A/N: You all are simply the best! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I love reading your comments! I'm back a little earlier than my normal weekly update. I told you I had part of this written already. There are a couple of things I should say up front about this chapter. The language is a little saltier than normal. There's also maybe a little violence, but you all knew that was coming based on the last chapter. Actually, I think some of you were looking forward to it. I know I was! This is also kind of a longer chapter. I could've broken it up, but I wasn't sure where to do it. I also knew I couldn't leave you hanging again so I was able to restrain my evil side long enough to get everything in one chapter. This chapter picks up pretty much where the last one left off. I did add a little more to Bianca and Kendall's scene because I felt that it needed it. This jumps back and forth between two scenes that are happening at the same time so I hope it's not confusing for you to read. In my mind, I just picture these beginning scenes happening simultaneously so I thought I'd give you a heads up here. I think that's everything for now. So, strap yourselves in! Hope you enjoy this update!
/
Kendall spotted the reporter as she exited a room and sat down at a table by the Inn's indoor pool. The curly haired woman slipped by the other woman undetected and made her way to the room the reporter had just left. Kendall was surprised to hear her sister talking to someone.
"Did you get all of that? Good. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I'll be when this is all over. No, I have no idea who she was talking about when she referred to blackmailing someone else. It would be good to know though. We could have the police contact them and it would strengthen our case. The sooner I'm done with her, the better."
"The sooner you're done with who, Binx?"
Bianca was startled to see her sister enter the room. "I've got to go, Marilyn. I'll see you in a few minutes." With the call disconnected, Bianca directed her attention to her sister. "What are you doing here, Kendall?"
"I could ask you the same thing. We came looking for you. We've got some information on Ms. Diaz."
/
Marissa was finally able to convince the desk clerk to give her Carmen's room number without technically giving it to her. All the clerk had to do was pull the information up on the computer and look away from the screen for a minute. With the information in hand, Marissa glanced around in search of Kendall but couldn't find her. The redhead moved out of the lobby in search of a better cellphone signal in order to text Kendall with the room information and to find the room in question. Marissa followed the room number signs and soon found herself by the indoor pool. She spotted the reporter talking on her cellphone and laughing while seated at a poolside table.
/
"We? Who's we?" Bianca had a sinking suspicion who her sister was referring to but was hoping she was wrong. She really wanted to spare Marissa because she knew how upset her partner would be when she found out what was going on.
"Me and Marissa. I stopped by her office earlier today with that information on the clinic I had promised the two of you. While I was there, she got some pretty interesting information on this so-called reporter from one of the firm's investigators."
"What kind of information?"
"Well, Red wouldn't go into too many specifics because of attorney/client privilege, but one of her clients had a run in with Ms. Diaz. She tried to blackmail him with some faked photos. When he refused to play ball with her, she sent the pictures to his wife. They almost got divorced over all of this. Before you ask, Red didn't recognize Ms. Diaz because she was going by a different name. Her real name is Carmen Navarro, and Marissa's client, actually I guess he's her former client now, is going to file extortion charges against her."
Things started to click for Bianca hearing this news. She recalled Marissa telling her about a client that had been blackmailed. No names were given, just high level information. Marissa had been relieved when the divorce had been called off and the couple had gone into marriage counseling. This had to have been who Carmen was referring to before. If she was going by a different name and had faked her credentials, there would've been no way that Pine Valley Now would've known who she really was and the lengths she was willing to go to for a story. There was also one vital piece of information that Bianca garnered from her sister. Marissa knew that Carmen had done something like this before. If the faked photos of Bianca and Carmen came to light, Marissa would know not to believe the source of them. Bianca knew that Marissa trusted her and wouldn't necessarily believe that she would cheat on her, but she didn't want her partner to have even the slightest doubt about her faithfulness. "Wait. How did you know where to find me?"
"We stopped by the Miranda Center after you'd left to let you know what we found about her. Jan told us what happened there, and she found a note mentioning the Inn. That was enough to lead us here."
/
Marissa's blood was boiling as she overheard the reporter gloat about landing an interview with 'the one and only Bianca Montgomery'.
