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.

48. Chapter 48 Out of Time

Chapter 48

Out of Time

That night over in Glenview, Alex drives to the Smyth home. Boy had said a lot of things that Alex didn't want to believe. Alex knew that James wasn't a great guy and would never get father of the year but hell neither would he. James had flipped on Patrick, and the courts believed that Patrick was the mastermind behind the attempted kidnapping of Joshua from his club on New Year's Eve. James had played up the part of the high school dropout and praised his son with having the smarts of his nursing degree to come up with such great plans. It was believable to the courts since Patrick had been in a similar sticky situation on a large boat at Joshua's wedding. The feds also pinned the kidnapping of Angela Ivey on Patrick. Alex also knew that Patrick was in the wind right now, he'd escaped during transport to prison. If James would set up his own blood son to ditch time what else wasn't he above? The feds got James in that seat, and he'd served up his wife and child. Still, that wasn't what lead Alex to drive here today. During their conversation Boy said that both of his parents tried to kill him back then. Alex wanted to talk to Brenda, and had offered her in code, a gift. He knew about people on house arrest if she stayed "mentally ill" so far, the therapists were conned, she'd be fine. Brenda told him that her latest stay in the confines of the state system was because she tried to get payment from Boy to fund Patrick and James's mounting court fees and that she was attacked by one of his friends. The media spun a darker story. Alex wanted a few things from the horse's mouth. Time was not on his side. He'd tried showing up at LEGNA, but couldn't get pass the 6th floor. He noticed if he didn't get too close to the Ivey family, or the producer he wasn't followed which was good. His laptop had been hacked and a message was sent his way by the higher ups to cease contact with the music producer's woman. He knew why Jonathan McBride was protected, but he couldn't fathom why Gloria Fenny, a woman with a last name that wasn't one of The Wolf's favorites, would have such protection. He would pick at that later. Right now, he wanted to see Brenda alone, and get some real answers. He calls Brenda and tells her he is here.

Brenda lets him in, walking in to the house brought back some not so fond memories but Alex wasn't the same person he was back then. It seemed that Brenda wasn't either. She'd got heavier, and looked older than her 49 years. After closing the door behind him she offered him a drink. "Sure, why not." He hands her his gift. She hugged and kissed him. It was different, yeah, she cheated on him, but he thought of it as a cosmic middle finger to James, that he kept fucking her, even after she and James got married. He waited for the familiar jolt, nothing happened, was he finally numb to her nearness? "You look good." He lied. She blushed, still nothing. They talk about what they are up to now. He asked about James's whereabouts. As she enjoyed his gift she tells him that James hadn't come back after he got out of jail. She complains that after all she had done to get his ass out she was angry that he would get out and just leave them to fend for themselves. "So, he's who got you back in the system?" Alex asks in a casual tone pointing at her ankle bracelet. She smoked some more and in that hour, he sat there letting her vent trying to make herself out to be some fucking hero sacrificing so much to save her husband and Patrick. So, the dark toned recent tale of her actions in Boy's hospital room were true. Alex wondered if all the mentally ill talk in her file was smoke. Since she was this talkative without James to give her any looks or coaching Alex asked, "So, what really happened you know before the cops took Boy that night?" That opened a box that he wanted to close the minute she started. It was now confirmed that what Alex saw, when he'd come deliver to them, was just the tip of the iceberg. She'd just told off on herself. Boy had been way more accurate. She said she had to salvage her marriage, and accused Alex of not really wanting her. Irritation licked his tone as he says, "That's a lie, when I turned 22 I asked you to move in with me what the hell did you think I meant?" She claimed that she stayed because though he was a good lay, he would have never made enough to support her. Alex wanted to pull one of his clips of cash out and slap her with it. He was flush with cash but if he couldn't convince his son to help him out it wouldn't mean shit. She then blames her starting to pound on Boy because James heard that conversation and threatened to leave her. "So, by the time he was 7 you started in on him too? I mean it was bad enough seeing him beat on my kid, but at the very least I thought that when he didn't have me as an audience he wouldn't do it and I never would have thought that you would join in." It was time to shine some light on her ass. "Brenda, James wasn't as faithful either, he had 2 other children outside of your marriage. One of them is a year younger than Boy, you do the math." Brenda asked when did he find this out. "I'd got fed up with him, and did some research. I had it all planned out, James never would have saw it coming, but the night I had everything set, you both put my kid in the hospital, almost in the ground." He had a few seconds warning, the front door opened, and he knew she'd lied about James ditching her, she'd just wanted the drugs.

James Smyth walked into his home and smelled his drug of choice. As he walks into the living room he says, "Hey baby how did you score…It?" This was a blast from his past. On his couch once again sat their old dealer and the father of his oldest dancing fruit of a son. "You got some for me, or where you just leaving Knight?" Alex stands and says he was just leaving. "I thought so." Alex walks past him bumps into him. "Watch it punk I could still put you on your ass, you got taller not tougher. Judging by the welts on your face looks like someone already made that happen." James shoved Alex backwards. Alex met the side of the couch and flipped over it. Brenda went to help him up.

Alex met the floor, McBride's words during their first interaction assaulted him, as he pulled away from Brenda and gets to his feet. "Going to be a coward all your life boy-o?" The voice was so loud in his head he almost turned to see if the producer would be standing behind him. An idea popped in his head. If he didn't get what he needed in time, he'd take everyone one that deserved it with him to hell. Alex gave James what the man craved more than marriage. "For old times' sake." He tosses a packet at James like throwing down a playing card, and watched as James and Brenda scrambled for it. As he walks to the door he turns and says, "Night all" and leaves the couple fighting over the drugs that according to Joshua was their accelerant to hurt him.

