Family Bonds: Book 2 of Sista

by Blackstar1979

Family Bonds the sequel to Sista. The the Superstars and Sistas have been through a lot that have carved out bonds where there were none. Will the past rip apart the bonds that have been forged or make them stronger? Reviews are welcomed as always.

39. Chapter 39 I Just can't Stop Loving you

Chapter 39

I just can't Stop Loving you

Candy felt groggy as she lay in bed, she'd have to go back to the real world as Angel called it. This was such a great surprise. Almost a week ago Deon had called her again he had freaked her out. He told her what she never wanted to hear from any man. He'd slurred, if he couldn't have her no one would take his place. She knew he was drunk, high, or both, but she called Bradley because she just didn't feel safe. Bradley made her feel safe. That night he came to her home and told her to get dressed, he wanted to give her a surprise. They took her car, and she let him drive since he wouldn't tell her where they were going. Her trust issues reared their ugly heads as she asked him a few times more where they were headed. She'd noticed they left the Granville area even went pass Houston. Once she lost all her service bars, she was about to panic, until he pulled up in front of this huge beautiful cabin. She loved and hated that she had no internet service. Their um, well, relationship was still very new. She drifts back to sleep thinking of what Bradley had told her. He told her of his fears that he was falling in love with her. She had been kicking herself about even saying the thing about keeping it no strings attached. She knew why she said it. He broke down her walls and made her feel safe, he was gentle though, she knew he could be cruel, he wasn't cruel to females. Something else he and Joshua had in common. One of the big reasons she had not wanted to move too fast, was because she feared that it would scare Brad off. The other one was, she didn't want to tell Joshua just yet, just in case this ended soon. When Bradley brought her up to this lake front cabin. He talked to her as if she mattered, they both came to the realization that even though they were single, they were together most all the time now, and he wanted to see where they went. When she agreed to date him. He looked so happy, and even wanted to tell Joshua and his family about them but respected her wishes for her to be the one to tell. When she hesitated, he didn't get mad, he just got withdrawn. When he said, he understood and didn't blame her in such a morose tone, it broke her in two. Now she lay in his family's cabin's four poster bed waiting for him to return. She hadn't even known when he left her side. She wished she could call him, but up here they both had no service. This was going ghost as Joshua called it. She never dared do this with Deon, not all the way ghost anyway. Yeah, after getting out of the hospital she'd stayed at Deon's place but it wasn't like Joshua or even Angel didn't know where she was, at all times that coupled with the fact that when at Deon's she could have called Joshua and he would have been there in minutes. She doesn't think she would have been cool as she is, with not having the ability to call for help if needed. That was a testament to how secure Bradley made her feel. She knew in her heart he'd never let anything happen to her, out here in the wilderness.

Down the hill, Bradley runs along the lake trying to clear his mind. He'd brought Candy here to his family's cabin for a few reasons, one she was freaked about that fucker of an ex of hers threatening her, two he wanted her to feel safe, the last reason was, he felt really strongly for her and though it freaked him out, he couldn't help but tell her how he felt. When she explained her reason for keeping with her statement of them being fuck buddies nothing more, her fear that she would chase him off if she told him how she really felt about him surprised him, and warmed his blood at the prospect of having her as his, not only her body, not only the sex, which was fucking awesome, but the connection that he had never dared feel with another person. Candy understood him more and more every day. She made him believe that he was worth her time. When they started this, he had doubts that it would work because of who he was, and what he may look like in her eyes, after going with a guy that is doing some of the drugs he'd did for most of his younger years. She once explained to him that the drugs were the only way he and Deon had anything in common, other than that part of his past, they were polar-opposites. When she told him, she wanted to date him too, he overreacted he guessed, because he was ready to tell everyone that would listen that she was his. Her hesitation deflated his elation, like popping a balloon. Why did she want to hide them? When he mentioned telling his family, she froze and said she would tell them in time. Unlike her ex, Bradley knew what her relationship with Joshua was, that shit didn't intimidate him. For a long time, Candy was all the family Josh felt he had. Bradley knew that, but he also knew that if Josh tried to get in his way about this, they would have problems. The fact that he was even thinking of throwing what he and his little brother had built in the crapper over a woman, was just the tip of the iceberg of how real this shit felt. Last night he'd lain with his woman until she fell back asleep, and now he ran not from her, but to get her nightmare out of his head. Bradley wasn't a vain type of person but when a 5 foot nothing woman clobbers you in her sleep, and busts your lip, he just wanted to be out of the cabin. His blood was still on his shirt. The thing people didn't know was something no one but anyone that slept with her did, Candy had violent nightmares, and had clocked him when he tried to wake her. He didn't want her to see him busted open it wasn't ego or no shit like that, but she always apologized when she couldn't do something sexually, he could deal with that, but he would be damned if he would put that sorry look back in her eyes, if he could prevent it, he would at any cost.

Heading back to the cabin with a clearer head, he took off the ruined shirt and hit the shower. As he is applying cream to his bottom lip he sees her in the mirror and freezes. He had been trying to think of how to explain when she asked him what happened. "Nothing" That so wasn't the right answer. She asked again and added that if he was going to start lying to her this early in their relationship it wouldn't work out for them, because she didn't need anyone else to lie to her. That wasn't fair, her comparison pissed him off. "Don't make this about Deon, you said yourself we are not alike." Bradley growls. She asked then what happened to his face. Continuing to meet her gaze in the mirror, he says "You had a nightmare last night, and the next thing I knew you were screaming no words, just screaming, and I like a damn fool tried to pin you down so you wouldn't hurt yourself. I yelled your name, you stopped screaming, and I thought it was over, I let your hands go and you punched me right in the kisser." She drops eye contact looking at her hand. The I'm sorry look came back in her eyes, and Bradley wanted to kick his own ass. She asked for the truth what the fuck was he supposed to say? Turning to face her he says "look at me." When she lifts her gaze and opens her mouth to no doubt apologize, he put both hands on her face and says "Don't apologize, I freaked out I thought so many things when I heard you screaming. I shouldn't have touched you. Are you sure you're ready to go back today? You look tired." She asked where he'd been. "Well after that I needed to clear my head so I took a few laps around the lake. I didn't want you looking at me like you broke me or some shit." She asked did it hurt. "Only when I touch it." She asked around what time did all this happen. "Around 12:10. a.m. Since it was dark I figured I could slip out take a run, clean up and go back to bed, but someone woke up before I got back in bed."

This was way too much, here she had a guy that treated her nice, and she was attacking people in her sleep, she knew she felt sluggish but she couldn't remember anything after they made love and she curled around him. Deon's words that she had thought were just to get a reaction out of her rang through her head. He'd told her on Monday that no man was going to love her like he did. She had zinged him saying same goes, and he was ready with a comeback. He confirmed why she had waited so long to trust him enough to tell him about her past. He spewed her own list of fucked up ness back at her. Everything she shared with him, and then ended it with no man would take on her and her loads of emotional baggage like he did. She'd threaten to hang up and that's when he told her that if he couldn't have her, no one would take his place. Bradley asked did she want to go to lunch or back to bed. Sighing she says "I know it's a day early but I just want to go home." His words struck her like a freight train, when he told her it was Friday asking didn't she want to go back today anyway. "Oh shit, Joshua is going to go nuts." He tells her to just calm down, that she was a partner not an employee. Running her hands through her hair she says "you don't get it, if I'm not at the club tonight I'll be just as bad as Deon." Bradley was so lax when he said that was bullshit, and if Josh thought that, he would set him straight. "You are not in this. I can't believe I did this, I lost track of the days. What time is it?"

Hours later, watching her in meltdown mode was starting to piss him off. "Candy it's 6:30 at night, we are over five hours away. Unless you want to try to catch a plane you're going to be late." When she starts running around the cabin throwing her shit in her bag. Bradley caught her around the waist, stopping the frantic movement. "Hey stop, it's going to be fine, throw me under the bus, if you have to, I don't care I don't regret any of the past few days and you shouldn't either. If Joshua has a problem, send him my way, I'm the one who brought you here. Hell if he can't see the crap that's been eating at you lately, and understand me wanting you to feel safe then fuck him. He'd do the same shit for Angel." Blue eyes met his whisky colored ones as she pulled for him to let go as she says she's not Angel. He lets her go and shakes his head walking back in to the bedroom. Ten minutes later they were on the road back to Grandville.

Joshua heads home to relieve Angel who had caught a cold, Larry was in place to cover Candy's shift. He'd do it himself but Jonathon-Chase had the cold first, and he felt he should be home taking care of his wife and kid. Larry had told him he needed the extra hours for a truck payment anyway. The night bartender turned manager was a great find, and a good manager, but Candy had signed up for the weekend this week, and now it was the top of the fucking weekend and where the fuck was his friend? The longer he waited the more agitated he got. It wasn't even about her not showing at the club anymore. He calls her for like the hundredth time since a few days ago, her cheery voice message greeted him, and scared and pissed him off. "Look Candy I don't get it, you blew off Nikki and her first solo sound job with a group that you love, but now with you just not showing up, I don't know whether to be pissed or scared that something has happened to you. Please call me when you get this. If I don't hear from you by tomorrow morning I'm reporting you missing to Bobby, this is insane." Joshua closes the call, hits the stairs, and checks on JC.

After getting JC bedded down and making sure Angel didn't need anything he went back downstairs as Sophie was heading in the door. She asked how their sickies were doing. "Fine, JC 's fever has broken, and Angel says she not as nauseous as when she came home." Sophie says that's progress and asked how he was doing. It was weird talking to her after being a complete asshole up in her office. "Um, Sophie about the other day in your office…"

"Josh. Just stop talking, you looked mental coming out of the building and I wanted to find out why, I invited you up to the office, you told me and I handled it. At the end of the day you're family. If someone I paid and trusted misused that trust like your lawyer did, I'd be pissed too. Without giving away any privileged information how's your transition going with Mrs. Spencer?" He says Spencer said she had lots of things to fine tune. He was very open about what Jake had done and how Spencer was fixing it. Sophie was glad. He pours himself a glass of wine and asked did she want some with her dinner. "Sure why not." As she sits putting her food on the table, and starts eating, Joshua gets a call. Hearing just his side of the conversation the night manager was calling to tell him that Candy was at the club. When he clicks over and starts raising his voice at Candy. Sophie quickly mutes the baby monitor and says, "Wow, bring it down a notch." He makes a face, mouths "not your call" and turns his back walking out onto the back porch. Sophie watched him through back door he was so animated.

