DISCLAIMER: I do NOT own WWE, NXT, NXT: U.K. or any of the Superstars from either roster that may appear in this story. Names and locations are used for story purposes only.
Giselle
After about a month, Roman and I were able to finally take our weekend getaway to Puerto Rico and I didn't want to go back to New York when it was all over. The weekend was spent in San Juan which is the capital of Puerto Rico and visited Viejo San Juan, which in English, is 'Old San Juan'. It's a historic landmark and it has shops, open air cafes, restaurants, and museums. We ate traditional Puerto Rican food every day we were there and was even able to squeeze in some time at the beach, of course taking pictures of everything we could. We made love every night including the morning of the day we came back to New York. It was a time for the two of us to be able to spend time together, and away from everything that had kept us busy and going for the past month.
"You've been extra quiet today. You sure you're okay?" Jenny asks as we walk around my neighborhood with our dogs.
"Yeah, I've just had a lot on my mind lately." I reply.
"Girl, I thought that weekend helped. You were so relaxed when you came back." She said.
I let out a sigh and smile. "I was. It was an amazing time there, and we had such a great time. It definitely helped with the stress for both of us. It gave Roman and I the chance to talk and reconnect without having to worry about anything else for a while. It bought us closer together and we've been so great ever since. Better than ever. That's not my issue. It's just this Haggin thing. The guy that's working for him, is starting to show up more frequently and so Roman has tightened up security for me."
Looking around, I quickly spotted the men that had been with me that last two weeks, including today. To anyone who didn't know, they probably wouldn't have been able to tell because they looked like regular guys with regular clothes on. They wouldn't have a clue that they were trained in combat and with weapons like the guns that they were licensed to carry concealed. From what I knew, the five guys that were to be my security, have all been in the military with two of them being well trained snipers and they were strategically placing themselves in a way that would help them continue to blend in, while maintaining contact with each other.
"Roman would never let anyone touch a hair on your head, even if this wasn't happening." Jenny says with a smile. "You're like his Queen and he'll do anything for his most precious jewel."
I smile thinking about him, but then I see him. The lowlife that's working for Haggin and I look around like I normally would, being extra aware of where he is and I spotted two of my guards.
"Giselle, please tell me why you're guys aren't doing anything right now. I thought you said they were around." She says, acting as normal as possible as we cross the street.
"They know what they're doing." I softly say, as I take out my phone. "They're blending in but I can see two of them just fine. Besides, you know Roman by now. He probably has them on strict orders to protect me and I don't doubt for a second, that he'll catch a fit if they mess up."
"Do you think he ever feels bad about it?" Jenny asks. "For the whole Tim Haggin thing."
I think for a moment. "I think a part of him feels bad. If anybody has it out for him, there's a chance they'll want to harm me to get to him. They think it'll get him off his game if something happens to me because it'll make him take his attention off of his business. His income. His power. His connections. His position at the top. So he feels bad because he doesn't want me to get caught up in any of it, especially when I have nothing to do with however they feel about him. He doesn't want anything bad to happen to me so I think he does take a lot of the blame for this."
My phone rings and I look to see that it's Roman. "Hey, Roman."
"Are you okay?" He asks, with some concern in his voice.
"Me and Jenny are fine." I reply, and I hear the slight sound of relief from his end.
"He hasn't spoken to you, touched you, made any kind of attempt at anything towards you?" Roman asks.
"No he hasn't." I say.
Jackson suddenly gets closer to me and walks directly by my side as he walks my pace. I keep a good hold on his leash, even though I know he still has more strength than me. He stops and growls when he looks back. I get his attention and he's quickly walking by my side again.
"They're all close by and before you say anything, remember that I know what they look like, so I know who to look for." I reassure him.
"Okay, I just wanted to make sure you were fine." Roman says. "I love you."
I smile, even though he won't be able to see it. "I love you, too."
"And tell her I said 'hi'." He adds.
I laugh softly. "Okay. Talk to you soon."
"Roman says hi, by the way." I tell Jenny when we hang up.
She smiles as we reach the ice cream truck. Jackson starts trying to get behind me a moment later and when I look, Roman's walking up to us. My heart skips a beat and then he smiles that smile of his before he greets Jackson.
"Where'd you come from?" I ask as he wraps an arm around my waist and brings me close to him.
"I was closer than you thought." He softly says, giving me a kiss.