"Hey, what can I say? I have my ways. It didn't take too much persuasion on my part to get her to agree. I am pretty hard to say 'no' to once I turn on the charm. Before I knew it, she was eating out of my hands. An additional perk is that she's very easy on the eyes. I don't think it will be too long before we start having fun if you know what I mean. What? Oh please, that redhead has nothing on me and doesn't stand a chance. I can already tell Bianca's interested in changing partners."
Marissa had heard more than enough.
/
"Why exactly are you here, Binx?"
"When I found out what Carmen did at my office, I contacted the editor in chief of the magazine after contacting the police. Marilyn Lowe is the editor and had no idea what Carmen was up to. We decided to come up with a plan that would expose Carmen and get her out of both of our hair. That's who I was talking to when you came in. It seems Carmen is up to her old tricks. She faked these photos of the two of us and threatened to send them to Marissa if I didn't cooperate. I had my phone on the whole time, and Marilyn was listening in and recording it. We've got more than enough on her now."
"Well, you have to know that Marissa would never believe you would cheat on her and hurt her like that."
"I would hope so, but she's been cheated on before."
Kendall smiled. "You're not JR, and she knows that. Trust me, she wouldn't believe it no matter how damning the proof, not of you. She knows your heart. I need to ask you something though. Why didn't you tell Marissa what you were up to?"
"I didn't want her involved in this until I absolutely had to bring her in. I knew how she'd react, and she's had more than enough to deal with regarding this woman because of me."
/
The reporter glanced up when she heard someone approaching. Her smile faltered and fear flashed in her eyes briefly when she met Marissa's angry glare. She scrambled to her feet. "I've got to go. I'll call you later." Carmen collected herself enough to smirk at Marissa. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Ms. Tasker. Looking for anybody in particular? Oh, I know. You're looking for Bianca. She's in my room, recovering. They always tell you it's the quiet ones you need to watch out for. It turns out that they're right. She wore me out."
Marissa couldn't hide her disgust at what the reporter was implying even though she knew the woman was lying. Marissa knew Bianca and trusted her. She also knew that Bianca was with Kendall at the moment having received a text stating that fact not a moment ago. "Ms. Diaz, or should I say Ms. Navarro? Paul Westfeldt sends his regards."
The shock of hearing her real name was evident on her face. "I don't know who you're talking about. I don't know anyone by either of those names."
Marissa laughed. "Really? That's how you're going to play it? Fine. Paul Westfeldt is the man you were blackmailing about six months ago. You wanted him to cooperate with an article for the Examiner, and when he refused, you sent his wife some fake photos of the two of you."
"I … I never worked for the Examiner. I just moved here a month ago."
"Well, Carmen Diaz never worked for the Examiner but Carmen Navarro did, and the funny thing is they're one and the same. You can deny it all you want, but you know it's true and so do I. More importantly, there's proof to back it up. Paul was very pretty ticked off about what you did, still is. Let's face it, he has every right to be. You almost destroyed his marriage, almost."
"What do you mean almost?"
"I thought you didn't know him." Marissa smirked. "He and his wife have reconciled. Guess your plan didn't work."
"She's an idiot. Wait. How do you know all of this?"
"I was Paul's lawyer. After the divorce was called off, our firm kept him on as a client. You'll be hearing from a colleague of mine regarding your actions."
It finally dawned on the reporter now how she knew Marissa's name. It made twisting the knife in the redhead more enjoyable. She saw the second envelope she had with her extra copies of the photos she had given Bianca. "Oh, I don't think so. I don't think you're going to let that happen."
Marissa raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"
"Because your partner has been a very naughty girl, and I've got the pictures to prove it."
Marissa eyed the envelope. "I suppose those are the photos you're talking about?
"They're quite explicit. Care to take a look? Maybe you'll learn something and your woman won't have to go somewhere else to have her needs met."
"I'll pass. Do you really expect me to believe you and your so-called evidence after everything I know about you now? I know Bianca. I know the type of person she is. She's not capable of any of the things you're saying. She's not capable of causing that type of pain. I trust her."
The reporter shrugged. "It's no skin off my nose if you don't believe me. I figure neither of you wants these photos to get out and will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen."
"You think we'll go along with whatever you want because of the photos. No one's going to believe you, you know. Bianca has a spotless reputation. You? Not so much."
