Chapter 2
If Joe and Colby didn't stop staring he was going to blow a gasket. It had been a week since he had royally fucked up and kissed the boss's side piece on national tv. Joe hadn't spoken to him since then, Colby had muttered something about his balls and being axed.
The door to the locker room swung open and Greg Maddox stepped in and everyone around got extremely quiet. Sighing met the smaller man's gaze head-on, and simply asked.
"The three of us or just me?"
Greg was a nice enough man, Jon didn't understand with his soft personality how he had survived in their industry for so long? Didn't know if Stephanie or Hunter had taken him under their wing?
"Shield, as a whole."
That earned a grunt from Joe and a colorful 'motherfucker' from Colby. He knew they weren't about to get fired, they were too hot- fined again? Highly likely. And he would pay his friends back, every cent of their fine too. It was his mistake. His fuck up. As they walked to Hunter's makeshift office none of them said a word. Jon was in a pair of jeans and an old 'Mox' shirt, it was well worn and very comfortable- same as for the jeans. The shoes however were brand new and squeak clean.
Once they reached the office Jon knocked and mumbled.
"I will pay you guys back with whatever he is about to hit us with."
"Come."
Joe's response before he opened the door was a hard slap in the back of his head. As the door opened CJ Parks stood with her back to them, her curvy body hunched over Hunters desk slightly as she snapped.
"Absolutely not! I refuse!"
Hunter is leaning backwards in his chair, a hand is rubbing over his eyes. Stephanie is sitting in another chair beside her husband typing on her laptop but at CJ's outburst, she stops and simply stares at the younger woman. When Hunter lowers his hand he sees them and waves them in.
"Good, you here."
That triggers CJ to turn and round on him, she is instantly in his face and snarling.
"This is all your fault. If you would've just kept your hands to yourself."
Colby being the smartass that he is fired back with.
"Lips sweetheart. Not hands, though I think his hands were on you too?"
He throws Joe a look, and Jon would have killed him there on the spot if he hadn't been so fucking fantasicated. Her eyes, that were like warm honey so dark now, so full of passion it made him- HARD. So much so he missed his brother's banter.
"Shut it baby Uce."
Joe's voice is low and smooth, Jon pays it no mind. He has more interesting things to look at. Then there is a caught and the truth comes crashing down around him, the sweet piece that is lighting him up is fucking his BOSS.
The growl slips out before he can stop it.
"Trust me, princess- I am caught up on all my shots."
He watches the horror light up her eyes, then the disgust.
"You're a pig."
Bending down to whisper in her ear, but not bother to lower his voice tone.
"I prefer street dog, darlin."
Watching her jerk away and stumble backwards, seeing her wrap her arms around her waist. He wasn't sure of the unfiltered emotion that flashed across her eyes before she turned to face Hunter again.
"We obviously can't stand each other. This won't work Hunter."
Hunter for his part shakes his head and leans forward, casts Stephanie a look. They look hard at each other for a moment then his wife goes back to typing.
"CJ not all people thought Steph and Chris would work either."
It's then, Jon felt the blood in his veins go slightly cold. The possibilities of that sentence had the 'Mox' character up and paying attention.
"You want me to call her a dirty, filthy, disgusting.."
At his words, Stephanie stops typing again and looks at him crossly. CJ blinks and peeks at him, he can see the curiosity in her eyes. Colby is trying to hold back his laughter. Hunter is not amused.
"Why am I surprised you remember that garbage?"
Shrugging as he jammed his hands in pockets he looked at his Boss.
"Came in handy for a chick when I had to cut her hair in a promo."
Colby who just got himself under control is looking at him oddly and CJ is now openly looking at him and asks.
"You had to cut her hair?"
Meeting her stare he ran his tongue along his upper teeth and smirked.
"Well I was in a hurry and it was stuck in my pants zipper."
It takes her a moment to connect the dots, but when she does he wants to laugh cause her gaze drops to his crotch. Colby breaks the moment before it truly begins.