The next morning, Sophie heads to work and speaks to Angel on her hands free. She felt like driving her little sports car today. She didn't nearly drive it as much as she wanted. Angel tells her about last night's showcase at Access. "So, what you're saying is that you, Joshua and Personal Touch brought down the house? Girl, I can't wait to get to Vegas next weekend. You still haven't told me what we are going to be doing for my party." Angel says that her Sophie will like her bachelorette party. "I hope so, last time I planned my own, since Adina was busy, and you were only God knows where, on tour." Angel tells her, but she is here now and not to fear she had help from Ella Sheldon, and Adina in the planning. "You heifers better not get me into too much trouble a little goes along way." Sophie could almost see the smirk on Angel's face when she said all she promised was that her sister would have a good time. As Sophie is pulling into Ivey Enterprises parking area she ends her call and heads up to her office. Inside her office is a box. She asks her receptionist who it is from and how the hell it got up here, the thing was massive. Her receptionist gushed and said her hubby to be sent it. Her office staff liked Luke but unlike when she worked as lead contract lawyer on lower floors, this crew wasn't in her business or her man's face like her old coworkers. This staff didn't swarm around Luke as the others did around Julius. Julius was a trust fund recipient, his parents did all the work, and to this day he lived off them like the parasite he is. Knowing what she knew now about Julius's cheating attempt at Sophia's birthday party with Angel, Sophie wondered had he ever slept with any of her old coworkers that just saw the money and not the slime in a suit as Angel called him. Before Sophie could put way too much thought into that, she thought of her mate. With Luke, she knew the answer to had he or would he cheat on her with her coworkers, it was a resounding hell no. Sophie closes her office door and walked towards the box. What did he get her now? She felt like she had everything she could ever want. Opening the box there was another box. She calls Luke. "Ok did you send me a box full of boxes, tell me now an I may not clobber you when you get back in town." He tells her no and that he had to go because he was about to be awarded, but she should open her gift and send him a vid later, they end their call. He'd went to the medical convention alone this year, to receive another award, and to promote his book that was coming out soon. She'd heard him practice his speech so many times she could almost recite it her damn self. He would be in Tallahassee, Florida tonight, she missed her gorgeous goofball. She opened the next box and inside was an outfit in purple all the way down to the designer underwear. Sophie takes it out of the box to find another box, opening that box he'd written her some goofy poetry infused with plenty of their inside jokes.

Across town Bobby speeds back towards his office, Chase called him he answers as he swerves around an idiot doing 20 in a 55. "Yeah, hey I got a break in a few cases everything ok with you and my nephew?" Chase tells him that everything was fine and that his grandson was a real lady killer at the Saving Grandville headquarters office. "As long as he doesn't bring any of your staff home with him he should be fine." Bobby chuckles. Joy calls him. "Hey, dad it's Joy and I kind of been waiting on her call. Nah, nothing like that we're good." Bobby gets to his office and talks with his woman. She surprises him when she hangs up on him. "What the hell?" As he crosses the threshold of his office, he is brought up short by her sitting at his desk. She had brought him dinner. As they eat they share talk of their day. "Well, I'm really glad you did this because the amount of paperwork I'm about to dive into is going to take a while." Joy asks what had he or his team done now, with mirth in her tone. Bobby smiles a genuine smile as he says "We took down the female don today. She's in a cage as we speak. Just when I was starting to think that we'd never catch her, the man that killed Jonathon's artist Lonnie at The Davenport got caught trying to break into the dead woman's house. His fingerprints at his booking, dinged our system. Up until he got arrested today, he didn't have prints on file. Getting popped by G South PD for breaking and entering was just the icing on the fucked-up cake. As I've said before we had nothing, but fingerprints, no audio, no video, no one saw him go into the bathroom at the club, no one admitted to seeing his bloody ass come out after he stabbed her. That case was too close to home for me. My commander wanted to dump it into unsolved, but every time I saw the dead pictures of that woman on the floor of my sister and brother's club and the alleged reasoning behind why she was killed, just made me about beg my commander to let me work the case in my nonexistent spare time. We got the fucker in the interrogation room and he sang like a bird. The money he received, how it came from a preschool that he never worked for. He dropped names babe." Joy asked him was there any wiggle room. "No not this time. With what we have from squeezing her nephew Benjamin Valentine and this guy we got her." his triumphant smile faltered as he goes on to say "So, I call Andrew for a report on how Angel and Joshua are doing in Vegas, and Andrew's report scared the hell out of me, and made me proud that we chose him as lead protection agent for my little sister and brother." Joy stalls her fork at his tone change. She asked what happened. Bobby looks at his glass of water and then back at his mate. "Andrew's team, while escorting the band to a Hall of Fame type thing noticed that a car was following their limo. Luckily Andrew saw this and had the band switch limos. The Rider Sniper or former state officer Cody Tanner, shot at the driverless decoy limo as it was heading off the interstate. Tanner claimed to be just shooting at the tires to scare the band, at the request of the female don so that Person Touch would cancel their performance tomorrow. That bitch Henriette, paid that low life to shoot at my sister's limo again." Bobby pounded his fist on the desk, "Scaring them wasn't all he would have done, he had some seriously advanced firepower, one of the shots went through the Ivey Shield back window like a hot knife through butter. If my family and their band had of been in that limo I could have lost them?" Bobby closes his eyes as multiple scenarios from his past as an agent superimposed his sibling's faces on all the ways that shit could have went wrong.

Joy hated to see her mate so upset. She knew how his mind worked. She touches Bobby's face, bringing his eyes back to hers and says, "Thanks to Andrew's quick tactical thinking, they weren't in that limo, Angel, Joshua, and their band mates are safe, please continue. How did they catch him?"

After a deep calming sigh Bobby says, "Tanner didn't count on trapping himself between the limo and Andrew's team. He's now in a federal cage." Joy offers to help him with his paperwork. "I'd appreciate it." He starts a few programs and they work together to compile all the information into a articulatable, tangible, report. After three hours and sending it out to all that needed a copy, Bobby called his sister. Angel answered on the first ring and asked him was everything ok. He says yeah, and they talk for a time. After writing that report and rehashing all the shit that happened, he just wanted to hear her voice. He just listens for a time as Angel talks excitedly about their showcase yesterday, and the huge celebrations they went to today, and how tomorrow is Mania. She says that she saw the camera pass by them today when they were at the Hall of Fame event. So, he would be able to see her new dress. Joshua yells something in the background. Angel says he's losing a video poker game at the casino they're at. "Well you guys stay together, and be careful sis, I really don't like you out in the open like that." Angel says Andrew is not far away and neither is most of their team. She then says they couldn't get much more out in the open than being on stage tomorrow at a show that was watched in some form or fashion as much as the Super Bowl. "True, but you know what I mean." Angel speaks about how afraid she was speeding through the desert in one limo with someone confirmed to be following them, to one of the private garages and switching limos. Bobby says the important thing to her leaving out the parts that still shook him. "Angel they caught, Cody Tanner he was the one following you guys."

