Chapter 3
After the man, Dean picked up her backpack he took her around to the front of Rockers casino. All lights blinked, flickering to attract attention to anyone who was willing to press their luck. Maya hadn't really bothered to press her luck before, she was already in an unlucky situation as she was being dragged around by the arm. She'd pressed her luck and got caught.
"Mr. Ambrose," the front clerk greeted. The man was older, wearing a tan suit with blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail.
"Hey, Shawn. Anything going on?" Dean asked.
"Not a damn thing." The man glanced Maya over. "Are you entertaining tonight? You haven't had one in a while."
"Nah, I'm babysitting this little mouse for Rollins."
"Oh, I see." The man smiled, and Maya frowned.
Much like the strip club, red and black seemed to be the color scheme throughout most of the place; alternative rock music was playing and the waitresses wore skimpy black leather outfits and carried large trays of drinks. The only difference between the strip club and the casino was that at least the casino women kept their clothes on.
Past the front desks were slot machines and card tables, loud men and louder machines mixed together. People seemed to be having fun, enjoying themselves and everything. Drinks were being served, nothing seemed out of place at all.
Dean stopped long enough to do something on his phone as they waited for the elevators. When the door to one slipped open Dean put his phone away and pulled Maya into the elevator with him.. He pushed floor number eight, which explained why Rockers wasn't as tall as MGM or any other casino hotels along the Strip. Dean stood on one side of the elevator while Maya pressed her back on the other side.
Maya stared at her backpack that still hung from Dean's left hand. The wedding band on his ring finger glinted in the overhead lighting. Not that she was interested in sleeping with this man. He loomed, slightly hunched and in the brighter light, he had light, almost cold blue eyes under shaggy sandy orange hair. His fingers on his right hand tapped against his thigh as the door slid open.
"After you," he said.
She stepped out and then Dean pulled her along the hall. Colored red and black, like the checkered carpet that muffled their footsteps. There weren't a lot of doors, only about four through the entire hallway. At the far end, with the numbers eight zero four on it, Dean unlocked the door.
"Welcome home, Maya Mouse." Dean eased the door open.
Much like everything else, red and black dominated the color scheme. There were two black leather couches sitting in an L shape in front of a large flat screen television. There wasn't much in a way of decorations, no pictures or wall art on the white walls. Maya could see a kitchen straight ahead and to the right of the living room. And then there was a darkened hallway that passed by the kitchen, which was where Dean headed towards.
"Come on, Mouse."
"Can you stick to one nickname?" She asked.
He made a sound but didn't say anything. He flipped on a light switch and light flooded out of the hall. Down the hall, on the left, was one door and a closet along the wall where the kitchen was positioned. The left door was the one that Dean opened and waited for her. The room had two doors, one double and on her right a black door.
"The shower is that way," he pointed to the black door. "Don't use the jacuzzi tub, I have plans for it later. There are towels, soaps and hair products in the shower you can use. I'll find you something to wear."
Then he walked up to the large bed with her backpack and she followed.
"What are you doing?" Maya asked.
"Making sure you're not packing anything that could hurt me."
Her life was dumped out onto the black covered bed. Her underwear, her wallet and the change purse that only contained two quarters. The small album fell out last, having been protected by her extra pair of pants and shirt. And then the knife.
"What's this?" He flicked the knife open. "Can't let you have this military-grade pocket knife. Did you steal this, too?"
She shook her head, eyes focusing on the album. "It's for protection."
"Or hold someone up at knifepoint?"
"No!" She couldn't stop her raised voice. "You obviously don't know what living on the streets is like. How could you understand what I go through?"
In a split second, his front was against hers and they were pressed up against each other. He was looking down at her as he had her pinned to the nightstand table behind her.
"Don't go assuming anything, Maya Mouse. And you shouldn't ever provoke me, either." His eyes bore right to the back of her skull.
She tried to jerk back but couldn't. "I'm sorry."
"Good girl." He smiled. "Let me go find you something to change into for after your shower. Better get that coat off."
Maya watched him go to the white double doors in the room. When his back was to her, she grabbed her album and shoved it under the bed with her foot. Dean came back as she started to take off her coat. He threw two articles of clothes at her, one of which looked like a pair of lightweight shorts.
"Go enjoy a shower." He nodded to the door behind her.
Through the black door was a nice big bathroom with a glass enclosed shower and a large jacuzzi tub. Bypassing the tub, like Dean had told her to, she stripped for a shower.
The shower started and Dean looked at the pile of stuff on his bed. The military grade switchblade was alarming but not unexpected- he carried one just like it back in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hunger was a good motive for theft, another familiar thing for Dean.
His doorbell rang as he picked up the pair of jeans. Dropping everything in his trash can, Dean went to the front door and paid the pizza delivery guy- giving him a twenty dollar tip for the effort. He locked the door afterward
It was nearing one o'clock in the morning, which meant that by two o'clock the club would be closing for the night. A check on his phone as he sat down showed that he had a text message.
Roman: How's the girl
Dean: Taking a shower
Roman: Ryder screwed up. He was the doorman.
Dean: Seth fire his ass?
Roman: No. Given a 2nd chance
Dean rolled his eyes. Of course, Seth would give a guy like Zack Ryder a second chance after screwing something up. Seth of second chances could be his new title.
