"See you guys tomorrow," Seth called out as he finished closing out the register.

Finn and Bayley grinned and waved over their shoulders as Finn opened the bookstore door and Bayley flipped the "CLOSED" sign in the window. Finn suddenly stopped as someone walked to the door. "Sorry, sir, we're…" He recognized the man from a previous visit and looked over his shoulder at Seth.

"It's okay," Seth grinned. "He's coming for dinner. Hi, Roman!"

"Oh, sorry," Finn apologized with a smile. He led Bayley past Roman who politely nodded then closed the door behind him.

"Mox just texted me," Roman said as he leaned against the front counter. "Said he'd be here in about five minutes." He watched as Seth locked the register and put cash and receipts in a zippered bag which went into a small safe hidden under the counter.

"Listen," Roman began. "I really appreciate you coming out to my place tomorrow morning. I honestly don't know how Mox is going to react to what I have to tell him."

Seth saw the seriously expression on Roman's face. "It's not good, is it?"

Roman shook his head. "Can we talk about it tomorrow? Honestly, we've all been under pressure for the last couple of weeks. I'd like Mox…us to have a nice relaxed dinner."

Seth smiled. "Done and done," he promised. "It'll be just us tonight. Nikki's having a girls' night out with Alexa." He heard Roman's sigh and silently nodded in agreement.

Both men were startled when the front door suddenly opened.

"I brought beer," Mox announced as he let the door shut behind him.

"I told you I had beer," Seth joked as he walked to the door to lock it.

"Let me guess. Microbrews?" Mox drawled.

"Maybe," Seth admitted. "And maybe not. C'mon." He led the way down the hall and opened the door to the stairs leading to the second floor. "Go on up. I'll lock the door behind us." He flipped on a light which, to Roman and Mox's surprise, brightly illuminated the polished wooden stairs. Seth flipped another light switch that turned off all the lights in the bookstore except for the security lighting. He then followed the other two men up the stairs after locking the door behind him.

At the top of the stairs, they emerged into a large living space. Mox, who had seen the old layout, was surprised at the changes. The old set of rooms had been small, dark and crowded. The living space had been enlarged with wide windows and recessed ceiling lights that gave the room a welcoming atmosphere.

"What do you think?" Seth asked as he paused at the top of the stairs.

"Nice," Roman nodded. "Got a good vibe to it."

"A lot better," Mox admitted, sitting the beer down on an end table. "Nice stereo system."

"Yeah, I kinda splurged a little," Seth admitted. "C'mon, I'll show you the rest."

Mox glanced at the polished wooden floors and again at the stereo system. Behind Seth's back, he mouthed the words "splurged a little" to Roman who managed not to laugh.

"There are three bedrooms each with an en suite bathroom," Seth explained. "This is one of them, and the other is across the hall." He opened a door and grinned. "And this is my office."

Stepping inside, Roman whistled. "Very nice," he complimented, looking at the state-of-the-art computer sitting on top of a sturdy dark oaken desk. "Scanner. Printer. Separate work station." He grinned at Mox. "I recognize the craftsmanship."

Mox casually leaned against the wall. "Then you should recognize those." He pointed to the other end of the room.

Seth grinned as Roman turned around. Lined across the entire wall were bookcases….that matched the ones in the library in Roman's home.

"Hope you don't mind." Seth was suddenly anxious. "Mox showed me a picture, and I fell in love with the detailing and glass doors."

"I don't mind at all," Roman laughed. He grinned over his shoulder at his brother. "I thought you said you were taking the pictures to put in the business portfolio."

Mox shrugged. "I did. That's where Seth saw 'em."

Seth led them back down the hall. "Master bedroom is just across from the living area. Laundry room is next to the kitchen."

Mox picked up the beer and sniffed. "Something smells good."

"My sauce!" Seth shrieked as he ran towards the kitchen.

"There goes dinner," Mox grunted as he and Roman followed.

They found Seth standing next to a state-of-the-art stove, anxiously stirring something in a large pot. "It's okay," he sighed in relief, turning the heat off and moving the pot to another burner.

Mox stood in front of the large refrigerator/freezer. Opening the double doors of the refrigerator, he heaved a sigh of relief when he saw bottles of a nice German beer sitting next to some microbrews. "You sure this is big enough?" he asked as he shoved the beer inside then closed the doors. "You've seen how Nikki eats." He grinned when Seth snickered.

