Chapter 5
The following Monday, Evie was walking back to her office from catering. It was her first RAW show and she was a bit nervous, but to look at her, one wouldn't think she was even remotely tense. Dressed in a white button down and a pair of black pants, her hair gathered up in the usual loose knot with a few wisps framing her face, she looked and walked like she had been a co-GM for years instead of a few days.
As she continued on her way, projecting a confidence that she really didn't feel, she came upon Shawn lurking in a corner. He glanced up as she approached and shook his head sadly.
Evie stopped in front of him. "What's wrong with you?" she asked casually.
Shawn didn't answer, just stared at her as he leaned against the wall.
Because of the past history between them, Evie couldn't resist taunting him just a bit. "Is it because you came so close to winning that World Title? Is it because Benoit came in and took your spot?"
Shawn simply shrugged. "It is what it is," he replied quietly. "He won the Rumble and he's going to Wrestlemania."
"Is that all, Shawn? That's all you have to say about it?" Evie looked at him incredulously. She couldn't believe he was acting like this. Not even a week ago, he and Hunter were beating each other into oblivion, trying to prove to one another who was the best in the business. Now he was acting as if someone had stepped on his soul.
"What's the point of getting upset?" he asked her as he straightened up.
Evie leaned forward so that only Shawn could hear her. "Why don't you do something about it?"
His eyes narrowed. "All of a sudden you're interested in what I do? For all I know you're trying to manipulate me into taking care of Triple H's opponent for Wrestlemania. Why not just put me in a match with Benoit to soften him up for your boyfriend? After all, you are a co-GM. You have the power to do it." He grimaced. "I'm sure lover boy would express his appreciation for your efforts."
She refused to rise to the bait. Instead, she cocked an eyebrow at him. "All I'm saying Shawn, is if it bothers you, do something about it. Isn't that what you always do?"
Shawn remained silent for a few seconds and then- "Maybe I will." He stepped away and walked off in the opposite direction.
Evie watched him retreat and then shrugged her shoulders and continued towards her office. Whatever was bothering Shawn wasn't any of her business. She wasn't getting suckered back into his little schemes. She saw Trish Stratus farther down the hallway. The female wrestler noticed her as well, and fell into step alongside Evie.
"Evie, can I talk to you for a few minutes?" Trish inquired.
Evie glanced down at the other woman. "What can I do for you?"
Trish smiled sweetly. "Well, I'd rather talk in your office if that's okay."
"Meaning you don't want Bischoff or any of his lackeys to hear," Evie replied with a wry grin.
"Pretty much," Trish stated in return.
They turned the corner and arrived at Evie's office. She still couldn't get over the sign on the door announcing her as co-GM. Evie opened the door and walked in; Trish followed. Once the door was closed and both women were seated on opposite chairs, Trish spoke up.
"I want a title shot against Molly Holly tonight," the blonde woman stated simply.
"And you're coming to me because Bischoff isn't giving it to you?" Evie questioned.
Trish maintained an innocent look. "No, I'm coming to you first. I'm not bothering with him."
"Why should I give you one?" Evie asked casually.
Trish sat up a bit straighter in her chair. "Because I'm tired if her walking around here like she owns the whole world. She's had it long enough. It's time for someone else to step up in the women's division and I think I'm that woman."
Evie noted the expression on Trish's face. Since she didn't know the woman very well, she would take her request at face value. Besides, if this stuck it to Bischoff, that was even better. Although…
She leaned forward, looking Trish straight in the eye. "I'll give it to you. However, don't be surprised if Bischoff pulls any stunts on this. He and I don't exactly get along and he'll use every opportunity he can to screw things up for everyone involved; especially me and those that come to me."
Trish regarded her with a sharp gaze. "I know that. I just want a shot at Molly and I know you're the person to go to for a fair shot." A conspiratorial grin appeared on her lips. "Or should I say chair shot?"
