attack flashing through his mind.  The way her body convulsed against him while he tried holding her and her teeth chattering so hard she could barely speak…Colby immediately stood up from bed and dressed while Krystal was in the bathroom.  If she thought she was going down to Randy and Ryanne’s room alone, Krystal had lost her mind.  Mark Calaway hadn’t gotten what he wanted from her and neither had Ryback, both of them lurking in the shadows.  He’d never forgive himself if something happened to Krystal when it could be prevented by simply going with her.  Sleep was the last thing on his mind, Krystal’s safety becoming his #1 priority.

 

“What are you doing up?” Krystal asked, walking out of the bathroom with confused hazel eyes and watched Colby finish tying his shoe. “Go back to sleep…”

 

“No.” Colby shook his head and took a few steps to stand in front of her, cupping her face tenderly in his strong hands. “I’m going with you.”

 

“But you need rest…”

 

“I’ll sleep when I’m dead.” Colby cut her off, pressing his finger against her soft lips. “You’re a target whether you realize it or not and I’m not letting anything happen to you.  Ryback and Calaway didn’t get what they wanted from you, so we have to be careful.” He wished Krystal would tell her brother what happened with Mark, but since Anisa took care of it with her attack, it was pointless.  Colby was more worried about Ryback than Calaway right now.

 

Krystal hadn’t thought of that and frowned, wondering if Ryback would still pursue her now that her relationship with Colby was out in the open. “Alright.” She quietly conceded, pulling her chestnut locks in a ponytail to keep it out of the way. “I’m sorry about this…”

 

“It’s okay, sweetheart.  We’re gonna get through this together.” He kissed the top of her head and they both finished getting ready before heading down to the Orton suite.

 

Randy’s head snapped to the door when he heard knocking and rushed to it, holding clothes for Ryanne. “You’re a lifesaver, Krystal.” His bloodshot blue eyes moved to Colby and frowned apologetically, seeing they were still somewhat sleepy. “I didn’t know what else to do or who to call…”

 

“Randy, you need to breathe and calm down.” Krystal instructed, stepping into the room with Colby and searched the room for Ryanne, not seeing her anywhere.

 

“She’s in the bathroom in the tub.  It’s the only thing that seems to help, I guess…” Randy sounded drained and it showed in his tired face, so Colby decided to handle him while Krystal headed toward the bathroom.

 

“Come on man, let’s go sit down and talk.” Colby clapped a hand on Randy’s shoulder and guided him over to the couch in the sitting room, hoping Krystal could figure out what was going on with Ryanne.  Randy was on the verge of a breakdown.

 

The first sound Krystal heard was sniffling as she entered the bathroom, the tub coming into sight moments later.  Ryanne sat in the middle of it with her knees drawn up to her chest and her face buried in her knees with her arms wrapped around them.  Her whole body trembled from head to toe and she couldn’t stop crying, blood red hair surrounding her in drenched waves clinging to her shoulders and back.  It looked almost black wet.  The sight broke Krystal’s heart in half because she couldn’t imagine what growing another life inside of her felt like.  Granted, Krystal wanted to have a baby someday, but definitely not now with her career just starting in the WWE.  Ryanne was very brave and had worked for 2 long years to make this happen, so Krystal would do whatever she could to save the baby if it was in jeopardy.  Squatting down beside the tub, Krystal reached out to touch the top of Ryanne’s head and watched her raise it until bloodshot swollen emerald eyes met concerned hazel.

 

“Krystal…”

 

Ryanne’s face was ghostly white and her lips had turned a pale blue, no longer the normal pink.  Krystal dipped her hand in the water and gasped at how freezing cold it was, eyes narrowing slightly.  Why would Randy put his wife in an ice cold bath?  She started to get up, but Ryanne’s hand reached out stopping her, hot tears continuously falling down her cheeks.

 

“D-Don’t blame him…” Ryanne chattered, squeezing Krystal’s arm when another wave of nausea hit her like a ton of bricks. “C-Cold helps…My idea…”

 

This wasn’t good, Krystal thought, wondering if she should call down Michael to help her with this situation. “Come on, we have to get you out of here and warmed up.  Then we can figure out what to do.” She didn’t have much experience with pregnant women, but Krystal would take one step at a time until something – anything – worked for Ryanne.

 

Ryanne stood up on shaky legs and had to hold onto Krystal to step out of the cold bath water, a towel instantly wrapped around her shoulders.  Wrapping another towel around her waist, Krystal guided Ryanne out of the bathroom to the queen sized bed and sat her down, heading out to the sitting room to grab some clothes.  Randy looked up along with Colby when Krystal appeared and frowned at how worried she looked, swallowing past a lump forming in his throat.

 

“Is she…?”

 

“I need clothes now.” Krystal couldn’t hold back the anger in her tone and saw Randy holding some, snatching them from his hands. “Call Michael, tell him to get down here immediately.”

 

She wanted to tell him to pray and hope their baby hadn’t suffered hypothermia, but kept that worry to herself.  The important thing was to warm Ryanne’s body back up and then they would check the baby to make sure it was still alive.  Randy didn’t waste a second and whipped his cell phone out, calling Michael as instructed while Colby sat there looking perplexed.  Krystal rushed back to the room and helped Ryanne change into warmer clothes, calling downstairs to see if they had a warming blanket available.  Some hotels carried them due to the rooms being too chilly for older guests.  Luckily, they had one and Krystal had it sent up immediately, hoping Randy had called Michael because she definitely required his help.

 

“Michael is on his way…” Colby informed his girlfriend from the doorway and frowned at how badly Ryanne shook in bed, hearing her chattering violently. “What’s going on with her?”

 

“I’ll tell you later.  Don’t let Randy in here, keep him busy and send Michael in here when he arrives.” Krystal ordered in a low voice, draping another blanket on top of Ryanne and began towel-drying her hair, watching her lips to see if the blue tint disappeared.  It hadn’t yet.

 

“Anything else?”

 

“There’s a warming blanket being sent up from reception.  Bring it in here as soon as it arrives.” Krystal didn’t look in Colby’s direction, tossing the wet towel over her shoulder and checked Ryanne’s forehead, frowning at how cold it was.  Her body temperature hadn’t returned to normal yet either.

 

“A-Am I-I g-going t-to d-die?” Ryanne whispered out through chattering, looking up at Krystal through terrified emerald eyes and began crying again. “M-My b-baby…”

 

Krystal rested her hand on top of the blankets covering Ryanne’s entire body and knew she had to calm the woman down somehow. “Everything is going to be fine, Ryanne.  Now close your eyes and try to get some rest.  Michael is on his way up to help and we’ll do an ultrasound to check the baby.” Luckily, Michael traveled with a portable ultrasound machine anytime someone on the roster or their loved ones were pregnant, just in case.

 

10 minutes later, Michael arrived and Colby pointed to the bedroom, stopping Randy from going in there.  Michael ignored Randy’s bellowing to see his wife and shut the door behind him, locking it.  His brown eyes shot open at the sight of a sickly Ryanne lying in bed and could tell Krystal was trying to keep her nerves under control.  The last thing she wanted to do was freak Ryanne out.  Krystal quickly filled Michael in about Ryanne’s intense morning sickness from the pregnancy, dry-heaving, not eating or drinking and being in a freezing bath for an uncertain amount of time.

 

“The heating blanket is here!” Colby called through the door and Krystal went to retrieve it while Michael focused on Ryanne, frowning when she didn’t see Randy trying to bulldoze his way inside.

 

“Where is he?”

 

Colby rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, clearing his throat. “I sort of…put him out…”

 

Krystal’s eyes shot open. “What?!”

 

“I-I had no choice!  He wouldn’t stop fighting me to get in here to his wife, so I slapped a sleeper on him and he’s currently napping on the couch.” Colby shuffled his sneaker covered feet back and forth with a lowered head, acting like a scolded child. “I’m sorry…”

 

Krystal didn’t have time for this, shaking her head at Colby. “Go keep an eye on him, please.” She shut the door in his face and went back to assisting Michael, plugging in the heated blanket to drape over Ryanne’s body.

 

Whimpering, Ryanne very slowly began warming back up and the chattering ceased, her lips turning from pale blue back to pink, but her face was still ghostly white. “Krystal, watch the screen while I perform the ultrasound and tell me if you notice anything.” Now that Ryanne’s body temperature was back to normal, 98.6, he could perform the ultrasound and both prayed the baby hadn’t suffered any damage from the freezing bath.

 

Pulling the blankets back, Ryanne had enough strength to lift the nightshirt up Ryanne dressed her in and Michael squirted gel on her lower abdomen.  He turned the volume up to see if they could hear a heartbeat.  Michael pressed the wand device against Ryanne’s abdomen and Krystal sucked in a silent breath, watching the screen nervously.  Ryanne did too.  A minute later, the sound of a strong heartbeat poured through the speakers and everyone in the room sighed with relief simultaneously.

 

“Your baby is fine, Ryanne.” Michael smiled, pointing at the black and white screen on the portable ultrasound machine. “See that little speck?  That’s your baby and a very strong heartbeat.  140.”

 

“So that means it could be a boy or a girl.” Krystal grinned, winking down at a confused Ryanne and sat on the bed beside her, holding her hand.

 

“What do you mean?” Ryanne asked weakly, thankful the nausea had temporarily gone away.

 

It was obvious Ryanne didn’t read up on pregnancy myths. “If the baby’s heartbeat is faster than 140 beats a minute, you’re more than likely having a girl, but if it’s lower than that, it’s a boy.  So right now you can’t determine if it’s a boy or girl because it’s right at 140 and not higher or lower than that.”

 

Michael shook his head, chuckling softly. “Old wives tale.  My wife tried doing that with our 3 boys and all of their hearts were over 140.”

 

“Hence why I said it’s a pregnancy myth.” Krystal retorted with a smirk, staying by Ryanne’s side while Michael wrapped up the ultrasound machine. “So what do you think the problem is with her nausea?”

 

“Well, the only thing I can really think of is the prenatal vitamins.  My wife had a problem with them too and had severe nausea to the point of being hospitalized from dehydration.  Luckily for you, no hospital visit is required, but you need to start eating and drinking.” Then Michael had a thought. “Do this.  Don’t take your prenatal vitamin for a couple days and see what happens.  If the nausea stops and doesn’t intensify, that’s the source of your problem.  But if not, then I’m afraid you’ll have to suffer because nausea is part of being pregnant.”

 

Krystal frowned, looking back at Ryanne and could see the color slowly returning to her cheeks again. “Hopefully that’s the problem then.  All of it should be out of her system right now, don’t you think?”

 

“Hard to say.  What time did you normally take it, Ryanne?”

 

“Noon.” Ryanne murmured, almost afraid to speak for fear of the nausea returning. “Yesterday.”

 

“It should be gone by noon today then, if that’s the source.  I recommend buying some Flintstones vitamins from the store.  It has the same vitamins and minerals, but make sure you get the ones with iron.  That’s what you need most.  Take 2 of them a day instead of one because they’re not nearly as strong as the prenatal vitamins taking just one.” Michael explained, patting Ryanne’s shoulder gently with an encouraging smile and was thankful the baby was fine after her ice bath. “And no more ice baths.  You nearly had hypothermia and that’s not good for your baby.”

 

Ryanne nodded, promising to never do it again and Michael left shortly after, leaving the women alone. “Where’s Randy?” She asked softly, wanting to see her husband and apologize for being such a nuisance when he had a lot going on this week for WrestleMania.

 

How did Krystal tell Ryanne what her boyfriend did to Randy? “He’s napping on the couch in the sitting room.  And that’s what you need to do as well.  He’s fine.” A little white lie never hurt anyone, Krystal thought, hoping Randy didn’t wake up wanting to rip Colby’s head off his shoulders for the sleeper hold.

 

“Thank you for all your help, Krystal.” Ryanne yawned loudly, her eyes becoming heavy and a few minutes later she was fast asleep.

 

Krystal left the bedroom door open and smiled at the sight of Colby sleeping on the loveseat while Randy occupied the longer couch, walking over to brush her mouth against his. “Let’s go back to our room.  They are both sleeping.” She whispered, not wanting to wake Randy up and Colby stood up their hands interlocking instantly.

 

Colby nodded, walking out of the Orton suite with Krystal and they headed back up to their own to try to get some more sleep before day 2 of WrestleMania week commenced.

 

Chapter 52

 

Something was wrong.

 

Ever since they left Axxess together to head back to the hotel, Anisa hadn’t said more than 3 words to him and Jon couldn’t figure out why.  Did he do something wrong?  Did he inadvertently anger her?  Her whole body was tense the whole ride back to the hotel, eyes locked on the window.  Jon wanted to help, but didn’t know how to approach Anisa without getting her upset.  They had made progress earlier that day before Axxess, so the last thing Jon wanted to do was ruin it.  He reached over to take her hand and raised a brow when Anisa squeezed it, not pulling away like he predicted she would.  Pulling into the hotel parking lot, Jon cut the ignition and stopped Anisa from opening the door, her head turning until solemn midnight blues met his.

 

“Don’t.” Anisa warned softly, holding her hand up before Jon could question her and slid her hand out of his, stepping out of the vehicle.

 

Respecting her wishes for the moment, Jon followed and grabbed their belongings from the backseat, both heading up to their room.  Anisa didn’t have a problem sharing a room with him, but just in case they ended up fighting instead of screwing, she did have her own reserved.  Anisa was a little ways ahead of Jon, so by the time he got to the room he could hear the shower going in the bathroom.  Clothes were splayed all over the room, so Anisa must’ve undressed on her way to take a shower.  Frowning, Jon stared at the bathroom door for 5 straight minutes after setting their belongings down and squared his shoulders, deciding to join her.  The worst she could do was kick him out and, even then, it would be worth just to hold her for a minute.  Great, this woman was turning him to mush!

 

Undressing quickly, Jon opened the bathroom door and closed it silently behind him, stopping at the sight of Anisa’s silhouette figure through the glass shower door.  Both of her hands were pressed against the shower wall and her head underneath the shower sprays, eyes closed.  Jon slid open the shower door and stepped inside to join her, shutting it behind her wrapping his arms around her waist.  Anisa didn’t move or push him away, letting the shower sprays wash away the tears streaming down her face.  Jon pressed soft kisses along the back of her neck, moving her drenched honey blonde tresses over her shoulder to expose it further and caressed her sides, trying to soothe her anyway he could.  Anisa lulled her head back against his strong shoulder and curled her arm around his neck to bury her fingers in his semi-dry curls.  Some of the shower sprays had wet his hair, but not all of it since she occupied most of the water.

 

No matter how hard she tried, Anisa couldn’t get what happened with her ex-husband out of her head or the rejection on Bray’s face.  All he did was try to comfort her and she pushed him away again.  Yet she was in the arms of a man who had a secret marriage he didn’t want anymore.  Jon was still married and there was no getting around that or over it.  So why wasn’t she in the arms of a man who wasn’t married instead of one that was?  Fate was a fickle bitch and so was love.  Then there was her ex-husband refusing to accept the fact she was no longer his to control.  It was almost as if the divorce didn’t mean squat to him and that terrified Anisa to no end.  WrestleMania couldn’t come fast enough.  The sooner Mark and Phil’s match happened, the sooner her ex would once again be back in Dallas, Texas with his bimbo wife and out of her life until next year.

 

“What the fuck is this?”

 

The anger in Jon’s voice snapped Anisa out of her deep thoughts about Mark and Bray, eyes sliding to the side to where he pointed.  How could she not notice it before?  Her upper arms had deep bluish purple fingerprint bruises on them.  Mark must’ve grabbed her during their moment at Axxess before she kicked him in the genitals and Anisa couldn’t recall it happening until now.  Her fingers reached out to gingerly touch them and Anisa winced as a small zap of pain rushed the bruised area.  She was hoping to keep what happened between her and Mark away from Jon, but that was impossible now.  Did she lie or tell him the truth?

