CHAPTER 10

"Do it again." Mark ordered, watching as Briar pulled herself off the canvas, green eyes narrowed. "Come on girl, grow a damn spine."

"I'm a fucking reptile, I don't have one." She snarled, moving to a kneeling position. They had been doing this for five days now and her initial nervousness had worn off only to be replaced with apprehension. Briar wasn't afraid of hard work, but this was insane. "I'm going to kill myself."

He had taken her through some basic holds, nothing she would probably ever use, at least not with him. That was a laughable notion. Then he had walked her through on how to do other moves that he wasn't doing himself because of his size.

Such as a drop kick, which she had a lot of trouble with though thanks to Mark making her do it over and over again until her knees were bruised; she had almost sprained her wrist but she could get a decent height and pull it off without hurting anyone but herself. Then it had been the clothesline, which she was sure was going to dislocate her shoulder, especially when he suggested she try it on him.

Then Briar had discovered the ropes were actually her friend and gave her a sort of leverage, making up for her lack of strength. So she had learned to throw herself off the ropes and launch her body, which worked a little better. She hadn't knocked Mark down but she did make him stumble.

Usually, someone else was out there with them. Adam or Jay, Glenn had come out a couple times to glower at Mark and basically make silent threats if Mark so much as looked at her wrong. Jeff had come ONCE only for Vince to show up and tell him he was nothing more than a distraction for his already easily distracted wife.

What Briar didn't know was that Mark had informed Vince that Jeff was a distraction for HIM. As in every time Mark seen Jeff, he was tempted to drop whatever he was currently doing just to go kill the little moron. As he would be working with Briar, he wasn't too keen on leaving her hanging to go kill her husband.

Not in front of her at least.

Mark had forgotten about perving on her in favor of making sure she didn't embarrass him out in the ring, wanting to make sure she was properly trained for the ring. They had instantly gone over how to toss yourself off a rope properly, how to take falls –which she could do for the most part without cringing- now it was time for her to learn some moves.

Given her size and frame, he figured she'd probably do best with an aerial assault. He had been right, except for one thing. Briar had a height issue, and to her, being on that top rope was scary as hell. Then to JUMP from it, she had damn near passed out.

"Mark, I don't WANT to do this anymore."

"Briar, I swear to God, I'm going to beat the shit out of you if you don't get your ass up there." He growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was actually glad today it was just them, this way when he did finally kick her cowardly ass, there wouldn't be any witnesses. "I'm not fucking around anymore, you're going to have to learn SOMETHING so get up there!"

Briar scrambled back to the turnbuckle, hesitating for a moment and glanced back at him. The expression on his face made her feel like a child who was about to be taken to the woodshed. Heaving a sigh, she climbed up and then swallowed hard; looking down at the mats. That was a long fall.

To her anyway.

"Now, this time, try not to focus on the floor and focus on-" Mark's eyes widened when she flipped him off, wondering if she had a death wish, it would be so damn easy to push her right now and just claimed she had slipped. He watched as she positioned herself, pacing behind her. As long as she was aiming for him, he was safe. She couldn't hit a- "OOMPH!"

Briar had landed on him.

Now usually with a moonsault, you landed sideways on a person who was generally already down. Occasionally, you could take someone down with one but… As it was, Briar had managed to land herself laying on top of him full length.

"Mother…."

"Thanks for breaking my fall, jackass." She snarled, not amused with him treating her like a child and started pushing herself up. "Let go." Briar ordered when she found her wrists trapped in his hands, instantly freezing. "Now, Mark."

"Stop squirming damn it." He ordered, his grip tightening while his hips involuntarily bucked up; groaning softly. Mark looked up into her face, not missing the panic that was creeping into her eyes and smirked. "Scared?"

"Let go." She whispered harshly. Scared was not the word. It didn't help that he was obviously beginning to enjoy this. No, scared definitely wasn't the word Briar would use; especially when she suddenly found herself pinned to the canvas with him on top of her. "Mark…"

He wasn't paying her any attention at this point, at least not what was coming out of her mouth though his gaze was locked on her pink lips.

"Mark, I mean it."

Mark had a problem, a figurative one as well as the obvious literal that was digging into her. If he kept down the course his body was currently screaming at him too, he'd never ever regain some semblance of trust from her. On the other hand, given this current predicament, he was never likely too either.

"Fuck it." He snarled, pressing his lips to hers in what at first was a brutal kiss, though he did soften it. Not for her comfort but to coax her to open her mouth, his tongue begging entrance that thus far she was refusing him.

He hadn't changed a damn bit. Briar supposed she had always known that but for her own precious illusions, had kept insisting to herself he had. Her comfort had been more important that the reality. Mark never had and never would he, ever, change. He was always going to be the monster she had come to know, and fear.

Briar's scream was lost in his mouth, feeling his tongue sliding against hers and instantly bit down; tasting metallic blood a brief second later. She gagged at the taste but that only seemed to egg Mark on. He groaned in her mouth; deepening the kiss as his hands moved down her body, trying to rouse passion from her.

Which wasn't happening. As far as Briar was concerned, Mark was the anti-christ and this was only happening because she had been stupid enough to lull herself into a false sense of security. Her mind shouted for Jeff, for someone to come out and witness this, to break it up but when had fate ever been kind to her?

There was no time for this self pity bullshit. she hadn't come all this way in the past two years only for Mark to screw it all up.

She bit on his tongue again, this time hard enough to make him pull away with a soft growl of pain. "Get OFF OF ME!"

