Chapter 14

There was no way she was saying she couldn't live without him though, refusing to put her heart on the line again. He stared down at her, more pissed off with Adam at the moment for that ballsy little stunt of his than anything. Though her words did register and Taker finally nodded, his nostrils flared, mouth a thinly compressed grim line.

He knew the next question one of them needed to ask was what happened next because, obviously, they couldn't go back to how things were before. They couldn't just pick up the pieces as if nothing had ever happened. He was thinking like a woman now...He scrubbed a hand down his face, sighing heavily.

Lavani wanted to ask him what he wanted, if he still even wanted to be with her or if he wanted to walk away to save himself more heartache. She hadn't meant to hurt him by leaving, but she'd been manipulated into thinking he had cheated on her. The feeling that she wasn't enough for him had ripped her to shreds and she cried for months.

He wasn't saying anything, not a damn thing, and Lavani completely defeated just as the doors opened, willing herself to step off. When he followed, Lavani raised a brow and knew she couldn't be seen with him, not after screwing with John earlier on that day on the plane. Lavani was regretting doing that now, but at the same time, what's done was done and she couldn't change it.

"He owns my contract." Lavani informed him in a whisper, taking a shaky breath.

"So break the damn thing." He said, his own voice low, walking faster when she did. She wasn't running off again, damn it. "It wouldn't be the first time."

She had broken her contract with Vince for him, broken another contract in running and leaving...the woman wasn't going soft on him now. If they were ever going to find some kind of peace, or reconcile, then she had to break her ties to Layfield. No two ways about it. Of course, there was always the option of him just breaking Layfield...Taker liked that option better.

"No." They arrived in the stairwell and Lavani stopped to face him, looking up into his eyes, every part of her filled with conflict on what to do. "I can't break another contract, Taker." Leaning back against the wall, Lavani folded her arms in front of her chest, looking troubled. "Look I'm going to be completely honest with you about something and you can still walk away from me if you want to. I sorta...I had to..." She felt sick at the memory of having John's tongue shoved down her throat. "I kissed him, okay? I had to find some way to make him think I was still loyal to him and that I hated you so...Look I'm not a saint, I didn't fuck him." Now she was rambling and shuddered at the thought of having sex with John. "I just...I made out with him on the plane. Touching and kissing, that's all that happened. And I have a feeling he enjoyed it a little TOO much, if you get my drift."

Oh he caught her drift all right, and Taker had to fight down several conflicting emotions, aimed at both her and Layfield. She had...made out with John Bradshaw Layfield...he could not keep the disgust from rolling through him, all too easily able to picture them together. On the other hand, he understood the motives because it was something he might have done himself, if he were ever in her position, which he never had been and never would be. Finally, he simply nodded, staring down at her intently. She looked ill, as ill as he felt, and that was a bit of a cheering thought.

"He's dead."

"You can't just go killing him." She stopped him before he could start walking away from her, forcing him to listen to her. "Taker, he HAS to believe that I am fully on his side and not yours." She stood on the step a few above him, having stopped him from walking down, eye level with him. "I want to get away from him and I will, I just have to figure out how to do it."

He couldn't just go attacking John because of her, that wasn't the way to handle this. Lavani was the one who practically threw herself at John just to get him to fully trust her. If Taker went out and tried killing him, her plan would blow up in smoke, which couldn't happen.

"If you would've just listened and did what I asked, none of this would be happening right now and I wouldn't have had to...do what I did. If you screw this up for me, I will make you regret it. You'll do more damage if you go after him the way I know you want to. And he'll hurt me if he finds out I was screwing with him, do you really want that?"

"He doesn't have to believe anything, not if I'm going to kill him. Corpses don't have thoughts." Taker said calmly, figuring he was being the more rational of the two. If she hadn't decided to get up close and personal with Layfield, then he wouldn't have to kill the man. He wasn't saying that aloud however, frowning down at her. "You're threatening me? Really Vani?" He snorted, folding his arms over his chest. "Woman, right now, short of trying to run again, I am the only option you have for getting out of this fucked up situation. Mind your manners."

"No, I can get out of this fucked up situation in about five months or so. And in the meantime, I can simply continue playing the part of John's assistant."

Shrugging, Lavani walked past him down the stairs, refusing to 'mind her manners' when her neck was on the line. If she ended up having to have sex with John in order to keep the man from hurting her, she would do it. The thought of having to sleep with John sickened her, but if Taker wanted to get an attitude about helping her, then she would do this on her own. She barely got down the first flight of stairs before he stopped her again, grabbing her by the arm and forcefully whipped her around to face him.

"What? I have to go or I'm going to be late getting to the arena, Taker."

"You are a cold-hearted bitch, Vani, you know that? You ask my help, then throw it in my face that you wouldn't be in your situation if I hadn't refused you. Guess what, you wouldn't be in ANY of this if you hadn't run out on me two years ago." He gave her a shake, his teeth gnashing. "So quit with your high 'n mighty attitude and get over it. You. Fucked. Up." Then Taker tossed her over his shoulder. "Layfield is going to fuck you, you know that, right?" He said, heading down the steps with her hitting his back. "Or he'll try. And then when he doesn't get his way, he'll show you what a damn snake he really is."