"Well, her's is about to get a whole lot dirtier. As to anyone believing whether she could do something like this? Well, it's my word against her's, and I've got the pictures to back me up. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I guess we'll find out if that's true. The way I see it, I own Bianca Montgomery now, and I'm going to ride that gravy train for a very long time. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."
/
Kendall shook her head. "You know that Marissa would do anything for you and doesn't blame you for any of this."
Bianca felt a shiver of panic run through her. Marissa! Oh god, she's out there with Carmen. She could show her those pictures, and even if she knows they're fake, I don't want her to feel the pain I know she will if she sees them. "Where's Marissa?"
"She was in the lobby trying to convince the front desk clerk to let her know which room Carmen was in. I just sent her a text to let her know which one."
"Carmen's out there and is going to be back any second."
"Yeah, I know. I saw her outside and slipped by her."
"What do you think Marissa's going to do if she runs into Carmen?"
"Oh damn, Binx. When I saw Carmen out there, I knew you were probably around here somewhere and wanted to find you. Red's reaction to seeing her kind of slipped my mind."
The sisters turned towards the door when they heard angry words being exchanged outside followed by a loud splash. They exchanged a quick glance before rushing out of the room.
/
The smug look on the reporter's face coupled with her detestable words pushed Marissa over the edge. No one owned Bianca and the redhead was going to make this vile woman eat her words quite literally. The rage boiled over and her hand clenched into a fist. Before either knew what was happening, Marissa's fist smashed into the reporter's face and sent her flying into the pool. The slight crunching sound the redhead heard when her fist met Carmen's nose gave her a brief moment of satisfaction before her hand began to sting and she saw Bianca rush out from a nearby room.
Bianca raced over to Marissa. "Rissa, are you alright?"
"I think so. You?"
"Yeah, I think so too."
"I guess Kendall found you, huh?"
"Yeah, she did, and she filled me in on everything."
"Well, I'm glad the two of you are okay. Too bad it's not going to last much longer. You broke my fucking nose, you bitch! You're both going to pay for this!" Carmen sputtered as blood streamed from her nose.
Kendall couldn't hold back her delight at the sight of the reporter struggling to get out of the pool while holding her nose. "You really should watch your footing around swimming pools. There is a reason lifeguards always tell people not to run around them. It gets pretty slippery, but I guess you found that out the hard way."
"What in the hell are you talking about? I didn't slip or fall. That redheaded bitch hit me and broke my damn nose! She's going to pay! I'm going to have her arrested for assault and then I'm going to have her license! You'll never practice law again! Plus, I'm going to sue your ass!"
Bianca stood slightly in front of Marissa and spoke to the reporter quietly. A steely calm settled over the brunette. "You are not going to do anything to her."
"Right. You want to tell me exactly why you think that?" Carmen spat as she finally climbed out of the pool and stalked closer to the couple. The reporter stopped in her tracks seeing the fire in the redhead's eyes and thought better of getting any closer.
Marissa readied herself to go on the offensive again as the reporter got closer. Bianca reached back sensing this and steadied her partner.
"It's simple really. Do you have any witnesses as to what happened?" Hearing no response from the reporter, Bianca continued. "I thought so. That would mean it's your word against her's. Now, who do you supposed people are going to believe, a lawyer with a sterling reputation and a pillar of the community or a conniving and blackmailing piece of shit like you? My money's on her, and I'll have to tell you that it's a considerable sum of money. You don't want to take me on, trust me on that."
"And why is that?"
"Because you will lose. Before you say anything else, I want you to consider a few things. We already know you blackmailed someone else before, and they're going to be pressing charges against you. Isn't that right, Rissa?"
Marissa shook herself from her haze and nodded. "Yes, it is. The Westfeldts are contacting the police to press charges, and they have a lot of evidence on their side."
"There's also the matter of you trying to blackmail me, but we'll put that aside for now. You've got other bigger issues to deal with."
"Like what?"
Bianca smiled coldly. "Like fraud. I had an interesting conversation with your employer earlier."
"Make that former employer, Bianca."
"Hello, Marilyn. I guess I should introduce you to everyone. This is my partner Marissa Tasker, and the woman with the curly hair is my sister Kendall Slater."
The editor nodded. "Ladies, it's a pleasure to meet you both."
