It was hard to open her eyes. Her entire body screamed in pain. She was lying on a soft mattress somewhere, and the ceiling she looked up at wasn't recognizable. She heard the sound of flames, and felt the warmth in the room. Someone was taking care of her, and it scared her. She was in an unknown location, and the last thing she remembered was her ex finding her again.

"I told you you couldn't get away from me! Didn't I fucking tell you, muffin?"

She rolled over on her side to try and find the flames she could hear and feel. She whimpered in pain by the simple movement. She was in a living room somewhere, and there on a couch close to a fireplace sat a bald man. He heard her whimper, and turned his head.

"Easy there, muffin," he said.

"Didn't I fucking tell you, muffin?"

She had to get away. If he knew that pet name, he knew her ex. It was her worst fear come true. She was held there against her will with an unknown bodyguard. She rolled out on the floor, trying her hardest to get to the door, but her body cried in pain, and refused to let her get up on feet. Instead she crawled.

He got up from the couch, and he was tall and frightening to look at. He hurried over to her, and tried to help her up. She felt his hands on her back. Skin to skin contact. It wasn't until that second she realized she was naked. He wrapped his arms around her, and despite his touch being gentle, she went into fight mode.

"Let me go!" She screamed.
"Easy, spitfire. I'm not gonna hurt you," he said.
"I don't wanna go back to him!" She screamed.

Her fighting didn't do her any good. He got her back up on mattress with ease. The few seconds trying to fight had made her body hurt even more, so she just laid there, awaiting her fate. To her surprise he pulled the blanket over her again.

"Imagine if I had dragged my entire bed in here. What a fall you would have taken out of it," he chuckled. "Go back to who, muffin?"
"Don't act like you don't know," she cried. "You wouldn't call me that if you don't know."
"Muffin? It's on your necklace," he said.

"You'll wear this fucking necklace like I told you to! You belong to me! If you ever take it off again, I'll fucking brand the word on your skin! You got that, muffin? You are mine!"

She reached up and felt the necklace. He might not have branded the word on her, but it felt like the necklace was burning her. She tried pulling on it, but all the strength had gone.

"Do you want me to take it off you?" He asked.
"I want it gone. I want it destroyed," she said.
"It's just a word," he chuckled.
"It's my doom," she said.

He reached behind her neck, and unlocked the necklace. It felt like a huge weight was lifted off her.

"So not your favorite piece of jewelry?" He asked.
"I hate it. He makes me wear it. It's his pet name for me," she answered.
"Oh, sorry for calling you that. I just thought it was a family pet name or something," he said. "Spitfire it is then. Unless you wanna tell me your name."

He gave her three seconds, but she said nothing.

"No? Okay, suit yourself. I'm Baron, in case you have any interest in knowing my name," he said. "This is my home. I found you in an alley, and took you home. I don't know who did this to you, but someone was clearly angry. And if it's the muffin guy, I take it you want this necklace gone for good. I'm gonna throw it in the fire. You got about five seconds to stop me if you don't wanna see it melt."

He walked slowly over to the fireplace, but she didn't say anything. He threw the necklace in the fire, and looked back at her. A small smile tugged on her lips.

"I found you three days ago," he said.
"Three?" She asked.
"I took care of you. I tended to your wounds. You were already naked when I found you. I promise I haven't touched you in any way inappropriately. I tended to you, and I had you lying on a towel because you couldn't control your body the first day until everything was out of your system. I've never washed that many towels in such a short time in my life before," he said.

She looked down ashamed. She knew it was a body's natural reaction, but he was a stranger, and it was embarrassing.

"You must be thirsty. Three days without anything," he said.

He walked out of the living room, and came back shortly after with a glass of water and a straw. He walked back to her, and sat down on the edge of the mattress. He raised her head with one hand, and helped her drink with the other. He had watched the copper blonde woman for three days, but her electric blue eyes took him by surprise. There was a beautiful woman hidden underneath all the wounds.

"Why do you look like you were dragged naked after a moving car?" He asked.
"Because I was," she answered.

His face fell. It had meant to be a joke. A far out joke that he had only seen happen in movies.

"Is she still alive?"
"She's breathing. Yeah, you're awake, aren't you, muffin? Get her in the car. Becky will tend to her once we get home."
"Should we get some burgers to go?"

Burgers. Like what they had just done to her had been absolutely normal. Typical Sheamus to be hungry at the weirdest times. She had crawled out of the car, forcing her body to that alley next to it, and hid behind a dumpster. That was the last thing she remembered. Apparently they hadn't gone in there to look for her.

"You're safe here," he said.
"Thank you, Baron," she said.

She looked up into his dark brown eyes. He might be tall and scary looking, but his eyes were so full of concern. She had to take a chance on him. What other choice did she have? She could barely move.

"My name is Lyric," she said.
"Fuck! Lyric? Like the Lyric?" He asked. "You're Finn's girl?"
"I... I..." Her eyes filled with tears. "You're taking me back to him, aren't you?"
"No!" He growled.

He placed his hands on her cheeks, and leaned closer.

"Listen to me, Lyric. I'm not taking you to him or anyone else. I don't give a fuck what goes on in that crazy town. I don't run with any of the gangs, and they sure as hell don't control me. I got my own place here where no one bothers me. They're all scared of me," he said.
"Who are you?" She asked.
"Baron Corbin," he smirked. "But you might have heard about me under a different name. I believe they call me the soul stealer."
"Oh my god, you're him?" She whispered. "But you look so..."
"Normal?" He asked. "Handsome maybe? Or do I dare to aim for sexy?"

She blushed, and it made him smirk again. Maybe she actually did see him as sexy. Another joke that had her reacting differently than he thought.

"I've heard about you. They say you kill anyone walking into your property," she said.
"I got a few buried in my backyard. I'm not saying I killed them, but I do own a shotgun," he winked.
"Why aren't I dead then?" She asked.
"You said it yourself. I kill anyone walking into my property. You didn't walk in here. I carried you," he said. "And for the record, I only kill the bad guys that come in here uninvited trying to mess with me, steal my shit, and sometimes even kill me. I don't kill for the fun of it. Like the rest of the town, I just wanna live. I moved out here to be left in peace. I wanna be left alone."
"Then why did you bring me here?" She asked.

He put on a little smile, and gently stroked his fingers over her cheek.

"Because loneliness is a real thing. Because you didn't deserve being left there to lie. And because I felt something when I saw you that I have never felt towards anybody before," he said.
"What?" She asked.
"Some sort of affection. A feeling of belonging. A feeling of wanting to give rather than take," he said. "I'm not stupid or delusional. Once you're better, I won't keep you here against your will. You're free to go, and my door will stay open for you. But right now, please, stay. Heal up before making any decision."

He stood up from the mattress.

"I'll heat up some noodle soup for you. You need something inside you," he said.
"Baron," she said.
"He won't know you're here," he said.
"Baron," she said again.
"No one will know, and that's a fucking promise," he said.
"Baron, shut up for once," she smiled. "Thank you."