Casey parked her car just outside of city limits. Her eyes on the sign that let her know all she had to do was pass it and she was back.
It has been fifteen years since she left. Fifteen years since she saw his face. Fifteen years. She squeezed the steering wheel. Her mind flashing back to a simpler time.
Trish smiled at her as they walked out of school.
"Still coming over for my birthday party?", Trish asked.
"Wouldn't miss it", Casey replied.
"Great, see you this weekend", Trish said, before leaving her side and walking over to her boyfriend.
He was older than Trish, in his early twenties her friend had told her.
"Alright, lets go boys. We have a meeting to get to at the club", another guy from the group said.
He looked over at Casey and she quickly turned away, gripping the strap of her bag. He was handsome, she would give him that, heck they all were. Her grandparents had warned her to stay away from DX. They were considered Mafia in their small town.
Police never finding anything on them though, so they never got arrested.
"If they do, its because they got caught on purpose.", her grandpa had said.
Then she wondered if he would be at Trish's eighteenth birthday party. She shook her head of the thought. Like he would be at a teenage girl's birthday party.
She stopped when someone honked. Trish hung out the window.
"Want a ride? AJ can drop you off", she said.
She could see Karl's hands on Trish's hips. Her friend giggled and tried to brush them off.
"No, I'm good", Casey said.
Her eyes found AJ.
"Oh come on, you've still got about ten blocks. Trust me", Trish said.
Casey sighed and looked down the street before nodding. She removed her bag and AJ reached over to open the passenger side.
She climbed in and buckled up.
"AJ Styles", he said, holding his hand out to her.
She shook it.
"Casey Rossi", she said.
He smiled.
"Italian?", he asked.
She shook her head no.
"I was adopted, they were Italian. After they died, my grandparents took me in", she explained.
He nodded. She could hear Trish giggling in the back seat while Karl groaned. Casey made a face and AJ chuckled.
"Lad, can you hold off till we get to the club? I really don't want to see you groping the poor girl and eating her face off", Finn said.
He had suddenly appeared in town looking for Hunter Helmsley and Vince McMahon. He wasn't hard to miss because of the accent.
"Finn Balor, Lass", Finn said to her.
"Casey", she replied.
"My best friend and partner in crime", Trish said, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.
Casey laughed softly.
"Where am I dropping you off, Casey?", AJ asked.
"Corner market. My house is down the street from there", Casey said.
AJ nodded. Trish glanced at her and raised a brow. Knowing Casey lied about where she lived. Getting to the market, AJ pulled over and looked at Casey.
"Are you sure you don't want me to drop you off in front of your house?", AJ asked.
"This is fine, I have to get some things from the store anyway. Thanks", Casey said.
She looked at Trish.
"I'll see you, Trish", Casey said.
Her friend nodded. She closed the door and walked inside the store. She watched as AJ drove off. She sighed as she grabbed a small carton of milk and paid for it.
Walking out, she walked down two more blocks and crossing the tracks to the poorer side of town. Getting to her apartment building, she walked up the several flights of stairs because the elevator was still broken.
It was never getting fixed because it cost too much to have someone come out and fix it. Getting to hers, she unlocked the door. Her grandpa was watching a game on the tv and her grandmother was cooking like always.
"Got the milk", Casey said.
She kissed her grandpa's cheek and he smiled.
"Thank you Case", her grandma said.
Casey set her bag down on the couch and pulled out her graduation tickets. Placing them in the basket so her grandparents wouldn't forget. They lived in a one bedroom apartment. The little money they made was used to pay the rent and food.
Casey helped from time to time, taking babysitting jobs. She had found out from people in town how her family had lost everything.
Her dad loved gambling. Using their house as payment for past debts, thankfully her mother always kept extra cash for emergencies, so they could keep their house. Before they died, unknown to her mother and grandparents, her father had lost a few rounds of poker.
Putting down their house, and everything they owned. Along with her grandparents house. DX took it all the day after her parents funeral. She was only ten.
"Any plans this weekend?", her grandpa asked, after the game went to commercial.
"Trish's birthday party", she answered.
"Fun. Then it will be your graduation and then birthday. Anything special you want to do?", he asked.
She smiled.
"Just dinner with you and Grandma is fine.", Casey said.
"You sure? I'm sure your grandma and I can gather some change and make you a party. We've got the space", he joked.
She laughed.
"I'm sure. Just you two is enough", she said.
He nodded.
"Alrighty then", he replied, the game came back on and that was the end of that conversation.
She started on her homework. Halfway into it, her grandpa coughed.
"Did you take your medicine today?", she asked.
He waved her question off. They couldn't afford it and so he took his time in taking it, just so it could last longer.
"I'm good", he said, eyes still on the game.