A soft laugh escaped Evie. "I am never going to live that down, am I?"
The other woman also chuckled. "Probably not; you've pretty much made a name for yourself around here because of what went on in that ring last year." She eyed Evie appreciatively. "Ever thought about becoming a wrestler?"
Evie shook her head. "I'd prefer not to get back in the ring with anyone. Half the time I was in there, I wasn't thinking straight." She glanced at Trish. "But that's neither here nor there." She sat back. "You got your title shot. Just remember what I said about Bischoff."
Taking that as a dismissal, Trish stood up and held out her hand. "Thanks Evie, I appreciate it." A wry grin appeared. "And I'll keep an eye out for anything Bischoff might pull."
Evie stood and shook the woman's hand. "Good luck Trish."
She watched the woman leave her office and as the door shut behind her, Evie sat back down in the leather chair. "Well, so much for my first match being made," she said to herself.
Throughout the evening, several low card and a few mid card wrestlers found their way into her office and managed to wrangle a couple matches out of her. When she questioned them about their motives, the general response was that they were tired of being ignored by Bischoff. She granted the matches and again, as she had told Trish earlier, told them she couldn't promise that there would be no interference from Bischoff. A majority of them responded by telling her that Bischoff could go soak his head for all they cared.
Evie managed to pause long enough to catch Trish heading out to the ring on the monitor. Trish climbed in and jumped around a bit to limber up before Molly Holly made her appearance. Before Molly's music hit, Eric Bischoff's face appeared on the Titan Tron.
"Whoa, whoa, wait a minute there Trish. I think our new co-GM jumped the gun by giving you a Women's Title match tonight," he announced with a smirk on his face.
Trish looked slightly put out by the announcement, but Bischoff wasn't finished yet.
"I checked my files and it turns out that you aren't even the number one contender, so the match is off. But, like your fellow Canadians, I know you just love to compete in that very ring and I have a new opponent for you, so just stay put Trish because he's on his way."
Trish waited a bit impatiently, and when Kane's music started up, she went as white as a sheet. She froze as the huge man made his way down the ramp and into the ring. Once Trish felt the canvas shake, she came to her senses and tried to beat a hasty retreat. Kane responded by grabbing her by the hair and pulling her back into the ring.
He set her up for a chokeslam, but Chris Jericho came to the rescue. He stopped the chokeslam and then clotheslined Kane out of the ring. He then helped Trish up and told her to get out of there. She complied, not wasting a second. Jericho, on the other hand, stuck around to take Kane down, which turned out to be a bad idea. While Jericho was checking on Trish, Kane had grabbed a steel chair and he used that to whack Jericho in the knee. Not satisfied with that, he then, he threw Jericho knee-first into the steel ring post. Refs and officials swarmed down to the ring and around the injured Jericho as Kane stood in the ring, simply watching. The officials hurried Jericho out of the ring and backstage while Kane waited for Goldberg to come out to the ring for their official match.
Evie grimaced at the monitor. It hadn't been a surprise that Bischoff meddled in the contest, but who he chose to interrupt with had caught both her and Trish unawares. She hoped this wouldn't deter Trish from coming back to her.
Her cell phone rang, startling her out of her thoughts. She picked it up. "This is Evie."
"Evie, its Mick Foley. Listen, I'm on my way in and I want to catch up with you for a few minutes. Is that okay with you?" Mick asked from the other end.
Evie smiled. "Sure Mick, just come on back when you get here," she replied. He thanked her and she disconnected the call.
Another knock at her door sounded and she bade the person enter. Hunter walked in with a small smile on his face. Evie also smiled when she saw him. She wondered when he was going to show up at her door tonight. They hadn't seen much of each other over the weekend, what with Evie being busy with her duties.
"Well, what can I do for you?" she asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.
Hunter shook his head. "Nothing. I just wanted to see how the new co-GM was doing on her first official RAW show," he replied as he stopped in front of her.