 

Every vein and blood vessel in his body ignited and Jon had to take several deep breaths to keep his temper in check.  It wouldn’t help the situation any to snap at Anisa and demand to know what happened to her.  She could try lying to him all she wanted, but the fingerprint bruises covering her upper arms spoke volumes.  Her silence did also.  Reaching out, Jon carefully touched the bruises with his fingers and immediately pulled back when she shuddered involuntarily against his touch.  Blinking, huge tears slid down Anisa’s face and Jon’s temper soared higher, letting his mouth start running away with him.

 

“Fucking no good mother fucker!  Piece of shit!  Asshole!  I’ll kill him!  I’LL FUCKING MAIM HIM!!”

 

Anisa blinked at Jon’s sudden outburst and watched him stalk out of the shower, nearly taking the shower door off its hinges followed by a lethal slam of the bathroom door.  She had to go after him.  This was her fault for not coming clean about what happened at Axxess.  Stepping out of the shower, Anisa didn’t bother drying off and tossed a terry cloth robe on, flying out of the bathroom into the main room of their hotel room.  It wasn’t a suite, just a simple room with a bathroom and balcony for smoking.  Knowing Jon, he was out there smoking a cigarette to try to calm down or down at the hotel gym working his aggression out.  She decided to check the balcony first and slid the door open, spotting Jon standing outside completely naked puffing on a cigarette.  It looked like he would inhale it if he wasn’t careful from how much he sucked on the tip.  Jon was irate and Anisa had never seen him like this, not knowing how to calm him down.

 

“It’s cold out here.”

 

“Like I give a fuck?” Jon shot back angrily, gripping the railing tightly to the point of his knuckles turning ghostly white, his other hand occupied with the cigarette.

 

Anisa heaved a sigh and shook her head, staying by the door because it was too cold to be outside with wet hair in just a terry cloth robe. “You’re gonna catch pneumonia out here or something worse if you don’t get inside.” She tried again, wanting to go to him, but her feet were glued to the carpet inside the room.

 

Snorting, Jon shrugged and took another deep drag from his halfway smoked cigarette, not turning around to face her. “Like you care.” He hated the words as soon as they came out of his mouth, but Jon was irrationally angry and not thinking clearly.

 

“Of course I do, you asshole!” Anisa shot back, folding her arms tightly in front of her chest glaring at him. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

 

“Have a funny fucking way of showing it.”

 

This was not the time and place for this argument. “Whatever, think what you want and just put this on before you end up getting arrested for indecent exposure.” Anisa ordered, tossing him a towel she brought with her from the bathroom.

 

The towel hit Jon’s chest and his hand snapped out to catch it before it hit the balcony deck, blazing blues not leaving hers.  Didn’t she understand why he was so enraged?  He wanted to kill whoever laid their hands on her!  Tossing the towel away, Jon closed the distance between them and gripped her hips, forcing her against his muscular chest.  Her watery midnight eyes nearly drove Jon to his knees because he hated seeing a woman, especially Anisa, cry.  It bothered him ever since childhood and it took a lot for Jon to handle fans crying whenever they met him.  But watching the woman he loved crying would be his undoing, his kryptonite.

 

“Who hurt you, Ani?” Jon demanded in a low raspy voice, not releasing her for a moment and pressed his forehead to hers to try calming down. “Tell me and I’ll kill them.” He vowed, feeling her head lower and pulled back to instantly lift her chin to meet his eyes. “Tell me.”

 

Anisa didn’t want him going after Mark, a few tears spilling down her cheeks she couldn’t hold back.  Mark had already threatened to end Jon’s career once and knew he was capable of doing it.  No matter how tough and bulletproof Jon thought he was, Mark would find a way to break through his defenses.  She loved Jon too much, in spite of everything currently happening between them, to let Mark hurt him.

 

“No…”

 

“Damn it, Anisa, I can’t fucking protect you if you don’t tell me!” Jon growled at her shaking head and took another deep breath, knowing losing his temper with her would only make things worse. “You can’t keep it bottled up, whatever’s bothering you because it’ll eventually tear you apart.  Don’t you get that?”

 

He was right, but that didn’t change Anisa’s decision to keep him in the dark.  She tried walking back inside the apartment, but Jon refused to release her, wrapping his arms securely around her waist.  He stood outside while she remained inside, both of them standing in the doorway of the sliding balcony door.  Anisa struggled against him, pushing against his chest, but Jon was a lot stronger than her and would take any punishment she dished out.  Letting her go wasn’t an option, no matter how hard she fought against him.

 

“Let me go, Ambrose.” Anisa snarled, trying to add malice to her tone and gasped when he lifted her in his arms, carrying her into the room enough to slam her against the nearest wall. “I’m not in the mood for your dick tonight.”

 

Calling him by his ring name and trying to act like they were nothing more than fuck buddies just fueled Jon’s determination further. “You’re so full of shit, darlin’, you know that?” He sounded slightly amused and Jon forced her legs around his waist, pressing his hard erection against her beneath the robe. “You know damn well we’re more than just sex.  I love you and you love me.  You’re fighting a losing battle with me.  Admit it!  There’s not a fucking thing or person or molecule that can change how we feel for each other.  You can fight it or accept it, but one way or another you are going to see the truth.  And I’m not going anywhere.”

 

Anisa was overwhelmed with emotion, all different ones flowing through her at the same time and clashing in a whirlwind of feelings.  It felt like a tornado was ripping through her heart, shredding it to pieces.  Anger won out and Anisa hauled off, slapping Jon as hard as she could across the face, tears streaming down her face.

 

“HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT SHIT TO ME?!  YOU HURT ME, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!!  YOU FUCKING LIED TO ME AFTER I CONFIDED IN YOU ABOUT WHAT MARK DID!!  HOW DID YOU THINK I’D REACT?” Anisa shrieked at the top of her lungs, slapping him again and cried harder at the sight of red handprints flaming his cheeks.

 

The slaps didn’t faze Jon and he kept Anisa against the wall, not dropping her.  He would never let her hit the floor or hurt her in any way.  She could hit him as much as she wanted, Jon would never strike back and simply stood there, feeling her fists start pounding against his chest.  Every ounce of pain, energy and emotion poured out of Anisa as she cried about Jon hurting her when all she ever did was love him.  Why couldn’t he be honest with her?  Didn’t she deserve to know the truth instead of finding out he was married from a text message on his phone?  Anisa finally sagged against him and buried her face in his beat red chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck sobbing violently.

 

“Are you done?” Jon asked quietly in her ear, feeling her nod in response and kissed her forehead, burying her nose in her hair while they stood there against the wall. “Hit me again if you want.”

 

“No, I’m tired…” Anisa whispered against his neck, neither of them in the mood to have sex because of the emotional night they both endured.

 

Not needing to be told twice, Jon pulled her from the wall and carried Anisa to the bed, laying back on it with her still wrapped around his upper torso.  Her knees pressed against the mattress and Anisa kept her face in his neck, breathing him in as much as she could.  She was afraid to look at him because Anisa was sure her slaps had bruised Jon’s face and chest.  Of course he didn’t mind and continued stroking the back of her neck, massaging it to relieve some of the tension.  Eventually, they moved to where Anisa spooned up against Jon with their fingers laced together on her abdomen, the tears slowly ceasing after a while.

 

“I know we’re more than just sex.” Anisa broke the silence between them, feeling Jon tighten his arm around her. “And I know I’ve been stubborn about this whole situation.  I know I should listen and hear you out.  Hell, even Mia told me to do it, to give you a chance to explain what’s going on.  And Mia usually is on my side about things, but she defended you, so obviously she trusts you.  And I know it’s not because of Joe.  I just…I need time, Jon.  I need time to get over the fact you lied to me.  I need time to be able to trust you again.  Because I let you in very fast and I shouldn’t have done that.  Wearing my heart on my sleeve only gets me in trouble.  You’re the first man I’ve loved since Mark, but our love is different and stronger than it ever was with him.  I feel complete when I’m with you and I hate it because I’m scared to death you’re going to break my heart again.  So please – please give me some more time.  I will listen to your side of what happened and why you kept your marriage to a porn star secret from me, but…I just need time.”

 

Jon respected that request and gently guided Anisa on her back to stare up in his eyes, his fingers stroking her cheek. “Take all the time you need, darlin’.  I’m not going anywhere, like I said earlier.  And if you think I’ll give up what we have to go back to my whore wife, then you don’t have any faith in us.  So do you believe I’ll leave?” He braced himself for the answer and then thought better of it, kissing her before Anisa could utter a word.

 

That answer could wait until after Anisa heard him out about his deranged marriage to Trina Michaels.

 

Chapter 53

 

“Go to the Hall of Fame with me.”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s mandatory for us, so stop being stubborn and go with me.”

 

Staring in the full length mirror, the beautiful baby blue satin dress hugged every curve of her body, flowing out a little from the waist down.  The material flowed with a graceful fluidity and had shoulder straps supporting a sliver of a cape draping down the back of her arms.  The back was exposed, resting just above her waist and had a hoop design.  Anisa had it ordered from Italy months ago, taking her time to find the perfect dress to wear for the weekend’s festivities.  They mailed it to her house and from there, her neighbor Barbara shipped it to her overnight, making it arrive the day before.  Her honey blonde hair was swept up on top of her head in a crown of spiral curls from the WWE makeup and hair stylists.  The makeup was natural and accentuated her natural beauty, simple foundation, a light bronze on her eyes and clear gloss painted her lips.  To finish the ensemble off, Anisa had a simple diamond teardrop necklace and matching dangling earrings.  Her nails were done in a clear manicure with baby blue tips along with her feet, 2 inch open toed heels on her feet that strapped up her calves.

 

“I can’t believe I’m doing this…” She muttered, not recognizing herself in the mirror and felt a pair of soft lips graze the back of her neck.

 

It was futile not accepting Jon’s offer to take her to the Hall of Fame ceremony, especially after they both came to an understanding a few nights ago.  Jon would not mention his marriage again unless Anisa specifically asked or was ready to hear him out.  In return, Anisa agreed to continue being with Jon as they were except the fuck buddy clause was void and would help build trust between them again.  Anisa looked at Jon in the reflection and felt his arms wrap around her waist, leaning against him carefully so she didn’t mess up her appearance.

 

“You look beautiful.” Jon complimented, not able to take his eyes off of her and loved how the baby blue gown made her midnight eyes pop. “If it wasn’t obvious.”

 

“Thank you.” Anisa turned around in his arms and fixed the baby blue tie around his neck, trying not to notice how incredible he looked in a black suit.  Even the dress shirt he wore was black, the only color on him being the baby blue tie and silver earring in his left ear. “You don’t look so bad yourself, Ambrose.”

 

“Darlin’…” He growled, planting his hands on her hips and softly kissed her mouth. “Don’t tease me right now.”

 

Anisa smirked, knowing it both angered and turned him on whenever she used his ring name. “What fun would that be?” She retorted, sliding her hands down his jacket and buttoned it, his hair currently slicked back instead of hanging haphazardly around his forehead.

 

Chuckling, Jon lowered his mouth to her ear and nuzzled it gently. “Just remember, anything you do to me you’ll pay for later tonight.”

 

“Looking forward to it.”

 

Their moment was interrupted by the ringing of Jon’s cell phone, both of them sighing resignedly. “Excuse me.” He walked away from the honey blonde beauty to grab his cell phone off the nightstand, seeing the name flashing on the screen. “I’ll be outside on the balcony having a smoke.  It’s my – uh – lawyer…”

 

Mia hadn’t blown smoke up his backside when she said Melanie Rich was one of the best lawyers in the country.  He called her a few days ago as soon as they arrived in East Rutherford, New Jersey.  Jon had gathered as much information as he could for Melanie, not having all of the copies of the divorce papers he sent to Trina.  However, he did have bank statements and his personal accountant had been kind enough to fax them over to Melanie.

 

“I’ll make this quick, Jon.” Melanie didn’t waste time with a greeting, running late since she was attending the Hall of Fame ceremony with Mia’s best friend’s brother, Phillip Brooks. “Your court date has been set.”

 

Jon nearly choked mid-drag on his cigarette, pounding his chest trying not to hack in Melanie’s ear. “What?!  When?!” He rasped out, blue eyes wide.

 

“This coming Friday the 12th at 10 AM and you have to be there in order for this to be settled.  Trina has been informed and if she does not attend, she will be prosecuted for her decisions and your divorce will be finalized right then and there by the judge.”

 

Was this possible?  Could all of this be over on Friday?  Why hadn’t his other lawyer been this fast to resolve his marriage?  Jon had forked over a lot of money and he could’ve wiped his backside with it to get better results.  Pissing money away angered him because Jon knew how blessed he was in life and never took anything for granted.  Growing up the way he did, he learned at a very early age to always count blessings and be thankful for what he had.  Jon would never be able to repay Mia for bringing this angelic lawyer into his life, but he’d find a way to pay back his debt somehow.

 

“I – uh – I don’t – um – thank you.  Thank you for whatever you did.”

 

Melanie smiled, looking in the mirror to dab some blush on her cheeks and blended it into her tanned cheek. “Thank me when you’re divorced, Jon.  I have to go.  See you tonight.”

 

Jon slipped the cell phone in his pocket and finished his cigarette, knowing he’d have to spray some cologne on before leaving so the smoke stench didn’t stick to his clothes.  Turning around to look through the sliding glass door, he noticed Joe, Mia, Colby and Krystal had arrived.  Phil was nowhere to be found and neither were the Orton’s.  They’d meet them at the ceremony, which Jon was fine with and preferred it to be just his brothers with their women.  Things with Anisa were still rocky, but slowly he was regaining what they had before Trina decided to screw it up.  Flicking his cigarette over the balcony, Jon turned and headed back inside, accepting a glass of champagne courtesy of Mia.

 

Mia wore a stunning embellished cut-out silver gown with a plunging V shaped neckline, strappy back and elaborate train.  Tonal clear crystals and playful cut-outs were the highlight of the dress, starting between her breasts and wrapping around the midsection of her abdomen.  Her black hair was in an elegant bun to the side, raven tendrils hanging down framing her face.  Diamond studs in her ears along with smoky eyes for makeup, peach gloss on her lips and silver open-toed heels with diamonds on the straps completed her outfit.

 

The usually conservative trainer and sister of Paul Levesque decided to go bold for the Hall of Fame ceremony.  She had a deep red off-shoulder drape gown, the neckline gathered on the tips of her shoulders.  It was a mermaid style, flaring out at the knees and had a fluted front hem with a pooled back.  Her chestnut hair was in a folded twisted braid style with red star clips tracing the top of it.  It looked like a crown starting just above her ears and the braided style could be seen from the back.  Tendrils fell freely all around Krystal’s face besides the top and she had on red 3 inch stiletto pumps with ruby jewelry – necklace, earrings and bracelet.  The makeup was natural bronze with black liner to bring out the hazel in her eyes, dark pink lip gloss and foundation to hide any blemishes.

 

Joe and Colby had on the same suit Jon did with a ruby red and silver tie to match their women’s gowns.  Colby had pulled his hair back in a neat small bun at the nape of his neck, his hair parted perfectly so the blonde and black could easily be seen without mixing together.  His facial hair was trimmed to perfection and so was Joe’s.  The Samoan Adonis pulled his hair back in a low slick tail at the nape of his neck, deciding against putting it in a bun.  He didn’t want to look the same as Colby, fickle about his looks at times.  All in all, everyone looked sharp and dressed for the occasion to watch wrestling legends, who paved the way for the younger generation, to be honored that night.

 

“Everything alright?” Anisa asked softly to Jon, taking his hand lacing their fingers together.

 

“Yeah, just another call from the lawyer.” Jon murmured, deciding not to mention his court date tonight because he didn’t want to upset Anisa.  He wanted this night to be as perfect as possible.

 

Mia saw that Anisa take Jon’s hand and smiled, wondering if her friend finally heard what he had to say regarding his marriage. “We should get going.” She announced, receiving a text from Melanie letting her know she’d arrived at the venue with Phil.