She let it slide for now, but she would be keeping a close eye on him. Once she noticed it got worse, she would have to give him his medicine instead of relying on him to take it.
The guys arrived to DX club after dropping off Trish. Walking in, they waved to Luke Gallows and Tama Tonga.
Taking a seat at the table.
"So what's this about Finn?", Tama asked.
Finn and AJ were tired of being under Hunter and Vince. They were the ones who brought in the money. Most of the ideas brought to the table were theirs.
"Finn and I are leaving DX. We've all worked our asses off, we deserve a seat at Garcias table. Not under Vince and Hunter. Those old farts don't do anything but sit on their asses all day", AJ said.
"We are forming our own club. Our clients trust us, we can make it without them", Finn added.
Tama looked around at the group of guys.
"I'm guessing you all are in on this?", he asked.
They nodded. Finn and AJ promised them more money and less work. They trusted Finn and AJ, they might have been young, but they knew the ins and outs of this organization.
"Hell, I'm in", Tama said, raising his beer.
Luke did the same. The men cheered to their new business adventure.
"To Bullet Club", AJ announced.
"Bullet Club", the men cheered.
Casey shook her head and started her car. Seeing the familiar town, she smiled. She had more good memories than bad. Pulling into her grandma's house. She walked up the porch steps and knocked before walking in.
"Casey, what a nice surprise", her grandma said with a smile.
Usually to avoid coming to town, she flew her grandmother out to her place. Now, her grandmother was too sick to travel.
"I figured since you couldn't come to me, I'd come to you. For good actually", Casey said.
Her grandmother's smile reached her eyes. Several times they had tried to get her to come home, she made every excuse in the book not too.
She hugged her.
"Well, welcome home sweetie", her grandma said.
AJ was sitting at a poker table, strippers going up and down their poles. Swinging their hips and biting their lips. Tama approached him.
"You're never going to believe this", he said.
AJ looked up at him.
"I think I just saw your wife", he said.
AJ set down his cards and stood slowly.
"Where?", he asked.
"She drove past me at the lights. Driving towards her grandma's home I think", Tama said.
AJ walked past him and to his office. Grabbing his keys, he walked out of the club.
"What's it been?", Kenny asked.
Tama looked at him.
"Fifteen years", he replied.
Casey was taking down her bags when a black Audi stopped across the street. The door opened and AJ got off. He slammed the door shut and Casey sighed. She knew someone would spot her, but that was quick.
"Where the hell have you been?", he asked.
"Um", was all she could say.
She looked towards her grandma's house. AJ stepped closer and she took two back, making him stop.
"Casey", he said.
"I didn't come back for you. I came to help my grandma", she said.
"AJ", she turned at the sound of her grandma's voice.
She walked over to him and hugged him.
"AJ has been so good to me, Casey. Helps me pay for my medicine", her grandma said.
"I'll make sure to pay him back", Casey said, rubbing her grandmother's back gently.
"No need. She's family", AJ said.
"Would you like to come in AJ? We were just going to sit to have a quick bite", she said.
Casey was going to decline the offer to him.
"I'd love too, Grandma", he replied, taking the old woman's arm and looping it with his.
She listened to her grandma speak to him. He laughed softly at something she said about the neighbors cat. He glanced back at Casey before helping her grandma inside.
Casey sat down on the edge of her car and took a deep breath. Her grandparents knew she married him. It was an offer she couldn't refuse, and not because of the money, but because she loved him.
He was a good husband, her best friend, and provider. Never cheated, even with the hoards of women coming in and out of his club. Never lied to her about his work, which sometimes she wished he never told her.
She just couldn't hack it. The drugs, the dead bodies, and the prostitution ring. She had to get out.
"Casey?", she turned at the sound of his voice.
"I want a divorce", she said suddenly.
He raised a brow and chuckled.
"It doesn't work that way, Case, and you know it. Also, if that were true, you would have filed a long time ago. You know I could have found you, Casey, any time I wanted. So don't use the, 'I was afraid you'll find me', excuse.", he said.
"What have you been telling her?", she asked.
He shrugged.
"That I fly out to you when I'm not working. She laughed and said, yeah she flies me out too.", he said.
She bit her lip.
"How's Karl?", she asked.
"Better than before. He was a real mess after", he stopped.
Its why she left. Her best friend was there was second, and then, she wasn't.
"And DX?", she asked softly.
He looked down the street before closing the space between them.
"Out of the way", he whispered, before grabbing the box from the back and walking towards her grandma's house.
He turned.
"Oh and, by the way, don't get to comfortable. You will be coming home", he said.
There was no telling him no. If DX was still around, to hurt AJ, they would go after her and her grandma now that she was back.
"Yes sir", she whispered after him.