"Other than Bischoff, I think I'm doing fine," she told him. She eyed him warily as his fingers reached out and gently brushed a few stray strands of hair from her cheek.
Hunter leaned in and gave her a swift kiss. "I missed you this weekend," he said softly.
She straightened up and moved away from him. "I missed you too, but this isn't the time or the place for this, Hunter."
"Why don't you make time for it later tonight then," he said with a suggestive look on his face.
Evie tried not to smile at him. "Well, considering that we don't have adjoining rooms anymore, it's going to be a bit more difficult."
Hunter shrugged. "It's not like I don't have practice at sneaking around. I used to do it with Steph all the time."
"How about you "sneak" over to my room and we'll talk about it later?" asked Evie. "I really don't have the time to talk, unless you have a business issue to discuss."
His eyes widened in surprise at her response, but he didn't get upset. He understood it was her first RAW show and she was bound to be a bit nervous. "Tell you what, why don't you call me on my cell when you're ready to leave and I'll meet you in your limo."
Evie nodded. "That's fine Hunter. Now, if you don't mind," she said as she herded him towards the door, "I'm expecting someone."
He let her guide him back to the door. "Who're you expecting?" he questioned over his shoulder.
Evie simply gave him a look that told him to mind his own business and he didn't say another word. It didn't matter. He had spies everywhere. He'd know before the end of the night who she'd been talking to.
"I'll talk to you later," she murmured before closing the door behind him.
Hunter stood in the hallway long enough to adjust his suit jacket and straighten his tie before heading back to Evolution's locker room.
Mick never made it to Evie's office. He was jumped by Randy Orton as he came into the building. Randy slammed the Intercontinental title into the back of Mick's head. Mick fell to the floor and Randy proceeded to apply some boot action, followed by a few fist shots. He continued his assault on Mick until he was sure that Mick wasn't getting up.
Randy stared down at the older man and then- "Make no mistake; you ARE my bitch, Mick."
Evie cursed under her breath. Randy Orton was definitely going to be the loose cannon in the Evolution stable. She'd been watching him out of curiosity more than anything else and had often thought that if anyone was going to break free from Evolution first, it would be him. She just wondered how long it would be before he did. She made a mental note to bring it up to Hunter.
A quick trip down to the triage area assured Evie that Mick Foley wasn't seriously injured. She spoke to him briefly and he told her that once he was done, he'd talk to her later. She made it back to her office in time to see the exchange between Randy Orton and Shawn Michaels on the monitor.
Shawn sat in a chair, wiping down his wrestling boots when he was approached by the youngest member of Evolution. He ignored the young man and kept cleaning.
Randy peered over Shawn's shoulder. "Whatchya doin', Shawn?"
Shawn kept on doing what he'd been doing. "Oh, nothing, really. Just cleaning Triple H's blood off my boot."
A smirk appeared on Randy's face. "Yeah? Well, I saw that match Shawn and there's just as much of your blood on those boots."
The older man didn't answer, just shrugged as he kept cleaning. Orton wasn't too happy with the non-verbal response and he worked himself up into a bit of a frenzy.
"If you think that's supposed to intimidate me, you're wrong! I am the Legend Killer!" He paused and watched as Shawn still refused to comment. "I beat down Mick Foley earlier and I'll beat you down too!" he exclaimed and then stomped off.
Shawn paused long enough to watch the younger man walk away. As he disappeared around a corner, Shawn shook his head and resumed his task.
Again, Evie reminded herself to talk to Hunter about Randy. She didn't know if Hunter would have picked up on the younger man's growing arrogance, but then again, Hunter wasn't stupid. Still, it didn't hurt to speak to him about it.
Later on in the show, Hunter made his appearance in the ring, talking about how he hoped Benoit knew what he'd gotten himself into by facing him at Wrestlemania. He also informed Benoit that he was out here to show him what the only real World Wrestling Champion is all about, and how the best in the business takes care of his opposition. That's what he was going to show Benoit right now.
