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.

41. Chapter 41 Skeletons

Chapter 41

Skeletons

Candy is on cloud nine, she couldn't believe all these people had come together to surprise her for her birthday. She was so nervous when Sally asked to speak to her. She'd asked did it have anything to do with her and Brad. Sally nodded and Candy felt rooted to the spot. She had seen both sides of Sally and didn't know which she would get. As it turned out Sally was the same pleasant person that smiled at them when Bradley kissed her in front of his family and their friends. Sally even joked with her and said she didn't want to wish too hard that her oldest would find someone that had his best interest at heart, but she couldn't help herself. She mentioned his ex and Candy bit the inside of her lip to not say anything. The infamous art student, turned artist. She'd heard stories from both Bradley himself, and from Joshua as an outsider looking in, and watching his brother turn back flips for a woman that didn't give two shits about him. Candy knew all too well what it felt like when that veil of mated perfection fell from your eyes, and you were left with the real person that was nothing like what you bought into in the beginning. Arms encircle her waist making her tense, the smell of Bradley's aftershave just as quickly calms her. He asks is she still having a good time. Before she can respond her phone pings with another message, thinking it was another birthday wish she smiles and pulls her phone. It was another message, but it was something like the one she deleted on her way here. Her stalker was in rare form, all she knew was that it wasn't Deon. Not even he could talk so badly about himself, no matter how self-loathing he became.

Unidentified sender: You're playing hard to get and I like it. I saw that you opened my birthday text. Looks like we have a shot after all. I'll treat you way better than that joke you're dating. Baza wouldn't have attacked you, if I was in the picture I can protect you. We have a lot in common we are both entertainers, I can care for you better than the construction worker. Want to live in Florida, just get away from it all? You deserve much better than he and baby that's me. XOXO. (Attachment: A picture that was taken today, with Candy, Nikki, and Janet. The person had drawn a heart around her face.)

Bradley asked who it was and could it be any ex of hers. She mumbles something about social media helping him. Bradley watched her mood sober at whatever was on her screen. She turns around, heads back out the back door. He follows her asking what's wrong. She yells at Nikki to not post anymore pics of her. Everyone quiets and stares at her outburst. Bradley steps in front of her and claims her full attention, by running his finger softly down her cheek and tilting her chin, so she would meet his eyes. As he says "babe what is going on, who is he? Is it the same guy that sent you one this morning?" She shrugs, and then froze, as she asks him how did he know considering it wasn't opened until she woke up and deleted it. Bradley didn't know whether to be relieved that she deleted it or not. Either she didn't feel the same about the first guy or she deleted it, to hide it from him. As she waited for his response she stepped back. He figured whatever it was, he wouldn't lie about seeing it. "While you were sleeping, your phone was going nuts with happy birthday texts. I took it out of the bedroom so you could still get sleep. I didn't open the message but I saw it when it previewed on your screen." She pulls her phone, opens her text message window shows him the latest message and says she had nothing to hide, but she didn't like being spied on. She had enough people invading her privacy without the one person that is supposed to trust her the most acting like he didn't. "Let me stop you right there. If I didn't trust you I wouldn't be with you." She didn't hesitate to say she was wrong for accusing him of invading her privacy considering she erased the first message because it pissed her off. He reaches for the phone she lets it go, as he stares down at her photo sent by her latest stalker. "Any guess on who it could be?" She tells him she didn't know either of the numbers or who was behind the messages. Nikki apologizes and says she won't post anymore pics of her.

Candy felt like a total crazy person yelling, and accusing people that cared for her. Realizing she could have handled each situation differently, she tells Nikki to just not post it to public if she posts. She turns back to Bradley who still held her phone. The edge in his voice when he asked was it the same guy from the first message and who is he, struck her already tightly strung emotional grid like one of Joshua's guitar strings. Bradley had just said he hadn't opened the phone and hell she just handed him her phone anyway. Putting both palms to her eyes she takes a huge inhale and exhale then removes her hands and he hands back her phone.

The somewhat strained silence is broken yet again by Luke's cellphone ringing. He answers it walking further into the house. As he reemerges from the house with an apologetic saddened but focused look on his face he says his goodbyes to the group. When he gets to Candy he says "Candy, I hate to eat and run but we need to get going." Sophie tells her not to worry too much about the text message because it would give him more importance that he deserved from her. "She's right, Candy just have fun today don't let some prank punk steel your happiness, he or hell, even she's not worth it."

Over in Naples, Florida in a gym inside of the Ramada Naples hotel. Dean Ambrose checks his iPhone to see if his newest obsession had seen his latest message. The smile that spread across his face was one that would scare normal people. He was so lucky Seth had stopped threatening to tell Roman on him for acting weird and they got their jobs back and their charges erased all because of WWE needing to fill much needed superstar space with Glenn 6 feet under, and Roman's newest fling having the money to get them out of their legal jams without going to court. He looks through the Music Nation site to grab more photos. Damn it, the little girl wasn't posting anymore of the party that was going on. He wanted to just pm her and ask but with her age restriction it would raise too many red flags. Candy had blocked him it was time for plan two. He'd win her love if it was the last thing he did. Seth Rollins walked in the gym and Dean put his phone away, the last thing he needed to do was get Seth in his business.

"I know that look, what are you up to Dean?" Seth asks as he settles into one of the machines to do some lifting. Dean gets up and says nothing and leaves Seth in the gym. He works out, the amount of ring rust he'd collected in this past few months was noticeable. He was just glad he no longer had a criminal record. The Shield wouldn't be complete until Roman got all his legal stuff handled. Seth kind of hoped it took longer rather than sooner he liked the idea of being a single superstar. It was because of Roman that he'd got into trouble and fired in the first place, all because Roman couldn't keep it in his pants. He wasn't pissed at Roman anymore since it all worked out and Roman did get them in position to get their jobs back. He had a meeting with HHH this afternoon.

Back in Dallas at Bradley's house, Candy sits on the sofa since Bradley had said he was going to change along with pack some work clothes and they could go out for a drink or something before heading back to Joshua's place to stay for the week. Glenny had dumped chip dip in his lap as they were clearing off the tables so they wouldn't leave a huge mess for Sally to clean all by herself after the party was over. The letter that she had received via her P.O. Box Friday was now worrying her more than it had. She opens it and reads half way down. It was fucking happening again. Her case against Roman was tanking. Her lawyer wrote to inform her that unless Dr. Sheldon could get ahold of the footage and resubmit the test results of her attack they had, it was turning into another case of here say. So, the footage and the rape kit results both just up and disappeared? She wondered for the hundredth time if her latest stalker was Roman himself. She knew she hated getting mail from this lawyer. She called her lawyer. By the middle of the call she began screaming and crying into the phone. "How could you let this happen? Where the hell did all the evidence go, into a glass piggy bank?" He'd told her that he could do a lot more if she paid more. "That's rich, I'm not, but that's rich." Her lawyer's devil may care tone was doing nothing for her breaking heart. When he asked her, did she ever sign a sexual play consent contract with Mr. Reigns. She yells "The only thing I ever signed was when I was 16 in high school." When he told her about the newest evidence that was presented Candy felt light headed. "It's a lie, I didn't sign anything as an adult. I swear, you must believe me. I think I would remember. You can't let him get away with this." Her lawyer told her it didn't look good but he would try. The man then just hung up.

Bradley came running back in the living room half-dressed when he heard Candy screaming and crying into the phone. Who could ignite such anger and pain from her like this? He wondered as he rounded the sofa and took her shaking form into his arms. "Babe what's wrong, what happened?" She cried something unintelligible into his shirt. "Please calm down whatever it is, we'll get through it."

After reclaiming some of her composure on their way back to Ivey Mansion, since Candy was no longer in the mood to be directly in public, she just couldn't see herself explaining about the attacks by Roman, and how the last court case fell apart to Bradley not after she'd told Deon just for him to throw it back in her face. Yes, Deon and Bradley were two different people, but she just didn't feel she could take that gamble right now.

Earlier that day, right as they were leaving Candy's birthday party, Sophie asks Luke what had him so nervous. She seen him about to go do major surgery, and he wasn't this stressed. Looking at him drive was putting her on edge as well. "Babe, what's going on, who called you that has you so tense?" He says he's not tense. Sophie runs her finger over his lips and says "Lies don't look good on those lips, I've seen you calmer, going in to do surgery. What gives?"

Luke had never thought of his family's reactions to his mate. He wanted everything to go off without a hitch. His older cousins weren't around him as a child. His aunts and uncles weren't the get together kind of people. Everyone lived their own lives. The Sheldon / Matenopoulos family was huge but all over the country. His mother's side of the family were different from the Sheldon bunch. Where his dad's side of the family had already met or at the very least seen Sophie and fell in love with her. The Matenopoulos clan his mom's side had not, they rarely ventured outside of their home states of Washington and Alaska. "Um, it's nothing, mostly in my head I guess. Mom wanted me to go and pick up her brother, and his family from the Dallas airport."

As they zip between two semis Sophie flinches at the sight of the huge wheels so close to the sides of the car until Luke pulls ahead of the wall of speeding wheels that where right in her face it seemed. Sophie puts her hand on his knee feeling the bunched muscles there. "You said it's in your head so what about your uncle that has you're mind racing?" She tried for a calm tone but heard her own voice shake.