Mark felt his tongue, staring down at her angrily; not surprised at all to find his tongue bleeding. Her first pathetic bite he had almost been expecting, this sudden growth in balls he had not. "Do you forget who you're talking too?" He demanded, his voice ragged with both passion and anger, a dangerous combination.

"No, I remembered EXACTLY who the fuck you are!" She spat back at him. "I'm not that shell of a girl you can scare anymore, Callaway, so get the fuck up off of me!"

Some fire, he liked that. Almost. Snorting, he bent down to kiss her again, this time foregoing the sure bite of the tongue by keeping it in his mouth. He used one hand to grip her jaw, the other keeping hold of her wrists; prying her clenched teeth apart. "You like blood, don't you, precious?" He sneered, green eyes flashing cruelly. "I always forget how much it turns you on. Though normally it's YOUR blood that gets you going, isn't it my little slashing princess?"

Briar's cheeks flushed a brilliant shade of red.

Mark's lips curved into a smirk, a wicked; mean smirk. "So now it's MY blood that gets you revving, hmm? What else of mine gets you going?"

She couldn't shoot off the reply she already formed, her jaw was firmly being held captive by him.

Letting out a low chuckle, he bent down to once more kiss her, this time making sure to run his bloodied tongue along her teeth; her tongue, the roof of her mouth. Underneath him, Briar had begun thrashing wildly, uselessly trying to free herself. All it was doing was lighting his blood on fire even more.

If she had access to a knife right now, it wouldn't be herself she tried killing, it would be him. When he let go of her wrists completely, she began pulling at his hair; punching him, whatever she could to get him off of and away from her.

Mark bore the assault, in truth it was a turn on, pain had never bothered him too much, unless it took him by surprise; like her sudden bite from earlier. Having his other hand free was worth it anyway, he was intent on taking this as far as he could, very likely she would go running back to her precious husband and then all hell would break loose.

He was actually looking forward to it in a sick sort of way.

It was almost like her dream. Briar's jaw was stiff and locking up from being held this way so long, hot; angry tears pooling in her eyes as Mark reached between their bodies, touching her between her legs. The cotton fabric of her shorts didn't offer any protection at all, nothing more than a slight cloth barrier that wouldn't stop the inevitable.

He next let go of her jaw, though he covered her mouth with his hand; staring down at her lewdly as he licked his lips. "Delicious." He purred evilly, running his tongue over his upper lip; feeling her lips moving beneath his palm, knowing she was either calling for help or cursing him out; probably a mixture of both.

Foolish girl.

It was like being burnt, that was all Briar could liken the feel of Mark's fingers delving beneath the waistband of her shorts and panties. She kept reminding herself he had done something similar to this before and then stopped himself, he would do the same this time.

She was yet again deluding herself.

Mark watched impassively as her head began shaking back and forth, her black hair coming loose from the braid she had done it in. He could see the fear in her eyes, along with the rage and that didn't phase him a bit, he enjoyed it actually. The anger was a refreshing change. Honestly, how long could she stay the damsel in distress?

And it was obvious there wasn't anyone who could protect her so she was going to have to either learn to save herself or just give in to what would be.

And this would be. If not today, then sometime else, but it was coming and they both knew it.

He knew she knew it as well, he could almost see resignation in her eyes. At this point, his hand was resting just over her pubic mound; not doing anything else, more intent on seeing her facial expression. "You know it's only a matter of time." He whispered softly, almost lovingly, though there was no love involved.

Just his desire to have her, possess her and eventually break her.

Briar shook her head no, still defiant even though his fingers were now caressing her intimately, the blush staining her cheeks darkening. Beneath his hand, she was biting her lips; gnawing them until they bled. She clenched her legs together when one of his massive thighs settled on top of them, wondering if he had lost his last reserves of sanity.

He wasn't about to do this out in the middle of an arena, in the center of a ring where anyone could see him. Even HE wasn't that damn bold.

"What's going on out here?" Came Vince's booming voice.

A second later, Mark had snaked his arm around her neck, locking his leg around her and pulled back. "Now this is how you do it, darlin'." He said, his voice for the most part normal, though she could hear the rugged tone he was trying to hide no doubt. "Just make sure you don't actually apply TOO much pressure or you'll-"

"GET THE FUCK OFF ME YOU FUCKING FREAK!"

Vince watched with wide eyes as Mark instantly broke the hold, arching an eyebrow as Briar slid as fast as she could from the ring. He stepped out of her way, not wanting to get bowled over in her haste to run backstage. "What the hell was that about?" He demanded, rounding on the confused looking Mark.

Mark was on his feet, leaning over the ropes, looking concerned. "I don't know, she was fine just a minute ago." He said flatly. "You best have that girl's head examined."

Vince studied Mark for a long moment, remembering everything that had happened before. What Shane had witnessed with his own eyes and ears and the rumors. "You didn't do ANYTHING to her?"

Mark shook his head no.

"Alright. I'll take your word for it, don't prove me wrong, Mark." Vince warned, then glanced back towards where Briar had disappeared, walking off. "If it isn't her damn husband being a fool… it's her being skittish…" He muttered as he walked backstage as well.

If Vince had turned around, he would have seen the most evil grin he would have ever witnessed on Mark's face.

Mark had a new plan, a more amusing plan. Being good wasn't any fun and he wasn't doing so well at pretending he had changed anyways. At least not with her, the object of his attentions. Therefore, he had just changed the agenda.

He was going to go out of his way to either drive Briar insane or make people THINK she was insane, whichever happened first.