The pair nodded in greeting and remained silent. Bianca was running the show, and they were content to let her do so. They would be there if she needed them, but she had things well in hand. Kendall beamed with pride as her sister leveled the patented Kane death glare at the reporter. While part of her was kicking herself for losing her temper, Marissa stood in awe of the woman she loved. Bianca was in complete control of the situation, and the redhead felt a shiver run up her spine at the sight.
"I suppose I should make one more introduction. Marilyn, this is Carmen Navarro."
"Excuse me?"
"Yeah, it seems that Carmen has been lying and perpetrating a fraud on you and your magazine." Bianca glanced at Marissa to make sure she had the legal terminology correct. A proud nod from her partner told her to continue. "Her real name is Navarro, and she worked for the Examiner until she was fired for extortion. She blackmailed a man with some faked photos to get him to cooperate with her on a story. When he refused, she sent them to his wife. Sound familiar?"
Marilyn nodded. "Why yes it does. That's exactly what she was doing to you. So, if she worked for the Examiner, that means she lived here already and any money she received from us for 'relocating' here was the result of fraud on her part."
"That's right. I'm thinking there could be some identity theft involved too since we know she misrepresented herself at least once with you. Who knows how many more times she done that?"
"That's a very good point. I'll have our lawyers sort all of that out. You should find yourself a good one, Carmen. You're going to need it because we will be pressing charges."
"I … I …"
"Now for my favorite part, blackmailing me."
"I didn't do anything like that. It's your word against mine."
Bianca grinned. "Actually, it's your word against your word. You see, Marilyn and I recorded the whole conversation we had in your room."
The color drained from the reporter's face.
"That's right. We've got every single word you said to me, and I'm going to make sure they're used."
"You're bluffing."
Bianca's steely gaze fell onto the other woman and everyone could see her visibly shrink under the glare. "Let's recap, shall we? You're facing multiple charges of extortion, fraud and a whole host of other charges I can't even begin to list. You have no witness to your alleged assault by Marissa. Who do you think people are going to believe again? When it comes to my family and protecting them, I never bluff. I don't give a damn about my reputation. I care about my family. You went after them. It's time for you to pay the consequences of doing that. I'll do anything I need to in order to protect them. Anyone who thinks otherwise is in for one hell of a rude awakening. You come near them again or even think about it, this is going to feel like a walk in the park compared to what I'll do to you then. I will burn you to the ground."
"Is everything okay here? Is she okay?"
Kendall turned and saw Brot approaching the group and eyeing Carmen. "Officer Monroe, she slipped and fell into the pool." The older woman turned to the reporter. "I know you said you didn't want any help from us, but you really should dry yourself off and do something about that nose." Kendall picked up a towel and threw it at a still shaken Carmen hitting her squarely in the face.
The reporter screamed in pain. "Son of a bitch! You did that on purpose!"
Kendall simply shrugged innocently. "I got you a towel. It's not my fault you weren't paying attention enough to catch it."
The others bit back a laugh.
"Is that what happened, Ms.?"
Carmen glanced around the group of women. When her eyes locked with Bianca's blazing glare, she swallowed thickly and nodded. The reporter was truly frightened of what the younger brunette would do, and the look in her eyes chilled her to the bone. "Yes, officer. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and slipped."
"I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."
"Carmen Diaz."
Brot cocked his head is surprise upon hearing the name. "Well, Ms. Diaz, I've been looking for you. I have a warrant for your arrest."
The reporter's head snapped up and she winced in pain at the sudden movement. "For what?"
"Extortion. Paul and Sherry Westfeldt have filed a complaint against you."
Marilyn Lowe stepped forward. "I'd like to add some charges of my own, Officer Monroe."
"And you are?"
"Marilyn Lowe, editor in chief of Pine Valley Now, Ms. Diaz or should I say Ms. Navarro's former employer. It turns out that's her real name. I'd like to charge her with fraud and theft by deception. There are a few more other charges to follow, but those are the first to come to mind right now."
Brot turned to Bianca. "Exactly why are you here?"
Bianca weighed her words carefully. If possible, she wanted to avoid having her pictures exposed to spare Marissa and their children any pain they may cause. She also knew she could use the threat of pressing charges to insure that Carmen kept her mouth shut about Marissa hitting her. Bianca knew that she did and she also knew Marissa had done so with good reason. "Carmen was at my office earlier."