Luke glances in his mate's direction he noticed something about her own body language. His driving was putting her on edge. Which was something he never wanted to do. Luke set the car to cruise control after claiming a speed that kept with traffic. Until Sophie ran her hand down his leg he didn't realize how outwardly tense he must appear. Taking one hand from the white knuckled fist he had on the wheel he takes Sophie's hand, then says. "My family or my mother's side of the family is different from the Sheldon side. My uncle Russo is my mother's oldest brother, our family kind of hit a hard patch. The entire reason he is coming gives me pause. He has never expressed an interest in my father or me except for one time. My father saved his father's fucking life via a liver transplant. Years later my mother's parents divorced after 55 years. It tore my mother up bad, especially when her father, my grandfather drunk himself into the grave. My mother asked why her mother left her dad after all that time." Luke's anger was tangible as he continued speaking. "My grandfather had been beating the shit out of his wife and cheating on her, for three fucking decades, she divorced him, two weeks later she died. Russo stayed with us for a month after his mother passed and drove my mother to drink. My father put him out, and it almost broke up my parents. Fast forward 8 short years later, now my uncle and his family wants to mend the family. My father refused to go get him, my mother called me crying and begging me to. I couldn't say no. You have met my mother, Ella Matenopoulos-Sheldon is not a crier. She was near hysteria. If Russo says anything disrespectful to or about you, he'll walk to Grandville." Sophie asks why he would think his uncle would say something negative to her when he has never met her? "That didn't stop him from talking crap about my father and it sure didn't stop him from talking about his father's mistress." Sophie asked was the mistress black or something. "It was said that she was a dark-skinned German. I never met the woman I was away at school when the funeral happened, and I missed out on the huge fight that broke out. Is that eloping card still on the table? We are going to Vegas soon." Sophie says she wanted to do that in the beginning but running away from his family would not solve anything, and would make things sticky with their other family members. "You're right, but you have to admit it's a great pipe dream for right now."

Bradley takes Candy and his bags to the room they stay in when at Ivey Mansion. She was dealing with something that she said she just didn't feel like she could verbalize to him right now. Seeing her breakdown at his place over yet another phone call was driving him nuts. On the drive, here to his sibling's home he asked Candy was it something dealing with Deon and she told him no and asked him to please just drop it for now. Bradley knew, that there were some walls that would take a while before she let down. They were still quite new as far as relationship wise. For as much as they had told each other, he knew there was truckloads of shit he hadn't told her. He figured it had something to do with a past lover or something because she was very guarded about her romantic past. She'd told him about her life before Grandville and he read about when her dad was killed in her old house. As far as he knew she really didn't have any more blood family except a half-sister. He did notice that she never spoke of men except two before him, as hot as she is he just didn't see her not dating a ton of guys. He also didn't peg her as someone that could do the casual sex thing. They had both proven with the start of their own relationship that sex meant more than contact to them both. Candy walked in to the bedroom on her phone. He could hear Joshua on the line even though speakerphone wasn't engaged, his little brother had two volumes when speaking on the phone, a whispered mumble, or just plain loud.

Candy lowers her voice as she speaks to Joshua. "Josh wait … I think I want to talk to Sophie about it. I just don't know how to bring it up." There was shit that her lawyer spoke about that she never even told Josh about, but he did know about the first court case being thrown out. She was currently still with Strickland Law. Joshua told her to talk to Sophie, she didn't know how much Sophie knew about what went down last year. "I have a stalker or even more than one, and now this. I have to ask did you tell Sophie anything about me when it was going on?" Joshua got defensive "Look… I'm not trying to piss you off, I just need to know if she would even touch this case." He says he would nor could he answer that for Sophie that Candy would have ask. "I know, and you are right, thanks." Ending her call Bradley stares at her then his own phone rings, he answers looks at her and something in his gaze changed for a second he then walked out of the room. As she watched him close the door behind him she fought hard not to go after him, and ask what was wrong. She needed a sip of fuck-it right about now.

Bradley answered his phone and was shocked to hear a voice he hadn't thought he'd ever hear again. His ex was calling him. He treated her like shit at the end, and he'd sent her apology letters as part of his 12 steps and even money. "Hey… Look I'm so sorry. I am sorry and ashamed of myself for what I did and said to you, I regret all my actions. You were good to me. I fucked that that up." She said no one was perfect and she accepted his apology. "Thank you." In the back of his head he wondered what changed her mind for her to call him. Then wondered what he thought about it. Jazz was an established artist now, what could she possibly want with him? Hearing her say things like she forgave him and wanted to be friends after the crap he'd done to her gave him two emotions at the same time, one relief that he hadn't been able to score drugs using her emergency bank card, and two a kind of elation that she still wanted anything to do with him. "Friends, I think that we can manage that." When she said, she was catching a plane back to their home town of Glenview the smile fell from his face. "W…Why are you coming back I thought you never wanted to be in the Texas heat anymore?" Her answer stopped his next words.

Jazz takes a breath. "I'm coming back for two reasons. One of them is why I can afford to forgive you. Considering you were always there before the drugs. I get it, that the deeper you went, the more you weren't you. The other reason is just as important to me. I'm coming back to bury my aunt, she got killed in a boating accident. As you know I was like her child, she raised me when my parents wouldn't or couldn't. She left the store to me, it will be nice to at least see one friendly face." Bradley asked about her siblings. "They are worst then towns people, they found out they weren't named in the will and now they are not even coming. My parents retained custody of them after I left, so they will be fine. After I bury Aunt Tonya that will conclude my list of loved ones from my hometown." Bradley says she should try to clear the air with her family. "Bradley Davenport, are you truly trying to give me advice about family? Don't you dare judge me. Here's a question how's you dad?" She screams and starts crying. "I'm sorry. It's just your parents paid your way when they put you out. The state came and took me and gave me to my aunt and my parents went on popping out kids like I didn't matter. I have to go. If you don't want to meet up that's understandable." He says no he's a man of his word, and he'll be there. "Thanks bye." The second she ended the call the tears stopped, and a smile spread across her face.

Over at the Dallas airport, Luke and Sophie wait for his uncle and family to arrive. Luke gets out of the car as a rather large dark haired man with a blonde woman and little girl walks towards the car. When Sophie sees all the crap the three brought with them, she gets on her phone as the small family approaches and says, "Hello Ivey Transit, this is Sophie Ivey, Yes. I'm going to need a vehicle at the Dallas Airport pronto. Thanks." As the man glares at her Sophie raises an eyebrow before meeting the stranger's eyes and says. "There is no way all of that, and us are going fit in this car comfortably for over two hours."

"If my brother in law wasn't afraid of the big city, this would not be two hours' worth of travel after a flight. I am Russo, and from your very rude conversation, I'm going to say you are Sophie. Loki's woman, yes?"

Sophie saw Luke bawl his hand in to a fist at his side as he formally introduced them to each other. He made sure to pronounce his first name stressing both syllables as well as say her name with the same strict tone. Per Luke's introduction, Russo was his mother's brother, and his wife Claudia and their little girl Amelia would be joining them. The fact that any warmth that was in Luke's tone when first he greeted the man whether it be false or not, was gone and they all now had icy doctor on their hands. Luke's movements were rigid at best. Amelia who had been hiding behind her mother came from behind her mother's legs and stared up at Sophie. "Hello Amelia" Sophie says in a soft tone. The young girl looked up at her father than back at Sophie and says that Sophie is very pretty. Claudia smiled down at her daughter. Russo harrumphed and said "they all are until they destroy your family." Russo's wife covers her face in shame at her husband's words.

"That's it, I'm done. Let's go Sophie." Luke takes Sophie by the hand but Sophie doesn't move as she tells Russo's daughter thank you and that she was pretty as well. "Let's go please." Just then the Ivey Transit vehicle arrives. Sophie pulls Luke aside and speaks to him and reminds him of why they were here, saying that his mother could have sent Ivey Transit herself. "I hate it when you are the rational one. You know that?" She says yes, she knows but she also knows he loves her despite that. Luke looks up at the clouds then back down at his mate. "He's an ass, but I'm not doing this for him." Luke then walks back around the car and says in a tone the brooked no debate. "Ok, look this is what is going to happen," He points at Russo. "You will put the, luggage in the limo and then you and your family will get in the car. I am going to drive us to my parent's home. You will cut out the phony accent, you haven't had an accent since you arrived here 20 years ago, you know my name, if you refer to me as anything but Lucas you will be walking. My name is Lucas not Lotus or Loki or any of that rubbish. The next time you feel the need or urge to talk to my mate with disrespect, please remember it's a long drive and even longer walk. Now Russo are we clear, or are you walking?" Russo says fine in plain unaccented English and hands his and his family's luggage to the limo driver who packs the inside of the limo. Everyone gets in Luke's vehicle and Russo makes it a point to sit behind Sophie after losing a non-verbal contest with her for the front seat.

Over in Grandville South, The Wolf and part of his den for this area enter a meeting with Mayor Jackson and a few other undesirables, at one of the Wolf's hangouts. Mayor Jackson starts the conversation in his usual whinny pity me way. "People, it's getting closer and I'm still getting the short end of the stick in the polls."

The Wolf smirks and says "You bitch about losing but your campaign is weak at best." The Mayor points at him and stands. Wolf points his pen that he'd been tapping on his knee at the Mayor and says "don't be stupid."