I touch his nose with mine and smile. "Do you want ice cream?"
He chuckles and orders one for Jenny and another one for us to share. I see the man once again, and when a bus passes by, he's no longer around. I snuggle closer to Roman and feel him tighten his grip.
"We got you, don't worry." He says in my ear before pressing a soft kiss behind it.
Later that day, I was bringing the last of my stuff to Roman's place. After knowing that Haggin's 'partner' was around where I live, everyone agreed that there was a chance he knew where I lived. We didn't want to take the chance of him one day, showing up at my place late at night or when we thinks I would be by myself and something happens. He's already starting to get a bit to close and bold for comfort and Roman wasn't going to take any chances of something happening to me. I'll be putting in my notice that I'm moving out of my apartment on Monday, seeing as the office in my building is closed for the weekend and I'll go to the post office as well to put in a change of address. Luckily, I was never one to ever have a lot of stuff, so all I had to take care of was furniture and the last remaining stuff of mine that I could get tomorrow.
Standing by the windows in the living room, I'm just staring out at the skyline. Staring out at the movement of cars and people that are still out in the street at 2:30 in the morning on what is now, Sunday. I was able to carefully get out of bed, trying to not wake Roman up and make my way to the living room without tuning on any of the lights. I check on Jackson and see that he's still sleeping, so I let him sleep and continue looking out at the world. I wrap myself up in my arms and I just want to hide. I wanted things to be left alone and not be bothered by Tim or any of his little friends. I want to be able to stay out of trouble and not put anybody else into problems because of me. Before I knew it, I feel a pair of large hands, gently rest on my arms and a soft kiss behind my ear.
"What's wrong?" Roman softly asks.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." I reply.
"You didn't. I've been in a light sleep anyways and I noticed when you left. Wondered why you weren't coming back right away." He says.
I let out a deep breath and lean against him as his arms wrap around me, making me feel safe again. "I just want him to leave us alone. I don't want to live my life in fear, wondering if someone is going to show up and do something to me. I'm sorry for putting you in this mess."
"It's not on you, love." Roman gently says. "They're just bad people with bad intentions. Do I think about it, though? Yeah, I do. I think about what their next move could be. How much bolder this guy would get. If he would ever dare do anything to hurt you because Lord knows, what I do if he did. I just want us to get through this."
"I got an opportunity to go to Florida for a job." I say, resting my hands on his arms. "I'll get higher pay because of experience, so it won't be the kind of pay that I would get if I was starting out. More benefits, including medical. Opportunities for better promotions. Opportunity to become lead CSI and because of the experience and education I have, it won't take me as long. The list goes on and on with the things that come with it."
"How do you know you'll for certain get what they're offering and that you won't get screwed over?" Roman asks.
"I've had several conversations with them already. Two meetings so far to discuss everything. Ask every question I could possibly think of to see if it's the right opportunity for me." I say.
He stays quiet for a moment. "Is there anything making you hesitate going?"
"It requires me moving to a completely different state, Roman." I answer. "How are we going to handle that if you stay up here in New York?"
"We'll figure something out. I don't know who thought I was letting go that easily, but we'll figure it out." He says.
I let out a soft laugh and he smiles. "I'm being serious, Roman."
"I know, but I am too." He replies. "We deserve a happily ever after, don't we?"
"Yes." I reply without hesitation. My heart has known for a long time now that we're capable of having that. I want a happily ever after, but I don't know if I can take another heartbreak. My heart shattered when my sister passed away and I don't know if I can handle that kind of devastation again or worse. What if I can't recover from it this time around? Something tells me that losing Roman would hurt me so bad that I don't know if I would ever give love another chance. I want my forever to include him but if I take this opportunity, can we possibly make this all work out so that he can be part of my future? But this is Roman that we're talking about. Once he puts his mind to something, he'll make sure he gets it. It's one of the things I love about him. His drive. His determination.
"Stay with me." Roman whispers before kissing my temple, as if knowing that my mind was going to a faraway land.
I lean my head back and rest it on his shoulder and his arms tighten around me. My eyes blur and I quickly try to blink it away. I feel Roman move behind me, and I gasp when he picks up, looking up at him.
"I know you believe that we'll work it out." He softly says as we make our way to his room.
"Because you're one determined man." I reply and he chuckles.