"Oh, that's right. The chief had me go over and talk to your staff. A planner of yours was missing."
"Yes, that's correct. I called Ms. Lowe to complain about her employee. Carmen has been harassing me in order to get me to submit to an interview. Ms. Lowe agreed to meet with me here. While I was waiting for her, Carmen and I talked. She mentioned she had some photos of me that I probably wouldn't want to come to light."
"This conversation took place in her hotel room?"
"Yes, it did."
Brot took out a pair of handcuffs and placed one cuff around Carmen's wrist while the other end was attached to a chair. "Everyone stay here while I go check out the room."
Kendall checked her phone and then nodded to Bianca.
The younger brunette turned to the reporter. "What's it going to be, Carmen?"
The reporter glanced at the sisters. The smug look on the older one's face and the hard glint in younger one's eyes told her everything she needed to know. The officer wouldn't find any pictures of Bianca in the room. In fact, they would only be found if the reporter tried to pursue assault charges against Marissa. That would be the only concession she would be receiving from the group assembled here and she knew it. The reporter nodded knowing she was backed into a corner especially since she already told the police officer she slipped and fell.
Marissa pulled Bianca aside. "Bianca, I can't let you do this. She's going to walk on what she did to you because I couldn't hold my temper. It's not right."
"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. She got exactly what she deserved. I have no doubt that she pushed you way too far by saying some pretty ugly things and maybe showing you something that you have to believe is fake."
"She tried to show me something, but I didn't look. I didn't need to because I knew they were fake. She also implied some things about the two of you and the nature of your relationship. You never have to doubt that I trust and believe in you. I know exactly what you are and aren't capable of."
"Where did the photos go?"
"I saw Kendall grab the envelope."
"Good. Look, it doesn't matter to me whether or not she faces charges for what she did. Let me do this for you. It's the right thing. You don't deserve to have your name dragged through the mud which is what she'll try and do or whatever lawyer she hires will try. You've also worked too damn hard to get where you are. I'm not about to let anyone take that away from you. Besides, she's facing more than enough charges and time behind bars without anything from me. Got it?"
Marissa sighed knowing full well that it was futile arguing with Bianca when she had her mind made up. "I got it, but if anything happens with the other charges, we're moving forward with pressing charges on what she did to you. Charges against me be damned. Deal?"
Bianca chuckled. Marissa could be just as stubborn as her so Bianca knew she wouldn't budge from her stance on justice being served. "You drive a hard bargain, Counselor, but deal." The brunette leaned in for a quick kiss. "How's your hand?"
"Nothing a little ice won't help."
Brot joined the group again. "I couldn't find any photos inside and there wasn't anything on her computer. There really isn't any evidence to charge her with either extortion or attempted extortion. I did find your planner. She could be charged with a misdemeanor for taking it."
Bianca shook her head. "No, that's okay. She has enough more pressing matters facing her."
The police officer knew there was a lot more to this story than he was being told. He also knew that the reporter's broken nose was not the result of a slip around the pool. It was more likely the result of a roundhouse left by a certain redheaded lawyer, but he wasn't going to press it. If his suspicions were correct, he knew the reporter received exactly what she deserved. Plus, there weren't any witnesses and the woman wasn't pressing any charges so there was really nothing he could do about it. As Brot released the cuff from the chair, he began to read Carmen her rights. Once her hands were cuffed securely behind her back, Brot began to lead the reporter away. "Ms. Lowe, if you still want to press charges, you can meet us at the station. I'm going to stop by Pine Valley Hospital first to have them look at her nose."
Marilyn nodded. "I'll meet you there, officer. I just want to contact my lawyers." When Brot was out of sight, she turned to Bianca and handed her a digital recorder. "I'll let you have this in case you need it later."
"Thanks for your help."
"I'm glad that I could do it. I'm sorry things got this far. Trust me though, we're not done with her by a long shot. I only wish I could've seen her 'fall' into the pool. I'll see you around." The woman pulled out her phone as she walked away.
"Why do I feel I'm missing something, B?" Marissa asked.
"My conversation with Carmen might've been recorded by Marilyn." Bianca grinned.
"You wore a wire?!"
"Kinda. I left my cellphone on while it was connected to Marilyn and she recorded everything."
Marissa shook her head in wonder. "You're amazing."