The suspended cop that attacked Joshua, among other things for his aunt and for his own gain, Lieutenant Ben Valentin adjusts himself in his seat. He was invited to this party because he was the face of his aunt's family. He knew Maxwell Wolfe wouldn't even blink about blowing the Mayor away. The Mayor asked him if he could get one of his police brethren to possibly disrupt the Ivey family. "I knew the man that drove Angela Davenport back to the court the day she was released. Not many officers are willing to fuck with that family now."

"If you were half as smart as you looked Valentin, you would not be suspended right now hoping this case against you falls apart." Maxwell says as he eyes the face of the German mob family. "Mayor Jackson, I got just what you need, but it's going to cost you dearly." Valentin reveals The Wolf's support of Chase Ivey. "Correction, I support what gets me paid, and whatever else I wish. Unlike you who is working with the feds to bring down your own family all for a position that will mean nothing from where you will be in the a few seconds if you ever in your life try that move again." Suddenly guns are drawn and pointed at Ben's head by Wolf's men. "I don't like snitches, you're thinking is that the feds will what, pat you on the head, and let you pick up where your aunt left off after you give her to the police wrapped in a bow?" The Mayor begs Wolfe to calm down and disarm the situation. Wolfe looks at Ben and asks. "You good, you look a little scared cop?" He then waves his right hand and his den puts their guns away. The Mayor asks to meet with him privately. "Sure, but you might want to watch him if he'll sell his own family down the river, snitching on you would be easy."

Not to be totally outdone by the Wolf, Ben gets to his feet walks to the door turns, and says to the Mayor. "I got one cop that owes me a favor he will do what you want but it will cost you." The Mayor nods that he'd heard, and Ben leaves the room. He had to get the other plan done with, someone was leaking his business and he didn't need it getting back to his aunt. His first call was to his cousin. "You owe me Tanner big time, come to the house I got a favor to ask of you."

Heading into Grandville South, Luke kept one eye on the highway and the other in the rearview to watch his uncle. Russo put his hand on the back of Sophie's seat and caressed her hair. Sophie jerked at the feel of him touching her. Russo says "I'm sorry, I just wanted to know if it was as soft as it looks. It is quite soft." Luke told him to keep his hands out of her hair. "I pay her a compliment, and you are angry whatever have I done to you Lucas?" Luke mention his Ella and their parents. "I am not the same as I once was of that I swear to you."

Later that night, Angel, Joshua, and Candy and Nikki head into The Davenport. Vashon was already in the club. Tonight, after their own rehearsal with Connie and Trevor, after the Bayley couple left. The Davenport was hosting a battle of the local bands, kind of Personal Touch's way of giving back to the community that showed them major love, and got LEGNA's attention. Angel suggested it, and Jonathon agreed if they saw someone they liked, to set a second night aside so he could come hear the potential talent. The second part wasn't announced. The winner via the crowd sometimes didn't match what Jonathon considered true talent. Joshua understood his father's idea of distinguishing between good training, and good talent. Before the talent show got started Angel left with Candy, to go pick up JC and the twins, from his parent's place, and then they were heading home. Joshua starts the show and gets blasted in the face with the spot light, squinting he points down until the beam of white light is no longer blinding him. When the spots clear from his vision, he returned the thumbs up gesture and started the show. Joshua walks off stage as the first band sets up. Heading to the booth he expected to see Nikki working, what he saw pissed him off, but more importantly he was disappointed. Remembering not to yell like a lunatic, he snatched open the booth door. "This is a control booth, not a hotel, take your company and get out of my club."

Moments before, Joshua started the show, inside the booth Fred tries to talk to Nikki who keeps telling him to leave. She had the light and sound cues all set, until Fred hit the control panel and that caused the spot light to come on. When she looked out at where the light was, all she saw was Joshua's hands giving her the down signal. Fred got him right in the face. Turning the dial so that the light lowered, she then turns to her ex and says "You're making me look bad. I don't want to talk to you. Just like you ditched me after tossing me in the water. I'm at work this maybe my last solo booth job, thanks to you blinding my boss. I don't come to your job do I?" she turns back around. "Just, stay away from my fat ugliness." Fred grabs her, turns her, around and kisses her hard. Before the lake thing, and him calling her fat and ugly at her mom's restaurant, this would have worked to shut her up. Now it just pissed her off, when he grabbed her breast she tries even harder to pull away, He fisted a bunch of her hair and kept smashing his mouth on hers. Pushing at his shoulders wasn't helping it just made him hold her hair and breast tighter. He suddenly stopped and let her go. She was confused, but relieved until the booth door flew open, filling the booth with sound. Turning around, she came face to face with Joshua, he was major pissed. His words cut like a knife, her own words sprung from her mouth. "Joshua, he's not my company…" Joshua just repeated himself louder this time. Fred made it worse, as if that was possible. She turned to Fred she wouldn't believe he would say what he said to Joshua.

Fred and the club owner were the same height. Pushing Nikki to the side he stepped up into the owner's face. "Look Josh, I'm not her company I'm her man, and if you fire her. I'll make you pay." The club owner told them this his was last time telling them to get lost before he called the cops. "You think this a game, I'll put you on your ass before you can call anybody." Nikki begged him to stop. Fred pushed the guy. The owner told him to keep his hands to himself. He took a swing anyway, and that's when he found himself pinned to the glass wall face first. "Get off me man." Fred says as he struggles to get free. Nikki ran from the room crying. The guy was going to break his fucking arm if he kept struggling. "I'm not going to swing, I'll leave. Just let me go, I'm am a foster kid on probation, and if the cops find out I wasn't at my job, I'm cooked for the rest of my life." The owner lets him go. Fred had to find Nikki. He'd did her wrong, and she just didn't understand his world. Looking at the people below them through the window of the booth, Fred says to the owner." Please don't can her on my account. She was doing her job. She loves this shit. I'm the one that hit the switch." The guy told him he had two seconds to get gone. Fred ran out of the booth, and out of the club in search of Nikki.

Joshua remains in the booth and ran the sound and lighting himself. After the talent show, that really did nothing to showcase any real talent. Joshua pondered at why he let the kid go. Somethings didn't add up. Nikki wouldn't have risked her job to make out in a glass control booth. She wasn't a look at me type person. It was one of the first things he noticed about her personality. Even after her bruises from her father's attack faded she still dressed modestly and loved being back stage or in the booth, not on stage. Up in the control booth surrounded by glass, and very expensive equipment that she loved. He wanted to know what the fuck happened. Since the booth was above the dining area the cameras were mostly on the equipment. He rewound the tape and sat back watching Nikki set up for her sound and light job. He watched as her boyfriend slipped from under the desk. He'd been hiding in the club. Joshua wrote down the time the kid appeared. He'd have to go back later and find out how long that kid had been in his booth. His anger came back full force, when he saw the kid grab Nikki and force a kiss on her. Hearing their conversation and seeing the punk grab her made Joshua mental. Rubbing a hand over his face, he stabbed the stop button. Sighing he got to his feet, he didn't need to see the look in Nikki's eyes again when he opened the door and told them to get lost. He called Chase and got his voice mail. "Hey, Chase, this is Joshua, Nikki bolted from the club, and I was just trying to see if she made it home." Joshua wasn't holding high hopes of Chase returning his call if Nikki told him what went down Josh knew Chase was going to be pissed at him and rightfully so. Joshua knew he couldn't just stay here wondering where Nikki went. He'd made a snap decision based only on what he thought he saw. Since Vash switched to days that left him and Larry.

Earlier outside the club sitting on the bus bench, Nikki sits waiting on the bus that would take her back home. She hardly recognized Fred as he ran from the club. He looked wild in the eyes. She had bigger problems, Joshua thought she was fooling around. His was the last say as far as if she would even be able to keep her job. She starts texting Janet.

Nikki: I think I may be unemployed because of that ass Fred.

Janet called her right away. "Hey, no I'm waiting on a bus. Joshua put me out the club and..." Janet told her to go back inside and see if Candy will take her home. "Once Joshua tells her what he thought he saw, she's going to be pissed at me too." Janet tells her to start from the beginning. Nikki tells Janet what happened from her point of view. and soon a car is near her. Nikki looks up and shock and anger are the first thing that fill her. Janet was driving alone at night. Getting in so the car wouldn't get smashed by the bus that was slowing to stop, Nikki put on her seatbelt and turns to her friend. "Janet what hell?"

Seeing and hearing the anger in her best friend's tone riled Janet's own anger "You sounded upset I thought I'd save you. Why are you pissed, if anyone will get into trouble it would be me, not you?" Nikki tells her all the stuff that could go wrong with this plan. "Yes, and you getting on a bus at night, is a better, safer plan why? You said yourself that he looked angry and dazed when he left, you really want to be out here waiting on a bus that he can get on too?" Nikki accuses her of stealing a car. "I didn't steal it. After I pass my exam It will be my car. It's even in my name. The only thing I must do, is get it back to Ivey Mansion before mom gets back there from working at the Last Ride tonight." They ride in a strained silence. Janet stops at the end of the Cherry Hill that will take her back up to Ivey Mansion. "Get out here, if I let you out in front of your house Chase is bound to see me if he's there and that looks like his limo." Nikki reluctantly gets out after hugging Janet and telling her to please continue to be careful. "I will, you worry too much?"