Joshua was relieved that Candy was ok, now the pissed off was coming out. He sat on the railing listening to her explain about being at his family's cabin. He asked how she got in and how she knew about the cabin. When she told him, she had something to tell him, he heard Bradley in the background. He asked was Brad who took her up there, she said yes. Bradley must have taken the phone, hearing that Brad had taken Candy up state to their family cabin pissed him off. He argued with Bradley who didn't raise his voice and told him to chill out. Joshua demanded he put Candy back on the phone. Candy said they were in her office and that she could hear. Joshua asked her what was going down. When she said she and Bradley were dating, Joshua started in on Bradley. The patio door is opened, Sophie walks out, and takes the phone out of his hand, his temporary shock allowed her to continue as she says for Brad and Candy to go to work, and hits end.

Joshua came back to himself before he reached for his phone, and asked her the what fuck was she doing. "I'm saving your friendship, and your kinship, they are two consenting adults. You jumping down their throat is not going to make anything better." He explains that Candy was vulnerable, and that Bradley… "Is your brother that has a past, but when it boils down to it you can't jump down his throat for pursuing you best friend, I get it you worry about her, and you're protective, it's who you are, but listen to me. Just like my girl Adina visited and wanted to rip Luke a new one, if I would have of let that shit continue, it would have cost me my man, or my friend, and I'll tell you Josh, if she is happy like I am, don't make her choose. If she caves, she'll end up hating you for it. Is that your goal?" Joshua runs his hands through his hair and pulls as he says no. He says why he believes Bradley is bad for Candy. To Sophie none of what Joshua said, was about the Bradley that was working hard to improve his life. "You don't think Candy would run for the hills if she thought for a second he would relapse? All you've just said is based on when he was in his late teens and his twenties, you and your whole family has commented on how far he has come. Making him feel like shit, is not going to further that growth." He says how he feared something had happened to her since she just went ghost, and there was the underlying reason he'd just lost his damn mind. "Did she tell you why, or were you to busy screaming at her to listen?" He opens his mouth to answer then stopped. Sophie could almost see the hamster wheel turning. Hearing the gate open, they watch as Candy's car swings into the yard and Bradley jumps out. Sophie throws up her hands exasperated, and walks back inside closing the patio door.

Joshua runs down the stairs and gets in Bradley's face. They argue but Bradley doesn't advance or attack. Bradley wouldn't let Joshua put him on his ass, but he was determined not to have his little brother making his female cry her eyes out again, like she was doing at the club right now. To do that the right way, was not to come here ready to fight her friend, and his brother. Joshua's pissed off rant ended in him asking, why her? "Fuck, why not her? She's single and so am I. You keep saying if I do this or that. Why would I want to hurt her Josh? What's in it for me? I took her to the cabin so she could decompress. Deon threatened her life that scared the living shit out of her, and instead of me shooting his ass, I took her up state so she could chill out and feel safe for a change." Joshua stepped back and asked how long had they been dating, and if everything was so above board why not tell him before now. Crossing his arms over his chest Bradley says "You're joking right. Look at you, listen to what you've just screamed to the fucking neighborhood." He tells Joshua about Candy's breakdown when the phone hung up. Joshua tells him not to hurt her. Before Bradley could ask again why would he, Joshua says it's not a request. "Well little bro, you cuss her out again and I'll put you on your ass that's a warning first and final."

Joshua walks back into the kitchen Sophie asks him was he done acting like a bull in china shop. Joshua says yeah and explains what Bradley told him. "Joshua I don't blame him, you went bat shit on that girl, and would you really have respected him if he just stayed quiet. If he's willing to come here and confront you, evidently he feels something for her. They're adults their relationship isn't your call." When Joshua says goodnight Sophie face chats Luke and after telling him what went down she says "I knew I should have just come over there tonight."

The next day, Chase has a political meet and greet live from his home. He was surprised Bobby came as one of his Close Protection Officers. Ever since the dinner and their meeting in his office, Bobby had been sending another agent in his place. Bobby kept the press in their places, not letting them freely roam his estate. After all was answered and his PR people were smiling, Chase wanted to speak to his son. As Bobby is about to leave Chase says "Robert may I have a word with you?" Bobby tells him the only reason he was here was because Daniel his regular agent for his protection had worked over his allotted time this week. "Thank you son. I appreciate you coming in his absence."

Bobby looks at his father and says in a bored tone of voice "it's the job." Bobby put on his aviators, he wasn't good with small talk. He was still pissed and now that he'd made sure the press left the residence, he was ready to leave. Chase asked again could they talk in private. "Yes sir. I've reviewed your day plan, if there is any non-public place you don't wish me personally to accompany you just let me know. I'd hate for you to think you have to have me removed. Daniel your regular CP Officer will be back on duty in the next 12 hours." His father closes the door as they enter the den that was recently rebuilt due to a fire. Bobby sat on his father's desk waiting for him to speak.

"I deserve that. My words at the Saving Grandville Foundation offices were out of line. I realized you may have been angry that I did not tell you when I first started dating Amy, but I reacted to your anger more than anything. I've started going back to my classes for Starting Over. I apologize. I don't fully understand why you were or are so pissed." Bobby's next words made Chase see where his son's anger really came from, and it was eye opening.

"You don't get it; this was like history repeating itself for me. The same shit like with Sophia. I served as your head of close protection and you hid this shit from me. Finding out that my men knew more about your fucking relationship than I did. Pissed me off. You manipulated my team to take you around her when I was not in your area. This hiding shit that could affect your safety is stupid. I saw this side of you before, and last time it didn't work out so hot dad. I know I was way younger when you threw Sophia in at the last minute. Yes, you said something before running off and marrying Amy, but you could have said something way before that." He'd surprised his father. It was in his dad's body language when he stopped speaking. Where Bobby was prepared for a possible round three he was surprised himself when his dad surprised him by not following the script that played through Bobby's mind of how this conversation would go.

Chase was surprised and a little saddened by his son's belief that he'd learned nothing from his past misjudgment. "Robert I didn't realize that this would be how you felt. I should have told you, but I didn't want to tell you and not tell your sisters. As for the safety aspect I learned more than you will ever know as far as keeping people around me. As for my prior actions, and how you think they mirror the current status of things. I realize I've made some mistakes and taken some major risks earlier in my life. I can't change how I was. I'm making stride in my Starting Over program, because Robert though I didn't see it the way you have just described, I understand why you would assume because of the similarities. I feared what you would think the most, because you have been around me the longest, but I had hoped that you would understand that my actions back then versus now, were done from the angle that I'm older now." Robert asks what made him start going to therapy again. Remembering how strongly he fought against going to therapy after Sophia's funeral. Chase says. "It was a mixture of who, not what. I realized that in some ways I had fallen into a pattern that could not only cost me a mate, but I don't want to lose my children's love and respect any more than I may have already, over my internal resistance to my own life transitions."

Bobby says "Dad, If I didn't love you as much as I have since the start. I wouldn't have been so pissed, and scared shitless at the prospect of you getting yourself in to a situation like with Sophia again. I wouldn't have sent one of my best field agents here to watch your back as a CP officer since you clearly didn't want me around you. With everything that was going on, I also had to keep my professional distance." His father's smirk surprised him.

Chase said "As for what happened in my office, and my text to you. I had to do what I thought was best for you. Yes, my personal life may need some work, but I play the game of business very well." At Bobby's confusion Chase continues. "I lead you the best way I knew how. I didn't want it to seem like if I was dirty that you would cover for me, which would have jeopardized your career as a field commander for this region."

Reviewing the scene in his father's office now that his anger wasn't on 10, Bobby thought back to what Chase did. "Oh you're sneaky. You knew just how to push my buttons enough for me to stay away from you during the investigation. Which in turn lowered Agent Shawn's suspicion of my loyalty towards the job." Chase says though he'd never admit it to anyone else, that Bobby was correct. "Well you did make it a lot easier for me to do my job so thanks dad. So I have to know, did you know that the server was yours or did you really send me after Sophie because you were pissed at her?" Chase reveals when he glanced at the server he knew it was branded under his foundation but couldn't break character. "Does Sophie know?" his father, once again turned back into the man Bobby knew him to be all these years, when his dad cracked a grin and said that yes he told his child days ago about the entire con. That made Bobby smile and say on a chuckle "I shouldn't be happy that you just admitted to conning multiple branches of government just to keep my sister and my own image clean, but I am, thanks dad. You got this political thing down pat and you haven't even stepped foot in office. Which if what I saw is accurate you're kicking mayoral ass in the polls."

That afternoon, Joshua sat in the first row of The Davenport along with Angel, Vashon, and Candy. Today was audition day. Joshua wouldn't go up on stage until level two players were decided on. The next guitarist was an older short slender woman with deep red hair. Joshua waits a beat then cues the in-house band to play one of their songs minus the bass guitar of course. She killed it first try. Looking around at his band mates her skill was impressing the hell out of them all. Joshua cues for a stop and asks. "Ok so what's your name and can you play lead if asked.?"

"To answer your questions in order, my name is Connie Bayley I can play most any position that involves a guitar. I don't know if you know this but I used to play with Letters of Hurt as their bassist before Lonnie was killed. My husband Trevor Bayley was their lead when he couldn't perform, I filled in." the band lead tells her his name is Joshua Davenport, and introduces the band to her. She recognized the frontwoman Angel right away, Connie had been in the woman's office when she was trying to rebrand Letters of Hurt. The rest of the band didn't want anything to do with LEGNA anymore after Lonnie was killed. Connie saw the audition as a way to keep food on the table they had just bought a house here in Texas and it wasn't cheap. The Lead singer jumped up on stage and told her to keep up or go home. Connie put her guitar across her and says "Let's rock." Davenport was wicked fast and didn't miss a string. "So you want this?" Connie repeats his solo using her own style. He asked a lot of questions, some she felt were kind of weird, but still professional, she answered, and must have answered correctly because after calling up three more people the band went towards the management offices and soon came back asking her to accept a bass guitarist positon with Personal Touch under the LEGNA brand. Trevor was selected as well she was glad he hadn't blown this opportunity off. This would be the first time he worked for a male lead, the fact that none of the females in Personal Touch was looking at her husband like he was their next meal, helped. Connie wasn't a jealous woman she had no reason to be, Trevor and she had gone together since high school, and had been married on the road for 15 years.

