Title: The Road Less Traveled (37/?)
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thanks for the review! In this chapter: Tara (the artist formerly known as Rio) recovers. Justin helps Shannon come up with a plan to get to her and keep her from running.
Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you really think I'd keep her dead? No way! She isn't finished yet. As always, I know nothing about the WWE superstars that appear in this story. The personalities used here are purely fiction and not meant in any way to represent the true natures of the individuals.
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Todd stood over the other bed in silence, leaning on his crutches. He didn't know why he was being so careful not to wake the occupant, as she'd been unresponsive for the last two days. So this was her, he thought as he pushed a long lock of red hair out of his eyes. This was Rio under the mask. She appeared to be younger than he'd thought she'd be. She was little more than a girl, actually. Perhaps it was her lack of height.
He peered closer at her, pulling a chair over to sit down. Her shoulder length dark blonde hair was still matted from the wig, which Sven had removed as soon as he'd had her stabilized. Soon thereafter, the Scandinavian man had washed all of the silver paint off, talking to her the whole time he'd tended to her. Todd had pretended to be asleep, trying to afford his caregiver some privacy. It was obvious she meant a great deal to the two men who'd saved him.
Still, through all the ministrations, she'd remained completely unconscious. Todd had overheard Sven and Justin talking and knew that although she'd only endured a minor cut with the knife, Henry had used a much higher level of toxin and she was in very grave condition. Thankfully, they'd were able to treat her immediately so she would very likely recover completely and would be walking again on her own even sooner than he would. Todd was surprisingly relieved for her. He held no grudge against what she'd had to do in the ring. In fact, he was grateful to have met her, as she had been indirectly responsible for his salvation.
He reached out a hand to touch the sleeping woman's cheek. Soft. Funny how he'd never thought of her as human before now. But that was the way it had to be when one lived in the Series world. Never make friends that you may end up having to take down later. He was hoping she'd wake up soon. He had a lot of epiphanies to share with his new little sister.
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Shannon ran through his training and matches over the next month automatically. He'd gone through Rio's bag and had taken it home keeping it in his bedroom, ready for her return. It held very little clues to her identity. There was her silver body paint and an extra latex mask. But he'd removed her cell phone and carried with him. He'd even gone out and bought a charger for it so it would always be juiced. He didn't know why he'd done that as people rarely called themselves, but it made him feel more connected to her.
"How's it going, man?" Rey Mysterio asked him as he walked back into the locker room after his match with Crash.
"Okay," Shannon answered looking away.
"You all right? You seem distracted."
"Yeah," he said nodding and moving away before his friend could question him further. He liked Rey but he wasn't in the mood to discuss his problems.
"Ya cain' bottle it up fo'eva, baby bro," Matt said walking into the back behind him.
"I'm not," Shannon replied dully, stripping off his tights and retreating into the shower. Unfortunately for him, Matt was still there when he returned fifteen minutes later. "Don'tcha 'ave bigga fish ta fry tonight?"
"Nope."
"Why ya botharin' me?"
"'Cause yo' tryin' ta avoid me."
"Nothin' personal, Matt," he said softly as he pulled out some clothes and started dressing. "I'm jus' no' feelin' too social."
"I's 'cause I failed ya, isn' it?"
Shannon looked up at Matt in shock. Was that what he really thought? That Shannon blamed him for what happened? He hadn't meant to make his friend feel that way. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Rio's disappearance was taking its toll on him and he didn't know how to handle it anymore.
"Ya neva failed me!" he said, grabbing Matt's arm and forcing eye contact. "I neva, eva blamed ya fo' wha' happened. I was tryin' ta gitter ta quit fo' a while. You didn' cause this. That' bastahd Henry did!"
"I feel like I failed 'er," Matt said quietly, wiping a tear from his eye. "I shoulda held onta 'er tighta. I shoulda carried 'er kickin' an' screamin' t' th' car if I hadda."
"Be sensible, big bro," Shannon said in a soothing voice. "D'ya think ya coulda forced 'er inta doin' anythin'? Even injured she'da been able ta git away. I kno' 'ow strong she is, even tho' she neva used it against any o' us. She's a fighta."
"She was."
"Is," Shannon said vehemently. "She's no' dead. I can still feel 'er. I jus' don' kno' where ta fin' 'er."