What proceeded after that was a squash match against Spike Dudley. It lasted all of a minute, if that. He simply wiped the mat with Spike and walked off, wearing a smirk.
A half grin graced Evie's mouth at Hunter's actions. Somehow, she expected nothing less. She did feel bad for Spike though. It wasn't exactly fair to him to send him in against Hunter, but he'd been all for it, and never let anyone say he was a coward.
The rest of the night progressed as usual. Well, what passed for "as usual" for RAW. Evie finished up a bit of paper work as she kept one eye on the tag team match between Ric Flair and Batista versus Chris Jericho and Christian. Two minutes into the match, it turned into a four way brawl. Ric managed to lock Jericho in a Figure Four with the pressure on his already injured knee, while Batista knocked out Christian with a ring post shot. Jericho tapped out to the Figure Four, making Ric and Batista the winners.
Glad I'm not in the Evolution locker room tonight, Evie thought with a wry smile. She didn't think she could take both Ric and Randy's gloating and boasting. Batista hardly ever talked about his winnings, which made him the preferred company.
And then there's Hunter, she thought as the wry grin turned into a full one. Such a shame we won't be sharing a room much anymore.
Ever since she had officially become the co-GM, she and Hunter had been sleeping in separate rooms when on the road. She had told him that even though they were involved with one another that would have to be toned down when they were working. She didn't want people to think that Hunter had the advantage because he was sleeping with her. Hunter said he understood, but had been unable to keep the look of disappointment off his face.
A knock at the door startled her out of her reverie. She got up and opened the door to find Mick Foley on the other side.
She smiled at him. "Well, look who finally showed up."
A gap toothed grin appeared on his face. "Better late than never," he replied as he entered and made his way to a chair.
Evie closed the door. "I'm glad you're all right," she said as she sat down opposite him. "I'm surprised Randy had the balls to pull that stunt with you."
Mick shook his head. "I don't know about him having balls; the kid's a coward at best," he said as he sat down. "But he did have enough smarts to take advantage of the situation."
She leaned back in her chair. "So what did you want to see me about tonight, Mick?"
"Actually, I wanted to check up on you and how you're doing. I also want to talk to you about keeping an eye on Randy," he started off. "But with what happened earlier, what I really want now, is your blessing to interfere in his match tonight."
Evie nodded. "You got it. After all, you do deserve a little payback for what he pulled earlier. But I can't keep Evolution from getting involved." She watched Mick as she leaned forward in her chair. "And what exactly are you talking about when you mentioned keeping an eye on Randy?"
"Just that he seems to be turning into a loose cannon these days. I mean, he's becoming more and more bigheaded and I don't see it stopping any time soon." Mick shrugged. "Just watch out for him, is all. I get the impression he'll be causing a lot of trouble down the line."
"I noticed that over the past few months; not just tonight. And I can't help but think that he's going to be the first to be a problem in Evolution." Evie also shrugged. "Then again, they made him what he is today." A gleam came into Evie's eyes. "Not much of a difference between a prick and an asshole, is there?"
"About an inch or so," Mick chuckled. "I take it you don't like young Randall."
"Got it in one," Evie replied. "I don't hate him; I just don't like him."
Mick laughed outright. "In Randy's case, it's the same thing." He stood up. "I'm gonna make myself scarce until the right time. It wouldn't be a good thing if he, or anyone, saw me coming out of your office." Evie started to rise but he held a hand out. "It's okay, I'll show myself out."
She smiled at him as he turned around in the door frame to close the door. "Kick his ass Mick."
"And don't worry about Evolution; I've been in worse situations," he finished and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Evie sighed as she sat back again. "Oh, it's not Evolution I'm concerned about," she said to herself.