"Fucking CZW."
Watching as she blushed and quietly sat down he realized he didn't like the sudden quietness so he asked.
"So WHY am I am calling her a .."
Hunter growls and Jon takes his hands out of his pockets and holds them up in surrender. Laughing a little. Hunter tosses them a small-looking packet.
"Change of plans. New storyline. Seems as if the fans liked the little pda you gave last Monday, Good. And with the Shield turning face- creative figures you boys might need insider's help."
Reaching out to pick up the packet, Jon thumbs the first pages. Not too bad then it hits him. The reason why Hunter's side piece was throwing a bitch fit.
"Fuck me sideways."
Stephanie looks at him and simply asks, almost gently.
"Never done a romantic angle before Ambrose?"
Throwing the packet up against Joe's chest he tried weakly instead, looking at Hunter.
"Can't you just fine me instead?"
Hunter sighs and stands up and turns slightly to reach for his jacket that was resting on the back of his chair.
"I wish I could. I would like nothing more than to actually beat the ever-living shit out of you for what you pulled last week. But this is from Vince, in the end, the Shield will break. Don't know if it will be you or Colby yet."
Eyes widen, glancing over to Joe- Hunter understands the look and murmurs softly.
"All in due time. I don't want to rush anything."
Jon can understand where Hunter is coming from concerning his friend. But still- there so much the Shield wanted to do. Needed to do. Hunter seemed to understand this.
"But that's a bit aways yet. But we have to work CJ's debut into the mix since she is not an active talent. I think in a way after your stunt last week, Jon it would have been you either way."
Jon shuffles as Stephanie starts to type again, but CJ moves to curl a hand around Hunter's left forearm. Ballsy move. He had to admit that.
"Me? Why?"
As Jon watched as they moved to the door, it was Stephanie that answered.
"Because you have the most experience with valets. You know how to work with non female talent around the ring."
Murmuring as the door closed behind them, and his blood boils.
"I am used to ring rats Boss Lady - so are you saying I should treat her."
Stephanie stops typing once more and looks at him dead in the eye, and shakes her head.
"Only if you want Paul to come for blood Jon."
It was the use of his first name that caught his attention- followed by
Paul, not Hunter … but … Paul.
Lunch was great, she laughed at his jokes. Asked how his daughters were. The mother in law. Anything but work, and when it turned to work she asked about NXT. She tried not to ask about- HIM.
The same HIM that took up to haunting her dreams over the last week. Ever since that KISS.
Hunter had bellowed at her for fifteen minutes that night after it had happened. He had warned her how wrestlers could be. She had promised she would be careful. She had made friends with a few. The Bella twins, the ring announcer, the backstage interview she had met that first day. And strange enough a man most wouldn't think of. Even if he calls her Cherie.
"So Evolution and the Shield?"
Hunter is cutting his steak up, she reaches for her red wine. It's fruity- he has learned her favorites already.
She knew she couldn't hide from the topic forever. He sighs at her, she is still learning his ticks but understands this one perfectly. After a moment he murmurs.
"As a wrestler, I trust Dean Ambrose. As a man I trust Jonathan Good, he has matured a lot since signing."
Taking another sip of her wine then a bit of her chicken. She questions.
"But?"
Hunter doesn't miss a beat.
"With you. I trust no man."
Reaching to lay a hand on top of his, she squeezes it and smiles. When he smiles back she actually giggles softly.
"He is no different than Colton. I will treat him as such."
Hunter she sees is less than pleased with the remainder of the other constant male in her life. But she shrugs in a way that simply says, what can you do?
Three weeks later..
She pays the camera not mind as Randy Orton comes busting into the office, she seems to be fixing her top. Maybe needs to fix her hair.
"You need to do something about the Shield. You can't let them run rough shot over the damn show."
Acting startled CJ reached up to fix her hair, it's obvious to the crowd that she has just redressed.