Rapture was enjoying himself with Cass after dressing up in a suit and tie to go to the Hall of Fame show as Mark's newest number one pick for his school. They now were in casual clothes at a casino bar. They'd invited Candy along with them. She was really missing her man and didn't want to bum anyone, Rapture was told that Bradley couldn't come because of the illegal shit he was accused of. Rap had been on the other side of the law himself in his day, and for Bradley to be falsely accused, while trying to keep himself out trouble had to more than sting. They head to a few slot machines and make some good return on their free money they received for it being their first time. Earlier today, Mark's wife and the girls had come and saw his match here as part of an exhibit for the school. He'd put Big Cass on the mat in seconds. He'd be in a match for the preshow tomorrow, being in front of people never bothered him, being in front of the people that would decide if he was still worth their time messed with his confidence, but between his woman and Candy cheerleading his big ass made it easier to do his thing even with the thought that top executives from WWE would be watching him tomorrow. Mark had told him that if Vince called him up to the house after WrestleMania he would be leaving the school early to sign a contract. Rapture had never had this much support from anyone. Between his woman, her family and their real friends accepting him as himself, and his mentors Mark and Mick believing in him, it was a lot to take in. Not even a full year ago he was a bouncer, and bodyguard for a criminal that took him in his teens after his last foster mom freaked him by trying to fuck him because according to her he was big enough at 12 since he stood at a 6'2. In a lot of ways, he repeated the cycle of his mother with the whoring himself out. Yeah, there was written contracts and all, but he was still being purchased to fulfill sexual favors and all the while paying Kyle money he had been told that he owed the man for turning him into a real man. Kyle taught him how to fight and let him live in what used to be his back room. Kyle's club turned the scared punk kid into a man he'd thought. Until Cassy, sex didn't mean shit to him but power or getting back a lost amount of control. Kyle had once told him he couldn't love what he paid for and was being paid for. He didn't pay for Cassy and Cassy hadn't purchased his love. He gave it to her. Meeting Cassy and letting himself fall in love with her was the best thing he could have fell into. He was no longer a lot of things. He was no longer a big girl virgin, he was also no longer a male whore. He figured he was the closest he'd ever been, to becoming the man he was supposed to be.

Gloria arrives in Dublin, and though she was born here without John it just wasn't home anymore. As she checks in at LEGNA and walks into John's old office It still felt like he would come through the door any minute and ask her to complete some task. The transition from admin assistant, to partner was still something she thought about. Their site manager for this office ever since it became location two instead of the main headquarters had done a fabulous job at running this end of the company. Dropping off her luggage at the flat that sat atop of LEGNA that John used to stay in. She remembered walking into this living space one day when she had looked for him all day, and got surprised when he walked out of what she thought was the door to his office closet. The fact that they were the only ones that could access the flat from John's office was why John wanted her to stay up here. No one was allowed in their office.

Asher McKinney sat, then stood, and sat, then stood, and walked to the window of his flat. His birth mother had called and said she would be arriving at his flat shortly. After years of believing the woman deceased, to be able to meet her face to face was thrilling and scary at the same time. "What if she didn't approve of what he'd done with himself? The man that contacted him on her behalf was a music industry giant, and she worked for him. Asher now armed with the correct name looked up his mum. The surprises just didn't stop, his mum was the man's mate they were to be wed. Asher had loads of questions for Gloria Lynn Fenny Shannon. Where he once thought he lived a boring childhood to find out that he wasn't him, was more than a shock. He straightened his tie, pulled his long auburn hair into a low ponytail and clamped it in place. His mum Justine, was a good mum. At 20 and a half, Justine told him that he was adopted. His world was turned on its ear. When he tried to find his birth mum by the name given to him he came up with nothing. He went back to Justine, and she lied to him and told him what he now called the story of Lorie Fenny and how she had died at his birth and left him for her to raise. Asher had searched for years and never found anything about a living or dead woman old enough to be his mum. The picture Mr. McBride sent him looked more like him than Justine. The wide blue eyes. The slender nose, even the ears. He takes off the tie. This was his mum not a date. He then puts it back on, this was also the first impression she would have of him as him. His own little girl walks into the room. "Come to da Anna." Picking up his daughter he now thought it cruel of his mum to pick the story of Lorie Fenny as her lie. 5 years after Justine spoke the words Gale Pile-McKinney his wife had passed on during the birth of their daughter Annalisa Gale McKinney. Though there was more to it, he wouldn't think of it right now. It would surely tear him up in front of his minute image of his wife.

Over in Pyramid, Sally watches an old recording of Joshua playing his first solo guitar performance. He was so small the guitar stood almost as tall as he when he put it on the stand at the end. She disconnects the VCR and turns to the wrestling show that he and his band would be playing on. "Michael, they are about to start." Michael walks in with popcorn and sits beside Sally, along with Bradley, Logan, Glenny, and Sally's mother. On the screen, after their introduction the camera pans slowly across the stage to envelope the entire band and then centers on Joshua and Angel. Joshua points at the camera and yells "Out of Time!" then drops his fist to start the hard rock song. By the last refrain most of the audience were thunderously singing along with Joshua and Angel. Near the end Angel starts clapping this invites the lead guitarist to play the refrain faster. Sally asks, "Why is Angel leading? I thought she didn't want to cue anyone anymore." Sally is shushed by her mother, who set tapping her foot. At the close of the song, Joshua does his cue for a stop, the stage goes dark, and the commentators flash an image of Personal Touch's newest album.

Jerry the King Lawler says, "Get their newest album along with an autographed band tee before you run "Out of Time!" he tries to emulate Joshua singing. "I have mine." He says as he points at his shirt. JR chuckles and tells him to stick to cometary and leave singing to the pros.

The band heads to their VIP box to watch the remainder of the show. When the Shield reboot is mentioned as the next to come to the ring Candy says she wasn't watching this. She gets up and leaves the box, as she enters the hall she texts Bradley. She'd missed him so much. They chat about how he liked the act and he even asks her can she wear that outfit when they are alone later. Smiling she replies maybe. This had been a long three days. He asked her where she was, considering they just did a camera pan of the band's VIP box and he didn't see her. She tells him she is out in the hall and since Roman was going to be in the ring she didn't feel that he would come all the way up here just to mess with her when he had to be on camera so soon. Bradley tells her to just be careful.