After the auditions, Joshua was glad Connie and Trevor were a part of the band now. He'd felt better about the couple joining because one, he knew of them from when LEGNA was changing locations, Letters of Hurt used The Davenport a lot during the construction of the new LEGNA USA, so they weren't complete strangers. Joshua was also thrilled that he got a chance to work with Trevor Bayley the guy started playing guitar at the age of five and had some solo work under his belt even. He had never known Connie's name since doom rock just wasn't his thing, but the couple had a great sound and could play one of his most complex solos like they had been playing it for years. Candy offered to cover tonight. She didn't call him, she posted it on the board like she was an employee. All throughout the audition Candy kept quiet or if she did say something it was to the band or to Connie and Trevor after they signed on, not him. The most she'd say to him was hello this morning. Bradley was off on a job out of the state. So Joshua figured he would talk to his friend. Between Sophie, Bradley, and even Angel talking to him and telling him the same thing. It was time to put this to right.

Last night, he acted like an ass and verbally ripped Candy a new one and talked at his brother. His best friend's relationship wasn't his call, no matter who Candy was dating. Angel reminded him this morning that everyone wasn't exactly rooting for them when they started dating, but it didn't stop them. Conversations between him and Paula flashed through his mind at his wife's words. He'd yelled the same shit Paula, Sophie, Mark, and even Jonathon had said to him, at Brad and Candy last night. Angel asked him how he felt when people were doubting him and his intentions. He'd sighed and said it sucked because back then everyone had their own theory of why he'd proposed except Candy who cheerleadered his ass when the others were threatening bodily harm. So Joshua was going to try to be more like Candy right now if he could. Walking up to the board, he erased Candy's name He didn't want her thinking she had to act like an employee, he then tapped on her office door. He saw her look up, the hardest part, was watching that smile turn into a miserable expression. After what looked like the longest hesitation in the world, she waved him inside. "Hey, you got a minute?"

Seeing Joshua all day today, and wondering what his next biting comment was going to be, both pissed her off and saddened her. She was so nervous when Bradley brought her car back after dashing out of the club saying he was going to confront his little brother. Bradley came back and she was relieved that he didn't have any more scars on him other than when she busted his lip. With her phone restored to the internet she got some of why Joshua was upset through the urgency of his messages, but when he flipped out about her dating Bradley it was hurtful. She was left wondering what he was really angry about. "You wanted to talk?"

"Yeah" Joshua fights the urge to pace the room by sitting in the chair that faces his friend. "I want to start off by saying I am so sorry I went off you last night."

She frowns then asks "Was last night about your fear that something happened to me? Or are you angry about me going ghost? I tried to make it back here as fast as I could. You seemed to get even madder about the prospect that I'm dating apart of your family. I wasn't going to tell you last night, but when you asked I also wasn't going to lie." Joshua stood up and started for the door or so she thought, until he walked the length of her office. He explained about all of it in order. He finished with it wasn't that she was dating a part of his family, it was more that he didn't want Bradley to hurt her, and the fact that he felt like he didn't say enough when she decided to go back with Deon in October. Hearing Joshua's guilt about something he would not have been able to change for her, was eye opening. "Josh there isn't anything any of you could have done or said differently. Back then, I believed Deon's words. With Bradley, it is so different. He just gets me, and doesn't leave me thinking that he is hiding something. He has a past I know this we all do, but so do I. Don't tell him this, but, Joshua I'm not exactly perfect girlfriend material. I have my own shit." Joshua tells her not to say that, Candy keeps speaking. "Please stop hammering at him. It doesn't help, he knows he fucked up in the past. I don't know if he would want me to tell you this but, even back then when he was just a person you described, I had never met him before, or so I had thought." Joshua looked confused. Candy tells him about how Bradley possibly saved her from being attacked by the Denton brothers on the football field. "No he wasn't there for that purpose, but Joshua, he took them both on and allowed me a chance to escape whatever they were planning to do. I'm going to date him whether it's okay with you or not, but I'd love for my best friend to be happy for me." Joshua says he would probably still worry, no matter who she dated, but it wasn't his call, and if she was happy, he would be happy for her. "Thanks Josh" She hugs him and he hugs her back, asking did she forgive him. "Yes."

Hours later, Jonathon sits with Gloria in his office and tells her that he had a meeting so she would not worry on why he was not heading home with her just yet. She tells him to please be careful. "Always." She asks him has he received anymore texts from the female Don. Since he didn't want Gloria to ever doubt him, or whether she could trust his word, he tells her the truth. "Yes, and right now I'm am going to meet with someone that I believe will put a stop to it." She asks who. "That is not something I want to discuss with you. Just so you know It isn't Wolfe or any of his men." She wasn't happy that he wasn't going to tell her, but she did not push.

As they head down together, his security escorts her to her vehicle and him to his own. They drive off in opposite directions. Jonathon had more than his share of threatening text messages. No sooner than Glenn and Carla Jacobs bodies were found and buried the text messages resumed. He felt he had to do something. He spoke with Chase about the man that stopped April and her underground for good. Chase had set up a meeting in one of his buildings. As he approached the tall building with no signage on it, the hair at his nape was standing straight up. Jonathon thought for the millionth time that he was in over his head. A woman in a booth asked him to relieve himself of weaponry. "I'm not armed." He wasn't a fool, anyone that came into this building other than the person he was here to see, would be beyond foolish to try to bring a weapon against the very man that had cut down an entire underground by taking out the head. On the second door two men patted him down. He finally meets with Joey and after funds are transferred Joey tells him to head on home, and leave the rest to him. Jonathon tells Joey of the Wolf. Joey tells him if Wolfe tried to interfere or got too close to Gloria, he'd make the Wolfe and his den into a pack of fucking hot dogs.

A week passes and while Mark is on the road Dr. Middlebrooks along with Cassandra keeps him abreast of what is happing with Rapture's recovery. Mark grabs his rental and is driving Mrs. Stacy Bloke his travel manager to her hometown since it is on the way to his school. After getting off the phone with the hospital and Cassandra, Mark looks over at his riding companion as she asks him how was everything. "It was touch and go there for a while but the kid is awake and has asked to speak with me." Stacy told him that he had a signing near Grandville South today so he could squeeze it in if he wanted to before driving on to Dallas. "I'll do that, and Stacy thanks. You've kept me on track and I haven't had to sleep in my truck yet." Stacy tells him no problem, that it was her job. "I know but some of my former travel liaisons couldn't have switched those locations that fast and had a room waiting on me. When I got to Seattle late, I just knew I was screwed, but you pulled it off and I appreciate it." She tells him he was saving her major cash by taking her to her home. "Well I was heading this way and you needed a ride so I thought why not." She informs him that his travel arrangements were booked for this week. "Great the travel bus I ordered, have you heard anything about it?" Stacy tells him yes he will have the bus and two drivers for the week of Mania and one week after it. "Good my wife and the girls will get a kick out of it." Stacy asked how he managed to get such a good rate with Ivey Transit. "It's good business for us both. My WWE school is on a banner on both sides, and since it's an Ivey Luxury Transit vehicle, their symbol will get more recognition outside of their usual areas. You never did this with your rock stars?" Mark smirks. She laughs and says most of her other clients owned the bus so there was no need for her to put together a deal like this before now. She asked why he hadn't just bought the bus. "I'm not buying a bus, until this year the thought of bringing my entire family on the road like this wasn't something I wanted to do." She asks was it because most people before now didn't know he had a family outside of WWE. Mark is instantly irritated at her question so he remains quiet. With that statement he was ready for her to get out of the car. He was a private person and when he did share shit with people it ended up biting him later. He used to talk more to his travel people but Racheal and Sam taught him about the art of shut up. The onboard GPS announced that they have reached their destination. "You are home, see you on Monday in Dallas." Not saying anything else she gets out, grabs her bag, and dashes at her husband who had come outside to greet her. The man waves at him as he pulls off.

Over at the hospital Cass and Rapture talk. His words had cleared up though, he was still having trouble talking for long. He got winded and confused a lot. His nose being rebuilt to repair his air ways was a major part of that. The part that scared him was that he couldn't tell the police what they wanted to know. On the first full day he was awake the cops showed up asking him questions, and he couldn't remember what happened to land him here. Cass thought he was protecting whoever did this. Rapture owed no one loyalty of that brand, someone tried to honestly take him out, and if he knew, or could remember, he would tell it, but he just got really bad headaches, when he tried to remember. He'd asked to speak to Mark because he feared that he'd did something stupid. Now he was paying for it. The school was wired for visual if he'd blew his top and got in a fight, he could be looking at more than recovery time. Mark's whole lesson that he remembered was about working safe. Mark shows up, "Babe, I need to talk to him alone." Cass wanted to argue, his doctor told her to leave her theory to herself so it wouldn't contaminate his memory of the fight. He was going to need therapy just to get back up on his feet. That scared him. An image of him in Mark's office flashes through his mind. The headache that came with that small piece of the puzzle took his breath for a time.

Mark walked into Rapture's new room. When he asked why his student had been moved the next call he made was to Sophie. "Glad to see you are awake." Mark stayed just inside the door, Rapture's visual tracking was bad. "How do you feel?"

"Like a cow patty run over." Mark chuckles and stays where he was. That helped because searching for him with just his eyes was hard, and moving his head was painful. Mark asked what he remembered about the day he was brought in saying that he didn't have to try to protect anyone. That pissed Rap off. "I'm glad you all think…" he was getting winded, after taking a breath that did nothing for his ribs, he continues "I would be that damn loyal. Truth is…if I knew who did this to me…" Rapture points to himself, then slowly put his hand back on the railing. "I would tell it." Mark asks him a few more questions. When he mentions Denary Strait-Clarke's name something in Rapture's head set off like a rocket. Pain shot through his head as if Mark had popped him one with one his soup bone sized fists. Once again he was breathless as he tried his best not black out from the pain. A memory latched on and he remembered a conversation with the woman. Rapture grabbed the button and pushed it down hoping for some relief. The warm sensation slithered through his system and he soon felt the pain ease some. The onslaught of memory didn't stop there the fights and the head trainer's accusation that he thought the school was a walk in the park. Looking at Mark he tries to explain what he remembered but the slurring was back worse than ever, and was zapping his strength. Mark tells him to calm down. He stopped trying to talk. The look on Mark's face made Rapture feel shame, because his thought to speech ratio was well under the blithering idiot level. He didn't need Mark thinking he was a dumb shit.

Mark was alarmed at how pale the boy got as he closed his eyes tightly until the medicine took the edge off. Seeing the kid in so much pain Mark moved closer and asked was the med working. Rapture gave him a slow thumps-up as he panted and winced because of the movement. The kid was slurring and trying to talk and upsetting his student wasn't what he came here to do. "Mr. Sloan, calm down, I have to make a few calls, write down what you can remember and when I return we can go from there." Mark knew he'd jogged the kid's memory with just mentioning Denary Strait's name.