"Mr. Orton I made it perfectly clear to every talent that tonight is open challenge night. To let them find that, what was it again."
She pauses to tap a finger to her lips.
"Ruthless aggression that Mr. Mahon is so fond of."
Randy spits out some more choice words at her then leaves, and as he leaves the office washroom facility can be heard. The camera pans out at the jingle of dog tags, a topless Dean Ambrose in behind her and juts out his chin.
"Who was that?"
She giggles as his hand comes up to play with a few wisp of hair at her neck, then her door blasts open and the other Shield members come marching in.
"There you are, Romeo."
Seth is picking up Dean's shirt from the couch and tossing it to him and Roman is chuckling out.
"Come on Don Juan we have work to do."
They leave and Dean looks down at her and she blinks up at him and winkles her nose and asks.
"Surely they don't think we.."
Dean only winks at her and lets his fingers caress her neck as he steps out from around from around her.
It's one am and how she ended up in Iowa at an IHop with the members of the Shield she will never know. All she knows she has to be careful because no matter how many she tells Hunter, Jonathan Good is like Colton Messer he really isn't.
He is much much worse.
Way way more dangerous.
And it's getting personal because this isn't the first time they have dragged her with them after a show. They are sitting around the table eating, they are outside Chicago and Colby has just learned she was borned here. Joe is asking softly.
"But you grew up somewhere else?"
Chewing her pancake, now it got touchy. Her background was hard, her mother had a label. She knew that growing up, didn't know what that label was but she knew of its existence.
"I grew up mostly on the outskirts of Detroit. It's where I finished high school."
Joe shifted in his seat and softly asked.
"I know you just college. Where did you go, may I ask?"
Nodding she beamed at him and dipped her pancake in some syrup that was on her plate. Nodding the waitress when she can back around asking if she needs a refill.
"Ohio State. My mom is originally from Cleveland sooo."
Joe blinks and nods, Colby lets out a whistle and asks.
"Scholarship? What did you major in?"
It's then she realized just silent Jon was being. Glancing at him she saw he was watching her, eating his own pancakes- drinking his own coffee. But his eyes were on her.
"No Hunter paid for everything, and I majored in business management. I actually was able to help coordinate Mania week and that Charity afterwards."
Suddenly there is a cough at the head of their table and they collectively turn, it's a group of college students. She can tell some are either drunk or buzzed slightly.
"You guys are the Shield, right? I mean, I didn't take too much Ritalin tonight- right?"
Rolling her eyes in the back of her head she wanted to make a gagging sound. The kid was so high. Then THAT night came rushing back to her.
"Yeah, my man- that's us."
Colby was always the positive one in front of the crowds in moments like this, it seemed. Glancing at Joe she saw a look of understanding then pity as he looked at the group of kids. As she looked over the group she noticed how the girls seemed divided in-between Joe and Jon.
Blinking in surprise when Jon stretched out some beside her, throwing his arm up around the backrest behind her shoulders. She felt his arm capture some of her hair, wiggling beside him a little she worked her jacket loose.
"Is that a new Colton Messer shirt?"
Looking down at her shirt, she blinked in surprise. Sighing she hadn't realized Colton had snuck her a new shirt.
"It is. Colton must have slipped it in my bag."
Then, a boy in the group exclaimed loudly.
"Holy shit, you're Cat Parks."
Cringing at the pure excitement in his voice but she knew what was coming next. It always comes next.
"I have your centerfold in my dorm."
His friend doesn't spare him the embarrassment that she has heard countless times before.
"The one you jerk off too?"
There are some snickers and CJ sighs, and curses Colton and that damn checkered flag bikini. Feeling her face flush at Jon, Colby, and Joe's looks she just stuffs another bit of pancake into her mouth.
The waitress, God bless her soul runs the group of kids off then is she left with three pairs of eyes staring at her. Sighing, she mumbles.