"I'm a Kane. We have our ways."
"Kendall, where's Greenlee? Shouldn't she be here by now?" Marissa glanced around the area.
"You called Greenlee?"
"Of course she did."
The couple looked at each other with matching amused looks.
"Uh, Kendall, did that shrubbery just talk?" Bianca smirked.
Greenlee emerged from the tropical area the Inn had set up around the pool area. "She knew she better call me or she'd never hear the end of it."
"I'm thinking you missed your calling, Greenlee. You're really good at camouflage. How long have you been back there?" Marissa was curious how much of her confrontation the other woman had witnessed.
"I do have kind of a knack for it, don't I? Oh before I forget, here's her flash drive." Greenlee handed the device to Bianca.
"How did you get this?"
"I snuck into her while you were all otherwise engaged with Carmen and before Brot got here. I did a quick glance on her laptop and then the drive. Everything about you was only on the drive. And don't worry, I only looked at the directory and not the contents. As to your question, Marissa, I've been back there for a while." Greenlee grinned mischievously.
"Tell me you got what happened between Red and that bitch!" Kendall couldn't contain her excitement.
Greenlee pulled out her phone and waved it around a little. "I got it! I got all of it! Remind me to never piss you off, Marissa!"
The redhead groaned.
"I've got to see this!"
Bianca rolled her eyes at her sister, but she had to admit that she was a little curious herself. "How about we go somewhere else and watch it? How about Krystal's? We can get some ice for Rissa's hand."
Everyone agreed and headed off to their cars with Kendall going with her sister.
/
The sisters arrived at the restaurant first and were greeted by the owner.
"Howdy, ladies. This is a nice surprise."
"Hey, Krystal. Could we get four iced teas, a cloth and a bag of ice?" Bianca asked as she sat down.
"What? Cloth and a bag of ice? Who are the other two teas for?"
"Red and Greenlee are on their way. Red needs the ice."
"Is Marissa alright?"
Bianca shot a quick glare at her sister. "She's fine. Her hand is a little sore."
"From what? Was she in an accident?"
"No, it wasn't an accident. It was a fight. She broke someone's nose." Kendall smirked.
"She what?! Whose nose? What happened?"
"Would you stop it, Kendall? We'll tell you everything as soon as she gets here. I promise she's okay."
"Okay, let me go get everything." Krystal hurried off.
"Would you behave? You had her really worried."
Kendall shrugged. "I didn't mean to do that, but maybe if you had let me drive over with Greenlee, I'd be better because I would've seen the video by now."
"Seriously? You're pouting?" Bianca rolled her eyes.
"Hey."
Bianca smiled brightly as Marissa joined the sisters. "Hey." The couple exchanged a kiss as Marissa settled in next to her. Bianca picked up the redhead's hand and stroked it tenderly. "How does it feel?"
Marissa sighed feeling her lover's gentle touch. "Better, now."
"Here's the ice and dishcloth. Marissa, are you alright and will you please tell me what happened now?" Krystal asked as she handed the items to Bianca before distributing the drinks and joining the three.
Bianca tended to Marissa's hand as she spoke. "While we're waiting for Greenlee, I suppose we could fill you in on everything that happened earlier."
Krystal listened in rapt attention while the others related everything that happened. "That bitch. I can't believe she did that to both of you."
Greenlee joined the others. "I take it you told her about what happened."
"Yes, we did. What took you so long?" Kendall asked impatiently.
"I transferred the video to my tablet so we can see it a little better since it has a bigger screen than my cellphone." Greenlee took a sip of her iced tea and settled in. "Do you know how tempting it is to put this on YouTube and let it go viral? Don't worry. I know I can't do that. I just said I was tempted. I have to admit that this is some of my best work. Is everyone ready?"
Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yes! Would you play it already?!"
/
The women gathered in around Greenlee as she brought the video up on her tablet. Hearing the reporter's venomous words, Bianca gripped Marissa's good hand. Marissa was taking several deep breaths knowing exactly what would happen next while Kendall ground her teeth and quietly seethed hearing what the reporter was saying. On the video, Greenlee could be heard muttering. At times, she was encouraging Marissa to hold it together and not lose her temper. By the end of the reporter's rant however, you could hear Greenlee saying 'knock her head off, Marissa'.