Randy and Shawn's match started off with no problems. They stuck to mat wrestling at the beginning, but after a few minutes of that, Randy "accidentally" knocked out Mike Chioda, the referee, with a dropkick that Shawn dodged. Wanting to capitalize on the opportunity, Randy dropped out of the ring to grab the Intercontinental belt and use it to hit Shawn in the same manner he did on Mick Foley earlier in the evening.
Before he could climb back in the ring, Evie appeared on the ramp with referee Earl Hebner. They were followed by a couple EMTs that were there to check on the downed ref. Randy tried to play innocent by dropping the belt and pretending he wasn't going to use it as Evie and Earl Hebner approached the ring. The two EMTs fussed over Mike Chioda and managed to get him to his feet and walk him backstage. Earl Hebner got into the ring and signaled for the match to continue. Randy glared at Evie, and while his back was turned, Shawn got to his feet and charged him. Randy turned around just in time to receive a clothesline from Shawn that knocked them both out of the ring. Evie promptly headed backstage.
Both men got to their feet and back into the ring where Randy managed to put Shawn in a reverse chin lock. Shawn was able to escape and bounced off the ropes to begin an offensive, when Randy applied another reverse chin lock. Again, Shawn managed to escape and the two men went back and forth with body blows and tosses. As Shawn started tuning up the band for some Sweet Chin Music and then ran at Randy, Randy reversed the move and put Shawn in position for an RKO. Shawn overturned that move and shoved Randy into the ropes. He lowered his head to set up a back body drop on Randy, but Randy made him pay with a DDT.
Just as Randy was setting up to give Shawn a RKO, Mick Foley came limping out to the ring. Randy dropped Shawn and proceeded to watch Mick as he made his way to the ring. Shawn, taking advantage of his opponent's distraction, rolled Randy up in a school boy for the win. Once the bell had rung, Shawn rolled off Randy and into a corner to recover. Mick jumped on Randy and began pummeling him. Randy managed to escape and ran through the crowd, Mick in hot pursuit.
The rest of Evolution swarmed out from backstage to assist Randy and Hunter immediately directed Ric and Batista to follow Mick and Randy into the crowd. As the two men disappeared into the mass of fans, Hunter noticed that Shawn was still in the ring, so he decided that a little cheap revenge was in order. He crossed the canvas and began kicking Shawn in any available spot on his body. Within twenty seconds, however, Chris Benoit had sprinted down the ramp, jumped into the ring and pulled Hunter off Shawn. He stood in the middle of the ring, taunting Hunter to come at him.
Hunter charged at Benoit, but when the man didn't even flinch or raise his arms to defend himself, Hunter abruptly changed his mind. Benoit kept trying to encourage Hunter to take a swing at him, but Hunter kept looking at him as if he were trying to find some sort of weakness. Slowly, Hunter backed out of the ring and up the ramp, keeping his eye on Benoit the entire time.
The last thing Evie saw on the monitor in her office, was Benoit and Shawn shaking hands and then the screen faded to black.
She sighed in frustration as she started gathering her things up and shoving them in her briefcase. Intuitively, she knew she was going to be on the receiving end of some sort of criticism of her managing skills from at least two members of Evolution.
Sure enough, in less than a minute, Randy, having managed to elude Mick, slammed the door open and barged into the office. "What the hell do you think you were doing brining another ref down to the ring?" he demanded loudly.
Evie calmly continued to close her briefcase. She said nothing until she was finished and then looked at Randy. "I was doing my job," she simply told him.
Her answer seemed to only infuriate him more and he advanced towards her in an aggressive way. Evie simply stood her ground, watching him the entire time. He loomed over her, trying to frighten her, but she just looked at him, refusing to back down.
"Next time, stay out of it. You have no business being a co-GM," he said as he thrust a finger in her face. "I don't get why Linda and the board put you in charge. Things were better off when it was just Bischoff."