"I was eighteen and needed some cash. Colton needed some T and A if he won some races, I didn't expect him to win the cup that year so when he did I had to do a freaking photoshoot wearing this really tiny checkered flag bikini outfit. It ended up as the centerfold somehow- Colton probably paid someone off to do it."
Joe recovers by asking.
"You have a strange relationship with that man babygirl."
Snorting and looking at the big man. She adds in softly.
"It was fine when he and mom were married. But now he is single again? I slapped him a lot more now or when he offers to get me larger tits just so he can feel me up."
Jon moves dangerously quick beside her, his fingers are under her chin. Making her look at him, and she is reminded of just how beautiful his blue eyes are.
"And you to dare compare me to this fucking bastard?"
She lowers her eyes slowly, thinks carefully then raises her honey-colored eyes back up to meet his hard blue eyes.
"Forgive me, Jon."
His thumb slowly caresses her lower lip and she can't stop the words or the body tremble that follows.
"You are way worse than Colton Messer ever dreamed of being."
Her words haunt him.
You are way worse than Colton Messer ever dreamed of being.
It tells him one of two things. One, she really does think he is worse than the scumbug of Colton Messer. Or two, he is worse than the other man because she on some level likes the spark that is happening between them.
If that is the case he has a third problem.
Paul, not Hunter … but … Paul.
"Motherfucker." Sitting up in the bed when he realized sleep wasn't going to be happening anytime soon he glanced over to Joe. The other man appeared to be out like a light, Colby this close to home had made the extra hours to spend time with the family. Can't blame him.
"Sleep is a thing Uce."
Growling as he slipped back down he laced his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. After a moment he looked over at Joe and asked.
"Am I fucking wacked for wanting to fuck with the Bossing side piece?"
Joe sighs turn over and stretches. Jon thinks his friend isn't going to answer him but after a moment Joe softly asks.
"You have grown up in the last half of a year, Uce. Worked hard, shown you wanted this- even started to date that cute blonde-haired backstage reporter yeah? But."
Quiet fills the room. Jon has learned to wait. At least somewhat-ish.
"That girl, from the moment she challenged you in Hunter's office I think you wanted her. I think if you go get her, son, she is going to burn you to ash or you are going to break her in two. Because in the end, you are a street dog- you said so yourself. And she, like it or not is a cherry bomb."
Letting Joe's words sink in as he continued to stare upwards he murmured the single fear he had been keeping to himself.
"Joe, she brings out the Mox in me. But not in the old way. It was him that cut the promo with her- it was him that kissed her that night."
His words had his brother turning back around in a flash. Has him reaching for the lamp between them.
"Jon, is it bad? I know you said Mox was a bad mental state for you to be in."
And that was true. The alcohol, the drugs, the women, and sex- as Mox he needed all of that to help cope with the pain. And not just the pain from the deathmatches. Shaking his head.
"No, you see that's what I am trying to tell you. For all I can remember Joe, wrestling is all I had. When I am in the ring, I am home. Outside of it I am homeless and trying to figure out what I should be doing."
Taking a deep breath he understood he wasn't explaining this correctly. Joe leans up on an elbow looking hard at him.
"I had to promote myself Joe, not just the promotions I was in. If I was out handing out flyers or doing some kind of radio spots I was Mox. The women I was with wanted Mox. I am most comfortable being him, the character knows what Jonathan Good needs to do in the ring."
Licking his lips, as he moved out of the bed to get one of the bottles of water. To ease the ache in his dry throat.
"Now, here in the WWE- I have Dean Ambrose in my head. He is cleaner than Mox, politer. Wants to take a girl out to dinner before he fucks her. But when I look at CJ Parks- there is a quietness. A calm that makes me want her for dinner then eat what leftover for dessert."
Crawling back in bed as he sets the water bottle on the nightstand, turning out the light. Shooting Joe one last look.
"She makes Mox, Dean, and Jon … mesh into one."
As he closes his eyes her words echo in his head.
You are way worse than Colton Messer ever dreamed of being.
The only question now was that actually TRUE?