 

The couples filed out of the door and headed downstairs to their waiting limousines, courtesy of the company.  Anisa never once released Jon’s hand and stared out the window the whole time while Mia and Krystal gabbed about whatever came to mind.  Against doctor’s orders, Mia refused to wear her face mask tonight because pictures would be taken and since it was just a Hall of Fame ceremony, she wouldn’t need protection.  Everyone understood, surprisingly even Joe, though he secretly vowed to keep a closer eye on her that night than normal just to be on the safe side.  20 minutes later, they pulled up to the infamous Madison Square Garden, where some of the greatest moments and matches in WWE history happened.  It was a legend in itself and had hosted a few WrestleMania events, but tonight it would be used to honor WWE legends from the past.  Together, the Shield with their women walked inside and were instantly greeted with camera flashes and media.  It took over an hour to find their seats and Anisa was thankful they were seated next to the Orton’s.

 

Ryanne looked exquisite in a simple emerald cap sleeved beaded-bodice gown that had a wide V neckline, dropped waist and A-line silhouette.  The top was the beaded part shimmering and cut off at the waist in a triangular hem attached to a plain emerald green chiffon skirt flowing all down her legs and gave a slight train.  She had simple shimmery emerald shoes on that strapped around the ankle, open at the heel and closed at the toe with a low heel.  Being pregnant, she didn’t want to take any chances tripping and falling.  Randy had agreed and the dress was long enough to where nobody could see the shoes anyway.  Her hair had banana curls throughout it left down with two simple braids pinned back by an emerald clip.  Emerald studs in her ears and a bracelet completed the outfit, her makeup simple black liner and done naturally.  The glow from her pregnancy was already showing through and Anisa couldn’t have been happier for Randy and Ryanne.

 

Looking up, Anisa spotted her brother with Melanie on his arm, wearing a gorgeous shimmery gold gown that had a halter top and made of pure chiffon.  It was simple yet eye-catching at the same time and Melanie left her brunette hair down, curled at the ends for style, natural makeup on her face like a lot of the other women in the room.  Phil had a black and white suit on, not caring to match Melanie since they were just going as friends because April had kept her distance and Coralie was nowhere to be found.  Anisa thought the Hall of Fame ceremony was mandatory, but apparently she’d been wrong in that assumption.

 

“I should head to the bathroom before the ceremony starts.” Anisa excused herself from the conversation with Ryanne, which was mostly about babies and headed in the direction of the bathrooms.

 

The last person she expected to have a run-in with was Bray, both of them coming out of the respective gender labeled bathrooms at the same time. “Hi.” She didn’t know what else to say and figured a friendly greeting was the best way to go.

 

“Hey.” Bray looked sharp in a pure black suit, his long brown hair pulled back in a tight tail at the nape of his neck with his beard neatly trimmed, a black fedora on his head. “How are you?”

 

“I’m fine.” Anisa knew what he meant by that question and didn’t feel like discussing it in Madison Square Garden of all places. “And you?”

 

Bray shrugged with a small smile. “Can’t complain considering where we are.  I mean it, Anisa, are you okay after what happened at Axxess?” He’d been concerned about her ever since she collided into him after running out of a room away from her ex-husband.

 

“Once again, I’m fine, Bray.” Did he really have to do this now?  Anisa swallowed hard when he stepped forward to close the distance between them, running a finger down her cheek gently. “I promise…”

 

“You don’t sound fine, more resigned than anything.” Bray pointed out, bright blue eyes narrowing and immediately pulled his finger away from her face when a voice cleared behind them.

 

Neither had noticed Jon approach them until after Bray touched Anisa and just the look on his face told the entire story.  He was livid.  Anisa didn’t expect Jon to follow her since he’d been too busy being interviewed by countless press.  She hoped he didn’t storm out of the Hall of Fame and cause a scene, not wanting to draw attention to them.

 

“Jon…”

 

“I was looking for you.” Jon walked up to them and took Anisa’s hand, jerking her away from Bray to stand beside him, releasing her hand to drape a possessive arm around her shoulders. “Everything cool here?”

 

“Sublime.  Have a nice evening, Anisa.”

 

Bray lowered his Fedora a little more over his eyes and took his leave to go find his seat, fighting the urge to look back at Anisa.  She looked sensational in that dress and if Ambrose screwed up again with her, he would definitely have Anisa in his bed again.  Jon watched Bray the whole time through narrowed ice blue eyes and guided Anisa back to their seats before the ceremony began, not saying another word to her.  He had balls, Jon would give him that.  Why approach Anisa at all?  Jon still couldn’t believe Anisa slept with him and felt his skin crawl every time he thought about Bray touching what was his.  His woman.  His Anisa.  If he knew what was good for him, Bray would stay as far away as possible because Jon planned on making Anisa his completely, no matter how long it took. 

 

All Anisa could do was sit there watching and listening to wrestling legends make their speeches, thanking loved ones and whatnot.  They were beautiful and heartfelt, especially Trish Stratus, who was one –if not- the best Diva in WWE history.  As much as she enjoyed hearing Trish’s speech, all Anisa did was silently pray that after the ceremony, Jon wouldn’t blow a gasket after finding her with Bray.  This could potentially ruin all the progress they had made over the past few days.

 

Chapter 54

 

After the Hall of Fame ceremony ended, everyone started leaving to head back to the hotel for some much needed rest.  WrestleMania was just hours away and it was late.  Bray locked eyes with Anisa briefly across the room and she looked away, not wanting to anger Jon more than he already was.  The tension between them was thick and it made her nauseous.  Anisa headed for the exit doors with Jon, after congratulating a few of the legends that approached them, when they were stopped by Phil and Melanie.

 

“Jon, this is the lawyer and Mia’s friend – Melanie Rich.  Why don’t you talk to her for a minute while I have a word with my sister?” Phil didn’t give him time to react or speak, taking Anisa’s hand and guided her away from Jon and Melanie.

 

“Phillip, that was unnecessary.” Anisa chastised, letting her brother take her wherever he wanted and hoped he didn’t see what happened with Bray earlier. “What’s going on?”

 

He stopped when they were far enough away from everyone to overhear and turned to face her, hazel eyes full of worry. “Have you heard from Coralie?” It was an odd question, but Phil didn’t know how else to ask about her.

 

“No…” Come to think of it, Anisa hadn’t seen or heard from Coralie ever since Phil left her stranded in Philadelphia almost 2 weeks ago. “I thought you needed time away from her?”

 

“I did…but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about her.” Phil remarked and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, pulling the black tie he wore from his neck. “Something happened between us at the Smackdown! taping and…I haven’t seen her since.”

 

That was the night Mia was brutally attacked and hospitalized. “What exactly happened?” Anisa folded her arms in front of her chest and noticed how guilty her brother looked, midnight eyes narrowing. “Phillip?”

 

“This isn’t the place to tell you.  Stay with me tonight on the bus.  I know you and Jon are working things out, but you’re the only person I trust besides Randy.  He’s too busy with Ryanne and I don’t wanna bother him with this.” Phil had also noticed the tense moment between Anisa, Bray and Jon, deciding it would be best to let Jon cool down for the night so he didn’t wreck any progress he made with Anisa. “I’m leaving for a while after tomorrow night.  I have a small segment on Raw that will explain my absence and then I’m gone.  I want to spend time with my sister and talk about everything.”

 

Anisa glanced over her shoulder at Jon talking with Melanie and sighed, knowing he wanted to talk to her about what happened with Bray earlier by the bathrooms.  He must’ve overheard what Bray said, though Anisa had no idea how long Jon had been standing there eavesdropping.  The way Bray had been concerned about her must’ve raised red flags to Jon.  Maybe spending the night with Phil was a smart idea.  She would miss him once he went home to Chicago for his well-deserved time off.

 

“Ani, ready to go?”

 

She was torn and felt her temples start throbbing, slowly turning to face Jon. “Actually…” This was hard, but Anisa felt she had to stay with Phil tonight and keep an eye on him.  Coralie missing bothered him a lot more than he was willing to admit. “I’m not going back to the hotel with you tonight.  My brother wants to spend time with me and talk.”

 

Sensing her trepidation, Jon simply stepped forward and pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, swallowing his anger down. “If you need me, you know where I’ll be, darlin’.” He kissed her softly in front of Phil, holding her chin with his fingers gently and pulled back, staring deep in her eyes.  Whatever the connection between her and Bray was, Jon planned on severing it.

 

Anisa could only watch Jon walk away, shocked by his generosity and felt Phil’s hands on her shoulders, reaching up to squeeze one of them.  Phil was pleased with Jon’s reaction and how much resolve he showed considering earlier he thought Jon would blow his stack.  With this marriage hanging over Jon’s head, it was impossible for him and Anisa to be completely happy, to start the healing process.  They could try all they wanted, but Anisa would never be able to move on knowing Jon was married to another woman.  He talked to Melanie about it prior to the ceremony and she assured Phil everything would work out.  She wasn’t the best for nothing, sending him a cheeky wink and Phil had actually blushed, excusing himself to use the bathroom.  Melanie was beautiful from head to toe, powerful and if Phil wasn’t still in love with Coralie, he would’ve taken a shot with her.  However, after what happened between him and Coralie on Tuesday, Phil didn’t know where their relationship stood currently.  Until he had the answer, he wouldn’t sleep with another woman or try to move on with his life because there was a chance they could work things out.  Phil had a lot to make up for after treating her like a whore during their angry sexual bout and he was finally ready to confront her about the video.  It was time for answers.

 

“So I take it you’re not taking me back to the hotel to have your wicked way with me?” Melanie chuckled when Phil blushed again, flashing a heart stopping smile in return.

 

“I’ll – uh – give you guys a few minutes alone.” Anisa scurried away to give her brother and the lawyer some privacy, heading outside to the bus.

 

“You are a piece of work, Mel.” Phil couldn’t stop laughing at the mortified look on his sister’s face, shaking his head.

 

“Tell me something I don’t know, honey.”

 

This was awkward and Phil hoped he hadn’t sent any signals to Melanie throughout the night, doing his best to keep things strictly platonic. “Look Mel…”

 

“Stop.” Melanie held her hand up, stopping Phil from talking. “We don’t have to do this.  I had a great time with you tonight, but I can tell you already have someone else on your mind.” She leaned forward and brushed her lips against his cheek, her mouth by his ear. “Next time you’re in town, look me up if you want.  Just make sure you’re not hung up on someone else.  Good night, Phil.”

 

Phil frowned thoughtfully at how perceptive Melanie was and didn’t move to leave Madison Square Garden until she was gone.  Under different circumstances, Phil would’ve shown Melanie the time of her life, but he wasn’t in a good place right now.  It was hard watching her walk away, but Phil kept the idea in mind to give her a call the next time they were in New York, planning on it if things didn’t pan out between him and Coralie.  Shoving his hands in the pockets of his dress pants, Phil made his way out of the building and made it to his bus 20 minutes later, stepping on it.  Anisa sat at the table with her back to the door staring out the window deep in thought, still in her baby blue gown.

 

“Hey Cinderella.” He greeted with a smirk and took a seat across from her, sad midnight blues meeting sad hazel.

 

“I don’t see a Prince Charming coming for me with a glass slipper.  I still have both of my shoes, see?” She kicked her feet out to show Phil the silver heels and repositioned in the booth, folding her hands on top of the table. “So out with it, what happened between you and Cora?”

 

Recounting Tuesday night, Phil refused to meet his sister’s eyes while explaining what he did to Coralie, how he treated her during their sexual encounter.  It was brutal, intense and wrong, everything about it screaming toxic.  They had a toxic relationship and it was because of the video someone sent Phil making him believe Coralie cheated.  The old Anisa would’ve stood up and screamed at the top of her lungs at him for being so stupid and mean to his girlfriend, but that wasn’t the woman sitting across from Phil.  Truthfully, Anisa didn’t know if Coralie cheated on Phil or not, but she’d always take her brother’s side before anyone else’s, including Jon’s.

 

“You didn’t confront her about the video before that happened.” Anisa didn’t bother making it a question, just stating a simple fact and Phil lowered his head, confirming what she knew. “Are you planning on talking to her about it or going your separate ways?”

 

Phil didn’t expect his sister’s voice to be so quiet and calm, perplexing him because he thought she would’ve snapped all over him. “I want to.” He replied in a low voice, pulling his cell phone out to stare at the screen that still held Coralie’s picture. “I love her so much.  And I don’t know why I can’t just walk up to her and show her the video.”

 

“I do.” Anisa finally looked up at her brother, nothing except understanding and love in her eyes. “You’re afraid of finding out the truth like I am.  We’re a lot more alike than I thought.  You’re afraid of hearing what you don’t want to - that maybe she did choose Luke Harper over you.  You don’t want to get hurt again and neither do I.  That’s why we’ve both been stubborn throughout the ordeals with the people we love and have given our hearts to.  And I don’t blame you because there is a chance she will leave you for Harper, especially after what you did to her on Tuesday.  Then again, there is a chance Jon will go crawling back to his wife and leave me with a broken heart.  So I guess we just have to decide if it’s worth taking the risk finding out or maybe we should stay on the safe side and walk away.”

 

As harsh as her words were, Phil appreciated his sister’s raw honesty and agreed with everything she said, reaching out to take her hand. “I can guarantee you right now Jon loves you and wants to be with you.  I’m 100% sure on that.  I talked to him about what happened and he told me everything.  I also know you don’t know the whole story and I’m not gonna tell you.  That’s Jon’s place.  I will tell you though that there’s no risk when it comes to you, Nisa.  He wants you and coming from me, you know it’s the truth.  So don’t walk away from him.  You’ll regret it if you do.” He wanted Anisa to be happy and if Jonathan Good did that for her, Phil would not stand in the way.

 

Blinking, tears slowly fell from Anisa’s eyes as she listened to her brother’s heartfelt words, her heart aching to be with Jon. “I’m not going to run away from him anymore.  I told him I need more time before I hear his side of the story.  But honestly, I just want him to focus on Mania tomorrow night and not worry about anything else.  I’m going back with him Tuesday night after the Smackdown! taping to Las Vegas and we’re going to talk.  Then I’ll hear what he has to say and make my decision on whether to stay with him or not.  I love him.  I know it’s fast and I’ve barely been with him, but…I can’t help how I feel.  Sleeping with Bray was a huge mistake and I will regret it for the rest of my life, but I can’t change what happened and Jon knows that.  If he can forgive me for doing that, then I should be able to forgive him for not telling me he was married.  But I want the whole story first before making my final decision.”

 

“Good, we’re on the same page then.” Phil stood up from the table and released her hand, stretching his arms in the air. “The next time I see Coralie, I’m confronting her about the video.  I just hope she has an explanation I want to hear instead of one that’ll take her away from me.  I’m gonna go shower.” He walked down the small hallway to his bedroom and closed the door to undress.

 

Drying her eyes, Anisa stood up and walked off the bus to have a much needed smoke break and some fresh air.  Her eyes looked up at the hotel where Jon currently stayed, the bus bringing them back here from Madison Square Garden during their talk.  Anisa hadn’t felt the bus move, too engrossed with the conversation and leaned back against the bus, trying to get her lighter to ignite.  It wasn’t working.

 

“Piece of shit…” She muttered, tossing it on the ground and stomped on it with her heel, frustrated.

 

“Need a light?”

 

Anisa’s head snapped to the side as a dark figure stepped out of the shadows, revealing her ex-husband with a lit cigarette dangling from his lips. “What the hell are you doing here, Mark?” She demanded, voice oozing anger and irritancy.

 

Not answering right away, Mark ignited his lighter and held it out to her, acid eyes glowing when Anisa reluctantly leaned forward holding her cigarette until the tip turned bright orange. “I got a bus.” He pointed a thumb over his shoulder, where Michelle currently slept inside. “Wife made me get it.”

 

Why was he trying to make idle conversation with her? “Nice.” She flicked ash away and took another deep drag, letting the nicotine work through her system to help calm her racing mind down.