As soon as Mark walked out of the room Cassandra asked did he find out anything. Mark shakes his head and says he would be back in a few. Cassandra was going to head back to her office since Rapture was awake and had been for a week now. Jonathon had been very understanding, but she didn't want to abuse the privilege he'd afforded her. Though she felt horrible about leaving Rapture here alone his assurance that he'd be fine and the fact that he didn't want her to get into trouble warmed her heart. After kissing him she headed back to her office to at the very least get some of her work done, promising that she would return later tonight.

When Cass left his room Rapture started to write down what he remembered. This wasn't working as great as he thought it would. So he tried doing it on his phone. He logged into the School's email and sent Mark an email. He told Mark everything. If he was getting kicked out of the fucking school because of his past with a married woman which was what held his mouth shut, then so be it. He'd worked safe. Ever since his refusal to whore himself out to her. He put up with all of her higher than his level challenges, and contract changes, even with her only allowing him 2 or 3 hours to sleep a night, he didn't quit. He wasn't quitting now. He was glad Cassandra wasn't in the room. It was one thing for her to know he had a past, it was another for a part of his past to be anywhere near him, even if it was in a professional arena. He talked about being jumped, a few nights after his first re coup weekend was stripped from him. The last thing he typed out was what happened his last day at the school. He called the trainer by name that told him he had a level 5 match. Rapture described that if he picked up a win, more people were just being brought against him, and how the last thing he remembered before ending up in the dark on the floor, was being head butted by his roommate, from the top rope. Now that those memories were back, he kind of wished they'd leave him alone. He wrote about head trainer Rodney Ash bringing him awake by gut checking him, and how Ash accused him of saying he thought the school was a cake walk. He finished with the fact that when he told Ash that he never said that, he was choked out and that was all he remembered. He did have a question for Mark. Rapture wanted to know, no bullshit, if Mark ever signed off on any of his contract changes since his signature was the only one he ever saw. Lots of things just didn't make sense. Mark gave him a schedule and even sparred with him. He as a person that respected the hell out of Mark wanted to believe that Mark really didn't know, any of the shit that had went down. On the same hand he always wondered how Denary could have convinced Mark to sign off on shit that he lectured against. After writing something that could end his career before he got one, he hit send and laid back closing his eyes.

Mark read the email twice before almost punching a hole in the wall. He called Sophie and told her he had something for her. "Sophie this is what I was afraid of, with my name on all the schedules I don't blame him for asking. What I have to know he said some things contractual that I signed off on. Which I'm telling you now. The only parchment with my signature pre done was the schedules since they went out every 2 weeks." Sophie said it sounded like his name may have appeared via a cut and paste. "If I find out that bitch cut and pasted my name anywhere on a whole other contract, I may need your other team of seven." Sophie tells him to calm down before he goes in to talk to Rapture. Sighing Mark continues "You're right, if I go in there pissed off it will send the wrong message. I am going to take a walk, before I go back in there."

After getting off the phone with Sophie he called Paula. "Hey there darlin, I need you to talk to me, you got a minute?" Paula says sure and asked what was wrong saying he sounded upset. "I just got a rather detailed account of what Rapture remembers. It seems that while I was on the road. Denary was trying to force my number 2 pick to quit. She put him in marathon matches. She not only deprived him of a rest period via his scheduled weekends, but also of sleep. She had him woke up every morning at 3 a.m." Paula talked to him and he could tell that just the stuff he shared was hitting her like it did him. His wife knew how he felt about balanced good training. "Worse thing is, he thinks I signed off on some other contractual things. His belief that I was going to send him packing had a lot to do with why he fought so hard to keep working safe." Rubbing his own temples Mark says "That boy almost lost his life because of a person I hired." Paula tells him he couldn't have known that this would happen. "Honey I found out today why they moved his room. Denary came to visit him using her soon to be former title, her action was cause for suspicion from the staff. I don't know what they saw, but they moved him to a highly secure room. I suspended her the day after our anniversary. So there is no fucking way she should have been anywhere near this place acting as a part of our school." They talk some more and Paula manages to work her magic on him, and calm him enough to walk out of the waiting room no longer looking like a king cobra ready to strike.

Joey Striker is interrupted as he is closing down his laptop. His vice president knocks on his door. "You're wondering why I took this meeting. Call it a paid favor." His vice asks does Ivey know about this. "Of course, That's why it's a paid favor. McBride is paying. We will deliver, and Ivey and family will remain safe." His VP looks confused. "From what McBride told me parts of Ivey's family could be negatively affected if we let this broad continue her game. I don't like it when people get too close to the Ivey's offspring, it makes me twitchy. The mob bitch has her hand in the pockets of cops, and has already launched two attacks, one she thankfully failed at whatever she was planning. McBride has a theory and text messages but nothing more. What makes her a wild and in need of removal, is the fact that she did succeed in murdering talent at Ivey's daughter's club. I call that too fucking close." Joey's VP asks does he trust McBride. Joey smiles his crooked smile as he swings his laptop on to his shoulder. "Trust him? No, but I do feel that Ivey trusts him, so that's good enough for me right now. If this had of happened when McBride first got booted out of the equation, I would have respectfully declined the referral. My level of trust in McBride or lack thereof, has more to do with the fact that he hired us almost a month after those incidents. That tells me, that he may have tried to handle the situation on his own. I don't like wanna be vigilante type heros, they mess up, because they are too close to the situation, and leave a big margin for error, that can and most often will get them killed."

Standing in the rain watching the rear exit of the club, a lone figure watches Joshua leave in his truck. The bright green chariot was still here. Memory of the woman assaults the mind of the watcher. Thunder rolled in the distance, this was not where she should be. Another car pulls in to the private parking. The watcher looks up at the camera that would record the driver. The watcher recognizes the driver. Bradley, Joshua's brother exits his vehicle and heads around the corner no doubt to enter the club that bared his last name. The watcher starts coughing and then pukes, he had to leave, this was not fair, he had come so close, but he could not afford failure. Pulling his hoodie over his face he approaches the green car. Staring in the driver's window his reflection taunts him. He whispers "You're not real. You are just in my head." the watcher touches the reflection when the car alarm did not come on and smiles. His clothing was getting soaked standing out in the rain. He slowly moves back out of camera range he knew where they were. The plan that sprung to mind would be dangerous, if she did not go home. If she went on to Joshua Davenport's home turf for a visit, he could be discovered and very well die tonight. His mind was made up for him when lighting struck sending the block into temporary darkness. He knew he only had moments so he counted on her feeling safe enough to leave her door unlocked back in such a safe area, he struck gold, when he pulled the handle and the door opened. He climbed in as the lights came back up. He watches from under her emergency blanket. He lay flat aligning himself with her keyboards, with the back seats down no one would notice him.

Over at the hospital after Mark left back out of his room, relief swarmed Rapture. After sending the email and waiting for a response from Mark, Rap hadn't known what to expect. When Mark walked back in his room. Finding out that Denary's threat would have had no power, made him feel like a damn fool. He let her get in his head about his past. Mark explained that as long as one or two things weren't the case, he could care less what Rapture had done in his past to a point. Rap felt he had to know what Mark's points were. Mark said the only way he would have a problem, is if one, he tried that shit from his past with Mark's wife, and two, if any of Rapture's prior activity had of not been mutually consensual between adults. Rapture texted to Mark as he stood in the room, that miss Mrs. Callaway wouldn't have been a candidate for a few reasons, one, he didn't see her as someone that would have entered his former club, let alone enter a contract. He explained a part of the life style that many didn't honor but he did. If the woman didn't suggest the cheat he never perused any woman that wasn't interested, and as for the nonconsensual topic, he said he was a lot of things in his past, but a rapist wasn't one of them. Mark asked him had he kept any of his contracts or had he destroyed them all. Rapture told him that none of the contracts were still active, but they were in his safe. Rapture asked about Mark's involvement with his contract changes. Mark explained to him that his only change to Rapture's original contract was the start date. Rapture believed him. All and all, Rapture found out that Mark wasn't booting him from the school. Mark did suggest that he tell Cassandra if he hadn't, because this shit show wasn't at an end. Thinking of having to tell his woman of Denary before any of that shit got ink, dulled his relief. Cassy was due back here at any moment now. If this story got ink before he told her, he feared it could end them. Along with the memory of what happened came his unsure thoughts of whether their relationship was as solid as he once thought. Then he thought of who had been telling the stories of his failed marriage. Rap was sure this lifestyle was rough on relationships, but he would no longer let some guys that didn't date his woman fill his head with what ifs anymore. He felt bad for his roommates, but Cassy was here when he woke up, and had been here since he got here, according to Mark and the blonde head nurse that came in and changed his meds and bandages. As if he had summoned her, Cassy came through the door bearing gifts. She brought him a box of cards, and a laptop so he could still watch tape of matches. Her belief in him, touched him more than he would ever be able to admit. Thanking her and setting the items on the table he says. "Cassy… There is something…. I have to let you know." She asked had he remembered anything. Sighing he says "yeah" She sat on the edge of his bedside and asked did it have anything to do with another woman saying if so just tell her like ripping off a Band-Aid not to bullshit her. She looked away from him at the floor. She thought he would cheat on her? Knowing that he wouldn't be able to explain it verbally, he picked up his phone and texted her. He told her everything. She read his words and looked over at him. She asked him questions aloud, and the longer answers he texted, the shorter ones, he answered verbally. When she got up off the bed he followed her with his eyes with his heart in his throat.

Casandra was relieved that he wasn't cheating. His fear that she would think less of him because of a part of his past was insane. She would never like that there were females in this area that had some of what she had, "One more question then I'll drop it." He was waiting for her to speak. "Did you ever bring them, the women you were in a contract with, to your condo?" he texted and she read his words, and smiled.

Rapture: No, contracts may have known where I lived, but all actions were to take place in their home dungeons, at motels, or the club. Since I didn't do relationships there was no need for them to be in my home.