Seth grabbed a piece of Italian bread and handed it to Roman. "Taste the sauce. If it's not something you can eat, I can whip up some Alfredo."

Roman dipped the bread into the sauce then took a small bite. As good as the sauce smelled, he was hoping he would be able to tolerate it. After a few seconds, he smiled. "It's fine. I'll go easy on it, though, just in case."

"Mox, there are salads in the 'fridge," Seth said as he pulled down plates from a cabinet. "Can you grab them? There are also some different kinds of salad dressing. Grab what you want. I'll take Ranch."

"I'll eat mine plain," Roman told Mox who was looking at the different bottles.

"Green Goddess? What the the hell is that?" Mox muttered, turning the bottle around to read the label.

Seth looked over his shoulder. "It's green."

"Nikki?" Mox asked, putting the bottle back in the refrigerator.

"Yep," Seth chuckled. "Okay, it's all ready. Load up your plates. I'll get the drinks. Beer for you, Mox?"

"Yeah, the German," Mox answered as he dumped a large amount of spaghetti onto his plate.

Roman watched in amusement as Mox then drowned the spaghetti under the thick meat sauce Seth had prepared.

"Roman?"

"Water for me. No beer yet," Roman grunted.

Seth exchanged a look with Mox behind Roman's back and held up two more bottles of water. Mox walked over and muttered, "Roman will have a fit. He hates it when people don't eat or drink what they'd normally have."

Seth nodded and handed him one of the bottles for Roman and put the other back in the refrigerator. He grabbed a microbrew for himself then opened the pantry to get the grated Parmesan cheese. He set them on the table then prepared his own plate of spaghetti.

As they began to eat, Seth glanced at Mox. "Thanks again for recommending that upholsterer. He did a great job."

Mox silently nodded as he almost inhaled his salad. He caught Roman's smirk and paused. "What? I skipped lunch so I'd have room to really enjoy this." He glanced at Seth as he grabbed his beer. "And you're welcome. I take it Nikki approved."

Seth nodded. "So did Mitch."

"Who's Mitch?" Roman curiously asked. He saw Seth and Mox grin at each other.

"Nikki's baby," Mox explained.

"Baby?"

"Her ficus plant," Seth corrected. "But he is sorta her baby."

"Ah. Well, it's always good to have the approval of the children," Roman admitted. He grinned when the other two men burst out laughing.

"Jeez, this is good," Mox admitted as he dug into his spaghetti.

"Roman, is it okay with you?" Seth cautiously asked.

Roman nodded with a smile. "So far. I can't wait until I'm off this protocol so I can enjoy it as much as Mox."

Mox thought about flipping his brother the middle finger, but instead took another slice of the Italian bread.

"Things are better?" Seth quietly asked.

Roman leaned back in his chair, aware of Mox's gaze. "Test results are getting better and better. If the next one comes back as positive, I'll be able to start cutting down on the medication." He saw some of the tension drain from Mox's face and gently smiled at him. "It's something I'll always have to keep an eye on, but it's definitely getting better."

"Good!" Seth widely smiled and held up his bottle. "That deserves a toast. To Roman's improved health."

Roman slightly blushed as they clinked their bottles and decided to change the subject. "So, why three bedrooms? I know you've got the room, but why three?"

"Well, believe it or not, the old apartment had three bedrooms," Seth explained. "But they were really tiny." He glanced around. "I've never lived in my own home," he quietly continued. "College dorms. Rented places. I wanted…room, I guess. Now that I'm putting down roots."

"Makes sense," Roman nodded.

"And I'm planning on asking Nikki to marry me so…Mox, are you okay?" Seth worriedly asked, seeing Mox choking.

Mox waved his hands as he managed to cough repeatedly and glare at Seth. "You're what?" he finally demanded in a hoarse tone of voice as he slapped his hands onto the wooden table.

"Ask Nikki to marry me," Seth repeated, a confused look on his face.

Mox leaned forward and pointed a finger at Seth. "You do remember the conversation we had, don't you? Nikki is like a little sister to me."

Neither Seth nor Mox saw the flash of guilt cross Roman's face.

"You two haven't known each other that long," Mox seethed. "I swear, if you've thrown out some smooth-talking lines to string her along…"

"I haven't!" Seth protested.

"Mox, calm down," Roman gently ordered. "From what you've told me about Nikki, she's smarter than that."

Mox settled back down in his chair, glaring at Seth.