Shae Prime the new head of the GSSEC, Roman's newest sex slave, and employer stood at the mouth of the hallway that would lead to Personal Touch's VIP box. She'd been told about the little pathetic excuse of a slave that Roman had been with. Shae walked down the hall she didn't need her bodyguard up on this level. Roman was so much more than merely her bodyguard, he was her dom. She'd never thought of herself as a submissive. Richard Prime, owner and operator of Prime Oil, and her husband was just horny with nothing to back it up, but his money kept her in nice clothing and good standing in the community. Shae had spoken to the little blonde most of the weekend. The girl must not read the local paper because she did not recognize Shae at all which, worked in Shae's favor. It was time to execute Roman's plan. While he was in the ring getting beat on, he was predetermined to lose this one, Shae was to collect Candy. What a simple name. "Well hello miss rock star. You never told me you were that good on the keyboard." The girl turned and greeted her. Ah by the "happy to see you" expression on the little tramp's face Shae thought this was going to be easy. They had "met" a few times this weekend at the galas, and at the hotel casino's lavish bar. They chat, and Shae finds out that the girl would be returning to Grandville tomorrow. It seemed she missed the man in the pictures that were taken as Roman had ordered. Befriending people was one of Shae's qualities that landed her as the new head of the GSSEC after only being in the organization for two years. The previous head Sophia Ivey, is dead and it was "Prime Time" now. She invites her new "friend" to the bar for one last round before they were whisked away from each other. The frontwoman, Angel came out and very politely asked Candy back into the room. The look the redhead threw Shae, was one of mistrust. Without her trade mark sunglasses Angel's eyes were a very piercing jade and her expressive stares were creepy. To Shae's knowledge Angela Ivey wanted nothing to do with the GSSEC old or new. As they are alone once more Shae says to Candy that Angel must be jealous of their friendship. That was met with a quick shoot down of how Angel was just protective of her. Shae says maybe they could all meet up after the show then Angela could see for herself that she need not guard Candy from having new friends. Candy says she would ask and get back to Shae. "That sounds like a splendid idea just let me know."

Roman and his Shield brethren successfully failed the match but set up a heel turn angle that would ripple through the WWE universe for months to come. Roman walked with Dean and Seth back to their dressing rooms. When he tugs on Dean to stop before going in the dressing room he is met with annoyance. "We had a deal, where are my pictures?" Dean pulls away from him and says that he had other things to do than follow around some chick that wasn't interested in either of them. Roman knew when Renee caught his friend's eye that Dean was bound to start slacking off in the deal of stalking Candy for him. Roman wanted Candy off her game, and he'd had to get Seth and Shae more involved. "You owe me, and I aim to collect if you don't continue I'll show Renee just how much of a sick puppy you are. I'm not doing this for my health I'm doing it to keep us out of prison, if that isn't important to you anymore just let me know. I'm sure Renee will wait for you." Roman says with a smirk.

Over in his dressing room, Mark shadow boxes getting ready for his match. He'd seen his student The Rapture do a hell of a job to Fandango, on the preshow. Vince was impressed. Mark was given the outcome and had signed off on it. The kid was ready. With everything that had went on, Rap was more than ready. Mark would miss Rapture Sloan, but he was in the business of making superstars. Mark refocused on his own match when Randy is called to the gorilla position first since he was the challenger. Mark made his way down the hall and stood at position. His entrance was legendary as any other in his years of doing WrestleMania. Their match gets on the way. In their rehearsal for this match yesterday, Randy had said many times that he wasn't a part of the photo story that had put a slither of doubt in Paula's voice. He also claimed that he tried to keep Mark from running in the street. When Mark asked him about John showing up at his house and getting the money Randy claimed he didn't know John would bring fire power into the equation. During this match Mark taunted Randy and slammed him a few times without any hold back. Randy got agitated and gave Mark an honest to goodness RKO that rung Mark's bell and pissed him off. Mark slides out of the ring and renters on the other side taking Orton off his feet in a belly to belly. Dragging Randy back to a standing position he goes for a choke slam Randy ducks the attack and slides out of the ring, with his trademark smirk in place on his face.

Paula watched along with Janet and Nikki. what they saw next made Paula want to rush the ring her damn self. Sasha Orton walked down to the ring. Paula heard the buzz go around the room wondering why Randy's real-life wife was now ringside. Mark looked at her and then back at Randy in time to duck a take down. Sasha got on the ring apron Mark stalked towards her. Though Mark could not hear them Janet screams for him to turn around. Randy always the opportunist shoves Mark from behind into the ropes causing Sasha to propel herself off the ring apron mere seconds before Mark would have made contact. On her way down, she grabbed Mark's hair pulling him partly with her. Mark flew back so quickly from bouncing off the taunt rope chest first that he slammed to the mat on his back. Paula saw real pain on his face. He wasn't selling she had learned his selling facial expressions. The glazed look in his jade gaze was brief but it was there. It also didn't help that they panned the camera away from his face to give him a moment to collect himself. Mark seems to shake it off and starts getting his stride back. Randy tries for another RKO and Mark pushes him so hard Randy flew over the top rope crashing to the floor in front of the announcer's table. Mark stalked after him Sasha Orton runs up and skids to a stop when Mark turns on her before she can ambush him. He says something to her it was not scripted. Paula knew this because she had heard the table read for the match and Mark didn't have any linage to Sasha. Therefore, the cameraman didn't get close enough to hear his words, but by the look on Mrs. Orton's face it wasn't very nice. Mark looks back at Randy just in time to get swung on. Mark grabs Randy and choke slams him on the mat outside the ring. As Randy sells up being dazed Mark climbs back in the ring to break the count. He then slides right back out and grabs Randy and tosses him over the top rope back into the ring. On Mark's reentry Randy tries to punt him in the head and misses. Mark quickly takes hold of Randy's foot and pulls him partly through the ropes. Mark jumps up on the apron and then drops an elbow on Randy's dangling leg. Randy bounces back in the ring and cradles his leg. This gives Mark time to climb in the ring. Mark gave Randy two Tombstones to which Randy broke the count, Randy delivered another RKO. Mark let Randy get a count of 2 and throws Randy off him. Randy tried ground fighting there for a minute, but Mark wouldn't let him get too out of control. Randy lands a kick to Mark's head and Mark flops back on the mat. After a few more move sets in and out of the ring as Mark is dragged partly into the ring Randy set Mark up for his famous rope assisted DDT, he lands it and Mark sells up being dazed. As Mark sits up Randy baseball slides into him. Janet and Nikki were on their feet screaming at the screen. Mark sits up and looks over at Randy in his usual The Undertaker way. Randy drops to his hands & knees, and pounds the mat signaling climbing further into his Viper persona. As Randy goes to strike, Mark grabs him in Hell's Gate and Randy fades fast losing the match. The refs must tap Mark to make him let go. Mark let's go, gets to his feet, takes his belt, and walks to the other side to the ring where the cameras are. His music hits and the arena fades to a dark shimmering purple complete with lighting as his win / lost count spreads across the screen. He exits, and raises his fist.