Candy was pleasantly surprised when Bradley walked in the club. He was scheduled to be working in Dallas near his home all week. Her elation is short lived for a time when just after Joshua leaves all the freaking lights go out due to the storm. Now that the back-up generators had kicked in she really appreciated this new Interactive Supervisor package even more. The company called her cell and asked why power had been killed to the cameras, within seconds, they were up and running again. After the lights came back up, Nikki went back to the booth and started day two of working the booth solo. Nikki wasn't allowed in the bar section but since the renovation, the stage and booth was now a part of the main floor / restaurant side. Candy heads up to the booth with the lighting and sound cues for the night. Tonight the showcase was Naomi, a WWE diva singing her newest song. Angel had arranged for a few local acts to be billed as the diva's opener. With this being so close to WrestleMania the club was full. Within days after the first tickets went on sale the VIP section was completely filled. Everything goes great. At the end of the set, Naomi thanks The Davenport and Grandville South for inviting her. The crowd chants her name as she walks behind the curtain. The signing in the VIP area was next. Pictures were taken, shirts were signed, one guy aske Naomi to sign his snap back hat after telling her she was one of his favorites and that he was excited since she would be coming to The Undertaker Wrestling school to instruct the students for a day. Candy was surprised when Chase walked out of the VIP area, she was doubly surprised when she saw Bobby with him. He nods at her, and she waves as he is leaving with a huge autographed poster. `

After almost everyone is gone, Candy heads into her office with the last pull for the vault. Walking in, she stops abruptly when she sees Bradley in her office chair asleep. He looked like a big kid taking a nap on her desk, with his head resting on his crossed forearms. After putting the money in the system, and hearing it count down. She walks over and just studies him for a time. She'd thought he left which would have been smart, since he had a job to finish in his hometown of Dallas in the morning. She was touched that he drove two hours right after running home, cleaning up just to come see her. Remembering that the few times she had woke before him she never tried to wake him. That it-factor scared her a bit, some people like Joshua, you didn't want to be close enough from him to touch you. On one of their tours she had roomed with Angel. If you yelled something you better duck whatever was near her. So she figured this was something to find out. She stood in front of the desk just in case he was a reach out and touch kind of person. "Brad, babe wake up." she said in a normal tone of voice. His head didn't lift. He was still very much asleep. So she says it a little louder, not yelling, but just louder than her normal speaking voice. Slowly he lifts his head, and looks at her. After blinking and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he says hey as he stretches and gets up. "Hey yourself, that desk can't be that comfortable." Bradley says he honestly came in here to make a call but never got around to it, the minute he stopped moving around he was out for the count. Candy could see that. He had returned last night after talking, or whatever to Joshua, and then this morning had made the two-hour drive from her home to start a job in Dallas. Now he was back after his shift. Yes, she would always want to see him, but she didn't want him burnt out either. He and Joshua, got their get-there attitude from Michael, it didn't matter how long the drive was, when they were on the road Joshua would eat a lot of highway until either they out voted him on when to stop, or he just could no longer keep his eyes open. On the drive up to the cabin she witnessed that Davenport drive mentality. Bradley had just come off of a job site and when she told him of Deon's threat and how afraid she was, he up and drove five hours, just to be with her and make her feel safe. It wasn't revealed until they woke that next morning that the reason he was so tired wasn't due to the drive in and of itself, but the fact that he'd been tearing down a building in Glenview, before he'd answer her text.

Bradley walks around the desk she looked up at him and asked him when he had to be at work. Looking at his phone he groaned. "In about 6 hours. I'm going to head home, because if I stay at your place, I'm not going to want to go to sleep, and I kind of don't think taking a nap on a bulldozer is a such a hot idea." Fighting another yawn, he asks. "So do you have any of that rocket fuel Joshua has in his office, that he calls coffee?" Candy says she doesn't have to work tomorrow, and that she could drive him home. "Ah babe you don't have to, just get a cup or two of coffee in me, and I'll be straight until I make it home." The look on her face was one he wanted to erase immediately. She was worried about him, it was in her eyes, and her plea for her to drive him home since she had got way more rest than he had this pass couple of days. Irritation licked his tone. "You want to drive all the way to Dallas at three in the morning? That's insane. I'll call you when I get home." He leans over to kiss her, when she firms her lips. He stands back up and says lifting and eyebrow "Seriously?" She said he looked like shit, and didn't need to be driving to Dallas half asleep, or trying to used coffee as a dose of speed, to keep him falsely awake. Rolling his eyes, Bradley says with a smirk. "A dose of speed? I'm tired, and before I say something I'm going home." She recounts a time when Joshua crashed on the road when they were Davenport Lighting because he thought he could do all the driving on gas station coffee. "News flash, I'm not Joshua. Coffee is just that, fucking coffee, if you're going to tell the story, tell it right." On one of their bonding moments recently, Joshua had told Bradley why he no longer had the band van their parents had given him after college. "Joshua was running on two hours of sleep driving to a part of Texas he didn't fucking know, along with his coffee, he was pounding 5hour like it was going out of style. Back then your band was overbooked and underpaid, I know my limits. I came back down here to hang with you, I'm sorry I fell asleep in your office if that is what this is about." She says she could give less than a shit about him sleeping in her office, the fact that he thought he was Superman and needed only cat naps to drive two hours in a quiet or loud car on the highway, was stupid, and she wasn't up for seeing someone she loved get hurt because of their own stupidity. Looking at his phone he says "Look we're killing much needed time with this. I got to go, you see later." He hated the angry look on her face but he needed to get home, so since she wouldn't offer her lips up to him, he kissed her on the forehead and left her office. Stopping at a gas station he grabbed a large expresso, it tasted like shit, but it did the job enough to get him woke enough to drive home. He'd drove all over Texas in his early twenties high as a kite. He could handle being sober and a little tired. Suddenly he heard the rubbing and came back to himself enough to not to hit the wall, getting out of the fast lane, he eased onto his exit and made it home. It was good he hadn't tried that shit during rush hour. Stumbling like a drunk into his home, he hit the couch facedown as sleep claimed him.

Luke heads over to Ivey Mansion after finishing a rough night. He just wanted to see his lover tonight. If she was asleep already, he wouldn't wake her. The OR had been overly filled tonight at their new Granville North location. A few of the cases made him really want to see his woman. It was irrational he should go home, but her place was closer every excuse lead back to the mere fact that he just wanted to see his Sophie. Having to reconstruct a woman's cheek bone because of a car accident made him relive the memory of thinking Sophie was hurt when April sent a car into her limo. Heading up the stairs he almost walks into Joshua who is coming out of JC's room. "Hey, everything okay?" Joshua gives him a thumbs up and heads down the rear stairs saying he finally was going to get to eat dinner. "It's like 3:30 in the morning." Joshua says yeah and he just got back from helping with a show. He then asked when did Luke have dinner. Luke chuckles and says "Point taken, I grabbed something on my way here." As he is entering Sophie's room he says goodnight to Joshua and is mildly surprised to find Sophie not only awake, but on her lap top sitting with her back against the head board. Seeing her was just as electric as their first official date as a couple. Which reminded him that he had to keep with his "oblivious" ruse about their first date as a couple. She asked him what he was doing Wednesday. Heading to the shower he says "Um I have a few meetings lined up, but I'll be using Ivey Transit since one of them are out of town." Smiling to himself at the sound of her sigh. He hears the keys clicking as he enters the hot stream. This was fun and he'd make it worth her wild. He'd had his secretary list their surprise dinner as a meeting. It would be a very important meeting between him and his mate. He couldn't get the original performer that preformed the night they started dating but he still had an ace up his sleeve. As he shut off the water he hears Sophie speaking in French to Adina.

Out in the bedroom when Luke goes for his shower after asking him what he was doing Wednesday his routine answer of meetings, was infuriating. Hearing the water shut off she speaks to Adina in French. "How could he forget what this coming Wednesday is? It just marks the date we started as a couple. You would think it would be a piece of cake for someone that can memorize an entire laundry list of new medical terms, and still have room for the newest features of cars, that remembering when we became a couple would stand out."

Over in Baltimore in her bedroom, Adina notices the language switch from English to French "He must be near." Sophie says yes Luke was standing in the bathroom door staring at her. "Well maybe you just answered your own query, you're, not a medical piece of equipment with a new manual of new words, nor are you an automobile. Maybe you two should shoot for a holiday wedding, maybe dates aren't his thing." Sophie lets her have it. "Sophie, I'm joking, I don't know why he would not remember such a date. From his and your own telling of your relationship start, he worked very hard to win you over. Have you checked his day planner? You have, does anything look amiss? Well if it bothers you so much, maybe you should ask him straight away how he could forget." Sophie says she'll wait in case he hasn't forgot. They soon end their call. Adina puts her phone back on the charging dock near her bedside and snuggles into her husband. Gregory asks her how Sophie was doing. "She is falling for Luke's trick he had better watch it, too long and he could damage her trust. I felt horrible keeping his secret. I've never kept anything from Sophie Elaine, I've always been straight with her. If this goes south, I'll skin that man." Gregory says before she sharpens her sheers give Sophie's mate a chance. "You didn't hear her, she is honestly upset and with good reason. He must be playing his part very good because Sophie has already looked through his schedule before asking him what he had planned for Wednesday. All he said was meetings. I'd love to see how he arranged the meeting at the eatery and concert hall they became a couple at, or maybe he left that space blank." Gregory starts giving Adina a massage. "Keep that up and I'll be sleep soon." He continues as she tries to keep talking but his touch and the calming effect it had on her, sent her into slumber.

Back in Grandville South, Chase sits on his balcony with a drink. Amy walks out and asks him was everything ok. She'd just closed at around 3:00 because of the extra people in town for the concert. "Of course, I hardly get to enjoy this time of the day anymore. So my dear how was the restaurant tonight?" Chase had come to grips with the Idea of Amy working with the manager Sophie had recommended. It seemed to be working, Amy didn't seem as stressed as she had before their talk, and her taking on a person that knew how to run a restaurant. She said other than missing Nikki's show she was fine, and was learning a lot from Roger. Chase had Roger Greenfield checked out even though he was a recommendation from Sophie. After finishing his drink, he stays seated as Amy sits on his lap. Hugging her to him, Chase nuzzles her neck. It was just after 5:45 in the morning. The sun would be in the distance in an hour or so according to his weather app. Amy asks how Nikki did at the club tonight. Chase knew she hated missing another opportunity to see her daughter run the booth on her own. "I think she did very well. The lights were done smoothly, their headliner Naomi, was all over the stage and Nikki made it seem natural to follow her. She kept the black light on the talent so the glow would not be broken until the end of her song. WWE were able to get off some really nice photos. There was about a three second lag with the start of the audio but Naomi even told Nikki after the performance that the file had been corrupted before. I think with what she had to work with, and the fact that this was her second time running the booth solo, she did a spectacular job." They speak of their day's agendas. Amy says she had to get to sleep, because she was heading to the market to pick out more fresh local produce for the restaurant. "Well I won't keep you up, my day won't start for at the very least another 10 hours. I have a ribbon cutting this afternoon." They head to bed and are soon both asleep within minutes after making love.