"I fell in love with Nikki the moment I first met her," Seth quietly explained. "And from our first date, we just…clicked. Like two pieces of a puzzle. She's smart and funny and compassionate and keeps me on my toes and won't let me just hide away like I've done for a long time."

"I know what Nikki is," Mox explained. He saw Roman's frown and sighed. "And okay, sorry for the outburst…but I mean it. Don't string her along or screw with her."

"Never," Seth promised.

"Still kinda soon," Mox grumbled. "And you seem pretty sure she's going to say yes."

Seth smirked. "She will. So why wait? Life is short. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed."

Mox grunted and stared down at his plate. Heaving another sigh, he picked up his fork. "Got a ring yet?"

"No. I thought Nikki should help pick it out," Seth explained.

"Makes sense," Mox admitted. "So, how you gonna ask her?"

"I…don't know," Seth sighed. "I mean, I'm trying to figure out the perfect way to do it, you know? But everything I'm coming up with sounds so…cheesy." He looked at Roman. "You're married, right? How did you ask your wife?"

He was surprised when Mox roared with laughter. "Yeah, Roman," he finally gasped out. "How did you ask Galina?"

Seth glanced from a laughing Mox to a glaring Roman. "What am I missing?" he finally asked.

"Roman didn't ask Galina to marry him!" Mox blurted out.

"She asked you?" Seth looked at Roman.

"Not exactly." Roman was tempted to throw his napkin across the table at Mox. "Calm down, laughing boy."

"They'd been dating for six or seven years," Mox began.

"Just a little over five," Roman corrected.

"Galina's been throwing out hints," Mox continued. "Roman's mom and dad had been throwing out hints. But they're going way over Roman's head. So, Roman comes home one day and finds Galina out on the deck with Roman's parents. Galina and his mom are looking through some sort of bridal book." He gleefully stared at his older brother. "Roman sees it and asks 'Who's getting married'? Galina looks up at him and says 'We are'."

Seth tried not to laugh but failed.

"Next thing Roman knows, the ceremony's all planned. The date's set. Invitations have gone out. And we're all on this cruise ship to the Caribbean, wind up in Jamaica, and they get married on the beach." Mox chuckled again. "And Galina chose the rings."

"At least I got to write my own vows," Roman grumbled, although his eyes twinkled. "Look, Seth, you'll know when the moment's right to ask Nikki."

"Unlike Roman," Mox muttered as he finished off his spaghetti.

"Ignore him," Roman sighed with a wink at Seth.

"Well, I know it's a life-changing event," Seth admitted. "But it just feels right."

Mox leaned back in his chair and played with his beer bottle. "Speaking of life-changing shit," he began, avoiding their eyes.

Seth glanced at Roman and mouthed 'Alexa' with a hopeful look on his face.

"What going on, Mox?" Roman gently asked.

"I went to see Regal the other day," Mox began. "I needed to make a will."

"Man, I haven't even thought of that," Seth muttered.

Mox met Roman's eyes. "I didn't want Leah inheriting by default."

"Good thinking," Roman slowly nodded.

Mox glanced at Seth. "Leah is my worthless good-for-nothing mother."

If Seth was surprised at the venom in Mox's voice, he didn't show it. "Then she shouldn't get anything."

Mox shrugged. "Regal advised I leave her something so she doesn't have a good reason to try and break the will."

Roman leaned forward, bracing his elbows on the table. "So, there's no problem, right?"

Mox finished the beer in the bottle and set it on the table. "I want to set up a couple of charitable foundations in the will. But Regal suggested for tax purposes to set them up now. One has 30% of the cash I got in the settlement to create a foundation to protect and help abused kids. I know CPS does stuff but a lot of kids wind up on the streets. They need help, too. Another 20% is to set up a trust fund for their education. College or vocational training. There's other stuff but the foundations need a Director and Assistant Director."

He took a deep breath. "I picked Roman as the Director and Seth as the Assistant Director. I don't know anything about how to run stuff like that. Hell, I'm flying by the seat of my pants with my own business. But Regal said I should talk it over with both of you since you'll pretty much be doing this without pay." He shrugged. "You're both way smarter than I am…"

"Knock off that bullshit!" Seth growled. He saw Mox give him a side-eyed glance and continued, "You're a smart man. Just as smart as we are. But we all use our "smart" talents in different ways."

"Just what I was going to say," Roman added. "I'd be happy to serve as Director. And I'm proud of you for thinking about it."