"First off, do not point that finger at me ever again, unless you want to be out on medical leave with a broken finger or arm," she said with quiet force. "Secondly, if you have a problem with me being co-GM, you take it up with me, Linda or the board. Third, don't ever threaten me again, or I will make your life miserable."
Randy let out a bark of laughter. "As if you could. I'm the Legend Killer. You can't do a damn thing to me."
"Don't push me, Randy. You forget, I know you and I know Evolution, and I made it specifically clear to each and every one of you, from the beginning, that I was not going to treat you any differently than any one else in this company."
"Except Hunter and that's only because you're fucking him," Randy replied vehemently.
Evie raised an eyebrow. So it was going to get personal now? She decided to put a quick stop to that. "Don't shoot your mouth off about what you don't understand. My relationship with Hunter is none of your damn business."
"All I'm saying is that if you pull something like that again, I'll make you my business and you won't like it," he stated as he continued to loom over her.
She looked him directly in the eye. "Am I supposed to be scared, Randy? Because I'm not. You don't frighten me at all."
He looked at her, noting the defiant gleam in her eyes and realized she wasn't going to back down. Apparently, she was more than willing to back up her words with actions and he wasn't going to gain any ground by trying to coerce or bully her. Recalling her past encounters with Chris Jericho and Ric Flair, Randy knew he could end up the recipient of a foot to the nut sac, or worse.
He backed up a couple inches. "We'll see what the rest of Evolution has to say about this; especially Triple H."
Evie said nothing in reply. She just kept her eyes fastened on him. She had told him the truth when she said she was not afraid of him. To her, he was just a younger version of her abusive ex-fiancé, Davis. She wasn't that stupid, abused girl anymore. She was herself and she didn't take crap from anyone; least of all Randy Orton.
The door opened again and Ric and Hunter came in, followed by the silent Batista. Randy smirked when he saw them. Now she'd get what was coming to her.
Immediately, Ric started in on Evie. "What the hell were you thinking? Randy had that match won until you brought out another ref!"
Evie leaned back against the front of her desk and simply watched Ric work himself into an apoplectic state. As his face got redder with each passing second, Evie briefly turned her gaze to Hunter, who was standing behind Ric. An imperceptible shrug was his response to her gaze. She suppressed a grin, knowing full well Hunter was giving her free reign to do as she saw fit.
Evie interrupted Ric. "As I told Randy just a few minutes ago, I was doing my job, Ric. And it is my job to make sure things are done the right way, not Bischoff's way."
"And the right way is to bring out a new ref when he's already got the match won!" Ric demanded. "You don't know what the hell you're doing!"
Evie straightened herself up and continued. "You weren't listening to what I was saying, Ric. I said I'm doing things the right way. If that means that Mr. Legend Killer here loses a match, then he loses a match."
Ric turned to Hunter. "Do something, will ya? She's your woman!"
Hunter said nothing. Instead he shook his head slowly, indicating to Ric that he'd have to deal with this himself.
Ric threw up his hands in frustration. "This is ridiculous! You can't control her and she's the one in charge!"
Evie got right in Ric's face at that remark. "Let me remind you that I told both Hunter and the rest of you there would be no favoritism from me. I made that abundantly clear then, and I am making it absolutely clear now."
Ric opened his mouth to continue yelling at her, but she cut him off. "If you value your job, you'll get your ass out of my sight right now." She was already tired of this bullshit.
That did it for Ric. He became extremely agitated and lifted a hand to smack the woman in front of him. He looked back when he felt someone restrain it and noticed that Batista had a hold of him.
Batista shook his head at Ric. "Not a good idea man. Not a good idea at all," he said quietly.
Hunter stepped between Ric and Evie, effectively blocking Evie from Ric's sight. "I suggest you leave the office and take a few minutes to cool off." He started to back Ric towards the door.
Randy had already stepped out into the hallway and was waiting for the rest of the group. Batista came around to join Hunter as Ric stepped back to the door. The two larger men managed to get Ric out into the hallway. As Hunter took a step back to return to Evie's office, Ric spoke up.