Back at The Davenport, Candy fumed for a time Bradley had totally pissed her off. He'd just dismissed her argument for him not driving sleep through the range lands to his home over two hours away. She straightened her desk. She made the schedule for the following week, anything to keep her wits about her, because under her anger was fear for him. Looking at the clock she dials all but the last number of his number. Negative scenarios that involve him trying to answer her call and getting hurt because of lack of focus, makes her delete the numbers and close her phone. Looking at her phone again the time jumped off the screen at her. Why hadn't he called? Even if he was still mad at her, he could at least call or text, and say he'd got home. Looking outside the sun was starting to rise. She dials his phone. it went to voicemail. Her tired, fried, nerves shook her voice. "Bradley Albert Davenport please be ok. I'm sorry I pissed you off, just call me back so I know you're ok." After waiting and still no response, she heads out of her office. As Candy walks down the hall to the owner's parking area The Davenport with only her here, always reminded her of other events that took place here. Looking at Joshua's door which was the first original office, she remembered walking in and seeing him on the floor crying because of the crazy Vivian Arrow trick on his birthday. She was glad Connie and her husband were a part of the band, but a part of Candy just hoped the couple were as solid as they looked in their audition, and on paper. Looking over at what used to serve as the sound office she remembered Vash running pass her many nights about to shut down a fight. He pulled double duty until they hired Larry the ex-marine as a bartender / bouncer. Now Vash and herself were co-owners, and Larry was a head manager. As she walks outside something was off, she couldn't place it. Looking around she saw no one near the fence. Hitting her clicker her door locked and honked at her. Damn it, she'd have to get that looked at, she knew she locked her doors and the thought of them being unlocked for all this time made her walk a little more cautiously towards her car. Looking at the pink sky that seemed to be holding its breath before the sun rose. Her thoughts went right back to Bradley again. Where was he? Was he okay? She opened her car door, and a sudden dose of apprehension struck her. Shaking her head at her irrational fear. She was just tired, there wasn't anything to fear, she got jumpy when she was over tired sitting in the driver's seat she starts the car, exits the parking area, watches as the gate slides closed behind her. She heads home with an extreme sense of foreboding. Had something happened to Bradley? Was she that connected with him after such a short time of them being together? No that was silly, that was twins, they were a lot of things, but blood related wasn't one of them, thank god, or that would be gross. She pulls into her attached garage, something she only recently started doing since people kept stalking her. If they didn't know she was home and couldn't bank on seeing her highly recognizable car, they wouldn't be so quick to leave shit for her. Her mind was all over the place this morning. It was time for sleep. She'd done her Friday and Saturday night so at the very least today she could get some rest. She gets out of the car and heads in the house through her mud room / art studio. Stopping in the kitchen she forgot why she was standing here, looks at her phone it was 7:15 in the morning. She'd grab a shower and hit her bed. She would just have to believe Bradley was ok. She needed to clean out her car when she woke up. With all the travel they'd done last week into this weekend, something smelled ripe. Maybe she'd forget some dirty clothes from the lake. She knew her mind was flitting from topic to topic, it was surly time for rest. Taking off her defense necklace and putting it, and her phone, on the charger by her bed, she heads into the bathroom. Before closing the curtain, she watched the sun rise. At its first peak over the horizon, she shook herself to get moving and turns on the shower. It seemed everything was mesmerizing when she was this tired.

Down in the garage of Candy's home, the watcher wakes up. She hadn't come out; He hadn't meant to fall asleep. Looking at his phone it was 7:25, Fuck, it couldn't still be dark. Looking out the back window he realizes the scenery had changed. Fear struck him, was he in the garage where they gave her this lime green gift? Would the guards shoot him if he were? Focusing as best as he could he noticed the walls a were closer here. Happiness swarmed him as he realized she had brought him home. She had done part of his plan for him. Reaching in front he unlocks all the doors, gets out of the rear driver's door, and closes the door. The car remains silent it was time for action. "I'm coming my queen." He mummers then shushes himself giggling. Deon walks into the house no alarm. So Logan had just changed the locks. Logan had also fixed the step that squeaked all the time. Hearing the water kick on in the upstairs bathroom he picks up the pace. She's going to be mad at you. His mind teased, "No." he whispers to no one as he covers his mouth like a naughty school child. All this movement was wearing him down, he needed a little boost. As he entered her room he sat at her ceramic make up table, and pulled his supplies. He had tried to stop, but without her what was the point? He would stop when he had her back, he promised himself. Fear of her rejection, and the pull of addiction made him create the line, after sniffing it up, he rubbed the residue onto the tip of his fingers, and stuck them in his mouth. He could feel the juice coursing through him. Looking around a bedroom he once shared with his queen, he spots the necklace. The water kicks off he grabs the necklace off the charger and stands in the middle of the room. He had a memory of his queen using this against him, but he wasn't sure it really happened. The day he went to Angel's office to get his jobs back, he'd woke sick and sore, and had to power up just enough to be able to function. That had backfired, this could not. He was running out of time, he had to convince his queen that he could return, he was her king.

Over in Dallas, Bradley wakes to his phone ringing. Damn he crashed hard on his couch and was paying for it. The indention of the couch cushion, was imprinted into the side of his face. Looking at his phone he saw he had a missed called from Logan, and one from Candy. She was going to be pissed that he hadn't called and rightfully so. He would have wanted her to call him. He barely remembered getting here. Climbing to his feet he checked his text messages. Then his voice mails, Candy sounded upset. He called her number, no answer. She would be asleep by now so he left her a message "Candy, I'm fine babe, I'm sorry I missed your call, talk to you later ok." Getting himself together he heads to his work site. He calls Logan and got the new due date since they were ahead of schedule. He assures Logan that he could meet the new deadline. Their company prided themselves on being done before the original due date. Most people did bias research, like asking other local companies how long a job would take, but unless you were asking Logan it was almost every time longer than the time frame Logan would need. Yeah, other companies had a lot more people but their cost was also way higher. "Logan Construction not the Only but the Best" was a motto that Logan had built a hell of a reputation of living up to it.

Her phone was ringing, Candy hurried out of the bathroom straight into hell. Shock was the first reaction as she skidded to a stop in her bedroom. There, standing in her bedroom stood Deon holding her necklace. She then realized she was butt naked. Covering herself with her hands she meets the eyes of her ex. "What the Fuck? How did you get in here anyway?" Her phone stopped ringing, and Deon just stood there staring at her. "Get out" He smirked and whispered he loves her. Candy ran back in the bathroom closing the door as he must have run into it, by the loud thump that is heard. He starts beating on the door and begging her to let him in.

He was failing, he could not fail, not this time. She'd been completely nude right there in the doorway of the bathroom. Time seemed to stand still, with the light behind her she looked like an angel. "I love you" Then time sped back up, and she yelled at him, and run from him, before his foggy brain could tell him to move, she was back inside the bathroom closing the door in his face. He runs to the door and beats on it yelling as tears ran down his face. "Please my queen, don't be mad, I love you, you're my everything. Please let me in, I just want to hold you. You're so beautiful." She had brought him here. "You brought me home with you in your green mean machine. Heh, heh get it what you called it. You're so clever, I miss you so much, I love you, my queen. Can we talk please?"

So, the smell in her car, the thought of him so close without her knowledge made her ill. She brought him here. Remembering why she dashed out of the bathroom in the first place she remembers her phone sitting by the bedside. She wasn't up for a fight with Deon. The storm must have knocked her system off line. There was supposed to be something else that happened if the company lost a signal. This cinched it, she was getting Interactive installed. Yeah, it was expensive, but what if it wasn't Deon beating on her bathroom door right now? Putting on her PJs it was better than being totally naked. Suddenly the lock gave away and he was pushing himself into the bathroom. He still had the necklace wrapped around his hand. When he lifted his hand with that sick smile on his face she just knew this was going to hurt. Then an idea came to her lie, he did it, she could too. "Wait Deon, if I go back with you will you not zap me? Hurting me again, won't make me love you." He looks at the necklace. He tells her it was all he had to make her not run again. "Put it away then we can talk. You said you wanted to talk right?" Meeting his gaze, she hoped she looked sincere.

Nikki, Amy, Janet and Paula go out for a girl's day. It was Sunday one of the few days Mark was home and since he had insisted on watching the twins, Paula wasn't going though that argument again. if he wanted to watch the twins instead of sleep, so be it. As Harold kept saying his brother-in-law was a big boy with a mind on his family. She wanted so much to talk to Natalie but it wasn't her place, and Harold had told her in confidence about his wife being at another single man's home on Valentine's Day. Paula wanted to do more that talk to her sister-in-law. The next time Nat had advice or tried to give her advice about being a good wife and mother, she was going to have to not bite her own tongue in two to keep quiet.

Amy had finished her shopping for the restaurant and was now able to just enjoy time with her girl and her little friend. Amy had never been one for mingling with other parents, it was hard to have a friendship with other adults when your husband thought your face would look better with his hand print across it. She was happy that Paula didn't look at her as Chase's children had. She wondered if Paula knew of her, as Sophie had put it. Listening to the girl's chatter about outfits, she kind of hung back outside the conversation, until Paula asked her what was on her mind. "Lots of things, but nothing really. Can I speak to you, mother to mother alone please?" Paula eyes her, and a weird look crosses her face, as she first looks at Janet, then back at Amy. "It's nothing bad. I just wanted to talk to you about Nikki going with you and your family to the wrestling show." Paula focused on her and the little woman was very intense. Paula says they could talk right here in sight of their girls. Paula looks away. "Ok, it's in Vegas, what is there for two teenagers to do in a city like that?" Paula tells her if she didn't want Nicole to go to WrestleMania just say the word. Nikki turns around and pleads with her not to stop her from going, saying she would be with Janet and other adults that would look out for them. Janet is about to chime in when Paula tells her just because she is in earshot doesn't mean she is invited into their conversation. Paula asks Amy just what she thought she'd let her girl get into in the big city.

Paula had to stop herself from using transference this wasn't her sister-in-law (know it all Natalie.) This was Amy Davis, her Janet's best friend's mother who clearly didn't understand Mania. "I'll say it once. Nikki will be safe. As for what there is to do, you're thinking of the adult night life. The weekend we leave, the nights will be filled with ceremonial dinners in nice parts of sin city, then on that Sunday my husband will perform along with his coworkers to put on a major sports entertainment event. It's PG or as PG as you can make a fist fight. So please before my husband arranges all these extra tickets for the different conventions, and the dinners please tell me once and for all if Nicole can attend or not. Nikki starts to speak Paula put up a finger and says "Mind your manners, and yes that shirt is cute." without even dropping eye contact with Amy. Amy agrees that Nikki could go. "Now that is settled anyone for lunch?" everyone agrees that they are starved.