Matt looked skeptical but he didn't say anything.
"I kno' ya said ya saw a lotta blood," the younger man said. "Bu' I can feel 'er in here." He put a hand over his chest and looked at Matt pointedly. "Cain' nobody argue withat."
"Assumin' yo' right an' she is alive," his friend said, "she won' contact ya onna 'count o' Henry's threats against us."
"I kno'," Shannon sighed, putting on his sweatshirt. "I kno' tha's wha's keepin' 'er away. She tol' me she loves me, Matt. A woman like tha' doesn' say those thin's lightly."
"I kno'," Matt returned. "She tol' me ta tell ya she meant what she said. I guess she was referrin' ta that."
Shannon smiled for the first time in a long while. "I won' give up onner, Matt. I cain'."
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"She is refusing to eat?" Sven asked.
"No," Justin sighed. "She just forgets to unless I am there to remind her."
"How is her training progressing?"
"Good," the dark haired man replied. "She is back to full strength. Todd is not too far behind. He seems to have sped up his recovery since she began training with him."
"Interesting," Sven remarked. "I do believe he thinks of her like a sister."
"She does bring out the protective instincts in those around her."
"Unnecessarily so sometimes," the blonde man chuckled. "I think he has forgotten his match with her."
"I do not think that is the case, dear heart," Justin smiled. "She reminds him with their training. He has gained so much in the way of balance and speed because of us. I hope he does not go back to that world though."
"He will not," Sven smiled, knowing Justin was becoming almost as fond of the young man as he was of Rio. "He has told me he has never had a family before. He feels comfortable with us."
"Another orphan," Justin said sadly, shaking his head.
"Yes, but we have room for him, have we not?"
"Who would have thought we would be raising two troubled children at our age," the other man replied. "We are not THAT much older than they."
"They have never had anyone focus on their welfare like we have," Sven said taking his hand. "They have never been cared for by anyone who did not want something from them. I think that they will always be drawn to us for that reason."
"I do not care what the reason is," Justin smiled. "So long as they know they are family, I am happy."
"They are still in danger though," the Scandinavian man said troubled. "Henry will continue to be a problem as long their 'bodies' have not surfaced."
"I will let nothing happen to our children, Sven," Justin said with cold eyes. "I do not care what I have promised her."
"Yes, you do," the other man said kindly. "It is that promise that has saved you from the man you used to be."
Justin smiled as he squeezed Sven's hand. "That and you."
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Tara was still adjusting to her life after Rio. She brushed out her hair in front of the mirror in Justin and Sven's house. She had suggested to Sven earlier that she should go back to her own home at this point but he and Justin were adamant that she not be alone. They pointed out that Henry was probably still looking for her body, just as he was undoubtedly searching for Todd's.
Todd. Now there was an interesting development. When she'd first awakened to see him standing over her she didn't recognize him. True, she'd never seen him without his mask, so it was understandable. He'd held no grudge against her for the injuries she'd caused him, even going so far as to thank her for playing a small role in saving him. Apparently Sven had adopted him in much the same manner as he did when she'd first come to live with them. She felt no jealousy, though. It was nice to know she had another brother.
She felt another pang of pain as she thought about her WWE brothers who probably believed her to be dead. Although it was safer for them to think it, Tara couldn't help sinking into a great depression at the loss. She especially missed Shannon, who was never like a brother to her. She hoped Matt remembered to tell him that she meant what she'd said to him on the phone that last night she spoke to him.
Yes, Rio may be dead, but Tara wasn't. And she would never get over losing Shannon.
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"You have to let her go back to settle things," Todd said quietly to Justin after his training session was finished for the evening. He had been watching Tara fight off her depression for weeks now and knew something had to be done. "She needs some sort of closure."
"She will come through this with us, Todd," the dark man said sternly. "She did before."
"This is different, I think."
"You were there, then? I do not remember you witnessing the event."
Todd sighed knowing it would be difficult to explain to his benefactors. He knew that Tara needed to get through this on her own though. He'd spent long nights talking with her, prying into her mind to get at the reason and now that he had, he knew he had to do something about it.