"You make sure you get her straightened out, H. Because if you don't, someone else will," Ric told him quietly.
Hunter gave him a smirk that told Ric he was up to something. "Hey, I got it taken care of. Don't worry," he said softly. Hunter turned around and headed back into Evie's office, closing the door behind him.
"Her first night and she's already fucking things up for us," muttered Ric and he looked at Batista and Randy. "Let's get outta here before something else goes wrong."
The three men walked back to Evolution's locker room to gather up their things and head back to the hotel.
Hunter leaned against the door, watching Evie massage the bridge of her nose. He knew she was under a lot of stress tonight and having Ric and doubtless Randy as well, yell at her for doing her job, was probably the last thing she needed right now.
"You okay?" he asked quietly as he stepped towards her.
Evie looked up at him. "I suppose," she sighed. "I really think I need to invest in a stun gun or something," she said with a half smile.
"Aw, c'mon; what do you need one of those for? Just pull all that self defense shit on him. He'll never know what hit him," Hunter said with humor. "He didn't the first time." He stood in front of her and reached out to enfold her in his arms.
Evie laughed as she felt Hunter's arms snake around her waist. "Yeah, well…" she trailed off. Tipping her head back, she looked at Hunter. "Thanks for not interfering with that argument," she said softly.
"Hey, you're the co-GM around here. It's your responsibility to deal with the talent." He shrugged. "Besides, I figured the sooner you set Ric in his place, the less trouble you'll have down the line."
"Maybe," she replied as she cocked her head to one side. "But I'm interested to know why you didn't stop him from trying to hit me."
"Dave beat me to it, is all," he responded. "If he hadn't been so damn quick, I'd have held Ric back myself." His shoulders went up in another shrug. "Besides, I think Dave likes you," he whispered.
Evie chuckled at that. "You make it sound like high school." She peered up at him. "Are you jealous?"
Hunter laughed. "Nope. Not at all. Dave knows better than to mess with me or mine."
"So, I'm yours?" Evie asked as her eyes twinkled at him. As much stress as she had been under through the evening, and even with the possibility of tongues wagging later on, she was glad Hunter had come back to her office to check on her.
"Damn straight," Hunter stated and then kissed her.
It was a gentle, affectionate kiss and as Evie leaned into the embrace, she felt the knot of tension begin to loosen a little. Hunter's lips played with hers, gently teasing and tasting. Evie felt the familiar twinges of excitement and she crushed her mouth to his. His hands gripped her backside in response and she heard the low growl in his throat.
Hunter broke the kiss and Evie was pleased to notice him panting slightly. "I think we better go," he said huskily as he released her from his arms.
Evie quickly gathered up her things as Hunter informed her he would pick up his bag from the locker room and meet her in her limo. She nodded in response as she slung her bag over her shoulder and followed him out of the room.
The limo was waiting for her just outside the garage doors. She informed the chauffeur that someone else was coming as well. He nodded in response as she slid into the back of the long car. Within ten minutes, Hunter had joined her in the backseat and they were heading back to the hotel.
Evie leaned her head back against the seat and sighed. It had definitely been a very long day. She was looking forward to a soak in the bath tub and hopefully a night of Hunter's company. She glanced at him and found that he was watching her, a grin if the utmost wickedness on his face.
Her eyebrow shot up. "Why do I have the strangest feeling that I'm in a lot of trouble when we get back to the hotel?" she said.
Hunter said nothing, simply kept grinning.
"Maybe I should invest in a stun gun," she murmured loud enough for Hunter to hear.
The grin turned into a leer. "I might like that," he said in a low voice.
"I'm sure you would," Evie replied with humor. "I know you like it rough."
"Well, you know, getting beat up in that ring almost every night does it to a man," Hunter informed her, still leering as he pictured her with no clothes on.