As the guys enter trainer's row Mark sits long enough to get checked out. Yeah, he would have a mild concussion but other than that he was fine. He stops by his dressing room to pick up Paula and the girls. it was time to go home.

Over at the hotel, Harold was loading his equipment and sending in his status report when a knock is heard on his hotel room door. Getting up from his portable office set up, he asks who is it. Natalie says his wife in a shrill voice. He opens the door intent on pulling her into the room he knew that tone and didn't need his business all over Vegas. She marches in before he can even reach for her. "Why are you here, I'm on a mission you know you shouldn't be here." She screams that his mission should not be to divorce her, as she shoves his divorce packet in his face. Harold snatches it and tosses it on the desk. "Why the hell not, you are fucking my underlings in my home." She says that's the thing about having someone follow her. "He was there to watch you because this case isn't just a local one to this area, the people we are pinning have a lot of long reach." Harold says rubbing his fingers together to represent money. "I was trying to keep you and Ian safe." She says that Ian is upset about their pending breakup and asks was it that important to him to rip their family a part like this. "Yes, Ian is 18 recognized by this country as an adult. I gave him every freedom I could afford that I did not get as a youngster. When it was time for punishment you didn't stand with me you let him do what he wanted. If he is upset, it isn't at the fact that as you called me his jailor or warden isn't in the picture. I will not stand by and let you continue to commit adultery while I just smile at my underlings as my wife has children that clearly aren't mine." She claims that she wanted to surprise him but as usual he snooped on her and found out before she was ready to tell him. She then says so not only would he be tossing Ian aside but his new baby as well. "How far along are you, because unless you have been holding a child within your body since my accident years ago. There is no scientific possibility that I am the father of that offspring that is residing in you now. This way you get what you obviously want you wanted the agent I sent to protect you. I don't understand why you are upset. Just sign the papers it will be easier." She accuses him of being cruel. "No cruel would be finding out about that affair and having him stationed on the border of Canada."

Joy walked into the house with a smile on her face. Bobby had sent her a gift at work it wasn't flowers or anything like that, he gave her department recognition in the helping of taking down an important part of a mob family. Her commanders were all impressed which did great work towards getting her team even better tech. With the usual interdepartmental miscommunication that went on from fed to local, to have feds that were your man's superiors agreeing that your team helped in a huge way was a bonus. Joy felt the pressure of the press but didn't care what level profile a case the mob school case was. She was just glad that the head of that nasty family was now behind bars. Too many times the actions of that family negatively impacted parts of her man's family. Though the Barnett/ Ivey / Davenport family didn't know about her until last year Bobby and herself would be celebrating their 5th year as a couple soon. Three short years ago, when Joy asked to meet his family, Robert told her that he could only introduce her to his father. Joy being herself had first got angry at Robert. With Chase W. Ivey being a public figure and major conglomerate owner, looking him up was easier than trying to run her system under the line of a federal seal. Chase was playing keep away with his other children, and his wife, Joy understood that it wasn't that Bobby lied to her in their second year of dating he told her enough so that she would not be waiting to meet his siblings of which he did not have permission to interact with via Bobby's dislike for his step mother and Chase's wishes. Though Bobby followed Angela as an artist and Sophie as a fashion designer and contract lawyer via their fan and business pages. Until last year, he had never met his siblings. Last year when Joy found out that Sophia Ivey had shot Bobby, she was glad he had on armor and less mad at Chase about his double life. Watching her mate connect with his siblings and the challenges that brought with it, was intense at times. She remembered meeting Chase and Sophie as Bobby's mate the night of the Sophie Ivey limo Incident, she referred to it as such, because that was no accident. Even after Sophia no longer had a pulse her bad decisions would haunt her family for almost a full year. Joy nor Bobby ever found out who ended April's life and took out her top members, but Joy was thankful that Bobby's sister was no longer in danger of having her child taken. Joy adored Jonathon-Chase. Joy had a surprise for her mate, but she wanted to speak to his sister. Sophie and she had hit it off almost instantly at the Christmas party last year.

Salvatore Fenny Paradise walks to Alex's Knight's little ground level office and leans on the door. Without knocking, he walks in and sits in the chair in front of the no-frills wooden desk. At the older man's gaze. Sal says "Don't worry, your sales have been good. I'm not here to break anything on you yet." The relief that was shown on the man's face was short lived when Sal continued. "I have noticed that you have an interest in one Gloria Fenny. Is this a romantic interest?" Knight says no she is a means to an end, and speaks of using his niece. So, this low life thought he would use a Fenny for his gain. Sal looks at his hands pulls out his nail file and suddenly stabs it into Alex's hand. Alex grunts with tears in his eyes. Sal watches the pain wash over the other man's face and says in a calm voice as Alex's blood swells around the sharpen file. "Interesting, well as I have sent down before don't hack her again she is being watched by The Wolf and if your scan were to be noticed you would not be breathing right now are we clear?" Alex nods his head vigorously. Sal gets to his feet, snatches the file out of Alex's flesh and says "Clean yourself up, your bleeding all over this shared work space." Lower level den members on Alex's pay rate shared an office like this with three or four other salesmen. Salvatore didn't miss this level at all. If Alex Knight kept hacking The Wolf's data so bluntly Alex would have to disappear. There was more to it of course but Sal wouldn't let that secret out until it was time.

Earlier after Rapture's match during the preshow, he comes back in his dressing room happy, at the look of confusion on Cassandra's face he explained that even though he lost, that part was predetermined the top guys would have been looking at how he moved, and how the crowd got behind him. Cassandra said, "Well you could have told me you were going to lose." He says no he couldn't that was the rule. He says that Taker can't tell Paula if he will win tonight or not. When he gets a call. The look on Rap's face prompted Cass to ask who he was talking to. He waved for her to be quiet as he gave answers of yes and thank you. Cassandra gets in his path as he started to pace, he had just shushed her. "Excuse you, rude." He turned his back on her and impulse and anger made her grab his shoulder and turn him back around. He faced her and continued to speak on the phone he glares right through her it seemed. He ends his call with another thank you. Cass says "Don't look at me like that. How dare you shush me? Who was that?"