 

Mark didn’t blame Anisa for being tense with him, but hopefully she could at least be civil with him. “What went wrong between us, Anisa?” It was a question that burned on his tongue ever since their divorce had been finalized. “I know most of it was my fault with the cheatin’ and shit, but…why didn’t you want a family with me?”

 

Anisa had no energy to fight with him over this and decided to give him straightforward answers, blowing smoke out of her mouth. “I didn’t want to end up like Sara did stuck at home with 2 kids and married to a deadbeat for a husband and father.” It was the truth and Anisa wasn’t ashamed to say any of it.

 

That stung Mark a lot more than he was willing to admit. “I see…”

 

“Since we’re being cordial with each other for the moment and you’re not trying to attack or rape me,” Anisa stepped forward, flicking more ash away on the gravel and stared up in her ex-husband’s acidic eyes. “Why her?  Why Michelle McCool?  Why wasn’t I enough for you?”

 

It was Mark’s turn to be brutally honest and he didn’t disappoint. “I like bein’ in control of my wife and everythin’ she does.  Michelle is compliant with anythin’ I want, includin’ havin’ kids and a family.  And since I’m not on the road much anymore, I’m not a deadbeat husband and father.”

 

At that moment, Anisa realized just how big of a bullet she dodged in life being married to Mark.  It could be her in that bus sleeping and being controlled constantly.  Mark wasn’t lying; whatever he wanted Michelle gave him without hesitation.  Anisa would’ve bet her life on it Michelle didn’t get nearly as much courtesy in return and, as far as she was concerned, the ex-WWE Diva got exactly what she bargained for with Mark.  They were meant for each other - Mark being the dominant spouse and Michelle submitting.  It was definitely an eye-opener to Anisa and made her realize how lucky she truly was to have a man like Jon in her life.  He never wanted to control her and they compromised on different ideas they didn’t agree on.

 

“It’s late.” Mark cut into her thoughts when a few minutes of silence stretched between them, finishing his cigarette. “Get some rest.  Tonight will be rough.” He walked away, leaving her with that ominous advice and Anisa knew he referred to his match against Phil.

 

It was no surprise Phil had passed out in his bedroom right after his shower on his stomach, the towel wrapped around his waist.  Anisa shook her head and simply covered him up with a sheet, kissing his nearly bald head before going to her own room on the bus.  Undressing, Anisa opened the dresser and pulled out a t-shirt that smelled of Jon, slipping it on over her head.  It was a Shield t-shirt he gave her after they first slept together and she’d stolen it without Jon realizing.  Curling up in bed, Anisa closed her eyes and let the scent lull her to sleep, hoping daylight arrived soon so she could be back in Jon’s arms again.

 

Chapter 55

 

After a night of binge drinking, Jon went to the gym to work and sweat out the alcohol in his system with Joe and Colby.  Tonight would put them on the map in the WWE as the most destructive faction in the company’s history.  Jon had scratched and clawed his way to the WWE, not taking any shortcuts and finally made it.  WrestleMania was the ultimate dream.  It didn’t get any bigger than this night.  He had butterflies the size of Mexico swarming in his stomach, but excitement and adrenaline surpassed them.  This was the Shield’s moment to shine and show the WWE what they were made of.  The lights were on the brightest at WrestleMania and they had the opportunity to face off against 3 of the biggest Superstars in WWE to date, including a legend in Paul Wight – The Big Show. 

 

Wiping sweat from his face, Jon shut the door behind him and stopped in his tracks at the sight of a sleeping Anisa in his bed.  When did she get here?  He knew she had the key card to the room, but hadn’t expected to see her until later that night at MetLife Stadium.  Jon had mixed feelings about seeing her considering his binge drinking had been because of her.  She was such a confusing woman.  One minute Anisa wanted to work things out and the next she was running away to spend time with her brother or a friend.  No matter how hard he tried forgetting about the altercation between Bray and Anisa at the Hall of Fame the previous night, he couldn’t.  He also couldn’t forget what he’d overheard about something happening to Anisa at Axxess.  Was she attacked?  Had Bray saved the day without him knowing?  There were so many questions and not nearly enough answers.

 

Jon didn’t understand it and wondered how much more he would take before telling her to take a flying leap off a short pier.  He loved her, yes, and he’d made a mistake by keeping his marriage from her, but he wasn’t perfect.  Jon never claimed to be either; he was human and made countless mistakes throughout his life.  Why did he have to fall in love with a stubborn wench like Anisa Brooks?  Sighing, Jon tossed the towel to the side and didn’t bother waking her up, heading straight for the bathroom to shower.  He stripped the basketball shorts and boxer/briefs off along with his shoes and socks before stepping under the sprays, letting the cool water cascade down his muscular body.

 

Anisa heard the bathroom door shut and slowly opened her eyes, the smell of sweat, cigarettes and musk permeating the air.  Jon.  He was back from wherever he’d gone.  Anisa eyed the towel in the corner and knew he’d gone to work out with the other Shield members to prepare for WrestleMania.  Stretching her body on the bed, she stood up and walked over to the bathroom door, touching her fingertips to the wood.  She could hear the shower running and pressed her forehead to the door, wanting to join Jon.  Why didn’t he wake her up?  Hadn’t he been surprised to see her there?  Maybe it’d been a mistake coming here to talk to him and falling asleep in his bed.

 

Waking up on Phil’s bus felt wrong and Anisa immediately left while her brother still slept to go up to the room she shared with Jon.  She just wanted to be with him after the talk she had with Mark, to feel his warm strong arms around her body.  He made her feel safe and secure.  Why had Anisa fought him off for so long when it was obvious she wanted him regardless of his marriage?  Her heart broke when she got to the room and Jon was nowhere to be found, but his belongings were still there.  So she knew he would be back eventually.  It was 8 AM in the morning and Anisa tried staying awake, but it was pointless, especially burying her face in the pillow Jon used.  It had his scent all over it and that alone lulled Anisa into a deep slumber.

 

Glancing at the clock, Anisa saw it was after noon and realized she’d been asleep for the past 3 hours.  Why did she still feel like she’d gotten zero sleep then?  Anisa pulled back from the door and began leaving, but then stopped stripping out of her clothes instead.  There was no point in running from Jon anymore and she wanted to be with him.  No sex would happen because of WrestleMania, but he could do whatever he wanted to her, even if that involved kicking her out of the room.  She wouldn’t blame him after everything Anisa put him through lately.  Sucking in a shaky breath, Anisa twisted the doorknob to the bathroom and opened it silently, closing it the same way.  She padded over to the shower door and smiled, hearing Jon whistling under the sprays while he washed his hair.  The silhouette frame made Anisa’s mouth water and her whole body ignite in flames, tracing her bottom lip with her tongue.

 

Jon whipped around when he heard the shower door open and wiped water from his eyes, staring back at a fully naked Anisa.  The tears in her eyes and reaching out to him is enough for Jon to know what she wants, what she needs.  No words had to be said.  Jon stepped out of the sprays to pull Anisa flush against his soaked body and captured her mouth in a fire-ridden kiss that made her toes curl.  Anisa’s fingers slid up his arms to bury in his drenched curls, feeling Jon pull them back under the sprays and opened her mouth so he could taste her.  Whatever or whoever changed her mind, Jon would forever be in their debt because he was ready to call it quits with Anisa if she didn’t start coming around a little bit.  Breaking the kiss, Jon blocked the water from spraying in her eyes and kissed away the hot tears streaking down her face mixing with the water.

 

Opening her mouth to speak, Jon pressed his finger to her mouth and shook his head, drawing her closer to him to nuzzle her neck with his nose and lips.  He missed her and it was clear she felt the same way about him.  Anisa smiled tearfully, hugging him tightly and softly gasped when Jon suddenly pushed her back enough to kiss her passionately, his hands planting on her breasts.  She moaned in his mouth as their tongues touched again and his fingers began rolling her nipples between his forefinger and thumbs, not surprised at how fast they hardened.  Jon broke the kiss and smirked, slowly making his way down her body from her neck to her collarbone, taking his time to thoroughly explore.  It didn’t matter how many times he made love to Anisa, it always felt like the first time and somehow Jon found new spots to make her melt in his arms.  Before Jon began lowering to his knees in front of her, Anisa stopped him shaking her head and worry filled her eyes, not wanting to chance ruining Jon’s first WrestleMania.

 

Jon reciprocated by lifting her right leg to drape over his muscular shoulder, their eyes locked.  Smoldering blue on near blackened eyes, both swirling with need and lust for each other.  Their heated gaze spoke volumes and once again no words were spoken.  Anisa realized what he wanted and didn’t bother fighting or arguing, lulling her head back while his mouth devoured her inner thighs.  She was neatly trimmed, not having time to get a full wax, but that didn’t bother Jon.  He enjoyed anything and everything when it came to Anisa besides her stubborn streak.  Her fingers gripped his hair the second his tongue came in contact with her quivering sex, his hands gripping the back of her thighs to keep her steady.  To add to the sensation and making sure she was soaked enough, Jon slid two fingers inside of her, Anisa bucking instinctively.  He chuckled with his tongue still on her clit, sending vibrations throughout her body and the hot coil within her abdomen formed.

 

The intensity combined with Jon’s relentless assault made it impossible for Anisa to hold back her climax.  She didn’t want to release as fast as she did, but apparently Jon hadn’t gotten enough.  He kept going, feasting on her flesh and thrusting ceaselessly inside her body, bringing her to that fine razor edge again.  Anisa lost count how many times she climaxed after the 4th and got lost in the thick ecstasy of it all.  Jon could make her pass out from cumming if he wanted to and she would sleep with a smile on her face.  His thirst was satisfied for the moment after having his full and Jon carefully stood up keeping Anisa against him, not wanting her to lose her footing.  They managed to finish the shower, Jon washing her hair and Anisa doing his body since he’d been rinsing shampoo out of his hair prior to joining him.  Somehow, Anisa managed to step out of the shower after Jon and felt him wrap a towel around her body from behind, kissing the side of her neck while he had one around his waist.

 

“I love you.” Anisa finally spoke and Jon turned her to face him, the tears once again building in her eyes. “I really do.”

 

“Don’t cry, darlin’.” Jon rasped in a low voice, wrapping her in a tight embrace and kissed her softly while carting her out of the bathroom to set her on the bed. “You know how I feel about you already.  So what changed your mind from working on things to wanting me again?”

 

Anisa lowered her eyes to the floor and wiped a few stray tears away. “I just realized how lucky I am to have a man who loves me and doesn’t want to control me, who accepts me fully for who I am.  Stubbornness and all.”

 

Arching a brow down at her, Jon wondered what happened to make her eyes open to the truth and took the towel off to pull on a pair of black boxer/briefs. “Your brother?”

 

“No.”

 

“Mia?”

 

“No.”

 

Now Jon was intrigued because something happened to make Anisa come to the room. “You gonna tell me or do I get to keep guessing?” He finally demanded, snapping a pair of black dress pants on.  They had to be dressed nicely entering the stadium and then could change into their wrestling gear.

 

Anisa was afraid to tell Jon because she didn’t want him going after Mark.  However, she was sick of keeping secrets from him and if they were going to work this out, they had to be honest with each other.  She stood up from the bed still in a towel and walked over to her bag of belongings, pulling out panties and a bra to change into.  Her outfit for Mania was hanging up in the closet, but that could wait since she’d be getting her hair and makeup professionally done for the event.  While changing into her undergarments, Anisa explained what happened between her and Mark last night, the weird, interesting and cordial brief conversation they had along with questions answered.  Jon listened, not bothering with a shirt at the moment and didn’t move to console her, not sure if he should be angry or confused.

 

“We got the closure we both needed, at least I did.  Hopefully he’ll leave me alone now.” Anisa hadn’t told Jon about what happened at Axxess yet and she wouldn’t unless he questioned her about Bray.

 

That was next on Jon’s list. “So what about Wyatt?” He couldn’t let it go, already feeling the heat course through his veins at the memory of Bray touching her. “What’s going on with you two?”

 

Damn it, Anisa thought, reluctantly turning around to face Jon while holding a pair of black leggings. “He was asking me if I was alright because of what happened to me at Axxess…with Mark.” She flinched when Jon cursed, growling and began pacing in front of her, lighting up a cigarette.

 

He didn’t care if the room was non-smoking. “What the fuck did that asshole do to you, Anisa?”

 

“See, this is why I didn’t want to tell you…” Anisa grumbled, gasping when Jon grabbed her by the upper arms and pulled her against him, pale blues nothing more than icicles.

 

“Tell me.”

 

The lower and calmer his voice got, the angrier Jon became.  Anisa couldn’t keep the truth from him, regretting opening her mouth about Axxess.  She explained what happened with Mark, what he said about her screwing the rookies and trying to get a piece of her again.  Jon wanted to kill Mark Calaway and pop his head off his shoulders, every muscle in his body tensed.  Anisa knew he was enraged and kept going, hoping hearing how she defended herself against her ex-husband would cool his temper down a little.

 

“…And I ran into Bray after escaping the room.” She finished, keeping her voice low and quiet, lowering her gaze to her feet while Jon stood in front of her, trying not to cry. “Bray was just checking on me, Jon.  He’s my…friend.  I know we slept together, but I won’t push him out of my life because of a mistake I made.  I initiated everything.  I was so pissed off at you, I wasn’t thinking clearly and I know that’s not an excuse.  I just – fuck – between finding out about your marriage and my ex-husband coming back on the road for WrestleMania, it all got to me.  And I just needed to feel something besides pain.  Bray was a distraction for me.  I used him and I hate myself for it because it never should’ve happened.  It’s a miracle he doesn’t hate me for hurting him because I know he wanted me as more than a friend and I couldn’t be that.  I couldn’t be with anyone except you.  So if you’re going to hate anyone, hate me.  Punish me for it.  Bray is innocent and didn’t do anything wrong except go along with my actions.”

 

Silence filled the room between them and the tension was stifling, but Jon finally broke it with one question. “Do you have any feelings for him other than friendship?” His voice was filled with resignation and hurt over what he just heard Anisa say, but at least she was being honest with him.

 

“No.  I never did.”

 

“How many times?” Jon took a long drag from his cigarette, keeping as calm as possible because losing his temper wouldn’t help their situation.

 

“Once.”

 

Nodding, Jon had to forgive her for it because technically they’d been split up when she had sex with Bray.  So she didn’t cheat or lie to him the way he’d lied to her and cheated on his estranged wife.  Jon took her hand and lead Anisa to the bed, sitting down with her standing between his legs forcing her eyes to meet his. 

 

“It changes nothing.  I love you regardless.” He kissed the back of both her hands to show he meant it and Anisa shut her eyes, relief coursing through her body.

 

“There’s something else I have to say.”

 

Jon wasn’t sure how much more he could handle and waited for her to talk, squeezing her hand encouragingly. “Shoot.”

 

“On our 5 days off coming up, I – I want you to take me back to Las Vegas with you.  I want us to be completely alone and then I’ll hear everything you have to say.  I’ll hear your story, but not a minute before.  We can take a flight Tuesday night after Smackdown!, get to Vegas and sleep for a few hours before talking.  Tonight, I want you solely focused on your match with Stephen, Randy and Paul.  The last thing I want to happen is you getting hurt in the ring because your mind is elsewhere.” That was Anisa’s compromise and the only one she would give him, wrapping her arms around his neck to press her forehead to his. “Take me home with you, Jon.”

 

How could Jon turn that offer down? “The only reason I didn’t take you to my place sooner is because of Trina.” He said truthfully, wanting her to understand why he kept her away from Vegas and went to Atlanta on their days off all the time. “But if this is what you really want, I’m game, darlin’.”

 

She kissed him to seal the deal, laughing when Jon fell back on the bed with her sprawled on top of him, their mouths sealing together once again.

 

Those 5 days off couldn’t come fast enough.

 

Chapter 56

 

The face mask was maddening.