That set Evie off laughing. "So, getting beat up by all those huge, sweaty men, gets you excited? I never thought you the type, Hunter."
The leer faded as he realized what he'd said to her. He'd been to wrapped up in what he was going to do to her once they got up to her room. "Well, not really. What I meant was-"
Her laugher kept going. "Sure you did Hunter. And I thought I knew you well enough," she gasped.
He watched as she continued to laugh at the remark. It was good to see her loosen up a bit, even at his expense. She'd been so tense over the past week. "You know you're going to get it," he growled.
"I certainly hope so," she said. "The question is when." She had calmed down a bit and was wiping her eyes.
"When we get to your room," he replied, "you are so spanked."
Evie moved closer to him. "Oh, I hope so," she said, her eyes shining with unshed tears of laughter.
He shook his head. "And I thought I was the one who liked it rough," he replied as he leaned closer to her.
"Maybe I like it that way too," she said as she trailed a finger down the front of his shirt.
Despite the tension earlier that evening, Evie had the distinct impression that it was all going to be worth it one she and Hunter got up to her hotel room. She leaned in and tugged on his earlobe with her teeth. A barely audible moan escaped him and she grinned. If she had her way, he'd be the one in trouble tonight. And speaking of trouble, her thoughts turned to one of the reasons she had wanted to see Hunter after tonight's show.
"Hunter?" she asked as she pulled back from his ear.
He turned his head slightly towards her. "Yeah?"
Evie sat back and looked at him. "I want to talk to you about something I think may be a problem down the line."
"What's that?" he asked as he turned to face her and wondered what was on her mind. It must be important for her to switch gears so suddenly from playful to serious.
She looked him full in the face. "I think you may need to keep a close eye on Randy." She paused as Hunter looked at her with a slightly puzzled expression. "He… well, he seems to be getting more reckless lately."
"Like tonight when he jumped Mick?" Hunter asked.
Evie nodded. "Not only that, but he seems to be more of a loose cannon than anything else. I mean, he challenged Shawn; he jumped Mick. He looks like he's getting out of hand and I think it could be a big problem for Evolution in the future." She shrugged as she glanced at him. "I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid, but I think you need to curb his behavior."
Hunter shifted in his seat and thought about what she was telling him. He had noticed that Randy had gotten a bit out of hand lately with the "Legend Killer" stuff, but that almost seemed natural. After all, he was a member of Evolution and had been taught by the best. Hunter couldn't see Randy turning his back on the best thing that had happened to him since coming into the WWE. If he did that, he'd be reduced to a second rate mid-carder. The boy wasn't stupid. Then again, neither was Evie. He'd at least consider her suggestion regarding Randy.
"You're not saying this just because you don't like him, are you?" he asked carefully.
Evie shook her head. "I just think the guy is a time bomb waiting to go off. He's young, ambitious and look who he runs with."
Hunter ran a hand across his chin. "Well, I know you wouldn't say anything if you weren't concerned." He shot her a knowing glance. "Even though you've made it clear you don't like Randy."
"Granted, but it's not because of that; I think you or Dave should watch him," Evie replied.
"Tell you what; I'll take it under advisement if you'll do something for me," he said as he reached for her. He would take it in consideration, but right now, he had more important things on his mind. Mainly getting Evie out of her clothes and onto the bed, or whatever surface was handy at that moment.
She saw the furtive gleam in his eye and she knew the discussion was over with. "Really? And what can I do for you?" she asked with a chuckle.
"Oh, I think you know what you can do for me," he replied as he pulled her closer and heard her giggle as his mouth came down on hers. "or more importantly, what I'm going to do to you," he whispered after he kissed her.
A/N: Just wanted to say thank you to those of you that have waited so very patiently for this to be updated. Your encouragements and sympathies during the time I've been gone were and still are, greatly appreciated. I apologize for taking so long to update this, but I'm sure you all understand. Thank you again, for all your support and I hope you enjoyed this chapter.