Nikki didn't feel right about this new defiant Janet, but at least she was home and all Janet had to do was go up the hill. Nikki watched as Janet turned out of sight on to the road that would take her around the back of the Mansion. Nikki turned the key and opened the door. When she walked in Chase was standing there looking at her. "Whoa, you scared me" Nikki says as she pulls off her jacket. Chase asked her how she got home and why Joshua would be concerned enough to call him and let him know she may be upset. Before she turned around she said what Janet told her, the lie felt wrong but it would have to do. "I got a ride from Charity." Nikki knew Char would cover for her if asked. Chase asked why didn't they drop her off in front of her home. "Charity don't like coming down this street, she says it is to spooky after all the stuff that happened during last fall." That was true her track mate didn't like Grandville South's infamous numbered street. Chase asked what happened at the club. Nikki felt the hot tears of and anger and betrayal slide down her face. She then told Chase what happened and when he said he'd handle it, the finality in his tone made her look up at him. His usually hazel eyes were deep grey. She didn't know who would be the recipient of that anger, but was hopeful that he wouldn't make it harder for her to work again. As for bands Josh's band was local, and now not so local, but The Davenport was a great place to have of your resume in this area if you were going to do sound work. If Chase pissed off Josh more than he already was, she could get black balled from doing sound in Texas period.

Up the hill, Janet pulls slowly back into the massive garage, puts her car keys back in her dad's pouch on his bike, and walks back inside. "Janet where have you been? I was about to call Paula but then I see you driving into the garage?" Angel asks the surprised teen as she tried her best to sneak in to the kitchen. Janet quickly turns as if startled and says she just wanted to drive her car. "You aren't licensed to drive by yourself yet. You could get into real trouble. Is this the first time you've done this?" Janet shrugs. "That's not an answer, is this first time you've done this?"

"Yes ok, is that what you want to hear. I'm not afraid of you." Angel tells her to lose the tone. "Or what you're not my mother, or my father, heck on your best day you're not even my momma Paula." Angel says but while she is in her house she will respect her as an adult that cares for her. "You don't care for me Paula is here well not here right now but she is my adopted parent not you. My dad is on the road he taught me to drive, so I was driving." Angel says true, and she will let Paula know how lippy Janet seems to be getting when asked a simple question. "I thought you were my friend."

"I am your friend Janet but, I'm also a cousin that loves and cares for you, I can't have you out breaking the law just because you want to exercise some attention-grabbing behavior. If you're bummed, or mad that your dad is on the road talk to him about that, don't go risking your safety and freedom by acting out in this way. As for you not being afraid of me that's good I don't want your fear, I want you to think before acting. You're a smart girl this isn't like you at all." Janet says she'll do anything for Angel not to tell on her. "I'm not going to lie to you cuzo, if I hide this from Paula or Mark it would be way wrong and irrespirable of me to do that, because if JC did something like this, I would want to know." Janet says JC is a baby she is almost a grown woman and this was not fair to compare her to a baby. She then pissed Angel off when she said she wished Angel would just stay out of her business. "All wishes aren't made to be granted this conversation is over." Angel walked out of the kitchen into the garage and took Janet's car keys out of Mark's ruck sack, and attaches them to her belt loop. As she sees Janet standing at the door with her mouth open, Angel calls Paula and tells her what she witnessed when her home alarm alerted her that her garage was open. She finishes with "I get home and moments after I get JC to sleep and check on the twins. I was scared out of my wits when the system said a car was pulling into my garage. I almost called the police myself, until I called down to the guard shack and Andrew said it was Janet coming back. Paula, I didn't even know she was gone. I called you because I didn't want to tell Mark, and he mess up in his match for being upset. I don't know where she went but she was very guarded. She can't do this again, if it weren't for Andrew being on guard at the back fence, and him not knowing that she is on a permit not a license, she could have got in trouble or hurt tonight. She may not know what is going on but you do, and this Patrick on the run stuff, has everyone around here on high alert. Please talk to her." After talking with Paula, Angel headed up to her bedroom.

Back in the suburbs of Grandville South, Luke pulls up in front of his parent's place. That seemed like the longest he'd ever driven. It wasn't, but the company of his uncle, and controlling the impulse to throw the man out of the car was strong at times. Russo had finally dropped the fake accent. Only after Luke had pissed him off by accusing him of being a stereotype of himself. Russo moved on to mumbling things in Greek too low for Luke to hear. It would have stayed stone quiet in the car if it weren't for Amelia ratting Russo out at times asking what this or that meant, and the fact that Luke didn't want to cuss out Russo in front of his little cousin. Luke didn't speak Greek but knew the language through partial submersion from his mom teaching him through going days without speaking English to help for a class he had to take in high school. The things his uncle was mumbling were out of line to downright disrespectful. Luke would have made the guy walk at the two-mile marker if it weren't for Sophie speaking over the ignorance coming from the back seat. When Russo touched his mate's hair Luke had already been called everything in the book in Greek by his self-proclaimed changed man of an uncle. He'd wanted to reach back and slap the shit out of his uncle but Sophie kept moving his hand back to her lap. Every time he moved it to talk with his free hand she would move his hand right back to her lap.

The dinner was just as tense as the drive for Luke. As Sophie and he say their goodbyes to his parents and Russo's family, Luke gets back behind the wheel. Sophie tells him she's driving them home. "Are you sure?" She says yes, she is sure that he won't be driving any long distances with her as a passenger for a while with all the times she had to play referee during their trip back here. "Babe, I'm sorry you had to witness that. It won't happen again, I have spoken to my mother, and she agrees that he will catch Ivey Transit back to the airport whenever he leaves here." Sophie says if anyone understands about crazy family members she does. She then drives them back to his condo where they have some wine, sitting in his massive jacuzzi together, and make love until the sun rises. They both then drift off to sleep.

Joshua closes the club down at 4 am and heads towards home. He'd been about to go out and look for Nikki when Chase showed up at the club and chewed him out about his security system and how he could treat Nicole so badly after she'd suffered such a traumatic event. He then demanded to see the footage. Joshua showed him and tried to explain but Chase was hearing none of what he had to say. Around 2 am Chase left the club in search of the Fred kid. Joshua was just glad Nikki made it home safely. The owner's team was going to be up his ass for his behavior. He truly hoped that Chase didn't get in to trouble if he caught up with Nikki's ex. If what the kid said to him was true he had enough people wanting him locked up for good. After what Joshua saw he didn't blame the system and felt he should have call the cops anyway. In that moment before he'd seen the footage he'd thought differently. Now that he'd saw the footage and heard Nikki's true reaction, Joshua felt like a real dick for his part in upsetting her. Nikki is one of the best sound people he has on staff except for Vash. The owner's team had jumped lots of legal hurdles just to get Nikki trained and hired there, and he'd possibly tarnished that work relationship with his big mouth for good.

As Joshua pulls into his parking space at home, Andrew walks out of the guard shack and asks him to wait up. Turning from the front door he waits for Andrew to walk up the stairs and waved him off to the side of the camera. That was strange, Andrew and he had an understanding, they really didn't talk when it had nothing to do with his job. Now Joshua steps to the side of the door with Andrew and says "What's up?"

Andrew runs his hands through his hair and looks at Davenport. "Look, there is something you should know. I didn't want to tell you because I know how you get." Great he was making the kid anxious. "Your mother," Davenport said his parents were watching his kid until a few hours ago, and asked where they ok. "No, the Davenports are fine, Brenda Smyth." Andrew noted the change instantly Davenport went from concerned to something like anger as he said that woman was no mother of his. "Okay, I understand, but Brenda Smyth is on house arrest in Glenview Texas awaiting trial. The federal that I got the information from, also says that she may have some mental illness."

Fear and anger warred for purchase of Joshua's words. He looks Andrew in the eyes and says. "If, she stays in her house, and away from my family and I, I don't give a shit. No judge is going to buy that she suddenly has mental illness. Now all of them are out, one way or another." Andrew tells him that he will get more guards for them. "Yeah, you do that because if she slips through, the Club Med of prison, won't be waiting for her, because I'll send her ass to Hell." Joshua says on a snarl, as he fingers his gun and walks into the house leaving Andrew staring after him.

Candy looks up as Joshua comes in the kitchen, walks into the mudroom, and takes off his gun, and knives. As he locks them up after unloading the gun, he walks back in the kitchen and finally sees her watching him. "Hey, everything ok?" he says not even close. "What's wrong?" He tells her first about Nikki then finishes with the news about Brenda. "Wow, everyone is losing their shit." Joshua says he isn't losing anything because if Brenda pops her head out of the sand near his family he'll blow it off her shoulders without a second thought. "Joshua, I'm sure if Andrew told you he's already got some plans in motion. Why don't you go on up and get some sleep?" he asks why she was up. "My insomnia is acting up, and I didn't want to disturb Bradley since he has the Glenview job later today." Joshua says he's pretty wired himself right now." I can tell, you haven't stood still since you came in the house."

Joshua looks down at his friend and says "Can you blame me? The bitch tried her best to kill my ass, if it wasn't for you seeing her on the screen, and acting as fast as you could, she would have, before I could even see my son in person, all because she wanted money, and me to lie to her. Now she's on fucking house arrest for being mentally ill, which is a fucking joke. She knew exactly what she was doing when she" Joshua recounts what happened that day his birth mother tried to choke him to death in his hospital bed. Candy walked closer and hugged him, he hugged her back. "First James gets out on bail, then Patrick escapes, and now this."