 

Mia did not want to wear it, putting it on and taking it off repeatedly while staring in the mirror of the hotel suite bathroom she shared with Joe.  Her cheekbone was still bruised, but luckily foundation covered most of it up.  Michael called to check on her several times to make sure the cheekbone was healing properly.  She felt helpless, hating the fact she was missing out on the biggest event of the year because of Curtis.  His attack had potentially ruined her career.  Instead of going with Joe to work out with Jon and Colby like she normally would, Mia was stuck in the hotel suite nursing her face.  Eating strictly soft foods sucked because she craved a nice thick juicy steak.  The less she chewed, the faster her cheek would heel though. 

 

Hence, she really hated Curtis Hennig and wished him nothing except pain for the rest of his life.  The only gratification Mia felt was finding out Curtis didn’t have a match on the WrestleMania card.  As a matter of fact, he’d been shipped back down to NXT to work on his character.  They hadn’t used him on Raw in a while, so why he hung around backstage at Raw and Smackdown! was beyond her.  It was a small slice of victory though and Mia secretly hoped when he came back to the main roster, his teeth would be knocked out of his skull.  Better yet, while he was down in NXT would be better so that way he felt a sliver of the pain he caused her.  One day, Mia would get her revenge and it would start with breaking Curtis’s cheekbone before possibly his genitals.  She was angry and bitter, having every right to be.

 

Her thoughts switched to her family and the conversation Mia had with her mother over the phone.  It was a few days ago after her first day at Axxess.  Joe had to stay after because of how long the Shield line was, so Mia took off back to the hotel before him.  No sooner had she stepped in the hotel suite, Mia’s cell phone rang and she was surprised to see it was her mother.  The moment she answered the call, she regretted it because it was nothing short of a verbal bashing.  It was civil at first, but Mia’s mistake was mentioning Joe coming with her to see them.  That didn’t set well with her mother.  Apparently, they were hoping she’d see Narhari during her visit and they would end up together somehow.  He wasn’t engaged to anyone else and waited for Mia to return so he could profess his love to her.  Mia felt sick to her stomach and finally snapped on the phone, silencing her mother’s ranting.

 

“I LOVE JOE, NOT NAHARI!!  GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD, MOTHER!!  I WILL NEVER FOLLOW TRADITION AND I WILL MARRY FOR LOVE – NOT IN AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE TO A STRANGER!!”

 

That moment Joe walked through the door to their suite and frowned at the tears streaming down his girlfriend’s cheeks.  She had someone on speaker phone and somehow knew it was Mia’s mother.  He listened silently, keeping himself near the door and didn’t draw attention to let Mia know he was back because he didn’t want to interrupt her phone call.

 

“Your father is dying…”

 

“SO I’M SUPPOSED TO GIVE UP THE MAN I LOVE FOR HIM?  NO!  I’M NOT DOING IT!!”

 

“Then you’re dead to us, Mia.”

 

Joe’s blood boiled and his Samoan temper flared out of control, stalking over to Mia snatching the phone away from her. “Good, my family will give her the love you never have then.” He growled menacingly, his voice low and rough, stunning Mia into temporary silence.

 

As soon as the line went dead, Mia collapsed to the carpeted floor on her knees and buried her face in her hands, sobbing heartbrokenly.  Joe tossed the phone to the side and squatted down to be eyelevel with her, forcing her hands from her face by grabbing her wrists gently.  It killed him to see her crying and Joe wished he could do something to take her pain away.  Everything Mia warned him about her family was true and, he admitted only to himself, he thought she might’ve exaggerated.  Maybe there had been more to the story or…something, but hearing the raw hatred in her mother’s voice told Joe he’d been wrong in all assumptions.  His family had plenty of love to give, especially his parents, and they all loved Mia like she was already part of them.  Joe lifted her in his arms and carried her to the bed, laying down with her spooned up against him while she sobbed for hours.  Eventually, she had fallen asleep and Joe extricated himself from bed to make a phone call to his parents, needing to talk to them about what happened with Mia’s heartless family.

 

It’d only been a few days since that horrendous phone call, but Mia could still hear her mother’s words echo in her mind.  She was dead to them.  The sad part was Mia knew her mother meant it.  There was no point in going to visit them now and saying goodbye to her father.  He would die without their problems being resolved with each other all because her family couldn’t respect her wishes.  Mia was done with them and decided to focus on her career and the man she loved.  Even if things didn’t work out between her and Joe, Mia would never regret giving up her heritage and family’s beliefs in order to live the life she wanted.  She was proud to be the black sheep in her family and it would never change, not even with her father’s last breath on earth.  To think she had nearly lost Joe because of the argument they had prior to Curtis’s attack over going to see her family sickened Mia.  Never again would she put them first or have anything to do with them.

 

The door opening to the suite jolted Mia out of her deep thoughts and she walked out of the bathroom to greet a sweaty Joe.  He had black basketball shorts on, a white muscle shirt and his black hair was pulled back in a low tail at the nape of his neck.  Mia cracked a sad smile at him and walked over to sit on the bed, still holding the face mask in her hands.  Joe could tell something was bothering her and sat on the bed next to Mia, reaching out to take her free hand that didn’t hold the mask in his, lacing their fingers together.

 

“Talk to me, baby girl.” He requested softly, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand in a gentle caress.

 

Mia shut her eyes briefly, trying to hold back tears and failed when a few spilled down her cheeks. “I think I’m gonna stay at the hotel tonight instead of going to the stadium.” Her voice was so quiet Joe had to strain to hear her.

 

“Mia…”

 

“No Joe.” She ripped her hand out of his and stood from the bed, tearing a hand through her black tresses. “After being attacked by an asshole who got a slap on the wrist and sent back down to developmental and what happened with my family, I’m not in the mood to go anywhere.” Even if it was WrestleMania.

 

Honestly, Joe understood her reasons, but that still wouldn’t stop him from convincing her to go with. “Baby girl, I want you there for my match.  I need you there to cheer me on and I don’t feel right leaving you here alone.” He wasn’t happy with the fact Curtis had been sent back down to developmental in Florida, but there was nothing he could do right now. “I know you’re upset about not being part of Mania and what happened with your family, but don’t let it beat you down.” Standing, Joe wrapped his arms around Mia from behind while she stared out the window. “I love you and so does my family.  And your career is not over because of an injury you had no power preventing.  So please, don’t give up and be there with me for my first WrestleMania.”

 

“Joe…”

 

A knock on the door made Mia’s mouth snap shut as Joe kissed her forehead and walked over to see who it was.  She wasn’t surprised to see his twin cousins, Jonny and Josh, along with Trinity, walk into the suite moments later, all of them greeting her with open arms.  Mia wanted to kill Joe since he didn’t tell her they were coming to visit because she was a crying mess.  Trinity noticed instantly something was off about Mia and kept the smile on her face, shoving the boys out in the sitting area while they occupied the bedroom, closing the door to give them privacy.

 

“Alright girl, what’s going on?” Trinity sat on the bed and patted the spot next to her, having gotten closer with Mia since she started dating Joe. “You’ve been crying.  Do I have to kick Joe’s ass?”

 

Mia chuckled in spite of everything and shook her head, wiping away a few more stray tears from her eyes. “No, he’s been wonderful.  I just got some personal stuff going on I don’t want to talk about right now.” Meaning her family since only Joe’s parents knew about that. “And I’m not coming to the stadium tonight for WrestleMania, so Joe’s a little upset about that.”

 

Trinity frowned, worry filling her dark eyes. “Why not, girl?” Then it dawned on her Mia probably felt left out because she was a WWE Diva just like Trinity and the others. “Is it because of your injury?”

 

That was another thing Joe and Mia kept quiet from Joe’s family, especially his cousins and Trinity.  They didn’t know about Curtis’s attack and both wanted to keep it that way. “Yeah…” She tossed the mask against the wall and gingerly touched her slightly bruised cheek. “I know it’s stupid, but what if this was my only shot at being on WrestleMania?  Opportunities for the Divas don’t come around often.”

 

“True, but at the same time you have to be there for your man.  You can’t sit here sulking at the hotel all night while we’re enjoying the biggest event of the year!  Look, there will be other WrestleMania’s and they’ll be better than this one.” Trinity coaxed, wrapping an arm around Mia’s shoulders to comfort her since she couldn’t grab the woman’s face. “Don’t worry about missing out on this one.  Hell, no Divas are gonna be on the card this year.”

 

Mia pulled back at look at Trinity with a deep frown. “What do you mean?  I thought you were supposed to wrestle in a tag match or something?”

 

“Yeah well, they want to give Punk and Taker plenty of time for their match and it’s gonna be longer than they anticipated.  So our match got axed.” Trinity shrugged, trying not to let it bother her since she’d been upset when Stephanie called her earlier that morning to inform her what was going on. “So see?  You’re not the only Diva missing out on the show this year.”

 

She was right.  How could Mia be so selfish and stupid?  Joe needed her more than ever and she had to be there to support him along with the other Shield members.  Her time in WWE would come, Mia just had to be patient and let it happen.  Mia felt horrible for Trinity and hugged her around the neck, being mindful of her injury, thanking her for talking some sense into her.  Trinity laughed, returning the embrace and both parted when a knock sounded at the bedroom door.

 

“Trin, we gotta go, girl!” Jonny called through the door, feeling hyped up for WrestleMania even though he wasn’t part of the show either. “Traffic’s gonna be a bitch!”

 

Trinity suddenly had an idea, rolling her eyes at her fiancé’s hyperness. “Hold your damn horses before I shove my foot up your ass!” Then her attention went back to a quietly giggling Mia. “How about you clean yourself up, get dressed and then we can all travel to the stadium together?”

 

“But it sounds like Jonny wants to leave now…”

 

Trinity winked, standing from the bed and pulled Mia up by the hand, directing her into the bathroom. “Let me handle my man, girl.  Now go on, get ready and don’t rush.  We’ve got plenty of time.”

 

“Thanks Trin, I owe you one.”

 

They embraced again and Mia hurried into the bathroom, feeling a lot better after talking to her.  Trinity walked out of the bedroom, told Jonny to sit his hyper backside down because they were waiting until Mia finished getting ready.  Joe still had to shower too.  Grumbling, Jonny couldn’t deny her anything and pulled Trinity on his lap while Joshua teased them mercilessly.  Joe took the time to escape and walked in the bathroom, seeing the smile on Mia’s face doing his heart good.  Whatever Trinity did to change her mind, Joe would never be able to repay her.

 

“Get in the shower, we have to be at the stadium soon.” Mia instructed, dabbing a little foundation on her face to cover the nasty yellowish brown bruise covering the right side of her face.

 

Chuckling, Joe stopped Mia from rubbing the cream on her face and bent down, capturing her mouth with his. “Shower with me.” He rumbled in command, already pulling her toward the shower and Mia shook her head gently.

 

“No sex, big man.  Remember your match tonight…”

 

“Who said anything about sex?” Joe smirked, flipping the sprays on and kissed her again, lifting her up with ease against him as they both backed into the shower fully dressed. “I just want my woman to wash my back and admire her beautiful naked body at the same time.”

 

Mia flushed a bright red and shook her head, slapping his chest before helping Joe out of his clothes.  He did the same with hers.  They would definitely be sending them down to the laundry facility in the hotel to be washed since they were soaked.  Washing his back, Mia realized how stupid she’d been to try staying at the hotel instead of standing by her man during his first WrestleMania.  She kissed his back and shoulders when he bent down enough for her to reach, wanting to wash every part of his body.

 

“I’m sorry for the way I acted earlier.  I didn’t take your feelings about today into consideration and that was wrong of me.  You’re going to do fantastic out there tonight and I’m proud of you.” Mia looked in those hypnotic grey eyes when Joe turned around to stare down at her, caressing her left cheek with the back of his hand lovingly.

 

“I appreciate that, baby girl.  I’m just glad you’re coming with me.  It wouldn’t be the same without you there.” He drew her into his arms to softly kiss her lips again and pulled back before it became too heated, winking down at her. “Later, I promise.”

 

“I’m holding you to that.”

 

They finished showering and stepped out to dress, leaving with the twins and Trinity to head to MetLife Stadium a half an hour later.

 

Chapter 57

 

“You’re worried about Colby, aren’t you?”

 

“No…” Krystal lied, chewing her thumbnail nervously. “I’m concerned, there’s a difference.”

 

“Sure.” Anisa didn’t buy that for a second and glanced past Krystal as Mia came walking up to them. “So you decided to come.”

 

Mia nodded with a soft smile. “Yeah.  I couldn’t miss Joe’s match and he needs my support.  There will be other WrestleMania’s for me.”

 

Whatever or whoever convinced her of that, Anisa was forever in their debt because Mia was firm on not coming to the stadium.  She draped an arm around Mia’s shoulders and kissed her left cheek while Krystal did the same to her right temple.  Anisa wished Mia would wear her face mask, but since they were all sticking together tonight she would be safe.  Not to mention, Curtis was nowhere to be found and banned from WrestleMania as part of his punishment.  Stephanie could be vindictive when she wanted and Mia was thankful to not have to deal with Curtis on the biggest night of her boyfriend’s wrestling career.

 

“Come on, let’s go find a secluded spot to watch the match.  The boys are up first.” Anisa suggested, walking down the hallway greeting a few coworkers on their way.

 

“I have to get back to the trainer’s room as soon as their match is over.” Krystal reminded them, both women nodding back at her in confirmation.

 

They found an empty dressing room and locked the door, turning the monitor on while setting up metal folding chairs in front of it.  Truthfully, Anisa was more worried about Phil’s match with Mark than she was Jon’s.  Randy, Stephen and Wight would take care of the boys and were all professional.  Mark and Phil, on the other hand, weren’t.  Their match was personal and a vendetta had to be settled tonight revolving all around Anisa.  Phil wanted revenge for what Mark did to her and Mark wanted to teach Phil a lesson about keeping his nose out of his sister’s business.  Her stomach tightened at the thought of them fighting each other, but there was no stopping it now.  She just hoped Phil was able to walk out of MetLife Stadium on his own instead of on a stretcher.

 

“Phil’s going to be fine, Nisa.” Mia reassured, squeezing Anisa’s hand to try easing some of her apprehension. “So is Jon.”

 

“I’m not worried about Jon right now.” Anisa murmured quietly, sharing a worried look with Mia since they’d known each other a long time.

 

“It’s starting.” Krystal announced, hazel eyes glued to the monitor as the show kicked off with a spectacular firework show and the singing of America the Beautiful.

 

~!~

 

“Are you sure you’ll be alright in here alone?”

 

Ryanne smiled up at her husband and nodded, reading ‘What to Expect When You’re Expecting’, a popular pregnancy book.  It was very informative on all things to expect and also covered the unexpected when it came to being a mother.  She was fascinated to read how her body would change over the coming months and looked forward to it, eating like crazy ever since they figured out what caused her severe morning sickness.  The Flintstones vitamins worked wonders and Ryanne vowed to never touch prenatal vitamins again.  After all, women went centuries having babies without vitamins and had no problems delivering – at least, that’s what she believed.

 

“I’m fine, Randy.  I promise.” She accepted a soft kiss from him and pulled away when Stephen and Wight walked into the dressing room, lowering her eyes back to the book.

 

For some reason, Wight rubbed Ryanne the wrong way and she couldn’t figure out why.  He seemed nice enough, but sometimes did foolish things in the ring such as jumping script.  She didn’t appreciate that, especially when it came to her husband.  Tonight, Randy had informed her what would happen after their match against the Shield, so she didn’t get upset over it.  Wight would turn on both Sheamus and Randy by letting the Shield get the victory and then knock them both out after the match.  Randy assured her everything would be fine and didn’t want her rushing to the gorilla position to check on him, not in her condition.  Ryanne planned on doing it anyway and agreed with Randy just to cease his worries, wanting him focused solely on his match at WrestleMania tonight.