Roman: You behaving?
It took him a minute to respond, only because he caught a glimpse of his ring on his finger. Frowning, Dean turned back to his phone.
Dean: Yes, asshole
Roman: Just making sure. Talk to you later.
Seth even asked how Maya was doing, which the conversation last no more than one text in return from Dean.
FUCK! She's fine. I got food. She's in the shower. Shut up and leave me alone!
Dean nearly chucked his phone at the wall when he heard the shower turn off.
Dean went into the kitchen to get a beer, the perfect thing for a large Hawaiian pizza with extra pineapples. He kept an ear open as he heard moving around in his room. Just as he turned from the fridge he found Maya standing in the doorway wearing his clothes, all of which hung off her thin frame like a sheet.
"Where's my underwear?" She asked, arms crossing under her breasts. Small breasts, like Renee's...He closed his eyes at the intruding thoughts.
"I threw them away."
"What? Why'd you go and do that?" She stepped forward.
"Because," he didn't offer anything else to that statement.
"Because why?"
"You'll get new shit soon. So shut up and grab a plate. I got us pizza." He motioned to the cupboard next to th3e sink. "Hope you like Hawaiian. There's beer if you want."
She closed her eyes, took in a deep breath and let it out. "Probably better if I stick to water."
The cups and plates were in the same cupboard. Dean leaned against the fridge as he watched Maya's ultimate struggle just to get one of the plates down. Barefoot and on tiptoes she did get a plate but the cups were up on a higher shelf, well out of her reach.
"When you gain weight, you should try to gain some height," Dean said as he came up behind her.
Pressing up against her back, locking her between his body and the sink counter, Dean got a cup down with ease. Maya turned when he stepped back a little.
"I'll be in the front room watching something." He said, forcing himself not to look at her large wide and deep green eyes.
Her eyes made Dean shake on the inside, a fact he didn't quite understand himself. Renee's hazel brown eyes always switched from brown to blue in a certain way she would look at him. Maya's eyes were just two glistening emeralds looking at him.
Cursing himself two ways from Sunday, calling himself every derogatory name he could think of, Dean settled in on watching a late night boxing match. It gave him a reprieve from the skinny, mousy-haired he left in his kitchen.
He saw her sit down on the couch as he waited for the commercial to be over. She lifted the pizza box lid, stared at contents for a solid minute before pulling a slice out. Hiding a laugh, Dean ate his slice in silence as the match came back on.
The quiet in the room, aside from the noise of the boxing match, was peaceful. Maya didn't talk, she didn't say anything for the longest time while she ate two large slices of pizza and then half of the third. She stopped only to chew or get a drink of her water.
"So, where did you get this sweet switchblade from?" He pulled it out of his pocket and put it down on the coffee table.
She looked at it. "Why?"
"Don't know, just making a conversation." He shrugged.
Maya didn't say anything. She dropped her partially eaten slice of pizza on her plate and leaned back.
"So?" He asked.
"My fiance," she said. "And before you ask, he's dead."
The twist of the knife in his chest hurt briefly. Maya refused to look at him, she stared at her plate.
"Sorry to hear that." Dean hurt even muttering that.
He flinched when she reached over fast. Instead of going for the switchblade she grabbed his beer bottle and lifted it to her plump mouth. She took a gulp, groaned and put it back.
"That's shit." She wiped the back of her hand over her mouth. "I prefer Bud Light."
The first smile, one he hadn't felt in a long time, spread across his face. An actual smile, nothing else but humor behind it.
He grabbed the bottle and finished it off in several pulls.
Again, they fell into a quiet as she finished most of her food. Before long, as the boxing match ended, Maya was nodding off on the couch. When Dean flipped the television off Maya looked at him.
"Let's hit the sack." He said as he picked up his plate and bottle.
He went into the kitchen and dumped his crusts and put his empty bottle in a recycle bin under the sink. Dean turned around and watched Maya walk in with her plate and cup.
"I'll need a blanket and pillow if I'm sleeping on the couch." She said as she tossed her leftovers.
"You're sleeping in my bed tonight." He said.
She turned towards him. "I'm not sleeping with you."
"Who said anything about sleeping?" He smirked.
"I'm serious, Dean Ambrose." She crossed her arms over her chest.
"So am I, Maya Gilbert. You're sleeping in my bed tonight." He smiled a little bigger. "My happy ass is sleeping on the couch."
She blinked, she shook her head slightly and then took a deep breath. "Why are you being so mean to me?" She asked.
"Why do you think?" He walked out of the kitchen shortly after.
She followed, of course, she would. They walked to the main bedroom, her following in step behind him. "So you're not going to sleep in here?"
"No. But I'm going to make damn sure you're not going to try to leave. See this?" He held up a keyring with some keys on it. "These are going to be on me, right here." He shoved them in his front pocket. "Sleep tight, Maya Mouse."
He left her in his room and went across the hall to the closet Renee set up for extra pillows and bedding. He grabbed the nearest pillow and fleece blanket before settling down in front of the dark television and fell asleep with thoughts of emerald green eyes in his mind.
There you go. Thanks to the people who have stuck around to read this rewrite, I really appreciate the reads and the comments from you guys. I'll have another one up in a few days time.