Earlier back at Candy's home, she couldn't believe she was still awake. Deon wanted to talk he was using the same lines of bullshit she fell for in October. He was high, on what she had no clue, but he was extra jittery and already took off his sweat soaked through silk shirt. For those few seconds before they came out of the bathroom, Candy would have said anything for him not to zap her. He hadn't remembered if she had really used it on him. He'd been so high the night he attacked Bradley, that he'd spaced cased the entire fight. She'd lied and said she hadn't zapped him. His words were starting to slur as he sat and stood in rapid burst of energy, trying to prove he loved her. He'd put the necklace in his pocket afraid she'd try to trick him. They were no longer in her bedroom suite or her bathroom she asked if she could fix herself some coffee. He'd offered, she refused. That was tricky because she didn't want him in her kitchen. He didn't want her out of his sight. If she had of been thinking she would have tried to grab her damn phone. Now she sat in her swing chair with him sitting across from her. This was a smart move on her part, because she didn't sit to where it would look like she was inviting him to sit with her. She didn't have to pretend to be mad at him that was natural. The part she lied about was that they had a future together. He stands up again and asks her where was her engagement ring. "It's, in a safe place. Until we can get you clean."

Deon had spilled his heart out to his queen. They were talking he then noticed she wasn't wearing the ring he gave her. When he asked she said it was in a safe place. "Where?" she said it's safe. Something wasn't right her voice went higher. She gave it away. Some king you are. His mind teased. Getting up he asked her "Where is it Candy, my queen?" pulling the only leverage he had from his back pocket her necklace that he gave her, he asked more. Each time she told him not to hurt her, and that it was safe. "SHOW ME" She gets to her feet. He knew that trick, so he lunged at her grabbing her pulling her nose to nose with him. Her eyes went wide. "Where is the ring My queen?" he snarled and huffed in her face as she pulled to be let free. Something in her changed he didn't know what it was but the high pitch was gone as she said let her go. "Tell me where you hid my ring and I will, I promise." She said it was safe. "Did you give it to someone for safe keeping?" The pause before she said no was his answer. "LIAR" he roared as he pushed her back into the swinging chair she'd been perched on the end of. Now he blocked her in the half egg shape with his body as he stopped its motion. She was angry "well so am I" he thinks. Though he must have said the words aloud at the look of confusion, as she asked so he is what. "Angry damn it, that you would give such a gift away."

Candy didn't want to be trapped in this half egg shape of fabric and bamboo with him looming over her, blocking her in her own swinging chair. When he grabbed the sides making it stop. She was tired and he'd just tossed her ass. No matter whether it was a soft landing or not, their agreement up in her bathroom was that he didn't touch her in anger, and she would listen to his side of the story. Her own anger spikes, as she screams "I didn't give it to anyone, I don't wear it anymore. Now move" she pushed out with both feet and caught him in the midsection knocking him to the floor. In a split-second decision, she jumped from the chair and ran in the kitchen. He gets to his feet and ran after her, she grabbed a knife turns around and brandishes it at him. "Stay the fuck away from me, or I swear I'll stab you." He froze staring at her. "You say all the shit about loving me and over a damn piece of jewelry you manhandle me like a sack of potatoes. You break into my house, and beg and plead for me to take you back, for what? You haven't changed. I gave you chances and you fuck them all up. Don't you see that?" The tears in her eyes were from many things. No sleep, worry for Bradley, fear of what was going to happen next, but none of them were for Deon. This messed up, lying, smelly, shell, that stood before her, wasn't the same man that had won her heart years ago. If he advanced on her, high or not, she'd stab him. He asked her if she ever loved him. "Yeah, I did." He steps closer and tells her to do it because he couldn't live without her. She took a swipe at him before he could get any closer, he jumped back almost falling on his ass. "I said, stay away"

Deon was beyond shocked, and angry didn't come close to the top emotion that was running through him. "I saved your fucking life, and you would try to take mine?" he screams. She screams thank you and that he also manhandled and struck her, and attacked her friends." I didn't attack anyone, and stop saying that shit, it's bad enough Angel won't drop the charges against me. I wasn't really going to hurt her. She knows that, she just wants me in jail because she hates me, always has. You know I didn't mean to hit you. That was your fault, you baited me by poking me in the chest, and with your words, you went against me when you as my woman, should have stood by me. I held you in place so you wouldn't run away. I felt horrible for what you made me do. I'm sorry it's on the internet. I'm sorry that fat fuck was here. My dad disowned me over that video. He made fun of me for challenging Angel in her office. You wouldn't even defend me, your man, you instead defended Joshua as always. If it wasn't for your actions, I would not have had a reason to go to visit Angel. You turned your back on me when Joshua fired me. We are a couple damn-it." She said they were a couple. An angry heat coursed through him at her use of the past tense. With no preamble, before she could say anything else or stab him, he was in motion. He lunged at her hitting her so hard she hit the ground switched, then lay still as a doll. "ARE" He screams the present tense at her prone form. He'd knocked her out. "Why do you make me do this to you?" He grabs fistfuls of his hair, as tears sting his eyes, and pulls as he looks for the knife and finds it on the floor. She must have nicked him because he saw blood trickling down his arm. He didn't feel any pain. He grabs the knife. What was wrong with him? He should help her. She had baited him again, and he'd took the bait. If what she said was a test, he feared he'd failed. At least there were no cameras this time. He couldn't let her tell on him like that bitch Angel had, then he would have more court fees and still have no money, and no place to stay. His lawyer called him yesterday and told him his payment check bounced. He had court in less than two weeks against Angel and a team of 7, and he barely had one. It wasn't fair, his own mother said she could not give him any more money and accused him of being on drugs. He sold everything he owned and still he could not get work. He needed Candy for more than to be his woman. He needed her to take him back so he could convince her to get him his jobs back, or just give him money until he scored a gig with another band. He takes the knife and chucks it as hard as he could across the kitchen. Her words to him, made him hate himself, she'd told him before she didn't reclaim her life just to end up with someone else that hurt her. Back then, he'd promised that he wouldn't and now he'd broken his word twice. She was trying to kill you with a kitchen knife. You had to defend yourself. He picks her up and carries her back up to her bed. Though she didn't weigh much it was exhausting trying to keep her in his arms without hitting her head on anything. She wasn't holding on to him, as she had done many times before, when he carried her up to their room. Looking at the bruises he'd given her he lays her down. He didn't want her to hurt him, or for him to hurt her anymore. Looking around, he spots her dresser, maybe if he secured her hands he would eliminate the threat on both of them. He eased up off the bed looking at her and slowly walks over to her dresser. She moaned, he looks over his shoulder as he rummaged through her drawers, he grabs the bed restraints. His kinky queen, she didn't like to be held down, but they still had played. A few times after Roman, mostly on special occasions, and though she refused a safe word, he made a habit of watching her face. He moved back to the bed and put the wrist restraints on her.

Over in Dallas, on his lunch break, Bradley calls Candy and once again it goes to voicemail. Was she still mad at him, or was she still sleeping? He leaves her another message asking her to call or text him when she woke up. He wouldn't think negatively, after she got some shut eye she may not be as pissed at him as she was when he left her office. Something was bugging the hell out of him. She answered before why was she so quiet now? Hell, when he forgot she'd did a late shift before, she would at least text him back if he woke her saying call you later. For the next few hours Bradley threw himself into his work. Logan was done with the Glenview job, and would be coming out to this site tomorrow for the wrap up, so he would be off.

Her phone plays the tune it had played earlier. The song didn't register then, but it did now. Looking at her phone as it played what used to be his ringtone the picture that showed on her phone made him beyond angry. "Take Me to Church" by Hozior was accompanied by not his photo, but Bradley Davenport's. He picks up the phone and is about to swipe it open when she moans drawing his attention. Deon froze staring at her. The phone stopped ringing and her message tone chimed. She opens her eyes. The panic he saw in her sky blue orbs struck him. Putting her phone down he says "I'm not going to hurt you." She pulls against the restraints and winced, asking him to untie her. "Not until I can trust you not to tell on me or try to hurt me." She screamed for help. "Stop that, I'm not doing anything to you." He yells as he pulls the necklace and puts it to her chest. She falls instantly silent. Tears brimmed her eyes. She asked him why he brought her up here. "Downstairs, you were to close to exits, and with you trying to kill me I wanted you away from weapons. I don't like hurting you, but you tried to hurt me." She told him this had to be a form of kidnapping. That made him laugh "Wrong, it's your house silly." Remembering seeing Bradley's picture. The smile fades from his face. "I see you have a thing for Bradley." She didn't say anything. "I been watching you and he keeps coming around you. What does he have that I don't?" She remains silent.

Candy was completely terrified not even remembering coming up here. She remembered swinging the knife at Deon when he rushed her, that was it. Now she wakes up tied to her bed with her drugged up ex threatening to zap her with a weapon that had put a football player on his ass, if she didn't stop screaming for help. He said he wasn't doing anything, another thought crossed her mind. She then breathed a sigh of relief, for now there wasn't any pain anywhere else but her neck and her head. She was sore and felt queasy. He'd laughed off the fact that he was holding her against her will in her own damn house. Studying Deon, she didn't know what was safe to say so she went with nothing. Her phone rings again. "It's Angel, we are supposed to be shopping for Sophie's cake today." He looks conflicted so many scenarios play in her head. Her phone stops ringing.

After finally getting food and Amy and Nikki home. Paula and Janet drive home. "I'll talk to your dad about what went down at the first restaurant." Janet says that was so wrong for the place to put them out. "No because they could just as easily could have called the police on me. The second place was nice though." Janet agreed. "You head on in and take the twins, it's about time for their nap now. I know your dad; he's probably been playing with them since they opened their eyes this morning." Sure enough, when Janet and she walked in the den Mark was on the floor playing with the twins as they crawled on him and giggle when he would tickle them. "We should have bet on it; I would have made a buck or two heh." Mark jokes about betting against the house. "Never honey I just told Janet what you would be doing instead of letting the girls nap." Janet takes Katie and Rosa into their room and Mark gets to his feet asking how their shopping and lunch went. "Well, I know you fed the girls because you're wearing the newest shade of carrot." Mark looks down at his shirt that had creamed carrot running down the front. He looks up and says well at the very least it wasn't poop. Paula chuckles "True" her smile fades some as she says "We did have a thing at the first place we went to go eat at." Mark lifts an eyebrow and asks was everyone ok. "Oh yeah nothing like that. You know some of the divas are in town. Well I met little miss ¬¬¬¬Sasha Orton, she came to our table and starting running her mouth. When she was talking shit about me I told her to watch her mouth. When she started in on Janet, our girl stood up for herself before I could say anything. She didn't even use any curse words she told Orton's wife to go have a few seats with her fake tan. The conversation should have stopped there. Mark, I know we have had talks about letting people get to us, but I was not about to sit there and let that bitch touch my baby. Mark looks angry and asked touch how. "After Janet spoke Sasha decided it was time to grab Janet's shirt and start screaming at her. Mark I saw Janet tense, and I lost it. I ran around the table and grabbed Sasha by her hair dragging her to the floor and told her let that be the last time she spoke to or touched my child or I'd beat the living shit out of her. The manager called security to break us up and put us all out. She had better be glad all I did was pull her off Janet, my first instinct was to punch the bitch in the face along with my warning. I'm sorry I probably gave some fan a really good picture to share, but I wasn't going to just stand there. Nicole's mother Amy, got some fire of her own, she was right on my heels which deterred Summer Rea from trying to jump into the mix." Mark tells her he would talk to a few people, and that he agreed that she handled it as best as to be expected considering the circumstances.