 

“I heard about your problem with the prenatal vitamins.” Wight broke Ryanne out of her thoughts, smiling gently down at her. “My wife had the same problem when she was pregnant.”

 

Ryanne didn’t know Wight was married and set her book down to the side, her legs curled up beneath her on the couch Stephanie and Paul provided them. “Really?” She didn’t mind Wight sitting down beside her while Randy and Stephen strategized over the match with the Shield.

 

Wight chuckled at her surprised expression. “Her name’s Bess and the love of my life.  Well, one of them anyway.” He loved his children equally, if not more. “Come to think of it, my first wife, Melissa, had the same problem too.”

 

“I had no idea…” It was a relief to hear other women had the same problem with prenatal vitamins as her. “Was it just the prenatal vitamins or something else?”

 

“Don’t really know.  Bess just got sick of throwing up all the time and not keeping anything she ate or drank down, so she stopped taking them.  I was against it at first because the doctor told her she had to have whatever is in the damn things to help the baby grow.  Yeah, don’t ever let them fool you with that shit.” Wight snorted, rolling his eyes and clasped his huge hands in front of him tightly. “After one day of not taking them, Bess had the biggest appetite and she ended up giving us a healthy baby boy. 8 pounds, 22 inches long.  His name is Patrick.”

 

Ryanne enjoyed the happiness she saw in Wight’s eyes while he spoke of his family and realized she’d been wrong in all of her assumptions about him. “Is he your only one or…?”

 

“No, we have a daughter too named Bethany.  And I have another daughter, Cierra, from my first marriage.”

 

Never would she have pegged Paul Wight to be a family man, but Ryanne should’ve known better than to judge the man the way she had. “Sounds like you have a beautiful family, Paul.” It was the first time she used his birth name since everyone in the back called him Show or Big Show usually. “I feel a lot better knowing I’m not the only one who can’t handle prenatal vitamins.”

 

“Trust me, it happens a lot more than you think.  So don’t feel like you’re letting the baby down because you can’t take them.  Flintstones were Bess’s favorites and she still takes them.” Wight winked, very gently squeezing her pant covered leg and stood up from the couch to join Randy and Stephen.

 

Randy noticed Wight and his wife talking for a little while, wondering what that was about and figured it had something to do with the baby.  He knew Wight was a father of 3, so if anyone had advice to give it was him.  Randy appreciated any advice, as long as it was constructive and polite, Wight gave Ryanne because he didn’t need her worrying anymore about the baby’s development.  He didn’t overhear the conversation and would find out later that night from Ryanne on what was discussed between them.

 

“Alright baby, we gotta head out.” Randy walked over and tilted Ryanne’s face up until beautiful emerald orbs met intense blue. “I’ll be back soon.  Don’t watch the match if you don’t think you’ll be able to stomach it.”

 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.  Now stop worrying about me and go kick some ass.” She kissed him, stroking the side of his face and Randy groaned, reluctantly pulling away from her to break it. “I love you.”

 

“Love you more, Ry.”

 

~!~

 

The 6 man tag team match was flawless and phenomenal.

 

Anisa, Mia and Krystal all sat side-by-side holding hands while watching the entire match, hardly blinking or so it seemed.  Every time one of them took a bump or did a move, the woman associated with the Shield member would flinch involuntarily.  However, when Paul Wight got in the ring and proceeded to rip Jon’s protective gear off his body, leaving his bare chest exposed Anisa felt her mouth water.  He had such an amazing body and her appetite for Jon was insatiable.  However, the lust quickly turned to worry when Paul Wight slapped Jon’s chest a few times in the ring corner, leaving red welts on his skin.  That followed a little while later with Stephen delivering Beats of the Bodhrán – multiple forearm clubs to a rope-hung opponent’s chest.  He did it 10 times to both Jon and Colby, knocking the breath out of them.

 

“Mother fucker.” Anisa hissed at the monitor, gritting her teeth and wanted to rip Paul’s head off for hurting her man.

 

Mia and Krystal voiced their own opinions whenever Joe and Colby were in the ring on the receiving ends of beatings.

 

“You stupid asshole!!”

 

“Get off of his hair, prick!!”

 

In the end, the Shield prevailed with their first WrestleMania victory, showing the WWE and their peers what true teamwork was.  Colby received an RKO in midair from Randy and Krystal immediately flew out of the room to go check on him.  As soon as the 3 count was made with Jon picking up the pin fall on Randy, after a lethal spear from Joe, Mia and Anisa headed to gorilla position to congratulate their men.  Mia spotted Joe and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist planting a passionate kiss on his mouth.  Krystal had Colby’s arm draped around her neck, helping him toward the trainer’s room since he was somewhat loopy from the RKO.  Jon stumbled through the black curtain, wiping sweat from his forehead with a towel one of the stagehands handed him and stopped at the sight of Anisa.  His chest was beat red from both Wight and Stephen beating on it, but he was a winner nonetheless. 

 

“Baby, what are you doing here?” Randy spotted his crying wife and went to her instantly, holding her close while she sobbed in his chest. “I told you not to come to the gorilla position…”

 

“I couldn’t stay away.  I had to make sure you were alright.” Ryanne whispered, peaking up at him and sighed when Randy’s mouth covered hers in a soft kiss, clinging to him for dear life.  The match had scared the hell out of her.

 

Tears swelled in her eyes because all Anisa wanted to do was run into Jon’s arms and show how much she loved him like Mia, Ryanne and Krystal did.  She wanted to show him the same affection, but fear held her back.  Fear of being judged, fear of Mark finding out the truth, fear of being hurt again and fear of the aftermath from her actions.  Why was she so afraid to go to him and let everyone find out they were together?  Was it Mark or something deeper?  What if the roster knew about his marriage to Trina Michaels all along?  She doubted it and at that moment, Anisa realized just how ridiculous her questions were.  Jon wouldn’t have stuck with her this entire time, even when she treated him like garbage, if he didn’t truly want to be with her – married or not.

 

Jon arched a slow brow when Anisa slowly walked toward him, the tears still shining in her eyes and didn’t reach out to touch her.  Reaching up, Anisa stroked his face tenderly with the back of her hand and he leaned into her soft touch, relishing in it.  This was the first time Anisa showed any affection toward him since they started seeing each other over a month ago.  Even though his marriage had put a hiccup in their relationship, in Jon’s eyes and mind it never ended, not for a second.  A soft smile stretched across her mouth and Anisa finally took the chance, the risk, leaning up brushing his lips with hers.  He responded instantly, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulled Anisa closer, the kiss growing heated in seconds.  Anisa buried her fingers in Jon’s damp curls and moaned softly as their tongues touched, their bodies flooding with warmth.

 

Mark turned the corner at that moment dressed in his Undertaker wrestling gear and froze at the sight of Anisa and…Dean Ambrose kissing.  What the HELL?  He thought she was with Bray this whole time!  When did Anisa start jumping Jon’s dick?  Michelle nudged him and Mark growled menacingly, shooting a deadly glare down at her while she merely shied away.  He would make the rookie pay for touching what was still his property, a snarl curling his lips.

 

“WOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Phil crowed, cupping both hands around his mouth and started an applause since the moment had a few coworkers and employees of WWE’s attention.  He also wanted to rub it in Mark’s face his sister was ready to move on with a better man.

 

Anisa broke the kiss first and didn’t see anyone else besides Jon, his forehead resting against hers. “I love you, Dr. Feel Good and I’m so proud of you.” She murmured to where only he could hear her and Jon lifted her off the ground to where her legs encircled his waist.

 

“I love you too, stubborn darlin’.” Jon grinned, not able to wipe the smile from his face even if he wanted to and finally noticed everyone staring at them, the applauding growing louder.

 

They both looked at each other and laughed, kissing again before Anisa hugged Jon tightly around the neck, pressing their cheeks together.  Phil snapped a picture, wanting to remember this moment for the rest of his life.  Jon was a good fit for his sister, way better than Mark Calaway ever thought about being.  He wasn’t surprised when Mark stalked up to him and grinned up at his opponent, clapping right in his ex-brother-in-law’s face.

 

“Problem, Deadman?  Hell of a show, isn’t it?” Phil gestured to Anisa and Jon laughing with their friends behind him, hazel eyes gleaming.

 

Mark cracked his knuckles, his eyes pure acidic by now and ignored Michelle tugging on his arm to step away from Phil. “Sure is, but tonight Nissy will get a show she’ll NEVER forget when I beat you within an inch of your fuckin’ life in that ring, BOY.” He promised, eyes flashing demonically and smirked when Anisa’s gaze pulled away from their group of friends to him. “See you out there.”

 

“We’ll see who has the last laugh tonight, bitch.” Phil grunted, feeling someone grab his hand and looked down at his worried sister, immediately releasing it to wrap an arm around her shoulders. “I’m proud of you for giving him a chance and telling everyone to symbolically fuck off.”

 

“I’m done running and fighting how I feel.”

 

“Bout time, sissy.  Now go celebrate with Jon.  I’ll see you later before my match.”

 

Anisa nodded, kissing his cheek and went back to Jon’s side, trying to ignore the worry enveloping her body for Phil’s upcoming match to enjoy the moment with the man she loved.

 

Chapter 58

 

“I need to go see my brother.”

 

Jon breathed heavily against her neck while keeping Anisa pinned against the shower wall, their naked bodies pressed together with her legs wrapped around his waist.  They’d just finished having a celebratory sexual bout for the Shield’s first WrestleMania victory.  Anisa had no complaints and slid her fingers through Jon’s curls, snuggling further against him while his nose buried in her wet hair.  The shower sprays still flowed over Jon’s back and the rest of his body blocked Anisa from getting wet, just the top of her hair suffered.  Pulling back enough to lock eyes with her, Jon fingered Anisa’s chin and captured her mouth in a soft kiss.

 

“So I take it you’re my date for the after party tonight?”

 

“Unless you had someone else in mind?” Anisa teased and Jon rested his forehead against hers, his arms tightening around her waist.

 

“No one else, darlin’.  Just you.” He didn’t want to let her go, afraid this was all a dream and he’d wake up in a hotel room alone with nothing resolved. “You’re not gonna change your mind about Vegas, are you?”

 

Anisa frowned at his question and shook her head, rubbing her nose against his. “No.  I love you, Jon.  I want to be with you and make this work between us.  Please believe that.”

 

It was easier said than done considering how hard Anisa fought her feelings for him.  Jon would have to rebuild his faith in them, but his love for her never faltered.  Not once.  The moment she kissed him in the hallway in front of their coworkers and peers, especially Mark, proved Anisa was done fighting.  That didn’t mean she couldn’t change her mind though.  Jon could only hope he didn’t lose her again and knew the sooner his divorce went through, the better his chances were to keep Anisa in his life.

 

“I’m getting there.  And I love you too, Ani.”

 

They stayed there a few more minutes enjoying each other and exited to get dressed, stealing kisses every minute or so before Anisa took off to go meet her brother at gorilla position.

 

~!~

 

“Nervous?”

 

Phil shrugged, stretching his arms in the air. “Not really, probably the adrenaline though.”

 

Anisa understood that while they watched the monitor, watching the World Heavyweight Championship match between Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger.  In Anisa’s opinion, it wasn’t a WrestleMania-type quality match, though both men made the best of it.  She knew as soon as their match ended, Phil’s was next and the butterflies began erupting in her stomach with every near fall Alberto and Swagger had.  Her eyes shut briefly when Alberto made Swagger submit and slowly looked up at her brother, not seeing an ounce of fear or anxiety in his body posture.  He was ready for this and there was no turning back now.

 

“Please be careful out there with him, Phil.” She took Phil’s hand and made his hazel eyes lock on her. “Promise me.  Don’t do anything crazy.” Mark was a monster at Mania and always kicked up his intensity level several notches.

 

“I promise, sissy.” Phil didn’t crack a joke or smirk because he knew how worried she was for his safety. “I got this, trust me.”

 

Anisa noticed his ring attire was in Mark’s colors, purple and black, knowing it was a mind game from Phil.  She wondered whose idea it was for him to wear Mark’s colors and shook her head, sighing when Paul Heyman joined the Brooks’ sibling’s moments later.  There were so many things Anisa wanted to say to her brother, but all she did was embrace him around the neck tightly and kissed his cheek.

 

“I’m so proud of you.” She whispered, feeling Phil’s arms encircle her waist and kissed the top of her head. “I love you, bro.” Anisa wouldn’t let him go out there to possibly be slaughtered without saying it.

 

“I love you too, sissy.”

 

“Well, doesn’t this look cozy?”

Both Anisa and Phil tensed at the sound of Mark’s voice behind them, turning around at the same time.  Phil pushed Anisa behind him instinctively, hazel eyes narrowed daring the Deadman to make a move.  Anisa swallowed hard at Mark’s ring gear, squeezing Phil’s hand a little more and tried keeping her heart from flying out of her chest because of how hard it pounded.  He looked evil and demonic, the hood on his head somewhat shading his acidic black lined eyes.  Anisa knew better than anyone the type of power Mark had in those black fingerless gloved taped hands and hoped Phil could withstand his lethal punches.  Mark stepped forward, the aura around him full of intensity and stared down the smaller man in front of him, a slight smirk curving his lips.

 

“See you out there, boy.” His voice had changed from the southern accent drawl to a deep dark sinister tone that held promise of upcoming pain and torture.

 

“He’s going to be fine, Anisa.” Heyman reassured once Mark left to prepare for his entrance.  It was always one of the best at WrestleMania. “I’ll watch out for him.”

 

Out in the ring, Paul Heyman was one of the most hated despised people in professional wrestling to date, loathed by millions.  But behind closed doors and the curtain, he was a sweet man with a heart of gold.  He fought for Phil when nobody else did, when nobody else in the company believed Phil’s raw potential and wrestling ability.  Phil had a spark and love in his eyes for the wrestling business that only Heyman noticed.  Because of his insistence and fight for Phil, Anisa would always be eternally grateful and treated him as one of the family.  Smiling tearfully, Anisa hugged Heyman and thanked him for everything he did for her brother because tomorrow night she wouldn’t get the chance to do so.  It broke her heart knowing this was Phil’s final match for a while, depending on when or if he decided to return to the squared circle.  Heyman returned her embrace and kissed her forehead with a wink, letting her know he meant what he said as far as having Phil’s back.

 

“It’s time, son.” He clapped Phil on the shoulder and stepped aside to give the siblings some privacy.

 

“I’ll be here when you’re done.  Make him grovel at your feet.” Anisa watched him walk through the curtain as his entrance music blared throughout MetLife Stadium.

 

The wait was finally over.

 

It wasn’t a surprise at how miraculous Mark’s entrance was and Anisa admitted grudgingly in her head it was the best she’d ever witnessed.  The way the hands came up out of the smoke and reaching up to the Undertaker, begging for salvation while he stood among them.  It was hauntingly beautiful.  They represented all the souls he’d claimed in the WWE throughout long career.  Anisa was chilled to the bone and had her eyes glued on the monitor, not looking away once while clasping her hands tightly together.  She could only send silent prayers up above and hoped someone was watching out for Phil on this night.  Halfway through the entrance, Anisa felt arms wrap around her upper body and let the tears fall down her cheeks, not having to look back to know who it was.

 

“I thought you’d be with Joe.”

 

“And not be here for my best friend?  What kind of girl do you think I am?” Mia remarked, refusing to let Anisa watch this match without her. “Kick his ass, Philly!”

 

Anisa let out a watery laugh and reached up to cover Mia’s hand with hers, appreciating the support.  She needed all she could get right now.  Both laughed when the bell rang and Phil walked right up to Mark slapping the taste out of his mouth.  That followed up with Mark playing a cat and mouse game with Phil until he finally caught him, both of them brawling each other with everything they had.  15 minutes into the match, Anisa watched her brother climb to the top rope aiming for the announcer’s table and made the leap, crashing his elbow right into Mark’s dark heart.

 

“HOLY SHIT!!”

 

“That’s my brother!!  Go Phil!!”