"Her mate is still alive this time," he said. "The only reason she refuses to go to him is because she feels like she'll ultimately destroy him. Don't you want her to find a way to be happy? Justin, she's never going to leave you but she does need him. He gave her life meaning."
Justin stared at Todd for a long while and the younger man began to fidget uncomfortably, afraid he had caused a rift in his still-new relationship with the enigmatic man. But then the older man touched his shoulder and gently squeezed it.
"You are too young to be so intelligent, Todd."
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"You're letting me go back?" Tara asked as she watched Sven peel carrots over the sink. Justin sat at the table next to her, alongside Todd. Her New England accent was back in place as she spoke. "Just like that?"
"You said it is what you want," Justin said. "I just think you should stay in your home for a while, until we have ascertained that Henry is no longer a threat."
"I will," she said in bewilderment. "I just want to make sure all of Ben's bills are completely settled and the house is intact. You will take me back once I'm done, right?" she asked worriedly.
"We will always take you back, Sweet One," Sven assured her. "You are part of this family."
"Yes," Justin agreed covering her hand with his own.
"Me, too?" Todd spoke up uncertainly. Tara turned to smile at him.
"You, too, Not-So-Small One," Justin confirmed.
"You'll have to work on his pet name," Tara laughed.
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Shannon was lying back on his bed in his and Matt's hotel room staring at the darkened ceiling. He was still thinking about her and tracing the lines of her cell phone when it suddenly rang, shocking him. He stared at it for a moment then quickly clicked it on before the caller was lost. Matt, meanwhile, had turned on the light and watched Shannon in rapt attention.
"He-hello?" he said into the phone warily.
"Shannon, I presume," came a crisp, accentless voice.
"Who is this?"
"We have never spoken, but you did speak to my companion once."
"Justin?"
"It is nice to make your acquaintance," the stern voice returned icily.
"Look, I kno' yo' probally blamin' me an' my frien's fo' what happened . . ." the younger man said rapidly.
"I do no such thing."
"Huh?"
"How can I blame you for something that has not happened?"
"Uh," Shannon said in confusion, "again, huh?"
"You know what I mean," Justin sighed audibly on the other end of the line.
"Tara's no' dead!"
"Of COURSE she is not dead," the man said in annoyance. "If she were, Henry would be, too."
"Where is she?"
"Anxious, are we not?"
"Where is she?"
"It has been brought to my attention that the only reason she is keeping away from you is her irrational fear of bringing doom down upon you. I say 'irrational' because my mate and I are more than able to guarantee that what happened to her husband will never happen to her companion again."
"I see," Shannon said locking eyes with a very eager Matt. "No' t' be ungrateful o' anythin' like tha', but where is she?"
"I must admit I have had many reservations about you, Shannon," Justin went on as though Shannon hadn't repeated his question twice already. "I did not think you were at all the right man for her."
"Wit' all due respect, sir, where is she?"
"I will help you," Justin said. "Because I now see she cannot truly live without you. She is home right now."
"Where is home?"
"In Chelsea, a town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts," he answered. "You are scheduled to be there next week, are you not?"
"Yeah, bu' I can git a flight out tonight," Shannon answered firmly.
"That would not be advisable."
"Why th' hell not?"
"Because Henry is still watching you and I am planning a diversionary tactic to keep him and his henchmen occupied while you are collecting her."
"Yo' damn right I mean t' collect 'er!" He looked over to Matt who was nodding determinedly. He knew the dark-haired Hardy boy would help make sure she didn't get away again. He could see the wheels already turning in Matt's mind.
"Then I suggest you come up with a good enough threat to keep her," Justin retorted. "She can be very stubborn when her mind has been made up."
"I kno'," Shannon sighed. "Bu' I cain' letter fears win, sir. I jus' cain'."
"I know," Justin said in a softened tone. "I have an idea on how to help you. First, she will know you are coming to town and will not be able to keep from catching a glimpse of you to make sure you are healthy. This will put her at a disadvantage as she will be on your 'playing field' with your friends around."
Shannon smiled at Matt while he listened to Justin outline a plan. One from which Tara would never escape.
Author: Esquirella
Rating: R (for violence in some chapters.)
Disclaimer: I own the Rio character and have written other stories with her. I own all non WWE characters. But I do not own the wrestlers. (Unfortunately. They are so cute!)