Later in the day Stephanie McMahon calls Mark. He walks into his home office. "If it had of been me there would have been need for an ambulance. I told Randy and I told Vince that my family was not in it. I meant it then, and I mean it now. Her talking shit to my wife was uncalled for, her saying anything to my girl and damn sure putting her hands on what's mine is a recipe for disaster. I have never met Orton's wife you better believe that if she tries anymore of that shit, I heard she wants to step into the ring and is going through Hunter's training camp to become a superstar. Fucking with my family isn't the way to go about it. You know me Steph, I don't say much to no one unless it has to be said. I will say this, she ever in her life put her hands on my child again and I'll make it my mission to crush her damn dreams. Goodbye Steph, tell your pop I said get well soon."

Up at Ivey mansion, Angel packed up JC's things so he could go to an art exhibit with Sally and Michael. Joshua comes in and says he wanted to hold a meeting with the band. "Really why?" Taking the diaper bag from her Joshua tells her that WWE wanted them to perform "Out of Time" their band's Grammy award winning song as the theme song for Mania. Angel had mixed emotions about preforming for another Mania. On one hand, she was thrilled that WWE called her husband, their band lead, with this chance based on his writing. The other darker part that dulled the excitement, was that once again there was an unknown. Yes, they knew of Connie and Trevor as fellow performers under the LEGNA brand. The two of them were great guitarists but ability wasn't ever their problem with member retention. Scott was a great drummer, but bat shit crazy. Vivian Arrow was a good guitarist as well, her obsession with Joshua and the trouble she caused was just too much to let her continue. Then there was Deon, his decline was different, he'd been a fair bass player, his actions towards them coupled with his love of drugs did hamper performances. Joshua asks what she was thinking. She tells him and he understood but he said they would make sure to set boundaries first off so there wouldn't be any confusion on their expectations. He also said that if in rehearsal any dumb shit popped off he'd squash it there and then. Sally and Michael show up and Joshua goes to help get JC in their parent's car. They set a meeting time for a phone conference with the band. Joshua kisses her and says he had to get going. He had an interview with Cassandra to introduce Connie and Trevor as their newest members via them gaining spots from the all call he'd put out. Angel asked him had he spoke to Cassandra. He shrugs and says he'd talk to her, because he was tired of wondering. "All I can say is go in with an open mind okay." Joshua says okay, kisses her, and leaves the house. Angel called Candy for the second time, and still got nothing more than voicemail, she had wanted to really get this cake tasting done and selection made soon. Thinking of the last time no one could get ahold of Candy, Angel calls Bradley.

Bradley saw Angel's number and answered via his Bluetooth so he would be able to hear his little sister. "You Got Davenport. No I'm on a site in Dallas what's up?" When Angel said she and Joshua had been calling Candy and not getting an answer, a chill ran down Bradley's spine. "I haven't heard from her since about 3:30 this morning. We had a disagreement and I figured she was either still sleep or giving me the silent treatment. Here it is almost 4pm and not even you have heard from her? To my knowledge she was just going home to get some sleep." Angel says she would check on her girl. "Thanks sis. If she doesn't want to talk to me that's fine, I just want to make sure she's not in there sick or something." Angel asked him what he didn't want to answer, but if it was going to clear up why Candy may not want to talk to him fine. He tells her about their disagreement and how he'd almost drove into the wall getting home. His little sister was in firecracker mode apparently, and went off on him. She then said that Candy would want to talk to him more, not less if only to hear his voice and that he was ok. "I left her a message. I just wanted the same to know she was ok. I should have insisted she go home when I left. I been feeling off all day. Now to hear that you nor Joshua has heard from her is beyond bizarre, please go check on her." Angel says will do and they hang up.

Back at Candy's home up in her bedroom Candy watched her phone every time it rung. From the ringtones she knew who would be on the screen. She kind of wished Deon would just answer the phone. Hearing all those people wanting to talk to her that she spoke to everyday saddened her because if he flipped out again who knew what he'd do to her. She was sore, and had almost fell asleep, but fear was her coffee right now. She closed her eyes to stop the room, from spinning just for a second the next thing she knew, he was touching her face. Biting back the urge to flinch away from his touch, she didn't flinch but opened her eyes. The one thing she couldn't stop was the trembling. He leaned into her, and kissed her on the mouth. The smell of him, coupled with her nerves made bile rise in to her throat. Swallowing the acidic taste down again, she calmed when he walked away from her. He walks into her bathroom suite and closed the door. She figured she'd try to get at her phone. Twisting her wrists right then left, she made a fist then relaxed, trying to flex the material to give her some more room. She'd got it to move but not enough before he started coughing. He still didn't open the door, so she tried harder to get her fingertips on her phone. Almost, just a little further. her middle fingernail touched her phone pushing, and stretching, she tried to pull it to her suddenly he screamed no, and made her jump. The jerky motion not only hurt, but now her wrist was burning, and her damn phone had fallen of the nightstand. She must have bumped it too hard when she jumped. Silent tears rolled from her eyes down her face unchecked. Hell, she couldn't even touch her face if she cared enough to wipe away the tears of frustration. He opened the door and came back to her asking her why she was crying. Looking at the nightstand, he demanded to know who she called. "No one" she said with hysteria building in her tone.

Deon stood in his woman's bathroom he had to use it so he closed the door she wasn't going anywhere. Looking at himself in the mirror he'd lost a lot of weight. He looked sick, but he wasn't sick, remembering the look on his queen's face when he kissed her he takes some of her mouthwash and gargles. The minty smell over took him, and he gagged on it swallowing half of the mouthful. and started coughing. His vision blinked in and out there for a minute. He stumbles back when he sees the blood again. He soon found the cut on his shoulder a little higher and she could have killed you. Or maybe she was just trying to mess up your already ugly face. Making you unmarketable. "NO" he screams at his reflection. He had to know what she had intended to do to him. He charged out into the bedroom and stopped, his questions are quickly replaced by another, when he notices her phone was no longer on the nightstand. "WHO DID YOU CALL?" he roars. Her shrill answer of no one wasn't going to trick him this time. He snatches up her phone and low and behold Angel's picture appeared as it started to ring in his hand. "You lied to me. You called the one person that that I told you hates my guts." Her little fake ass fearful look wasn't going to cut it this time. He throws her phone at her hitting her in the face. It falls behind her. She cries out no she didn't lie to him. He locked eyes with his queen. This time he would not fail. He leans back, caresses her face where her phone had struck her. "Never mind you can do a lot of things with that ass of yours, but I don't think even you can open your case, get to your phone, and dial." He lays down next to her and rubs his hand up and down her torso. Her breathing picked up. "You're shivering are you cold?" She says nothing. He starts singing "Hard to say I'm Sorry" by Chicago. By the end she was crying. "My singing isn't that bad." He then remembers singing this song to her to get her back at Angel's birthday party. "Oh the things that use to work. I even got your best friends to help get you back. My queen, don't cry we will move forward together. Who else will deal with your past demons like I can?"

Her emotions were all over the place and him touching her, and singing to her a song that had at one time, alone with his empty promises worked on her stupid ass. Just brought it all to the surface. She'd truly cared for and loved this man at one time and was willing to give him her all. His lies, abuse, and thievery had ended that fairy tale for good. He wasn't and would never be her happily ever after. His hand moved lower and she froze. He looked her in the eye. He got closer and kissed her. Her phone rang and broke the spell. He snaked his hand under her ass and grabbed her phone getting up, and straddling her. He asked her who was it going to be, him or Davenport. As he shows her Bradley's picture dancing across her screen. Meeting his eyes, she says what she knew he would want to hear. What could buy her some time. "You" the lie tasted foul in her mouth. Before Deon opened the call he told her to tell the son of a bitch it's over. She couldn't believe he would do this. There was an open line to someone that was too far away to help her. She could hear Bradley saying hello. She opens her mouth and says "Bradley it's over." She could hear him yelling for her not to do this.

Bradley called Angel, when she whispers hello, he told her. "Don't waste your time I got through, Candy answered crying and told me it's over, she was just pissed at me, but at least she's ok" Angel informs him that she is in Candy's house and heard Deon speaking. "What? Fuck, get out of there. If he hurts you again Joshua will skin all of our asses. I'm calling the cops. Angel? Angel!" Bradley clicks over and calls the police. He merged the call and Angel must be getting closer because he along with the operator who told him not to hang up could hear Candy crying. Then her screaming for help. What he heard next stopped his breath as he waited for another sound anything. Angel was armed and had just fired.

Deon hung up. Candy couldn't stop crying. Bradley and she were as new a couple as one could get, and now he would think she'd dumped him over their first fight. Deon demanded she stop crying. Candy tried closing in her sobs, but her body still shook. He put her phone down and slapped her on the boob. She screamed out in pain. Hearing sirens he jumps up and looks out the window. He accuses her of somehow calling the cops on his ass. Help was coming; she screams for help. He jumps on the bed choking her screaming he saved her fucking life so it was his to take. She couldn't get air. He was killing her. Off in the distance his name is screamed. The blackness that had started to surround her vison took her under.

"DEON NO!" he'd just said he was going to kill her friend, Angel took aim as he gets off Candy who wasn't moving and turns towards her. His threatening words towards her meant nothing. She was watching his center mass as her dad had taught her to. When he tried to charge at her liked he done in her office, she fired. Deon looked down at the bullet she'd put in his chest pointed at her and crumpled to the floor. Before she could move to help Candy, the police announced their presence, and rushes the room, disarms her, screaming for her to get on the ground. She complies and asks them to please check on her friend in the bed.

Authors Note: Thanks for reading. End Note