 

Several others backstage cheered along with the girls, clapping out of both respect and appreciation for the performance Mark and Phil are giving.  With everything Mark had done to her lately, Anisa couldn’t find it in her to have an ounce of respect for Mark personally.  Professionally, however, the man knew how to put on a 5 star WrestleMania performance and always outshined everyone else while making his opponent look amazing.  Granted, there was malice and hatred in the ring between them, but both were professional enough and loved wrestling too much to let their personal lives ruin the match.  When it was all said and done, Phil was banged up pretty good, but able to leave the ring on his own.  So did Mark.  Anisa didn’t care about Phil winning the match and breaking the Streak, her only concern being her brother had survived.  Heyman was delighted, acting like a proud father complimenting his son on a fine job.  Phil cracked a small smile, hating that he didn’t win, but he also didn’t want to be responsible for breaking the iconic WrestleMania Undefeated Streak of the Undertaker’s either.  Ex-brother-in-law or not, that was a huge part of the wrestling industry and a big moneymaker for this particular event.

 

“Phil!” Anisa rushed to him as soon as he came through the curtain, immediately draping an arm over her shoulders while Heyman had the other side. “You did amazing out there, bro.”

 

“Thanks.” Phil muttered, his body sore from head to toe and was in dire need of a cold shower or even an ice bath.

 

Michelle didn’t bother making a snide crack at Anisa, her eyes only for her husband and pure concern adorned her face.  Mark shoved her away and walked over to Phil, eyes narrowed to slits.  Anisa was sure he would make a scene and try to finish Phil off right there in MetLife Stadium, but he surprised everyone again by extending his hand.  Not wanting a speck of Mark’s respect, Phil hocked the biggest wad of spit in the man’s hand and broke away from Heyman and his sister.

 

“Stay away from my sister, Deadman.”

 

It was the only warning Mark would get and Phil didn’t give him time to respond to it, simply walking away with Anisa, Heyman and Mia in tow.  April ran up to them with an ice pack and placed it on Phil’s ribs, knowing he hit hard with the leap off the top rope during the match.  She didn’t spout off questions and took Heyman’s spot, draping his arm over her shoulders, nodding at Anisa.  Together, they arrived in Phil’s dressing room and stopped in the doorway, everyone surprised to see Melanie standing in it.  Phil smiled genuinely, happy to see her again and she looked outstanding in a simple lavender dress that went to her knees, spaghetti strapped with matching heels on her feet.

 

“What are you doing here?” April demanded, wondering who this rat was in her friend’s locker room and blinked when Phil pushed away from his escorts.

 

“Glad you could make it.” He murmured softly, taking her hand pressing a kiss to the back of it.

 

Anisa frowned, wondering what was going on since the last time she spoke to Phil, he planned on making things right with Coralie.  She had no idea what to say or think, especially when Melanie reached up to caress his face with the back of her hand.  When did this happen?  Granted, Melanie had been Phil’s escort to the Hall of Fame ceremony due to Coralie’s disappearance, but now they were staring at each other and touching affectionately.  Even April was stunned into silence, looking at Anisa to see if she knew anything about this.

 

“Come on, the shower is already going for you and I have your clothes set out.”

 

“Just a minute.” Phil turned to face his sister and April, seeing the perplexity on their faces and merely shrugged. “I tried.  And we’re over.”

 

That was his explanation and if nobody liked the fact he was moving on with his life, that was their problem.

 

~!~

 

“So…Phil and my lawyer…”

 

Anisa nodded, draping her arms around Jon’s neck while they swayed slowly to the soft music filling the room at the WrestleMania after party. “Apparently.  I thought he was gonna try getting Coralie back, but all he said was he tried and they’re over.” She frowned thoughtfully and Jon kissed her to make her smile.

 

“Sometimes shit doesn’t work out, Ani.  Now enough about them, let’s focus on us.” Jon tightened his arms around her waist, not minding the slow dancing and enjoyed the chiffon material of her dress brushing his arms. “I need to tell you something that’s gonna happen during our 5 days off.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“I was gonna wait and tell you once we got to Vegas Tuesday night after the taping, but…I don’t want any secrets between us.” Jon took a deep breath, lacing their fingers together to rest over his heart. “I have a court hearing on Friday to start my divorce.  If the cunt doesn’t show up, Melanie told me the judge will grant me a divorce on the spot instead of making me wait.”

 

The biggest smile crossed her face and Anisa couldn’t help kissing him, cupping his face tenderly in her hands. “Thank you for telling me.”

 

She wouldn’t be able to go with Jon because the lawyer didn’t need to know he had a girlfriend while still married.  It would be considered infidelity, even though Trina Michaels had cheated on him first.  Two wrongs didn’t make a right.  The fact Jon told her about the court hearing and didn’t keep it from her warmed Anisa’s heart, giving her more faith in their relationship.  Anisa wrapped her arms around his neck hugging Jon tightly against her, the smile on her face slowly disappearing at the sight of Bray eyeing her across the room.  Sleeping with him had been the biggest mistake of her life and there was no fixing or taking it back.  He had to accept she was in love with Jon and wanted to be with him.  She’d been honest with Bray from the beginning before they had sex about her feelings for Jon, so it wasn’t entirely her fault he was hurt.

 

“Let’s get out of here.” Anisa pulled back to stare deep in Jon’s blues, caressing his bottom lip with her thumb. “I want to be alone with you.”

 

They hadn’t been there long, but it was enough of an appearance as far as Jon was concerned. “Mmm tempting…” He rasped in her ear, rubbing her lower back just above her backside. “What will we do alone?”

 

“I’m sure we can think of a few things.” Anisa laced their fingers together and guided Jon off the dance floor, a seductive smile curving her lips. “I think we should start with me giving you a full body massage.  You worked so hard tonight and I’m sure those muscles could use some attention.”

 

Jon groaned low in his throat, following his beautiful woman anywhere she wanted to go. “Or maybe I’ll just fuck you until we both pass out from exhaustion.” He yanked her flush against his body and passionately kissed her, both of them tumbling into the coat room kicking the door shut behind them.

 

They would make it to the hotel eventually.

 

Chapter 59

 

Ringing from his cell phone woke Phil up, his eyes slowly opening at the annoying sound and he scrubbed a hand down his face.  Every part of his body screamed from head to toe, sore to the touch.  It didn’t help he didn’t get much sleep the previous night or hadn’t taken care of his body post-match.  Grunting, Phil cracked his neck and knuckles, glancing at the clock seeing it was just after 7 AM.  Who the hell was calling him this early in the morning?  Blinking to clear his vision more, Phil snatched his cell phone from the nightstand and felt his heart nearly stop at the name flashing across the screen.

 

Coralie.

 

He’d left her countless voicemails and text messages begging to contact him, not hearing a word.  Why was she calling after avoiding him all this time?  He meant what he said to Anisa and April.  Phil was done with Coralie and they had to go their separate ways.  So if this was her calling to get him back because it was convenient for her, he would hang up without thinking twice.  Gritting his teeth and swallowing his anger down, Phil swiped his finger across the screen and pressed the talk button, pressing it to his ear.

 

“Didn’t think I’d hear from you again.”

 

“Phil…” Coralie sobbed in reply, tears flowing freely down her cheeks while clutching the phone to her ear like a lifeline. “I-I’m s-so sorry…”

 

“Cora, what’s going on?  Why are you crying?” Phil jumped out of bed and could hear commotion mixing with Coralie’s sobbing. “Where are you?”

 

She didn’t have much time to explain. “That’s not important right now.” Coralie somehow injected strength into her voice enough to stop the stammering. “I-I don’t know how long I have to talk to you, so just let me speak.”

 

What the hell was she talking about?  Phil felt cold suddenly and looked out the window of his bus, seeing they were parked outside of the hotel.  Raw would be at the IZOD Center where Axxess had been only a few days ago, so they didn’t have to change hotels or location.

 

“Coralie…”

 

Phil saying her name just made her cry harder, heart constricting tightly in her chest and Coralie pressed further against the wall she curled up against. “I love you, Phillip Brooks.  I hate that we’ve been fighting and I’m sorry for avoiding you.  I’m sorry about it all.  I just wish you would’ve told me why you were so angry with me.  I wish we could’ve worked it out and I’d give anything to redo the past month.  But it’s too late now…”

 

Her words chilled Phil to the bone and he suddenly had a hard time breathing. “Coralie…” He tried again, but she cut him off and started talking.

 

“You’re the only one for me.  It was always you, Phil.  I’m just so sorry it has to end like this…”

 

Now he was officially scared. “Coralie, what do you mean?  You’re not making any sense…”

 

Closing her eyes, Coralie tried blocking out the chaos surrounding her and never let go of the phone, trembling from head to toe. “Don’t forget me.  Keep me in your heart always and-”

 

The line went dead.

 

“Coralie?  CORALIE?!” Phil shouted, pulling the phone from his ear and could swear he heard shrieking right before the call cut off.

 

“Phil, what’s going on?” A soft voice asked from behind and tear-filled hazel eyes stared back at a sleepy confused Melanie, a sheet wrapped around her body. “Why are you crying?”

 

Reaching up, Phil touched his wet cheeks and felt the tears continuously falling from his eyes, not realizing he’d been crying. “I – I don’t know…” He looked down at the phone in his hand and dropped it on the bed, cupping his near bald head in his hands. “T-That was Coralie…Something’s wrong…”

 

Melanie frowned, moving to sit on her knees beside him and rubbed his shoulders, trying to get him to calm down a little. “Talk to me, what did she say?” She coaxed soothingly, caressing his head and sighed when Phil pulled away from her to run to the bathroom, the sound of vomiting through the door filling her ears moments later.

 

~!~

 

“Coralie’s dead, Phillip.”

 

Phil shut his eyes tightly as soon as Maggie said those words and Coralie’s phone call earlier that morning suddenly made sense.  Perfect, heartbreaking sense.  Unbeknownst to everyone, Coralie had scheduled time off after WrestleMania to fly to Switzerland to spend time with Maggie during her treatments.  They were going well and the doctors had hope she would survive the cancer.  Coralie’s caught a late flight after helping take down the WrestleMania set last night and it crashed a little after 7 AM that morning.  The commotion and screaming he heard through Coralie’s sobs had been other passengers crying out for their lives.  It was well past 3 PM, 8 hours after Coralie’s tearful goodbye call, when Maggie called and informed him the plane crashed.  There were no survivors because the plane exploded on impact.  He sat there cold as stone listening to Maggie’s broken sobs and could feel his own heart shattering repeatedly in his chest.  Maggie had no idea he’d heard Coralie’s final words and he didn’t tell her because it would make her emotional pain worse.

 

They hung up and Phil stared at the floor, not hearing Melanie step out of the bathroom or feel her sit beside him on the bed until her hand touched his.  Red swollen hazel eyes snapped up to consoling brown and Phil broke down completely, sinking to the floor with Melanie sobbing violently.  Coralie was dead.  She was gone and Phil never got the chance to find out the truth from her regarding the video or make things right between them.  She died not knowing the reason why he’d shunned her and the guilt ate at his insides.  At that moment, Phil would’ve given anything, even his own life, to see Coralie alive one more time and come clean about everything, including sleeping with Melanie.  Technically, in Phil’s mind, they were split up and the last time they’d been together, he’d treated her horribly.  This was his karma – she was taken away from him as a punishment and Phil couldn’t handle it anymore, grabbing the nearest wastebasket to empty the contents of his stomach.

 

“You have to tell the others.” Melanie glanced at the clock and saw it was just after 4 PM, so Phil had enough time to gather everyone in their friend circle to tell them about Coralie’s death. “Do you want me to go with you?”

 

“No.” Phil shook his head, wiping his eyes and peeled himself off the floor of his bus bedroom, voice remaining low. “I need to do this alone.  I hope you understand…”

 

Melanie nodded with a sad smile and pressed her lips to his cheek. “Call me later.” She left the bus to give Phil a few minutes alone to recollect his thoughts and mourn over the loss of his ex-girlfriend.

 

~!~

 

“What is this about, bro?  And why do you look like you just lost your best friend?”

 

Because he had.  Phil couldn’t come clean about Coralie until everyone came to Jon and Anisa’s suite, keeping his emotions bottled up the best he could.  He remained quiet and stared at the television, not really watching it because all he could think about was Coralie’s last words to him.  Always and…what?  What did she want to say before the plane crashed?  Knocking on the suite door jolted Phil out of his thoughts and he watched Randy guide Ryanne inside followed by Colby, Krystal, Joe and Mia.  The whole gang had gathered and Phil couldn’t believe he had to be the one to drop this bomb on them with only hours until Raw went live.

 

“Anyone want something to drink?” Anisa offered cordially, looking over her shoulder at Jon gathering bottled water for everyone. “Thanks, Dr. Feel Good.”

 

Jon winked at her, cracking a small smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “No problem, darlin’.” His blue eyes turned to Phil along with everyone else, wondering why he had them all congregated here.

 

“I can’t do this…” Phil stood up and started for the door, but Anisa stopped him, blinking at the tears sliding down her brother’s face.

 

“Phil, what’s wrong?  What happened?” She cupped his face with her hands and could see all the anguish swirling through his eyes. “You can’t leave like this.  Something happened and it involves all of us.”

 

All he could do was nod, clinging to his sister like a lifeline and hated how he was about to break her heart with this news. “S-She’s gone…” He whispered out, pulling away from Anisa to drive his fist as hard as he could into the nearest wall.

 

Jon immediately pulled Anisa away from her brother, not wanting her in harm’s way and couldn’t remember ever seeing Phil lose his temper like this. “Who are you talking about?” He spoke up, holding Anisa back since she tried getting past him to go to Phil. “He’s dangerous, Ani.”

 

“He’s my brother, now let me go over there!” Anisa was worried sick about her sibling and managed to push past Jon, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her waist. “Jon!”

 

Randy held Ryanne against him while Colby and Joe protected their women, refusing to let them get hurt because of Phil’s breakdown. “Calm down, man.” Randy stood up from the couch and made Ryanne stay behind, knowing if anyone could get through to Phil it was him.  They were best friends and had been for a while. “Who are you talking about?  Who is gone?”

 

Looking up through tears, Phil gripped Randy’s shoulders tightly and kept his head lowered, shaking from head to toe. “I fucked up.  I fucked up bad, Randy…” He dropped to his knees and Anisa elbowed Jon in the stomach as hard as she could, immediately wrapping her arms around Phil’s upper body from behind.

 

“It’s gonna be alright, bro.  Just breathe before you hyperventilate.” Anisa was scared for her brother’s mental wellbeing and wondered if something happened to Melanie, remembering they were now seeing each other. “How did you fuck up?”

 

“It’s Coralie…” Phil felt like razor blades caught in his throat the second her name came out of his mouth and he cried harder, everyone in the room having his undivided attention.

 

It took a while, but Phil managed to tell them what happened to Coralie and how she died.  Anisa could only stare at her brother in shock, tears following and Jon held her close while she cried her heart out, mourning one of her dear friends.  She thought one day Coralie would be her sister-in-law and now she was gone…dead.  Ryanne crumbled against Randy and he had to take her out of the room, keeping his own emotions in check, to try calming her down.  It wasn’t good for the baby for her to get all worked up since it was a high risk pregnancy.  Joe held Mia tightly in his arms while she sat straddled his lap, weeping into his neck fiercely.  Krystal didn’t know Coralie well, but cried anyway for the simple fact her friends were in pain over losing a loved one.  Even Colby cried.

 

“W-When are the services?” Anisa quietly asked after an hour of straight crying, accepting tissues Jon handed her.  They did no good except to blow her nose since it was stuffed up.

 

Phil had calmed down considerably, feeling completely drained of energy and slumped back on the couch. “I don’t know yet.  Maggie is flying back in 2 days to help set everything up with the family.” She would be flying back to Switzerland after the funeral to keep receiving treatment. “I’m not going.”