Angel had been about to grab a water when she heard Joshua talking to Candy in the kitchen she stopped at the top of the stairs. Sinking to the floor holding her hand over her mouth as tears streamed down her face. Joshua hadn't told her the whole story of why he'd been absent on screen the few days after JC's birth. He'd said he'd fought with his birth mother, not that she tried to kill him. His words to her painted a picture like when Sally attacked slapping or hitting him, not some crazy heavy bitch jumping on him, and choking him unconscious, for nothing more than money that could be replaced, and to make him lie to her. If Candy wasn't her hero before, she was now. Candy had saved her husband when he couldn't save himself. Getting to her feet she walked down the stairs and Joshua froze when he saw her. "So, that's what your nightmares were about once we came home? You could have told me. If not then, later." He said it wouldn't have changed anything, and would have just scared her and that wasn't something he wanted to do, it was over, and this was the first time he spoke of it since. If Angel was truthful with herself, it would have freaked her out more than him saying Brenda attacked him did. Considering she herself had been kidnaped by his birth mother. They soon say good night to Candy and head upstairs to their room. As they lay in bed quietly talking he revealed so much about the last few months. So many times, one could have lost the other, but they were here, and safe. Angel turns in her husband's arms and kisses him deeply. Light caresses and kisses lead to a frenzied love making session that end with them both sated and curled around each other in slumber.

By the time, Paula got back to Ivey Mansion and showered, it was an hour before Janet was to be up for school. After feeding the twins and getting them back to sleep. She burst in Janet's room, slammed the door behind her. Janet pops up in fright staring at her. All night while she was at the bar, all kind of things ran through her head. "First, you break the law by leaving out after curfew not only that but you decide you want to drive? You don't have a license. There so much that could have gone wrong. You could have hurt yourself or someone else out on the road at night. You know who would be in trouble if heaven forbid you would have hurt or even killed someone while illegally operating a vehicle?" Janet tries to say something. "Shut UP, I'm talking. It seems you had lot of disrespect in your tone to Angel this morning as you were sneaking into her home. You scared the crap out of her, she almost called the police on you thinking you were an intruder that got pass the guards. If it hadn't been for Andrew recognizing you but not knowing, you didn't have just your permit. I would have had to come get you from a police station or a hospital. He is a federal agent, and I'm willing to bet you money if he knew you were breaking the law he would have had you sent to the local station. Or even worst what if the security didn't recognize you, and really thought you were a threat. Your dad and I would die if anything happened to you, don't you get that?" Janet nods her head and looks down at her hands. "With all the stuff that has been going on, you could have got hurt if Andrew wasn't the guard at the gate when you pulled back in. What do you have to say for yourself?" Janet mumbles an answer "Speak up you had a lot of volume this morning when you were acting like a disrespectful little brat. You in a gifted program do you want Sophie to toss you out and back into general education, if so we can go back home tonight?" Janet tears up saying she won't do it again. "You shouldn't have done it in the first place. If you got arrested last night you really think she would keep you in her program? Give me the phone you won't need it, and I want the charger to that iPad now. If you haven't got it yet you're grounded until I can trust you again. Now get up and get ready for school. If you're going to act like a common criminal, welcome to Alcatraz I'll be your warden. Hand over the permit, because that piece of plastic is a privilege not a right, and you won't be needing it for a long while."

Bobby speaks to Chase as his father drives around the city looking to confront a child. "Pop, we have been to his adoptive home. We have been to the place he works. It's 6 am anyplace he is we aren't going to find it, at this hour, we have little to no information. A lot of what you know is from Nikki, and watching the house, you now know the kid lied more than a few times. There is no telling where his lie stops. Go home dad, right now you aren't in the best frame of mind. I get it you want swift justice, but right now we have nothing to follow but lies." Chase sighed and says he'd go home for now but that little punk would not get away with this shit. "I know that tone, Pop, your tired and pissed not a good combination this is still a kid." Bobby gets a call on his work issued phone. "Pop I got to go, something's brewing." Getting off the phone with his father who promised to go home. Bobby speaks into his radio. "Davis take lead car for Chase Ivey convoy STOP team two. I'm needed on scene in Glenview. Keep your ears and eyes open agents."

After Candy's party Mark and his travel manager Stacy Bloke left Texas to hit three shows. Last night's PPV was a big hit. Mark was tired when Stacy attempted to wake him to tell him he had a call from his wife. Paula had called her since he hadn't answered his phone. Grabbing the phone, he calls Paula and his afternoon went straight to hell with the news that Janet had driven last night into this morning and been rude about it when caught by Angel. "Well, you handled it better than I would have. No, I'm with you all the way as far as punishment darlin. Where is Speed Racer now? That's not like her, I hope this is the worst of this rebellion streak. Now I wonder where the hell she went? Do you think a boy is involved? She's the youngest at her school if one of those grown men are dating my daughter he is in for a world of pain if I find out." Paula says she didn't get that kind of vibe from what she was told, and from Janet's reaction. She raised a good point if there was a guy from her school and he was an adult why have her draw so much possible attention to herself. Paula knew how to calm him. They soon get off the phone. Mark calls Stacy and she tells him three of his appointments this afternoon before Raw.

Randy Orton walks along the hall in search of Mark. "Hey, glad I found you. We still have to go over the backstage segment they are setting up now." Mark checks his phone and says yeah let's get it down before Randy forgot all his lines again. Randy smirks "Oh ha, you stumbled through your speech on SmackDown last week so don't get after me." Mark reminds him but the finished product of his blunder wasn't live like Raw will be." You're in a mood and I'd say not a good one. Everything ok?" Mark says never better and walked off towards where they were to do their segment. Randy looks after him and then looks back at John who was rounding the corner. "Something is up not my problem, as long as, it doesn't cost me face time I could give less than a shit." John Cena says it wasn't him this time. "Vince and his family are all ready to jump through hoops for him. We'll see how close that bond is when we're done with it." He and John pound fist and walk in opposite directions of each other.

Stacy heard what was said but her and Mark weren't at their best. How to let him know what was going on behind his back, without looking like a stalker of the other superstars. Mark already told her that they were not to talk about anything that wasn't on his schedule. What if this wasn't a real plan and just some storyline, then she would look like a nut. It would also discredit anything else non-schedule related she said to him. Nikki Bella walks up to her from catering. "Hi Nikki" Nikki gives her a visual once over frowns and then walks away.

After a long night and part of today, at 2pm, Bobby finally gets to go home. Joy spoke to him as he drove so he wouldn't fall asleep. They talk about the case. The case that is brewing was because of a fire that was set to a store early this morning. Usually his department is not asked to come to a fire if you have a fire chief there is no real need for his agency to be involved. The fact that the Glenview Chief of Police requested his involvement was a dead giveaway, that this was more than an electrical fire.

After sleeping part of the day away Bobby gets a call from his newest informant. His team was ready. Suddenly a black semi pulled in his fucking way. Bobby honked the horn. "Keep that bitch visual" He yelled into his mic. Ben had told him her plans. Henriette was planning to take out Angel's father. They were down the street from LEGNA. The truck cleared his path, and what Bobby saw he wouldn't believe if he had not of seen it with his own eyes. His informant Lieutenant Benjamin Valentine had just stopped his aunt Henriette Valentin-Vargo from driving her car into the first floor of the recording company by smashing into her with his black SUV. Bobby gives orders to his men to check on the cop, and detain the woman. The next report froze his blood. It was a hoax, that wasn't the female don. A limo looked out of place as it turned the corner. He watches as a woman jumps from the car and points and shoots at one of his men and takes off on foot towards the back of the building. Another limo is successful as it smashes into the building. Whatever that glass was made with, thankfully, it didn't give in to the, two tons of metal + speed smashing it to it.

Up inside of his office after getting an alert from his security system, Jonathon pulls up the entrance to this his building on his computer, as he watches federal and state police chase three different limos. One limo jumps the curb and smashes in to his building. Lucky for him and his many staff and other businesses within LEGNA US the Ivey Protection shatter proof glass held up to its hype. The lockdown function was already engaged, so no one would be able to get pass the public level. He also sent a message to the offices and businesses on the first six floors that the system would not allow their employees to leave or enter the building. After recognizing Bobby Ivey's vehicle, he sends Bobby a message.

Jonathon M: What the fuck is happening?

Bobby Ivey: Jonathon, DO not, I repeat, do not come to ground level Vargo is making a run at you.

Jonathon M: I've locked down

Outside, when the other cars are stopped and some of her people are taken into custody, Bobby marches over as the cop is helped from the car. "What was that? You set this up?" a dazed Ben said he didn't know there was a switch until he hit her car and saw that it wasn't his aunt getting pulled out. Bobby hands Ben over to one of his men. "Take him to the compound."

Nathan walks out of his home and heads to Madam Springer's car. She'd given him a new plan to move up the time table of Angel letting them be family again, he missed Angel girl, and couldn't wait to play with his new little cousin. He'd seen all the little cutouts his Gram had found about Angel, her husband, and his newest cousin. His own twin said he didn't want any part of the plan. Nathan would just have to take his brother's share of the fame and fortune this plan was going to get he and his Madam. For the first time in a long time someone trusted him not to screw things up. It felt nice having Gram on his team for once. He only dared call Madam Springer Gram in his head for fear that she would beat on him. Ever since Gathan shot him in his head all his family always thought he was dumb he would show them and prove to his Gram that he was smart. At one point after the shooting Angel girl had made him feel good and called him Comet boy. She'd even said it the last time he'd seen her with his own two peepers. His Madam was right, Angel's husband and his evil uncle Jonathon were to blame for not letting Angel forgive them. His Gram was old and all she wanted as a birthday present was for Angel to forgive them and let them help with his baby cousin.