Synopsis: Thanks for the review! In this chapter: Tara (the artist formerly known as Rio) recovers. Justin helps Shannon come up with a plan to get to her and keep her from running.
Distribution: Just in case anyone's interested in it, please ask me first. More than likely, I will agree.
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AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you really think I'd keep her dead? No way! She isn't finished yet. As always, I know nothing about the WWE superstars that appear in this story. The personalities used here are purely fiction and not meant in any way to represent the true natures of the individuals.
--------------------------------------
Todd stood over the other bed in silence, leaning on his crutches. He didn't know why he was being so careful not to wake the occupant, as she'd been unresponsive for the last two days. So this was her, he thought as he pushed a long lock of red hair out of his eyes. This was Rio under the mask. She appeared to be younger than he'd thought she'd be. She was little more than a girl, actually. Perhaps it was her lack of height.
He peered closer at her, pulling a chair over to sit down. Her shoulder length dark blonde hair was still matted from the wig, which Sven had removed as soon as he'd had her stabilized. Soon thereafter, the Scandinavian man had washed all of the silver paint off, talking to her the whole time he'd tended to her. Todd had pretended to be asleep, trying to afford his caregiver some privacy. It was obvious she meant a great deal to the two men who'd saved him.
Still, through all the ministrations, she'd remained completely unconscious. Todd had overheard Sven and Justin talking and knew that although she'd only endured a minor cut with the knife, Henry had used a much higher level of toxin and she was in very grave condition. Thankfully, they'd were able to treat her immediately so she would very likely recover completely and would be walking again on her own even sooner than he would. Todd was surprisingly relieved for her. He held no grudge against what she'd had to do in the ring. In fact, he was grateful to have met her, as she had been indirectly responsible for his salvation.
He reached out a hand to touch the sleeping woman's cheek. Soft. Funny how he'd never thought of her as human before now. But that was the way it had to be when one lived in the Series world. Never make friends that you may end up having to take down later. He was hoping she'd wake up soon. He had a lot of epiphanies to share with his new little sister.
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Shannon ran through his training and matches over the next month automatically. He'd gone through Rio's bag and had taken it home keeping it in his bedroom, ready for her return. It held very little clues to her identity. There was her silver body paint and an extra latex mask. But he'd removed her cell phone and carried with him. He'd even gone out and bought a charger for it so it would always be juiced. He didn't know why he'd done that as people rarely called themselves, but it made him feel more connected to her.
"How's it going, man?" Rey Mysterio asked him as he walked back into the locker room after his match with Crash.
"Okay," Shannon answered looking away.
"You all right? You seem distracted."
"Yeah," he said nodding and moving away before his friend could question him further. He liked Rey but he wasn't in the mood to discuss his problems.
"Ya cain' bottle it up fo'eva, baby bro," Matt said walking into the back behind him.
"I'm not," Shannon replied dully, stripping off his tights and retreating into the shower. Unfortunately for him, Matt was still there when he returned fifteen minutes later. "Don'tcha 'ave bigga fish ta fry tonight?"
"Nope."
"Why ya botharin' me?"
"'Cause yo' tryin' ta avoid me."
"Nothin' personal, Matt," he said softly as he pulled out some clothes and started dressing. "I'm jus' no' feelin' too social."
"I's 'cause I failed ya, isn' it?"
Shannon looked up at Matt in shock. Was that what he really thought? That Shannon blamed him for what happened? He hadn't meant to make his friend feel that way. He just wanted to be alone with his thoughts. Rio's disappearance was taking its toll on him and he didn't know how to handle it anymore.
"Ya neva failed me!" he said, grabbing Matt's arm and forcing eye contact. "I neva, eva blamed ya fo' wha' happened. I was tryin' ta gitter ta quit fo' a while. You didn' cause this. That' bastahd Henry did!"
"I feel like I failed 'er," Matt said quietly, wiping a tear from his eye. "I shoulda held onta 'er tighta. I shoulda carried 'er kickin' an' screamin' t' th' car if I hadda."
"Be sensible, big bro," Shannon said in a soothing voice. "D'ya think ya coulda forced 'er inta doin' anythin'? Even injured she'da been able ta git away. I kno' 'ow strong she is, even tho' she neva used it against any o' us. She's a fighta."