Usually he loved her fire. Right now, all he wanted was to be able to process how fast his life was changing. "If you must know that was Vince, he invited me up to the McMahan mansion. Mark and Mick told me about this. They said if Vince called me after my match that when I head up there I will be coming back with a contract to become a WWE Superstar." Rapture was thinking all over the place the questions Vince asked about his intro. Vince said creative liked his music. Vince said he should try to get permission to continue using Joshua's work as his intro." Cassandra still looked pissed he didn't want her mad at him, not now. "Babe, Vince wasn't yelling, and with all the noise going on out in the hall you were just adding more to it. I was excited and nervous and didn't want to sound like an idiot. I'm sorry you were affronted by me wanting to hear what he had to say. Please don't be mad at me. You helped me get this far."

Trying not to be angry Cass says in a huff. "Well I guess congratulations are in order, you got what you wanted. Look, I have got to go, I'll see you when the main show is over with. Joshua and the band are up soon to start the real show." Cass walks out before Rapture can even respond. They had spent the entire weekend together with her going off to do her job and him going off to do exhibits the galas were a chance for her to see her man in a tux. She had no clue that he was going to lose tonight, she'd been glued to the monitor during his match. She'd been prepared to console him, and when he walked in happy it confused the hell out of her. Then for him to go all Hollywood on her and shush her while on the phone. She figured she had zinged him without yelling. He was damn right she was mad at him. She did help him get this far, heck if it wasn't for her he would have been still waiting on the notice from the school. Now for him to call her a distraction while trying to explain why he'd been so rude while on the phone. She asked him a simple question, who was it. It would not have taken that much time to say Vince. Cassandra marched through the hall mad as hell. One of the dancers that escorted Fandango out to the ring walked past her and for some reason that pissed her off. "Skinny bitch" she mutters. The girl must have heard her because she just stopped, and stared said "seriously" then stormed off. Cass stopped walking. Why the hell was she mad a diva that she didn't even know? The girl hadn't done anything to her. Hell, it seemed her anger was all over the place. Taking position behind her camera she watches through her lens and directs her crew as Joshua and the band perform their song "Out of Time" for the opening of WrestleMania.

By the close of the "real" show, Rapture had tried not to let Cass's words get at him. With the fact that he was walking around backstage thinking of his first big match as second rate because it wasn't on the "real show" told him that he wasn't over it by a long shot. He'd went into his dressing room after his match, and where he had thought Cass would be excited with him, she'd just been cold towards him. He didn't get it. No, he hadn't told that he was going to lose, but like he'd told her that was part of the terms he signed to be a part of the broadcast at all. He didn't bug her when she was on the phone with Jonathon. Even if he didn't know it was Jonathon. Her grabbing and tugging on him had not made his anxiety level while speaking to Vince any better. He'd been two seconds from sticking his finger in his free ear from the noise in the hall and Cass talking at him. When Cass turned him around to face her, he'd slowed his wording as to not sound like a dumb ass. After Cass left the room Mark had called and Rap put his headphones on just in case Cass came back in and wanted to throw more verbal cow patties on his mood. Speaking to Mark was tough because he knew he should be super happy and tried for that tone, but his thing with Cass had soured that a lot. Lucky for Rapture he'd gained a little acting ability along with working safe in the ring at Mark's school. Mark made some good points about his call with Vince. He'd watched Mark's match which was the main event, and hell at points, he'd thought Mark was going to give Randy the win. Rapture wanted to head out the moment the show closed, and he did he needed some alone time. He wasn't in the mood to ride back to the hotel with Cass giving him round two of her crapping on his day. She had the keys to their rental, so it wasn't like he would be trapping her here. After sending her a quick text he shut off his phone, caught a cab to one of the casinos, and hit the bar.

Across the pond in Ireland, Gloria got out of her car and walked towards her son's home. Earlier she'd visited her sister that now resided in the Fenny home. Her childhood home was a dark part of her past, coming back to this street was harder than she'd ever imagined. Justine had told her why she'd did what she did. Justine had claimed it was their father that made her lie to those that came to her wedding. Gloria screamed that Justine could have told her after their father died if in fact she was so afraid. Justine had demanded that she leave and never return. Gloria said "Well it's clear that even when I was invited in to your home it was just for you to enjoy seeing your own evil unfold. As for father making you keep quiet that's rubbish and you know it. For you to tell my child not yours, my child, that I his mother is dead and that was only after he started asking questions. There is a special place in hell for you right next your father." Justine asked did Gloria think it easy. "It was easy enough for you to tell my child that I was dead. It was a breeze for you to watch how cruel father could be to one of his own blood. It was unproblematic for you and the surviving parts of our bloodline to turn on me like I'm the one that snuffed the light out of mum's eyes. If I was half as evil and deviant as father claimed, you and our entire bloodline would have died shortly after father." Gloria threw her father's last note at Justine that told of paying Wolfe his debts to keep the family safe. Justine looked up as if seeing Gloria for the first time in years. When she asked would Wolf had of really killed them all. "He walked into this house and killed ma in her bed, what do you think? I knew you and brother hated me because of father's words but I had no clue that it was this much. Shortly before my own marriage, I rushed back to this place to bury father, and pay off The Wolf so he would not hurt my siblings who I knew had dislike for me because of what father blamed on me. To find out that you aided father in taking away my only child." Justine asked what really happened the day ma was killed. "Oh, now you want the truth, are you tired of believing the dark fairytale of father's lament? Well fine." Gloria told her, and the color drained from Justine's face as she says that their father had told them that Wolf killed their mom instead of her. Gloria says "You're an adult now that is married to a barrister, you honestly think with his track record, The Wolf would have let a witness survive had he known I was in the ceiling? What would have been the point of taking her body? The Wolf did not know that I was even in the house, or I would have been killed and made to disappear, just like mum. Father revealed that I was present. Wolf came looking for Da that day and mum would not tell him where her husband was hiding. That is why mum was murdered." Tears flowed from Justine's eyes, as she says she never even thought of that. "Precisely, you were too busy believing that I was the person that got mum killed. Father couldn't tell you and brother the truth that his gambling and hiding from The Wolf is what lead to the murder of his beloved wife he had a scapegoat, I fit the bill perfectly. At 16 when I found out that I was with child I for the first time in years felt alive. If your main goal was to rip out my fucking heart, you succeeded more than I thought even possible by someone of my own blood." Justine walked towards her to hug her calling her Lori. Hurt anger rose her tone as Gloria put up a hand. "Don't approach me. You can't undo what you did to my son or myself. Goodbye Justine Fenny McKinney for once you're dead to me." Gloria felt as numb as she did the day her mum was murdered when she drove away from her childhood home.