After school Janet and Nikki gets picked up by Chase's limo as usual when Janet's classes are near Nikki's school at Ivey Enterprises. Nikki greets Janet who looks down at what would usually be her phone. "Hey I texted you." Janet tells her to can it. "Look, you don't have to be rude. What's eating you?" Janet shoots her a miserable look, looks at that the divider as she raises it, and then tells Nikki what happened. "Whoa that sucks, I'm sorry girl. I mean this is like the first time you done something like this so I mean she shouldn't ground you for too long."

Rapture waits in his vehicle for Cassandra to come out of LEGNA. He was feeling better and stronger every day. Driving was easy and he'd at the very least been cleared to work out. There was a big difference in working out to stay in shape, and being ring ready. Old fear of failure crept up on him sometimes, but Cass was his cheerleader. Having a woman that understood even his non-verbal cues that he was sinking, made it better. For so long he just had him, having her and her crazy family around lifted his own dark clouds. As he watched his woman walk from the large building in her power suit that hugged her just right, his sprits lifted even more if that was possible. He loved seeing her like this, she looked confident and it wasn't a front like when they first met. They had helped each other through a lot, in a short time. Councilman Clarke's name comes up on his screen as he is about to answer, Cass gets in the vehicle. He hits ignore and puts his phone back in his pocket. Whatever the man wanted could wait. His phone rings again as he is about to speak to Cass. Fishing his phone, he hits ignore again. Cass asks who is it and he tells her no one important.

"I ask you a simple question and you throw up a wall. Fine answer it. Or don't," Cass scoffs and continues speaking "You don't have to hide shit from me. You see how well it worked the last time?" Rapture gets defensive and asks her what is with the attitude. "Look, I was in that diner this afternoon when some lunatic tried to smash a fucking limo through that window. I was sitting at my usual table and the next thing I know I'm on the floor praying that there won't be a car on top of my head. It was so loud, but thank god, the glass held. So, excuse me if I don't have the best demeanor to wade through your (bravado I got this) bullshit." Cass wipes her eyes, and comes away with her makeup. Rapture tells her not to cry and that she should have called him so he could come pick her up earlier. Since she was clearly shaken by the ordeal. "That would not have worked, Jonathon was just given permission to reopen the building? No one could get in or out. The real kick in the head is that the feds still didn't catch the person." Rapture reaches out and takes her hand brings it to his lips and kisses it. Asking her to look at him. Cass meets his eyes, just as he was about to speak, his phone rings. She withdraws her hand, and rolls her eyes. He answers in a gruff tone. She was extremely interested when Rap says that she knew all about it, and told the person to try again. Someone was trying to blackmail him. Listening as hard as she could, it was a man speaking, that confused her because Rapture's past was filled with woman, not men. When his tone changed again something the person said, made him briefly look at her then start yelling that he'd kill the son a bitch. The man must have hung up, Rapture hits end, and throws his phone in the glovebox slamming it so hard, it pops back open. Not wanting him to start fighting with the car she closes the glovebox slowly while looking him the eye. "Who is he?" He tells her it Danary's husband the councilmen.

Lieutenant Benjamin Valentin sits in a holding cell. This was not how he saw his plan going. Tanner was supposed to keep that fucking semi in the fucking way they would have got in the building interrupted the camera feed, put a bullet in the producer, his aunt would have been happy and the cop none the wiser with the sacrificial lamb being Tanner. It was a perfect plan that Tanner fucked up. The door opens and none other than the head honcho himself walks in. "Where is Hawk. I talk to only Hawk?"

Harold walks further in the room. "Who are you to be making demands? I'll tell you who are. You are not working with one of my men. You don't work with anyone in this building, you are an informant at best, you work for me, you understand that Benny Boy?" Ben tries to stand up. Harold was across the room in a second with his hands around the fucker's neck in a cross choke position. "Make another fucking move, and I'll put your head through this fucking wall. Are we clear fish bait? Hawk coddled you I don't have that kind of time on my hands. Where's your aunt, we shut down the locations on your list, and your cousin is inside these walls somewhere feeding us your little plan. I want it from your lips." The guy was starting to shake due to lack of oxygen. Harold released him and let him sink back down into the chair he was cuffed to.

"What is this good cop bad cop? You know and I know you won't kill me because I have a file loaded at an undisclosed place that will rip everything apart. Bottom line, I die and your case goes up in smoke." The agent sits across from him and puts his feet up on the table. A wicked looking blade is seen just under his pant leg. In the next 20 seconds the Agent trashed Ben's plan and revealed that he knew how to stop the transmission and where it's located. "If you're so smart where did I hide it tough guy?"

"It's been a time since I've personally had to resort to depopulation, but I will. Though it's not a big deal for you because you think I don't know it's in your home inside the room that isn't a room. News flash boy, the server that you use has been being monitored since your aunt made a school her own warzone and put someone I know in harm's way. I let Hawk get close to you because, I knew if I was anywhere near you in those first few days after learning that Vargo kidnapped a child that I know, I was liable to destroy any of you I could get my hands on fuck the case. Make no mistake about it. I'll depopulate your entire family if you force my hand. Now, where is Mrs. Vargo?" Ben says he don't know and half smirks at Harold. Harold quickly pulls his blade from his boot and presses it inches from Ben's right eye. "You see this? Get a good look, because if you lie to me again so help me, I'll shove it in your fucking cornea, bury you alive under this building, and send for your family. Playtime's over, where is the bitch?" The lights dimmed Harold knew his men were watching. Withdrawing the knife from the boy's now pale and sweaty skin he listened for 5 minutes straight after the begging for his wife and kids not to be harmed Valentin told the hideout information. When Ben described what, the plan was today. Harold is so angry he gets to his feet and storms out of the room. So, Agent Hawk-Ivey had it right, that bitch tried to score a hit on Angel's father. Harold takes a few deep breaths. McBride was one lucky son of bitch. If the plan had of went down the way the guy described, his agents would have been in a shootout and Henriette herself would have blown Jonathon away as he would have been leaving for the night. She would have been in place inside his fucking parking garage. He had to stop this bitch cold before she made good and started another fucking mob war. Harold knew for whatever reason the den would not just go away if McBride turned up dead. Plus, it would be a real shitter for the man he'd grown to respect and known as his brother Mark, and his only sister Paula.

Bradley ends his first day at the Glenview site. He was to meet up with Jazz at her aunt's store after he finished. Driving through the streets of his youth was unreal. The strip of blocks that Conner Construction was to demolish and rebuild wasn't far from his old home. He'd spent almost 20 years in that house. His mom was a teacher, and his dad a club owner. Life was simple as far as family went until he gained a brother. He remembers seeing Joshua as Boy Smyth, his next-door neighbor kid with the stupid name. A name he would end up tormenting the kid to see how far he could push him. Bradley shut his eyes, try as he might some memories would not leave him. Being clean, he remembered a lot of shit that used to be all nice and fuzzy or just out of his mental reach, now sitting outside his old home the memories punched him in the head. Looking over, he looks at the house that sat next to theirs, that served as a prison for his younger brother until his birth parents nearly killed him at the fucking age of 10. Suddenly the curtain moved in the Smyth home. "You, have got to be kidding me." It couldn't still be any of them that lived there. Brad had heard that the Smyth family had lost the house when they bought themselves out of the court case that would have done more than get their son taken. He knew James Smyth had once again bought his way out of jail. Joshua had called him this morning telling him to watch his back since no one knew where Patrick was, and now Brenda was on house arrest. The Smyth house, who ever lived there kept the same upkeep as he remembered from before, the grass was cut, that was it, the house looked like it would fall over if you blew on it hard. Bradley's phone rings bringing him back to the present. "Saved by the rock song" he mumbles about his general ringtone. He then sees that it's Jazz's number. "Yeah, I remember how to get there, I'm on my way." Bradley pulls, up gets out, and his mouth drops open. The place was a shell. He knew he was in the right place because he walked to this store as a young teen many times. Looking up at what was once a shiny sign that read Shop and Go Mart the Go Mart had fallen off the building altogether, and was now on the ground at his feet. Jazz walked out of the front door he steps towards her, and pulls her out of the doorway, hell it looked like at any minute it would cave in. "Have you lost your mind? You shouldn't be in there, it doesn't look safe." She shrugs and looks back at the charred remains of the front of the store.

Jazz meets her ex lover's gaze and says with a tone of anger. "Am I supposed to hide, someone torched my aunt's store and no one knows shit. My parents asked me what I was going to do with the insurance money. If I get insurance money or not, I'm going rebuild the place." Bradley says maybe it isn't so cut and dry. Jazz looks away from him and speaks in a sad but wistful tone. "This town has had lots of people who were to move through, and they stayed because of how they were treated by my aunt. Shop and Go Mart is something I can do to give back to where I'm from. The authorities and the townspeople think my dirty hippie ass torched it." Bradley says that is crazy. That she is a well-known artist with her own galleria in Colorado. Jazz reaches up and touches his face, he leans in to her touch with his eyes closed like he always did. She says "Thank you at least someone believes me." She rises her up on her toes and kisses him on the mouth, his eyes fly open in shock, but she saw something else in his body language as well. "It was just a thank you kiss nothing more."