"She was."
"Is," Shannon said vehemently. "She's no' dead. I can still feel 'er. I jus' don' kno' where ta fin' 'er."
Matt looked skeptical but he didn't say anything.
"I kno' ya said ya saw a lotta blood," the younger man said. "Bu' I can feel 'er in here." He put a hand over his chest and looked at Matt pointedly. "Cain' nobody argue withat."
"Assumin' yo' right an' she is alive," his friend said, "she won' contact ya onna 'count o' Henry's threats against us."
"I kno'," Shannon sighed, putting on his sweatshirt. "I kno' tha's wha's keepin' 'er away. She tol' me she loves me, Matt. A woman like tha' doesn' say those thin's lightly."
"I kno'," Matt returned. "She tol' me ta tell ya she meant what she said. I guess she was referrin' ta that."
Shannon smiled for the first time in a long while. "I won' give up onner, Matt. I cain'."
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"She is refusing to eat?" Sven asked.
"No," Justin sighed. "She just forgets to unless I am there to remind her."
"How is her training progressing?"
"Good," the dark haired man replied. "She is back to full strength. Todd is not too far behind. He seems to have sped up his recovery since she began training with him."
"Interesting," Sven remarked. "I do believe he thinks of her like a sister."
"She does bring out the protective instincts in those around her."
"Unnecessarily so sometimes," the blonde man chuckled. "I think he has forgotten his match with her."
"I do not think that is the case, dear heart," Justin smiled. "She reminds him with their training. He has gained so much in the way of balance and speed because of us. I hope he does not go back to that world though."
"He will not," Sven smiled, knowing Justin was becoming almost as fond of the young man as he was of Rio. "He has told me he has never had a family before. He feels comfortable with us."
"Another orphan," Justin said sadly, shaking his head.
"Yes, but we have room for him, have we not?"
"Who would have thought we would be raising two troubled children at our age," the other man replied. "We are not THAT much older than they."
"They have never had anyone focus on their welfare like we have," Sven said taking his hand. "They have never been cared for by anyone who did not want something from them. I think that they will always be drawn to us for that reason."
"I do not care what the reason is," Justin smiled. "So long as they know they are family, I am happy."
"They are still in danger though," the Scandinavian man said troubled. "Henry will continue to be a problem as long their 'bodies' have not surfaced."
"I will let nothing happen to our children, Sven," Justin said with cold eyes. "I do not care what I have promised her."
"Yes, you do," the other man said kindly. "It is that promise that has saved you from the man you used to be."
Justin smiled as he squeezed Sven's hand. "That and you."
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Tara was still adjusting to her life after Rio. She brushed out her hair in front of the mirror in Justin and Sven's house. She had suggested to Sven earlier that she should go back to her own home at this point but he and Justin were adamant that she not be alone. They pointed out that Henry was probably still looking for her body, just as he was undoubtedly searching for Todd's.
Todd. Now there was an interesting development. When she'd first awakened to see him standing over her she didn't recognize him. True, she'd never seen him without his mask, so it was understandable. He'd held no grudge against her for the injuries she'd caused him, even going so far as to thank her for playing a small role in saving him. Apparently Sven had adopted him in much the same manner as he did when she'd first come to live with them. She felt no jealousy, though. It was nice to know she had another brother.
She felt another pang of pain as she thought about her WWE brothers who probably believed her to be dead. Although it was safer for them to think it, Tara couldn't help sinking into a great depression at the loss. She especially missed Shannon, who was never like a brother to her. She hoped Matt remembered to tell him that she meant what she'd said to him on the phone that last night she spoke to him.
Yes, Rio may be dead, but Tara wasn't. And she would never get over losing Shannon.
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"You have to let her go back to settle things," Todd said quietly to Justin after his training session was finished for the evening. He had been watching Tara fight off her depression for weeks now and knew something had to be done. "She needs some sort of closure."
"She will come through this with us, Todd," the dark man said sternly. "She did before."
"This is different, I think."
"You were there, then? I do not remember you witnessing the event."
Todd sighed knowing it would be difficult to explain to his benefactors. He knew that Tara needed to get through this on her own though. He'd spent long nights talking with her, prying into her mind to get at the reason and now that he had, he knew he had to do something about it.