"Yeah, I can be." He says, putting me down on the bed. "But Giselle, I support you no matter what you choose to do. This could be a great opportunity for you and I don't want you to miss out on that because of me. So take it. If you know in your heart that this will be an amazing opportunity for you and that you can benefit from this, then take it. I'll support you every step of the way, Love. You've been really supportive of me the last few months and I want to be just as supportive for you."
"What about everything that's going on here?" I ask. "And what about your career? I can't ask you to give anything up for me."
Roman gives me a kiss when he lays down next to me. "As far as the Haggin thing goes, from what I know, he's getting close to having his day. As for my career, I'll relocate. I'll figure it out so that I can be with you and not have it be us living in two different states. I'll travel back and forth between Florida and New York if I have to. I have you to think about, too and I will haunt you for the rest of your life if I can't have you, so I have to have you."
I laugh and see his eyes light up when I do. I give him a kiss and I look up at him. "A happily ever after."
"Yeah." He softly says, looking at me with a desire in his eyes that I've never seen before. I give him a kiss and sigh happily when I snuggle against his body and underneath the blankets.
About two weeks later, I walk into the kitchen and see Jackson follow me in after spotting Roman already there wearing basketball shorts and his hair out, and wet. He clearly took a shower before I woke up, and take in the scent of the soap he used when he gives me a kiss. I then turn my attention to Jackson who happily wags his tail when I do.
"Happy birthday, Jackson." I softly say, scratching his head. "You're two years old now, how did time pass by so fast? Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, that I bought you home for the first time. You were the tiniest thing, and now it's like you're all grown up."
I pout and hear Roman's deep chuckle. "You're the cutest thing."
I get myself up on the counter and smile when he turns around with a plate of breakfast in his hand. We share a kiss and I take a sip of some juice.
"Are you still taking him to the park?" He asks, standing in between my legs.
"Yeah, and spend some time with him." I reply. "I feel like I've been working so much since we got back from Puerto Rico, that I haven't been giving him as much of my attention as I normally do."
"Meet me for lunch, today?" He asks. "Bring Jackson."
I smile and nod before giving him another kiss. Hearing Jackson bark, Roman's deep chuckle fills the air when Jackson walks up to Roman and barks again.
"You want her all to yourself, is that what it is?" He asks. "We still can't share her?"
I softly giggle when he barks again, before feeling Roman's lips on my forehead. Once we're done with breakfast and we clean up, Roman gets dressed and gives me one last kiss before going to the office to finish up some work, leaving me with Jackson. He makes his way to me when he sees me and lets me put his leash on.
"Ready to go out?" I asked him and smiled when he barked.
It was still early in the morning, and it hadn't been long since the morning rush hour had ended. I just finished up with everything I had to do with my place, as far as letting them know that I was leaving and making the address change in the post office. I guess you could say that I was officially moved in with Roman, but I never imagined that the day I moved in with him, would be because of the reasons that I had. I'm not quite sure exactly how it would have played out, had it not been for that, but I knew that this was something that hadn't crossed my mind. Nonetheless, Roman had been very helpful with everything and welcomed me even more, knowing that he would now have Jackson in his place all the time instead of just whenever I was there. Jackson was growing a stronger relationship with him and getting more comfortable with Roman, even though he sometimes doesn't want to share me, which is fine. He's had me all to himself from the day I bought him home, until Roman came along. Still, it makes me smile to see their relationship grow.
Roman
After finishing up with the last of my work for the day, I started getting my things together when my phone started ringing. Looking at the screen, I see that it's one of the guards that was supposed to be with Giselle today. Thoughts starting racing through my mind and I couldn't help but wonder if she was okay, seeing as they never really called for anything since they started working with her.
"John?" I say in more of a question.
He was in the Army for a total of about 6 years and was a sniper. I've seen the man with a gun, and he's one of the best that I've seen with it. His ability to remain cool, calm and collective also impressed me, and he's smarter than people think he is. At 6 foot 4, one would wonder how someone his size managed to be a sniper and be as successful as he was at it, especially with all the tattoos that he has, but after all the background checks and all the references that he has, along with seeing him in action, I was convinced to hire him.
"Boss, we have a bit of a problem." The man says.
"What do you mean, we have a bit of a problem?" I ask, suddenly worried that something really did happen to Giselle.
"Bill Jones." John simply says. "She was just trying to get some groceries. We spotted him and he's trying to make to conversation with Giselle. She's trying to avoid him, but he's becoming more aggressive in trying to get her attention. Jackson isn't with her."