Mox uncomfortably shrugged.

"I told you once that you're a good man, Mox," Seth quietly reminded him. "This just proves it again."

"Alright…whatever…are you in, Rollins?" Mox demanded.

"Absolutely!" Seth beamed.

"Good…thanks…" Mox mumbled.

He decided not to mention that Roman would be the executor of the will. Let that be a surprise when the time came.

Roman looked down at his plate, surprised to find it almost empty. It had been quite a while since he'd eaten that much at one time. Hoping there wouldn't be a reaction, he suddenly smiled. "You know, I just realized something."

"What?" Seth curiously asked.

Roman pointed his finger at Seth. "You're going to marry Nikki, right?" When Seth nodded, he pointed his finger at Mox. "And you said Nikki is like a little sister, right?" When Mox slowly nodded, he waved his finger between the two men. "That's gonna make the two of you brothers…of a sort." He grinned when Seth and Mox exchanged looks of surprise. "And since Mox is my brother, that will make Seth my brother as well." He casually shrugged. "And Nikki my sister."

Mox's eyes narrowed as he followed Roman's thinking, then gave Seth a slow evil smile. "Guess you're gonna have two protective brothers-in-law. Assuming Nikki says yes."

"She will," Seth assured him with his own evil smile. "Just remember Karma is a bitch…and I'm her favorite child."

Roman burst out laughing at the stare-down between the two men. He raised his bottle of water. "A toast. To friends and family."

Seth stared into Mox's blue eyes, then raised his bottle of beer. "To friends and family."

Mox slowly reached for his bottle then slammed it on the table. "Damn it," he muttered, getting to his feet. He walked to the refrigerator, opened one of the massive doors and got another bottle of beer. Slamming the door shut, he opened the bottle and he sat back down at the table. "Can't toast with an empty bottle," he grumbled. He touched his bottle to the others. "To friends and family."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. This is Wade Barrett speaking live from City Hall with a special edition of the The Barrett Report." Barrett smiled into the camera as he softly spoke. "We've been advised there will be an announcement with information regarding the recent assassinations of former Mayor Paul Heyman and former Finance Director Lacey Evans." He turned so the camera could pan the dais. "As you can see, Mayor Brodie Lee, Chief of Police Dean Malenko, and Special Acting District Attorney Adam Cole have joined us and are ready to speak."

Malenko stepped up to the microphone. "Good evening. Thanks to a great deal of work by the Davenport PD and a great deal of assistance from the FBI, we have identified two persons of interest concerning the recent assassinations of Mr. Paul Heyman and Ms. Lacey Evans. I stress they are persons of interest."

He waited for the murmurs from the press to die down, then continued. "Special software used by the FBI for facial recognition identified these two individuals. As you know, we requested from the media and anyone who was taking pictures during the celebration at all points of the event to make those pictures available to law enforcement. The pictures of these two individuals were obtained from street traffic cameras. We will now show them." He pointed to one side of the room where a large monitor was mounted on the wall.

"These individuals have been identified as Rhonda Rousey and Shayna Baszler," Malenko continued. "They were in the crowd along Second Avenue where the street vendors and chili cook-off were located. Both are wanted for questioning by various law enforcement departments regarding similar assassinations."

He turned back to face the media. "If you have any knowledge of them or might have seen them in the crowds, please contact the local FBI office who will be coordinating this search. Do not approach them as they are considered most probably armed and are extremely dangerous. Again, they are persons of interest wanted for questioning." He abruptly nodded. "Thank you for coming."

As the three men left the room, Brodie smiled at the other two men. "It's amazing what technology can do, isn't it, gentlemen?"

"Yes, sir," Malenko politely agreed.

"Let's hope this is the break we've been looking for," Brodie sighed. Then he shook their hands. "Thank you for keeping me in the loop."

"You're welcome, Mr. Mayor," Cole smiled.

They watched as Brodie walked away then turned to return to Cole's office. "Wonder if he'd be as appreciative of being kept in the loop if he knew we weren't telling him everything?" Cole muttered.

Malenko shrugged. As far as he was concerned, the Mayor didn't need to know that both women were suspected of performing assassination jobs for the old McMahon organization.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Shane McMahon muted the sound on the television. He didn't need to hear Barrett repeat what had been said. He picked up his cell phone and punched in a number on the speed dial.

"Dad? We've got a problem."