Suddenly, all hell broke loose as Marissa's fist firmly connected with the reporter's nose sending her flying backwards into pool. The cheer that erupted from the table caused the other patrons to look in their direction. The women merely smiled and continued to watch as blood gushed from the woman's nose while she sputtered and floundered around in the pool. Greenlee could be heard cheering in the background while Bianca and Kendall could be seen rushing into view.
Kendall, Greenlee and Krystal were grinning from ear to ear. Bianca and Marissa had a mixture of emotions play across their faces. Marissa, while upset that she had lost her temper, couldn't bring herself to be sorry for decking the other woman and for how satisfying it felt to do so. Bianca, for her part, hated that Marissa had to hear the ugliness the reporter was spewing, but she had to admit that seeing Marissa take out the other woman made her proud and quite frankly a little turned on, though she would only ever admit that second part to Marissa.
There was a slight break in the action from when Greenlee went into the hotel room to retrieve the flash drive. The scene with Bianca tapping into her inner Kane was a hit with the group as well.
"I'm so proud of you, Binx. Mom will be too and don't say she doesn't need to know because she does. Even though I loved where you ripped Carmen a new one, I have to say that my favorite part was Rocky over here. You took her out with one punch! Where did you learn to fight, Red?"
Marissa grinned. "My Dad taught me. He wanted me to be able to protect myself but to only use force when all other options had failed. Mom wasn't too thrilled about it though but let him do it anyway."
Krystal nodded. "That sounds like Roy and Lydia. They were always in favor of trying to use reason first with someone but to always stand your ground. I'm proud of you, and I know they would be proud of you too. That woman got exactly what she deserved."
"Play in again, Greenlee. I want to see Rocky here in action again." Kendall smirked.
"Yeah, I want to see it again too." Bianca grinned proudly. "Nobody messes with my girl!"
Marissa chuckled and flexed her hand. "It did feel really good to knock that look off of her face."
"As much as I want to see it again, I better get back to work. Good job you two." Krystal smiled at the couple before heading back to the kitchen.
Greenlee couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh, I've got this really cool app that can put this in super slo-mo. Watch this!"
The four women watched the clip a few more times with each viewing bringing cheers and laughs.
"I have to tell you that I was about to rip her head off myself if you hadn't decked her when you did. That woman was seriously getting on my last nerve. I don't know that I could've taken her out in one punch though, Rocky." Greenlee added still grinning.
"That's some serious power you got there, Rocky. Remind me to never piss you off."
"I don't think you have to worry, Curly, since the only things that would get me that mad are things that hurt or attack my family, and I know you would never do anything like that so you're safe." Marissa checked the time and looked at Bianca. "It's almost time to pick up the kids."
"Do you have to get back to the office?"
"I do but just to wrap up a couple of things."
Bianca smiled. "I'll pick them up then."
"I'll walk out with you." Marissa turned to the friends. "Thanks for the backup today."
"Anytime. And thank you for the entertainment! Both of you! I'll send you both the clip. I'm keeping you in mind, Rocky, should I ever need a little muscle." Greenlee smirked.
"I'll catch a ride with Greenlee. I want to watch this again. You know you have to send me this too along with that app. I can't wait to show this to Zach. He might offer you a position, Red." Kendall laughed.
"Great, I'm now the family enforcer."
"Well, Mom is kinda like 'The Godfather' of our family." Bianca smirked as the couple waved to the pair as they prepared for yet another viewing.
/
Bianca pulled Marissa aside when they reached their cars. "You know it was pretty damn hot the way you defended me. Seeing you decking Carmen like that? You were sexy as hell."
Marissa chuckled. "I'm definitely a bad influence on you. You know how much I love it when you flash the Kane death glare."
"I do. I think your actions today deserve a reward."
"Did you have anything in particular in mind?"
Bianca grinned wickedly and pulled the redhead in for a searing kiss.
Marissa's eyes were still closed and her brain starting to short-circuit when they separated.
"Don't be late getting home. Maybe, we can get the kids to bed early."
"I suppose that now is too early, huh?"
Bianca laughed before leaning in for a quick kiss that was full of the promise of things to come later that evening. "Good things come to those who wait, Sweetheart."
"Babe, you are so much more than good and definitely worth whatever wait there may be."