 

“Phil…”

 

“No Anisa, I’m not going to her funeral with all of her family there staring at me like an alien or some shit.” Coralie’s family never accepted Phil and he would end up snapping every one of her relatives in half if he went. “I’m having my own ceremony for her.  There’s no body, so…” He couldn’t go on, lowering his head and covered his face with his hands.

 

Anisa looked up at Jon, wondering if he would mind spending some of their 5 days off at Phil’s penthouse in Chicago. “We’ll be there.” She didn’t break eye contact with Jon, waiting for him to put up some kind of argument.  He didn’t. “Saturday, let’s plan to do it then.  You’re doing it in Chicago, right?”

 

Phil nodded, feeling a massive headache forming and knew he had a lot to do before Saturday arrived. “None of you have to come since you all have plans of your own.”

 

“The hell we don’t!” Mia snapped, standing up and walked over to Phil, shoving him back against the couch with tears streaming down her face. “You better have my fucking room ready and I’m making a feast in her honor.  And I don’t wanna hear any bullshit about not coming, do you understand me, Phillip?”

 

“Whoa gorgeous, calm down…” Joe blinked, not expecting his woman to lash out like she had since Mia stayed quiet besides crying until now. “We’ll be there, man.  We wouldn’t miss it.” His family’s gathering was on Friday, so it wouldn’t interfere with any plans they had.

 

“Same here.” Colby chimed in, looking down at Krystal and could tell she wanted to be there with all of her newfound friend for moral support.

 

Anisa stood up from Jon’s lap shakily and walked over to stare out the window, trying to wrap her mind around the fact Coralie was gone. “What about Randy and Ryanne?” Coralie was supposed to be the godmother of her unborn child and that made Anisa’s heart break all over again.

 

“I’ll talk to them, see if they’re up to coming.” Phil replied softly, noticing his sister’s tense posture and decided it was time to leave to get ready for Raw.  The show had to go on, no matter what. “I’ll see you at the arena.”

 

Once everyone left, Jon walked up to Anisa and wrapped his arms around her waist, handing over an unlit cigarette.  They silently walked out on the balcony and he never released her, both of them thinking about the times they spent with Coralie.  She would always be a sister in Anisa’s heart and it didn’t matter Phil never married her.  Family didn’t always have to be blood.  Coralie was family and always would be, which is why everyone was taking time out of their 5 day break to pay homage to her.

 

“She’s really gone.” Anisa slowly turned around to look in Jon’s eyes and leaned into his thumbs brushing her tears away. “I blamed her for what happened between her and my brother.  I was a horrible friend to her and there’s nothing I can do to change it now or make it better.  She’s dead, Jon.”

 

“I know, darlin’.”

 

Jon pulled her into his arms, letting her cry against him as much as she needed to while looking up at the sky.  Storm clouds were rolling in and a flash of lightning streaked across the sky, igniting the skyline followed by a torrential downpour of rain.  He could only hope wherever Coralie was now she watched over them and realized how much she was loved while alive.

 

Chapter 60

 

Trina Michaels was found guilty and ordered by the judge to pay Jon back for all the divorce documents he sent her to be signed.  That added up to be around $13,000, but the judge bumped it to $20,000 for emotional distress on Jon’s behalf.  Then she had $20,000 in court fees, which covered the judge, Jon and her lawyers along with all the time Trina wasted with her pathetic lies and excuses.  When it was all said and done, she had to fork over $53,000 and she cut a check before leaving the courthouse.  It was either that or Trina would end up going to jail to work off her fines.  Being in the porn industry, the judge highly recommended Trina didn’t go that route and she agreed with him.  Not only that, but Jon’s divorce was granted immediately and there would be no waiting for it to be processed.  Melanie had come through in more ways than one and Jon would never be able to repay her for all the help.  He also owed Mia since it was because of her Jon ended up having Melanie for a lawyer and getting Trina out of his life forever.

 

“You rock.” Jon complimented, walking out of the courthouse a free man and stopped Melanie, gripping her shoulders gently. “I mean it, Mel.  Thank you for everything you did.”

 

Melanie smiled softly with a nod and took his hands off of her shoulders to hold them in front of her. “You didn’t deserve to be jerked around as long as you were.  And if you want, we can sue the hell out of your former lawyer and get him for fraud and god knows what else he did illegally.  Only if you want too though.”

 

Jon shook his head, having a check for $20,000 in his wallet he had to deposit in his savings account before heading home. “Fuck it.  I have everything I want in my life and I don’t need the blood money.  I have plenty with my job.  The only thing I want to do is leave here and go home to my woman.”

 

“Understood.  If you change your mind, you know how to get a hold of me.” Melanie walked past him down the stairs and then stopped, turning around to look up at Jon. “Tell Anisa I said hi.”

 

“Will do, take care, Mel.”

 

It took 10 minutes to deposit the check from Trina in his savings account and another 20 to get home since he lived on the outskirts of Vegas.  While driving, he thought back to the past few days alone with Anisa and couldn’t wipe the smile from his face if he tried.  Wednesday was spent sexing it up in every room of his 2 bedroom condo, both not able to get enough of each other.  Thursday rolled around and it was time for the inevitable talk.  Anisa woke up and told Jon she was finally ready to hear what he had to say, to hear his side of the story with Trina Michaels.  It took him a while, but Jon didn’t leave out any details and told her everything, how he’d basically been tricked into marrying Trina in a thick drunken haze. 

 

Anisa felt stupid for the way she treated Jon and he simply said he didn’t blame her for cutting him off.  They both vowed to never lie and keep secrets from each other again as long as they were in a relationship.  So far, this had been the best 5 days off Jon had in a long time and it wasn’t over yet.  In the morning, they were catching a flight to Chicago to stay goodbye to Coralie properly at Phil’s.  Then coming back to Vegas for their final day off before going back on the road for Raw on Monday.

 

Stepping inside his condo, Jon heard silence and knew Anisa was napping in the bedroom.  He hadn’t let her get much sleep over the past couple of days, making up for lost time and decided to let her rest.  Pulling out some hamburger patties he defrosted the night before, Jon opened the package and began seasoning them, deciding to make lunch.  Anisa cooked every meal since they’d been in Vegas and it was Jon’s turn to return the favor.  He wasn’t the best cook in the world, but Jon could grill up some delicious burgers and make some sides to go with them.  Potato salad and chips – simple and easy to clean up.  Once the burgers were seasoned, Jon walked out on his patio and turned the grill on before checking on his girlfriend.

 

“Hey, I didn’t know you were up.” Jon said by way of greeting, walking over to Anisa standing at the window and gently held her hips. “What’s on your mind, darlin’?”

 

“Coralie.” She admitted softly, wiping a few stray tears away from her eyes. “I just keep wondering what would’ve happened if I didn’t ignore and cut her out of my life because of my brother.  She might still be with us if she didn’t get on that plane and run off to see her sick Aunt Maggie in Switzerland.  I should’ve been there for her and asked about the video instead of letting my brother handle it.  He’s just as stubborn, if not more, than I am.  And now she’s gone.  I’ll never see her again…”

 

Jon cradled her head when Anisa turned her face into his chest, tears soaking through his t-shirt.  Truthfully, he hadn’t thought much of Coralie’s death since they got to Vegas because he put all of his focus into Anisa.  There was nothing he could say or do to make her feel better about the situation either.  Only time would heal the wound Coralie’s death left in everyone’s lives she’d been part of.  He sighed, resting his cheek on top of her head and stroked her back, holding Anisa close never wanting to let her go.  Pulling back, Jon kissed her tears away and pressed his forehead to hers, softly brushing her lips with his.

 

“So how was the trial?” Anisa asked, changing the subject and hooked her arm through Jon’s to guide him out of the bedroom.

 

“Let’s get you a glass of wine and I’ll tell you all about it, darlin’.”

 

~!~

 

Mia never felt more accepted and loved by anyone as much as Joe’s family, getting along with everyone.  His sisters Summer, Myritza and Vanessa accepted her right away and Matt already thought of her as a sister.  Joe called his parents and told them what happened with Mia’s family, or as much as he knew anyway.  They promised to keep it a secret and didn’t treat Mia any differently than they had the first time she met them.  As promised, Patty cooked up a feast to celebrate Joe’s first WrestleMania victory and made sure Sika cleaned out the pool.  She wanted everything to be perfect.

 

“How about a bonfire tonight?” Joe suggested over dinner later that day, wanting to use the new fire pit his parents purchased a few months ago. “We can make s’mores.”

 

“Hell yeah!” Matt crowed, high-fiving his brother with a grin while the sisters rolled their eyes.

 

Joe ended up getting his way, being the baby of the family had perks and he took Mia out where the fire pit was to set everything up. “This is such a beautiful property.” Mia sighed wistfully, looking around at the large backyard Sika and Patty had. “You could build at least 3 houses their size on this land.”

 

“I know.” Joe grinned, snapping some thick tree sticks on his muscular thighs and tossed them in the pit, suddenly having an idea. “Come with me for a minute.  I wanna show you something.”

 

Mia eyed Joe suspiciously, remembering the last time he said that and shook her head. “Not at your parents’, Joseph.” She scolded, trying to stop the smirk from curving her mouth.

 

He chuckled, taking her hand and walked away from the fire pit further down the stretch of land. “Don’t worry, I won’t attack you here, but once we get back to my house, all bets are off.”

 

Arching a brow, Mia let Joe guide her wherever he wanted and stopped a few minutes later, both of them staring at a treehouse with a ladder attached. “What is this?” She looked up at him with wide dark eyes and saw a big smile on his face, turning her gaze back up to the treehouse.

 

“Matt and I built this with Dad when we were kids.  Well, I was a kid and Matt was an adult, but you know what I mean.  We’re 16 years apart.” Joe hadn’t been back here in ages, never having time whenever he visited because of his hectic work schedule. “I wanted to share something personal with you, something not a lot of people know about me.  And this place is special.”

 

His words touched her deeply and Mia leaned up to softly kiss him before they went to the ladder to climb up to the treehouse.  Once up top, Mia stuck to Joe’s side like glue since heights bothered her a little and looked around, seeing art plastered all over the walls.  They were drawings Joe and Matt did over the years, Matt a little better than Joe.  It was still adorable nonetheless.  Joe had to keep his head ducked since the treehouse wasn’t big enough for him anymore, but it was sturdy to hold the weight.  He wasn’t a little boy anymore.  Pulling something out of a wooden crate, Joe turned to face Mia and took her hand, kissing the back of it.

 

“When I was 8 years old and Matt was 24, we had a talk one night before Matt’s college graduation and made a vow that, if we ever found the love of our lives, we’d bring them to our treehouse and give them this.” Joe placed something in her hand and Mia looked down, her eyes growing wide at the wooden box.

 

“What is this?”

 

“Open it and find out.”

 

Mia felt tears swell in her eyes, staring back at a small piece of wood with her name engraved in it. “Joe…”

 

“This piece of wood is part of the treehouse.” He took it out of the box and moved over to the corner where he’d broken the piece off at age 8 with Matt’s help, putting it in the wooden box their father made. “Mandy’s is on the other side.” Joe pointed to where it said Mandy Anoa’i with a smile and felt Mia tremble against him. “Madison and Jordan’s are up here too by hers.”

 

“What are you trying to tell me, Joe?” Mia had to ask, watching him place the piece of the treehouse with her name on it back where it belonged and it fit perfectly.

 

Lowering to one knee in front of her, Mia gasped through tears as Joe pulled out a second wooden box and placed it in her hand, taking her free one in his. “Mia Malik, I love you more than anything in this universe and I don’t care about our heritages or how different we are.  You belong with me and I belong to you.  Just like this treehouse, we came into each other’s lives and took pieces from each other’s hearts.  I don’t know about you, but the piece I have from your heart will always stay where it’s supposed to and the piece of this treehouse with your name on it represents that.  I meant it when I said my family has more than enough love for you.  They adore you, we love each other and now I’m asking you to be mine completely.  In my treehouse and giving you a piece of my heart, will you be my wife?”

 

Mia hadn’t opened the box yet and felt tears flood down her cheeks, nodding without hesitation. “Of course I will.” She didn’t care what the ring looked like and captured Joe’s mouth in a passionate kiss, clinging to him with every ounce of strength she had.

 

Breaking the kiss, Joe opened the box for her and slid a beautiful three stoned princess cut diamond ring set on a white gold band on her left ring finger. “SHE SAID YES!!” He roared out of the treehouse and an eruption of applause made Mia look out the open window, eyes shot open at the sight of Joe’s big family.

 

~!~

 

The group of friends all stood around the beautiful lilac tree with cans of beer, two of Coralie’s favorite things.  Coralie planted the tree when she first moved in with Phil because they were her favorite flower and she felt like a piece of her was always there, even when she was gone on the road.  It was the only place Phil could think of to have a proper goodbye ceremony in her honor.  Krystal called and gave him the idea of making rocks with one thing etched in them Coralie loved.  They would be placed under the lilac tree in a circle and represented their unbreakable friendship.  So Phil told her to do it, telling her to call everyone and get one word from them to etch in the rocks.

 

Jon           Spirit

Anisa        Sister

Mia           Genuine

Joe           Hope

Krystal       Peace

Colby                Funny

Ryanne      Best Friend

Randy       Family

 

The final rock had the picture of a rose on it, signifying her last name with a C and R on either side.  It sat in the front of the tree and connected all the other rocks in a circle.  Everyone stepped up, said the word or small phrase they chose to have engraved in their rock and placed it under the tree followed by a swig of beer.  There were TIKI torches lit on either side of the tree and the moon shined down brightly on them, those being the only light.  The lilacs on the tree hadn’t bloomed yet, but they would in June and Phil couldn’t wait to smell them.  It would always remind him of Coralie.  Everyone drank beer and headed back inside the penthouse, but Phil stayed outside by the tree staring at it for a while, contemplating what he was supposed to do without Coralie in his life.

 

“It’s getting chilly out here, bro.” Anisa said from the doorway and walked over to join her brother, wearing one of Jon’s sweatshirts to keep warm.  It was early April and the first signs of spring were shown, but it was still cold at night. “You should come inside.”

 

“Where’s Jon?” Phil asked, crushing his bottled water and tossed it in the trashcan nearby, rubbing his temples.  He was still straight edge and had made one exception due to the ceremony for Coralie, only taking a sip of his beer before tossing the rest of it.

 

“Sleeping.  He’s exhausted.  I couldn’t sleep and wanted to check on you.” She hopped up on the wooden picnic table beside Phil and grabbed a beer, understanding why her brother wasn’t drinking.  Didn’t mean she couldn’t. “This was a very nice thing you did for her, you know.  She’s up there smiling down on all of us.”

 

“I hope so.” Phil lowered his head, trying to hold tears back. “I loved her, Nisa.  I really did and I treated her like complete shit all because of a bogus video.  I thought she cheated on me with Luke Harper and I was wrong.” He let Anisa comfort him by rubbing his back. “I can only hope she forgives me now.”

 

Anisa leaned her head on his arm, holding his hand and could only imagine the amount of guilt her brother felt after what happened. “She does.  That’s just who Coralie was, Phil.  She didn’t let a lot bother her and she died knowing you loved her, even though you two were at odds.  So don’t beat yourself up about it anymore.  Forgive yourself and move on with Melanie.  She’s a great woman and no, I’m not saying that just because Jon is divorced and all mine now.”

 

Chuckling in spite of everything, Phil glanced over at his sister and draped an arm around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head. “Thanks sissy, I needed to hear that.”

 

Throughout the rest of the days off, the circle of friends decided to stay at Phil’s.  Nobody knew what the future held.  Ryanne’s pregnancy was going strong, Krystal and Colby had decided to move in together, Joe and Mia were engaged to be married, Phil had invited Melanie to spend time with him since he was officially on leave from the WWE and Jon and Anisa were slowly rekindling their relationship.  In a way, Coralie’s death had opened a lot of doors and made her friends take leaps of faith they normally wouldn’t.  They were each other’s solace to help get over the death of their fallen friend.

 

The End.