"Her mate is still alive this time," he said. "The only reason she refuses to go to him is because she feels like she'll ultimately destroy him. Don't you want her to find a way to be happy? Justin, she's never going to leave you but she does need him. He gave her life meaning."
Justin stared at Todd for a long while and the younger man began to fidget uncomfortably, afraid he had caused a rift in his still-new relationship with the enigmatic man. But then the older man touched his shoulder and gently squeezed it.
"You are too young to be so intelligent, Todd."
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"You're letting me go back?" Tara asked as she watched Sven peel carrots over the sink. Justin sat at the table next to her, alongside Todd. Her New England accent was back in place as she spoke. "Just like that?"
"You said it is what you want," Justin said. "I just think you should stay in your home for a while, until we have ascertained that Henry is no longer a threat."
"I will," she said in bewilderment. "I just want to make sure all of Ben's bills are completely settled and the house is intact. You will take me back once I'm done, right?" she asked worriedly.
"We will always take you back, Sweet One," Sven assured her. "You are part of this family."
"Yes," Justin agreed covering her hand with his own.
"Me, too?" Todd spoke up uncertainly. Tara turned to smile at him.
"You, too, Not-So-Small One," Justin confirmed.
"You'll have to work on his pet name," Tara laughed.
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Shannon was lying back on his bed in his and Matt's hotel room staring at the darkened ceiling. He was still thinking about her and tracing the lines of her cell phone when it suddenly rang, shocking him. He stared at it for a moment then quickly clicked it on before the caller was lost. Matt, meanwhile, had turned on the light and watched Shannon in rapt attention.
"He-hello?" he said into the phone warily.
"Shannon, I presume," came a crisp, accentless voice.
"Who is this?"
"We have never spoken, but you did speak to my companion once."
"Justin?"
"It is nice to make your acquaintance," the stern voice returned icily.
"Look, I kno' yo' probally blamin' me an' my frien's fo' what happened . . ." the younger man said rapidly.
"I do no such thing."
"Huh?"
"How can I blame you for something that has not happened?"
"Uh," Shannon said in confusion, "again, huh?"
"You know what I mean," Justin sighed audibly on the other end of the line.
"Tara's no' dead!"
"Of COURSE she is not dead," the man said in annoyance. "If she were, Henry would be, too."
"Where is she?"
"Anxious, are we not?"
"Where is she?"
"It has been brought to my attention that the only reason she is keeping away from you is her irrational fear of bringing doom down upon you. I say 'irrational' because my mate and I are more than able to guarantee that what happened to her husband will never happen to her companion again."
"I see," Shannon said locking eyes with a very eager Matt. "No' t' be ungrateful o' anythin' like tha', but where is she?"
"I must admit I have had many reservations about you, Shannon," Justin went on as though Shannon hadn't repeated his question twice already. "I did not think you were at all the right man for her."
"Wit' all due respect, sir, where is she?"
"I will help you," Justin said. "Because I now see she cannot truly live without you. She is home right now."
"Where is home?"
"In Chelsea, a town just outside of Boston, Massachusetts," he answered. "You are scheduled to be there next week, are you not?"
"Yeah, bu' I can git a flight out tonight," Shannon answered firmly.
"That would not be advisable."
"Why th' hell not?"
"Because Henry is still watching you and I am planning a diversionary tactic to keep him and his henchmen occupied while you are collecting her."
"Yo' damn right I mean t' collect 'er!" He looked over to Matt who was nodding determinedly. He knew the dark-haired Hardy boy would help make sure she didn't get away again. He could see the wheels already turning in Matt's mind.
"Then I suggest you come up with a good enough threat to keep her," Justin retorted. "She can be very stubborn when her mind has been made up."
"I kno'," Shannon sighed. "Bu' I cain' letter fears win, sir. I jus' cain'."
"I know," Justin said in a softened tone. "I have an idea on how to help you. First, she will know you are coming to town and will not be able to keep from catching a glimpse of you to make sure you are healthy. This will put her at a disadvantage as she will be on your 'playing field' with your friends around."
Shannon smiled at Matt while he listened to Justin outline a plan. One from which Tara would never escape.