Bradley hated that she still affected him like she did. He should back away from her his mind screams for him to do so. Something else held him in place. "Look you are welcome, but I'm with someone ok. SO why am I here, why did you invite me here, did you know this place was like this when you called yesterday?" She apologized for letting herself get carried away and then tells him this was here when she got off her plane this morning. "Look, I'm sorry for your loss I know your aunt meant the world to you." Thinking of the shit he had been thinking about earlier made him step back because as the words left his lips the weight of his actions, and the what if scenarios that kept him awake some nights landed in his throat. What if he killed his own father, mother or brother for that matter, where would he be besides jail or even hell by now? A thought popped in his head and he refused to voice it but what if she had something to do with this place being burned to the ground. She just made a move on him or was it what she said her emotions were all over the place and it was a slip into something familiar.

Jazz saw in his stance and the fact that he was warring with himself that she had to bring the conversation back to her original plan and move far away from what they were. "I invited you to this place so I could see if you would be willing to go to my aunt's house and help me sort through her stuff. I believe her accident wasn't an accident." That got his attention. He looked at her and asked why would she say that. As she considered his whisky colored eyes, she tells him her suspicion about the call from her aunt nights before she came up dead. She also tells him how the feds were crawling around and how they asked her like she hadn't just got off the freaking plane, and wouldn't let her leave this morning until she showed them proof that she was still on the way here when some asshole torched her aunt's store. He tells her that he'd come with her. "Thanks" As she heads to her car she sees an old friend of her aunt's talking to one of the cops that gave her a hard time this morning.

After reassuring his staff and Gloria that he was fine, Jonathon heads down to the bar on the 25th floor his employees or most of them were there. "Hell, I should have held the meeting here instead of over the video program." Gloria had gone to Ireland to handle business, it was easier to reassure her that all was calm over the phone. He was just glad she had not requested a video chat right then, before he regained his color. Joshua walks in and asks for his drink of choice. Personal Touch had been here today working on their performance for Mania inside the booth and hadn't even been aware of anything until they finished and could not exit via the elevator or stairs because of the lockdown. Turning to Joshua Jonathon asks "Angel left for the day, yeah?' Joshua nods as he throws back the drink he'd ordered. He then orders a highball and passes it over. Jonathon mumbles his thanks. Joshua had texted him but with everything going on Jonathon had not had a chance to look at it for more than the name of the sender. Looking at his phone he sends back a reply.

Joshua D: So, the security breach attempt, was it anyone of blood relation to me?

Jonathon casually types and hit send, then puts his phone back in his pocket.

Jonathon M: no, but this isn't a conversation we should be having in this environment.

Joshua D: fair enough

Joshua looks around at his fellow work mates. He noticed Jonathan's event security. If he hadn't met them after Jonathon's abduction he would not notice them at all. They finish their drinks in silence and head down stairs. Jonathon revealed his car was in the shop, and that he'd jogged all the way here this morning, showered, and then hit his first meeting. "Wow, I didn't know you were a jogger." Jonathon, suggest he get a ride home via Ivey Transit. Joshua wasn't making his dad catch a ride when he could take him home. "Dad, I can take you home it's not like you live that far away."

The relief Joshua felt at the simple no text earlier that the shutdown had nothing to do with his bloodline was short lived when Jonathon got in the truck and revealed what really was going on. "I thought she was dead. Is Bobby sure it's not a copycat?" Jonathon says it's no copy, that he'd started getting some of the same text messages again. "What about the guy that helped you get away from her, doesn't he have a vested interest in you and shit tones of ammo?" Jonathon clammed up. Joshua tried to reopen the conversation because of the silence that had settled. Jonathon runs his hand over his mouth as if to force himself to remain quiet. They enter onto the numbered streets. Joshua watched his dad from the corner of his eye at the stop sign. He was clearly shaken and rightfully so. "I want you to come to the house. I mean your event security is off the clock now, also Angel and I both would feel better if you were in a more secure area at least until this blows over." Jonathon says for Joshua not to tell Angel. "That won't work, I've already lied to Angel through omission, and now my bat shit birth mother is somewhere in Glenview on house arrest. If I don't say anything, with Sophie being the CEO of Ivey Guard, she'll bring it up, because it involves not only you, with who it is, and where the attack was aimed, it would affect us all."

For a fleeting moment, Jonathon thought of going up to Ivey Mansion. Then his mind switched direction and he thought of the many cons that stopped outweighing the pros, when he thought of who all would be in danger. Jonathon turns in his seat. "You think you have the answers, do you? The cop that attacked you on her behalf was there as well as the man that attacked Michael. As for the group of people you mentioned that may very well have an interest in meh. I don't trust it, as I once did. I won't bet my family's safety on it, not now, not ever." Jonathon gets out of the truck much to Joshua's verbal dislike of the idea. "Go home Joshua." Jonathon watches his son go up the hill. He then walks into his home, sits in his underground home office and watches the security feed of his home on the screens that lined the walls, while holding two of his larger guns.

Up the hill as Joshua heads into the house he sees Sophie heading to her home office. "Hey, Sophie I need a favor." When they enter her office, he tells her about Jonathon's refusal to come up here and asks to get him discreetly looked after. Sophie tells him that was put in place the minute her company confirmed that the attempt was made on Jonathon's life. "Thanks." As he was about to head to the kitchen he walked into the hall and is met with not only Angel and Candy but also Vash. They started in on him on his behavior towards Nikki at the club. "Look, I know I fucked up. I let what I thought I saw, guide my mouth."

Candy stepped up in his face with her hands on her hips as she says. "Yeah, now Nicole is afraid you either are, or have already fired her. Hell, she told Logan that she'd take any extra hours of babysitting she could get, since she didn't know whether she still had a job at the club." Joshua says he didn't fire her. "Well, I think you should be the one to tell her since she believes that you would do that without having a meeting with us first." Joshua agrees that he will straighten things out. Candy stepped back and brushed her hands over her shirt. "That was easier than I expected. I wasn't above having Angel here, launch a shampoo bottle at your head to knock some sense into you." Joshua asks did they honestly think he would fire anyone that talented, without even a word to any of them. Candy's expression gave away the fact that he had not warned her before he fired Deon. "No" she felt she answered too quickly, when he looked at her as if he read her prior thought on the subject then addressed Vash and Angel as if to not comment on it. Joshua says he's heading over to Chase's place to talk to Nikki since he started this face to face he would clear it up that way. Candy asked is Sophie in her office here. Angel and Joshua says yes almost in unison.

Candy texted Sophie and asked if she could come in to her home office for a consult. Sophie answers by calling her and telling her to come on in. Candy asked Angel and Vash to wish her luck, Angel tells her she'd be fine. Candy hoped she would be. This case was destroying her sleep. Walking into the plush home office of Sophie E. Ivey felt different than any other interaction she had ever been in with Sophie. Today she had to ask for help of more than a personal kind of advice. Hell, if she could afford it she would ask Sophie herself to defend her in her case, but she'd saw what Sophie charged for a retainer and about swallowed her tongue. She was sure Sophie was worth every penny, that's why Mark trusted and hired her as his attorney, but Candy didn't make Mark kind of money. Her palms were sweaty she hoped Sophie wasn't super formal in her home office, and wanted to shake hands like a job interview or something. Just in case, Candy wiped her hands on her skirt. Sophie was typing on her laptop and then stops when Candy didn't say anything. "Great," Candy thinks to herself "awkward silence and I'm the one that called her." Taking a breath, she starts "Um Sophie, I really hope you can help me." Sophie goes back to typing and asks her a few questions. Candy ends with "I just know it can't be a Strickland lawyer anymore because Roman has Strickland as his law firm. I got Strickland via public aid and thought the guy was good, but he lost major evidence, and now the court is threatening to throw out the case entirely since both ours are lawyers are from the same firm. Even though mine is a third party. The lawyer I have, I paid him 2,000 dollars at the start of this thing and he said he would try. He's not trying anymore I just feel it." Sophie asked about her current income and typed some more. By the end of their conversation Candy had a new lawyer that was no longer apart of Strickland. "Thank you so much Sophie." Candy gets to her feet and when Sophie stays seated she left the office a little lighter in sprit.

Bradley and Jazz had gone through her aunt's things when he looked outside and saw it was dark he panicked. His phone had been charging on the desk by the door. Grabbing his phone, he'd missed several calls from Candy. "Shit. Hey, I have to get going I'll see you later ok. Just call me with the information about the rebuild and I'll talk it over with Logan." He gets to his car and felt like someone one was watching him. The feeling got stronger as he got in his car and called Candy. He'd looked in the small back seat, this was a sports car, if someone was hiding in it, they weren't over three feet tall. Driving out of Glenview someone ran in the street he hits the brakes. "What fuck man two-ton vehicle, your body, which do you think will win dumbass?" The person wouldn't turn around all Bradley cared was that they got out of the middle of the fucking street so he could go home. He quickly realizes that Candy has answered at the wrong time. She starts yelling at him and made feel him like shit for not calling her when he was done with his work day. He'd told her that he was meeting up with Jazz to help her with her aunt. "Candy I'm… I'm on my way now. Yes, I'm serious. Time got away from me. Look nothing like that went down. I got off work, went through my old hood, and met up with Jazz, she asked me to help with her aunt's house, and I left my phone on the front table I didn't hear it. As for you worrying, I'm sorry I made you worry. Glenview isn't exactly GNorth."