"Put me down! What are you doing, you damn mongrel?!" Lavani demanded, hitting his back as hard as she could with closed fists, kicking her legs. "You don't want to help me and I'm sick of you throwing the fact that I ran away in my face! I did what I had to do at the time, I'm not apologizing for it anymore!" Hell, she still didn't know if he was telling her the truth. Beating the truth out of Tracy was going to solve that one though, which she already planned on doing on her next days off. "Where the hell are you taking me? Another cemetery so you can play more mind games with me? I'm not the only one who fucked up, you did too!"

"You only wish I had."

Taker snorted derisively, pushing open the door with one hand and stepped out into the side parking lot, feeling the night air cooling him down a bit more. Not enough to stop him from palming her ass with one large hand when she insisted on wiggling. Taker had to give her this much credit, she definitely took care of herself because her ass still felt as firm as it had two years ago.

"Then you would feel morally superior to me again instead of right down in the dirt at my level." He shifted, feeling her sliding down along his body, arms going around her waist as her feet touched the pavement. "And no, not another cemetery...glad you're still thinking about it though." Taker licked his lips, staring down into her toffee eyes, and then bent to brush his lips against hers. "Done fighting me yet?" He murmured huskily.

"What do you want from me? I'm not perfect, I made a damn mistake and I can't keep feeling guilty about it." Lavani whispered, tears shimmering in her eyes.

Lavani hated crying in front of Taker. She never cried this much the last time they were together, hardly ever. When had she grown into such a damn crybaby?

"Are you going to help me or not?"

It was a simple yes or no question, he either wanted to try working things out or he didn't. There was no grey area, no two ways about it. She wasn't apologizing for going with her gut instinct. If he didn't help her, she would deal with John on her own, it was pretty simple.

"I have to if I don't want you fucking him, or vice versa, now don't I?" Taker shot back, with less irritation or starkness then he would have liked.

Tears in those eyes...this woman was going to be his undoing, yet again. What was it about Lavani that kept him coming back? Offering his heart all the while knowing she could and would destroy it? She was his drug, he couldn't live without her. Sighing, he reached out to brush away a tear that slid down her cheek, tracing the pad of his thumb along her cheekbone.

"Got a plan?" He asked softly.

"Somewhat." Lavani had thought about this long and hard while scrubbing herself down in the shower, wondering if Taker would even go along with it. "We have to make him think I'm being forced to do it though." When Taker raised an eyebrow at her, Lavani began pacing back and forth slowly in front of him, getting her mind on track. "The reason I wanted you to take me out of the spa earlier today was because I wanted him to think you had kidnapped me, taken me against my will. If he thinks it's against my will, he won't be able to fault me for it. I need him to think that I'm on his side, so kidnapping me is the only solution I can think of. It'll get me away from him and give us time to...do whatever. You bring me back against my will and tell him you want my contract on the line in a match. You win, you gain my contract and I once again work for you instead of him." She finally stopped pacing and simply looked up at him, chewing her bottom lip.

He could only stare down at her, wondering why on earth she had to make this so damn complicated. "It'd be easier all the way around if you'd just let me kill him." Taker ignored her exasperated sigh and then shrugged. "We'll do it your way." A wicked smirk curved his lips, eyes glimmering in the street lamps that lit the parking lot. "Any specific way you want to do this or can I...improvise?"

"Just don't hurt me again."

That was all Lavani could request from him, her back still incredibly sore and the bruising wouldn't go away for at least a week. He wanted to make her feel guilty about leaving, she could make him feel a little guilt for hurting her in the ring. If he even felt bad for doing it to begin with. Lavani knew it was getting late and John was probably wondering where she was. She had to wrap this up quickly before John started growing suspicious.

"And you have to take me some place he won't know about. Because knowing him, he's already done a background check on you and knows all of your current locations."

"First off, John's about to find all his associates are no longer keen to work for him and snoop around my business. Secondly, stay the hell out of my way and I won't have to hurt you." Taker was being serious, arching an eyebrow when Lavani glowered up at him and shrugged. "Darlin, if you attack me again or try hitching a ride on my back like the other night and I DON'T slam your ass down, it's going to look suspicious."

"Whatever, just do what you want. Because if I don't fight you off and not try to distract you, he will grow suspicious as well. Next Tuesday on Smackdown! we'll do it. It'll give you time to prepare and figure out how you want to do it."

Before she could walk away, Taker stopped her and slipped something into her hand. Lavani blinked and headed to her rental car, really needing to get to the arena. John was going to have a conniption fit and she'd probably have to calm him down with another kiss.

Lavani was not looking forward to doing that and groaned, knowing this was a dangerous game she was playing. Once she was in the car, Lavani opened her hand and saw a key card, looking out the window and could see Taker was already leaving on his motorcycle. Going to his room was definitely risky, she would have to think on it and slipped it into her glove compartment before heading to the arena.

She'd be there, Taker was sure of it, his confidence already rather high. His gear was stored in the saddlebags of his Titan, he was ready to roll. Already his mind was spinning with ideas on just how to 'kidnap' her, snorting at the thought. Layfield really was an idiot when it came to a fine looking woman, but then again, he probably was too since the fine looking in question also had him wrapped. She just didn't fully know it yet and if he was lucky, she never would or else he'd never have another moment's peace.