Now she stands on the front porch of her son's home. Questions run a marathon in her head. She'd seen his photo John had told her that Asher expressed a want to meet her. So much had been blamed on her would he also blame her for actions that she had no control over? There was only one way to find out. At her first knock the door is opened and her son stood before her. She wanted so much not to ruin this first impression. Her throat was so filled with nerves she managed a shaky, almost breathless "Hello Asher" Her own blue eyes stared back at her. His hair was the same dark auburn from before Justine dyed it when he was a toddler to continue the deception. She'd call him Asher but to her he would always be her Nigel. He invited her inside. "Thank you," He asked what he should call her. "Whatever you are comfortable with." Gloria then noticed a child about Glenny's age. Asher looked between them and then stated that this is his child Annalisa Gale McKinney. Not only did she have her child, but she had a granddaughter as well.

Asher says "Annalisa this is Miss Gloria Fenny Shannon, I want you to go and have a look at your program while I talk about adult stuff with miss Shannon" His girl looks up at him then at his mum and says ok as she leaves she asks did that mean that miss Shannon was going to be her new mum. His breath caught as he says, "No dear child." As his child leaves the room Asher turned to his mum. He felt pressured to explain. Hesitantly he starts, "I would have said more but I don't want to confuse her. One of us being confused is enough, I hope you understand. This is quite a lot to take in." She nods, Asher noticed that she had not moved further than the small atrium he had not even offered her a seat. "Please come in have a seat." He shows her into his den and sits across from her there was so much he wanted to know. She speaks breaking the silence and says that John had not spoken of a child. Crossing his legs and then uncrossing them and standing he says "I didn't mention my baby girl because I did not know where he was going with the questions he asked of me, and then when he revealed why he asked. It just made me kind of uncomfortable. As I said before this is a lot to take in. I now know that you are my mum, but I don't know you and I tend to keep my girl's identity secured mainly because of my chosen profession." Where he'd been meeting her gaze as he spoke this was his make it or break it. She would either like or not like what he did for a living. Though words are usually not his weak point speaking to this woman was torturing his speech pattern. "I am a news personality. I recently moved in front of the camera. I worked my way up the ladder I spent my years as a mail clerk, a goffer, and even an editor. I know people in your line of work don't like news personalities, but music and media are both respectable professions that..."

"Asher, I don't know what you are going on about. LEGNA produces more than music. To be bias against something that we have added to our own programing would be foolish." He seemed to relax and then says he guessed he was more nervous about this meeting than he knew.

Over in Vegas after WrestleMania as they are heading back to the hotel in one of Chase's limos Candy is quiet, Angel had called Sophie and they both had told her that she shouldn't trust Shae Prime because Shae is a member of the GSSEC. Joshua told her that was a coldhearted group of socialites. It seemed that everyone had some horrible thing to say about someone they didn't even know. "Look guys, I know you had some bad shit go down before, that has nothing to do with Shae. No, she didn't tell me she was a part of the social group but if you were would you, especially with their track record. Angel your top bitch mother is dead. I am not going to let you guys make me believe that someone that has not been mean to me or condescending to me is just like someone that was cold enough to not even love her own child. Shae's husband is rich, but she doesn't act like a crazy bitch. You guys are really being prejudice against someone that is in your net worth club. Shae said that maybe you were jealous that I could have more than you guys as friends, I told her nah, but after hearing you guys I'm not sure anymore." Candy's comment had hit its mark. Angel put her huge sunglasses on looking out the window and told her to do what she wanted. Joshua angrily told Candy she'd went too far. Vash even gave her a look. Trevor and Connie simply ignored her when she tried to pull them into the conversation. When they reach the hotel, Angel gets out before the driver and storms into the building. Joshua follows her. As Candy is getting out of the limo Vash tugs on her shirt. She meets his eyes. He tells her that everything that pops into her head should not pop out of her fucking mouth. Trevor who had not said anything until this point says he'd second that. Feeling chastised Candy gets out of the limo and storms off to go meet with her new friend.

Over at Caesars Palace casino bar Rapture drinks until he sees Roman and a female that used to frequent the club, head to the private section. One of the guys that went to the ring with Roman entered and looked around before heading in the same direction. Rap stopped drinking when Candy walked in alone. Something was off about this. The girl had been amped all weekend and either stayed in the hotel room or hung with Josh and Angel or with Cass and him. He raises his hand drawing her attention. She was still wearing her stage outfit which pointed to the fact that she had not been back to the hotel room to change. Instead of coming over to him she waves and looks at her phone. While still looking at her phone she starts heading back towards the private area. Rap gets to his feet. The more normal looking guy that went to the ring with Roman tonight comes in the door and heads straight for Candy.

Dean Ambrose was tired of Roman trying to mess with people namely him. He walks into where they were going to try to capture the woman that he'd followed and stalked until he met his Renee. He'd been the most faithful member of their trio who fans knew as the Shield, until Renee walked into his life. Dean was sure kidnapping a performer would lengthen their sentence if they did go to court. He spots the little blonde and walked towards her and figured he would put a stop to this halfcocked plan. He walks up, opens the clasps of her necklace, and grabs her arm. She tries to pull away and warns him that she will hurt him if he doesn't let her the fuck go. She reaches for her throat and comes up short. Dean smiles as he holds her necklace in his free hand. "That may be true if I didn't already swipe your weapon. Stalking you has its advantages." There was the fear he'd seen in her eyes many times when he was calling her, and leaving notes for her. She tries to pull away and reach for the necklace at the same time. Seth comes out of the private room they had ordered under Roman's woman's name. Dean tries to steer her towards the door. "We are going this way. If you go in that room with Shae, you will be in more danger than you are with me right now." She stomped on his instep he lets her go with a curse. "Bitch, I'm trying to help you for once." She ran off he still had her fucking necklace. Seth looks at him, and takes off after her. At the very least she wasn't running toward the private room. Dean limped to a seat. Shit that hurt, her skinny ass and those damn chunky heels packed and unsuspected wallop. A hand clamps down on his shoulder. Turning his head, he says "Hey, The Rapture, right? Good ..." The guy threatens to make him eat his teeth if he didn't give back the necklace. Dean elbowed the big guy and ducked another swing. Slinging the necklace across the floor in the opposite direction when the big guy goes for it, Dean half limps, half runs, to the exit, only to see the blonde get away in a sedan with an antenna. Well she was safer with the fed than she would be with Seth or Shae. Seth runs back towards him and gets in his face accusing him of fucking up the plan. "I told Roman I'm done following her around. He threatened me, me of all people. I did everything he said, and more, you saw me. I stalked her, freaked her out and for what? It got me nothing but in trouble with the law. Roman wants to act like we owe him so much for getting us out of jail and back in the company. We wouldn't have been in jail or kicked out of the company in the first place if he had not have attacked the blonde and got caught on a luxury liner and asked for our help in keeping him two steps ahead of the cops. I'm done taking orders Seth." Dean braced for a reaction from his friend and was surprised when Seth said he was right. "Really?" Seth tells him yeah and that he should go be with Renee. Sighing Dean says, "Thanks man."