Joshua sits in Chase's den and speaks with Chase. Nicole walks in since Chase called her. Hello she says when greeted by Joshua. He asked could they talk about last night. She jumps in to the fact that the kid was not her guest nor is he her boyfriend anymore and hadn't been since almost a month ago, "Nikki, Nicole I know." She stops speaking. Joshua rubs his hand over his face and shifts his weight under Chase's scrutiny. "Look, I messed up I jumped to conclusions based purely on what I thought I saw. I watched the footage and I'm sorry that happened to you. I found out when he got in and I have dealt with that window. To put your mind at ease, since you are still looking at me as if at any moment, I'm going to hurt you again. Candy told me what you thought. Nicole you're not fired, nor do I want you to quit. Next to Vash, who has been in the business longer than I. You are one of the best sound techs I have." Nicole exploded into her hyper self, as she spoke a mile a minute and thanked him over a million times it seemed, while jumping up and down. As he is leaving Chase steps out on the front porch and pulls the door closed behind him. Joshua met his father's eyes. "Thanks for letting me straighten out that mess I created."

Chase sighs then says "Joshua, I helped expedite her work permit because she wanted to do this, and she has real talent. I'll only say this once more, don't fuck her around again, because if this or anything like this happens again, you will not only hear from my daughter and your other co-owners, but from myself, and depending on what impulse you follow, I may have a team of seven with me, are we clear?" Joshua says crystal. "Good, goodnight son."

Joshua heads back to his home. He understood Chase's promise and with anyone else he would consider it a threat. That glimmer of anger he saw as Chase was speaking to him, told him that if anything went like this again, he'd may damn well be finished in the club business, or in business altogether. Josh wasn't mad at him because he understood what it looked like, and he wouldn't be jumping to any conclusions like this again anyway, he would go with his first mind, the one that told him that Nikki wasn't a show and tell kind of person. Or fuck ask just questions.

Later that night, Bradley enters the bedroom Candy and he were sharing here at his brother's place. Though he expected that Candy would have fallen asleep by now, when he walked in she was sitting on the edge of the bed. Playing her Casio faster than he'd ever seen her fingers move. She had her earbuds in so all that could be heard in the large room was the fast clicking of the keys and the faint notes emanating from her earbuds. He casually walked over and pressed down a key to be funny. He wasn't prepared for her to blindly swing with her fist in fright she was within inches of making him sing soprano for a few hours. "Whoa babe, it's just me?" She said that wasn't funny that he'd scared the shit out her. He once again tried for levity "I hope not, that's not something I'm into. Why are you still up? I said don't wait up I'd be here soon." She bit her lip and got up off the bed, facing him. She said nothing just stared at him. "Look, I'm tired, if you not going to say anything I'm going to bed." She says fine and picked up the keyboard and put it back against the wall. Her body language was so stiff that she looked robotic. For a fleeting moment, he thought she'd throw it at him. Then she asked how was she. "She's doing a little better since she was able to vent." Candy gets in bed and mumbles she bet the bitch was all better now that she'd fucked him. "So, that's what this is? You think I fucked her. Babe if I fucked her why the fuck would I be here?" he roared "You know you got some nerve. Her aunt died she needed help. Someone burned down the store she is coveting like it's going to bring the lady back to life or some shit. I saw it was dark and freaked out. Yeah, it sounds like shit but like I said I was charging my phone and lost track of time. It's kind of easy to do when you have tons of shit to get out of a house. I really want to fuck her among all the cat shit, and newspaper, and other filth that filled that house. Want to smell me?" She got out of bed, he stood with his arms crossed over his chest. Was she really going to walk over and sniff him? "You're too much right now." He turns and walks back to the door.

"Just go you asked why you would be here, I don't know? You asked me to sniff you. If I just went radio silent for hours on end, and then said oh hey the ex that used to used me like a toy, is in town with a crisis, and I forget all about you sorry, how do you think you would feel?" He stopped and turned back around. "Please don't leave. I don't have to sniff you. It's just that she came into town and it's like you forgot all about me. I called you to tell you that I spoke to Sophie and things may be looking up for me for a change." He says that's good and tells her the only thing that was going to make their relationship work was trust, when they weren't around each other. He says he doesn't think he'll freak out every time she and the band goes on tour, and she shouldn't freak out anytime he is out of town. He did say that him not calling after he got off work was wrong, he tells her about going down memory lane and how it was more like memory land mind of how fucked up he used to be. "Not that I want the award, I just almost attempted to smell you. I think the fucked-up award belongs right here." He wasn't kidding he was quite ripe and she wasn't even standing near him. "How about you go take a shower and then come to bed. I'm sorry I lost my shit." He chuckles and says well he smells like shit, so he guessed they were even. The joke, in and of itself, wasn't funny, but Bradley's over exaggerated facial expression just pushed her over the edge as she cracked up like he had told the best joke in the world.

Bradley heads into the bathroom, after he's done with his shower he was hoping his woman was still up. He'd even washed with the men's bath gel Candy had bought him. He really didn't care, but she liked the scent. To him right then it just smelled better than the garbage man scent he was rocking, when he came home. As he exits the bathroom in just a towel he lets it fall when he sees her sitting with her back to the head board. Her eyes fed on him and he loved the attention she was playing to his manhood. 'Come to the edge of the bed." She complies he quickly grabs her pulls her to him and kisses the hell out of her. As usual with them, she gave just as good as she got. Kissing him back, while sitting on her knees at the end of the bed. Suddenly she sprung away from him standing beside him. His confusion just as quickly turns into arousal as she pushed him on the bed and straddled his waist. She tells him to stay there. "I'm not going anywhere." leaning down, she licks her lips, and starts kissing him on his chest, she then kisses his neck. She starts whispering about the last time they had sex and what she loved about his moves in her phone sex voice. He grabbed her by the pony tail. She scoots lower, removes her underwear, then lowered herself on him. "Fuck" she was tight and wet just for him. They began to move and she turned and reverse cowgirled his ass. "Holy fuck" he gritted through clenched teeth trying to last until she came. She wasn't playing fair. She knew he loved to watch her little ass bounce when they fucked. He slapped her on the ass. Her climax came just in time, because her last long moan of his name sent him over as well.

The next day, Sophie, Luke, Luke's parents and his uncle Russo and his family all meet for lunch at the Sheldon estate. It had been mere days since Luke and Russo were in the same room together and the mood between the two men mirrored that of Luke father's attitude. Sophie knew Luke could be socially icy but his father Dr. Lucas Sr. was frigid. Anytime Russo tried to speak to Luke's father he was met with silence. Though Sophie couldn't blame Luke's dad. In the 30 minutes, they had been at this table Russo had insulted him multiple times. Ella would try to change the topic. Sophie had not seen anything like this since her own family dinners in Florida. Sophie excused herself to go take a call. Ella offered the den. "Thanks." As she walks out into the hall after her call she bumps into none other than Russo, who must be coming from the bathroom. "Excuse me" Russo stays in her way. Raising her gaze to his, Sophie steps forward to move on to the other side of him. He steps back in her way. Rolling her eyes Sophie says "Look Mr. Matenopoulos I said excuse me, now if you will just remove yourself from my path, we can make this less awkward." He asked her a strange question of which she did not wish to give an answer.

"Come now, you can tell me Miss Sophie. What animal do I remind you of? My wife says I remind her of a lion in the bedroom. Would like to find out if her assessment is true?" Sophie Ivey flat out told him no and then told him to move. Gone was her business-like tone. He quickly reaches out and tugs her hair in a primal way pulling her face towards his. He was not expecting her to accuse him of fucking his mother and punching him in the throat. He saw stars as his air returned to his body he looked up from where he'd bent over and she was gone.

Sophie was angry and upset when she reentered the dining room. No, she wasn't as averse to touch as Angel, but that asshat grabbing and pulling on her hair reminded her of Dave, and she wasn't about to relive that shit. She'd growled out "wrong move motherfucker" and punched him his damn throat. Luke stood upon seeing her strut towards the door, as she told them all that she had a meeting to get to and that she hated to cut this short. When she got in her limo that would take her back to her office Luke got in beside her. "He's not invited to the wedding." He looks back as they are pulling from the curb. He asks what happened. When they were fully in traffic Sophie tells him.

Luke is so pissed he must take a breath before he starts speaking. Hearing what his mother's brother did and said to his lover was his boiling point, and they were driving away from the person he wanted to rip to shreds with his bare hands. Unclenching his fist when Sophie touches the back of his hand. She tells him to look at her. He does and asks the driver to turn around at the nearest exit. Sophie tells him it was over and she handed it. "He has no fucking right. I'm going to break his fingers and shove them so far up his ass he'll…"

Sophie takes his face in both of her hands and kisses him to mostly quiet him down from threatening bodily harm to a member of his own family. "Driver Ivey Enterprises." Luke lock gazes with her. "No, I really do have a meeting to get to, and as for you going back there to rip your uncle's appendages off his body and doing wicked things with them. Must I remind you of a time when I wanted to lose my shit with my grandmother you didn't let me then and I'm returning the favor. I'd like to keep you out of the news, and out of prison. Promise you won't take any field trip back over here to fuck him up." He hesitates. "Lucas" He sits back and says she's right but that didn't mean he still wasn't pissed. "I'm trusting you to not go back over there and throw away your career and put a wedge in your family. Now promise me." Running his hands through his hair he says he promised. He then asked was she ok. "I'm fine. Are you okay? I'm no doctor, but I'm sure you're not supposed to be that color."

Thanks for reading guys. Well here is a question that was posed by one of my greatest beta readers (Where was Janet driving before she came to "rescue" Nikki?) Your reviews on the site and in private messages help a lot feel free to review.