"What are you doing on the phone with me, then?" I asked, quickly getting my things together to leave. "If that man touches her, security is going to have a bigger problem than him."
"Every time we try to get her away, he becomes more aggressive, Boss." He replies. "We're trying to help out without blowing our cover. If Eric and I shoot, we can easily shoot to kill. Thought that was supposed to be the last resort, especially when she's around."
I just saw red and had to stop myself from throwing a punch against the glass. I groaned and rubbed my forehead with my hand before walking out the door and trying to quickly make it downstairs.
"Get her home. NOW." I demanded. "Find a way to do it without her getting hurt and do it quickly, do you understand me?"
"Yes, Boss." He replies and we hang up.
"Please, just get her home." I whisper to myself.
In about 10 minutes, I was walking in through the door to my place and placed my stuff on the table. Unbuttoning the first few buttons of my shirt and pushing my sleeves up, I was greeted by Jackson who barked and so I greeted him. I heard him whine, and I scratched his head.
"Mama is going to be home soon." I said and I started pacing around, looking at my phone to see if there's any new messages or calls coming in.
Jackson barks a few minutes later and happily makes his way to Giselle when she walks in through the door with security behind her. She puts the bags in her hands, down to greet him while the guys picked up the bags to put them in the kitchen. I make a beeline towards her and take her in my arms, squeezing tightly and taking in her scent.
"I'm okay." She whispers in my ear, relief washing over me that she's in one piece.
I dig my face in her neck and my arms wrap around her waist, keeping her close to me. I just wanted to hold her, and as long as I could without letting her go. I place a soft kiss on her neck before pulling back and seeing those blue eyes of hers that I love. Touching her nose with mine, I take another look at her face, as if checking for any indication that she was hurt.
"Thank you, I appreciate it." I finally say to the men who were still standing there, not letting her go.
They each nodded and I hesitantly let Giselle go. I went to the kitchen with her to help her put some things away and asked them what had happened.
"I had gotten a few things ready earlier today, for dinner. But I saw that I needed a few extra things and so I just went to buy so I decided to go later in the day, and whatever extra little thing we needed, I would get it." Giselle says. "After buying what I needed to get, I was going to come back when I saw him. I tried ignoring him but he just kept getting more aggressive. They really did try to help without having to put their hands on him and blowing their covers. But when he made a big scene, that's when they were finally able to get him to leave me alone."
"We know that he's being investigated." Danny says. He's about 6 feet tall and was also in the Army for years, gaining accomplishments and awards for his service. Sandy blonde hair, with green eyes, as well as several tattoos, he was still intimidating. But he's a good man and gets the job done. "But all he's doing in making his case a lot worse for himself, isn't he?"
"He was still bold enough to try to talk to her and get aggressive when he wasn't getting his way." I say. "That sounds like something Tim Haggin would do so it doesn't entirely surprise me. It doesn't make things better for him or for Haggin."
I stand behind Giselle and rest my hands on each side of her, on the counter. I gently place a kiss behind her ear and feel her lean back against me.
"What happens now?" She asks.
"I know you're trying to let the detectives and whomever else take of it, and we'll do our job." Says John. "But in the meantime, what would you like us to do with him? He clearly doesn't have a problem showing her that he's around."
I think for a moment. "Do what we've been doing. On days like today, especially, where he was trying to get her attention and getting aggressive with her, we need to make sure that Giselle is safe. The thing is that we don't know what days he'll try to pull off something like this or if he just wants to be seen and nothing more, so always keep her safe. Always make sure that she's okay and that she makes it back home to me in one piece."
After a few more minutes of talking, the guys left. I went to walk Jackson a few minutes after that and came back to hearing Giselle in the kitchen as she started cooking. I hugged her from behind and breathed in her scent, slowly letting it out.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked.
"You can start with the meat if you'd like." She replies. "It's already seasoned and the sauce is already in the pot."
I do as she says while she deals with the rice and beans. I see the plantains cut up, and knew she was just waiting a little longer to cook them because it never took that long to cook. Giselle gives me a kiss when I turn to face her.
"I love you." She softly says.
"I love you, too." I reply and I see that smile on her face when I do.
I smile and give her a kiss. Lord knows the lengths I would go to, for her to be safe and by my side.