Out in the casino Candy runs toward the main entrance where she'd came in. When she looked back it wasn't the Dean guy that was behind her it was the guy Seth from the party. Both, worked with Roman tonight at WrestleMania. Dean had just admitted that he was one of the people stalking her, he had also mentioned Shae. Candy briefly wondered with dread if her new friend was in danger too? Andrew whistled sharply drawing her attention then waved her over. Not wanting to stick around, she ran towards the close protection agent. Getting in the passenger seat of the sedan that he had driven here, Candy shakily says, "He's after me." Andrew tells her to hit the auto locks as he headed towards the advancing Seth. Seth recognized him and ran back in the casino. Andrew jogs back and remote opens his car, tells Candy to buckle up and drives off back towards MGM Grand Casino and hotel. "Thank you for getting me out of there."

"Don't thank me, thank Angel who sent me to keep an eye on you." Andrew was not happy with this little side trip at all. Candy looks surprised and says but Andrew was supposed to be Angel and Joshua's Close Protection Agent. "They are covered, lucky for you I have no hours left until 6am I'm off duty or I would not have come, and you'd be in the back of someone's trunk by now."

Earlier after getting out of the limo with Candy and the rest of the band, Angel and Joshua head up to their suite as they reached their door and enter Angel says, "Every time I try to help someone they shit on me. I'm tired of it Josh I really fucking am." Joshua says that Candy was out of line. "A person in the GSSEC? After all the shit that we have been through with my mom and that damn group, how can Candy just causally throw that shit at me like this?" Joshua guides her to the massive observation area of their presidential suite. The view of the Las Vegas skyline at night greets them through floor to ceiling one-way windows that surround it. Angel stops speaking and once again lets the twinkle of Sin City mesmerize her. Sitting on a nearby lush sofa with Joshua, Angel continues, "I know I told Candy to do what she wants, but when I walked out into that hall that woman looked so familiar. Just seeing Shae for that moment outside the VIP box everything in me screamed don't trust her. When I came back in and called Sophie my suspicion was realized." Angel jumps to her feet and pulls her phone. "I won't just stand around even if Candy temporarily forgot that Roman is after her I didn't. I really don't want to be right about this, but I can't sit around and do nothing when it feels like there is something darker going on. Candy struck out walking to go meet Shae in stage attire. On stage, it looks fine, walking down the street here, she'll draw a lot of attention to herself and most of it won't be good. She has a real nut out there stalking her, she's going to meet with a strange woman whose impression screams don't trust me." Angel calls Andrew and begs him to please go after Candy even if for no other reason than to give her a ride back when her anger cools and the night temp hits her. Andrew begrudgingly agrees, and tells them who will be taking his place until he is clocked back in to escort them home tomorrow morning. "Thank you, for this Andrew." closing her phone Angel says on a sigh, "I've done all I can do, but at the very least it's something" Joshua agrees, pulls her back down into his lap and holds her, as they gaze out at the twinkling lights below in a comfortable silence.

Candy walks toward the elevator that will take her up to the suite that she was sharing with Angel and Joshua, they would probably be up which meant that they would have something to say about what she said earlier and with what Andrew said to her among other things since he was off the clock she didn't want a round two. She would just go in, charge out of these ankle killer heels, and stay in her room. As she is looking for her keycard Cass comes out of the room down the hall. Candy briefly wondered had her words been broadcasted to Cassandra. Candy nods and tries to quickly swipe her card, it didn't work, she briefly thought that maybe Joshua had put in the do not disturb code on her ass. Cass asked did she want to chat. Candy rubs the back of her neck and remembers losing her damn necklace tonight. "Um, I don't know."

Cassandra wanted to hang out, and though Candy wasn't her first choice, Rapture was god only knew where, and her brother and his wife were probably getting busy. "I have vodka." Candy perked up and says on that note she'd love to. As Candy turns towards her and starts walking Cass says, "Isn't that what you wore on stage?" Candy shrugs as she enters Cass and Rapture's suite and asks had she spoke to Angel or Joshua since filming their performance. Hmm a question with a question this might be interesting, Cass thinks and then says, "No, I finished and had been looking for Rapture since our I don't know what it was. He left after the show, so by the time I finished sending all the footage to Jonathon and went back to pack up the rest of my portable office, Rapture left me a note that he was leaving and reminded me that I had the rental keys. I called him a few times he must have turned off his phone." Cass grabs the top shelf vodka she'd offered and pours them both some in the glasses provided by the hotel. Candy takes her drink and downs it. Cass says, "Holy hot damn girl I knew you could put it away but shit are you trying to meet the floor quick?" Candy says nah and ask for another. Cass pours her another drink. Candy asked what happen to have Rapture off on his own. Cassandra tells her what happened earlier after Rapture's match and his call. "Everything is changing so fast I've never done well with change, and in my past, it almost always leads to disaster."

Candy puts her drink on the table and says, "Cassandra please don't take this the wrong way. I hear myself in your words and it is a huge fight but if you are going to continue to thrive in your relationship you must let Rap closer than holding him accountable for your past. Rapture is a great guy that is crazy about you. You are lashing out at him, and that is going to damage your relationship. Right before we came here I had to do the same thing with Bradley. I saw Rap tonight." Cass gives her a look. "He was alone and then I had to high tale it out of there, but back to what I was saying. If you keep living in the past and waiting for the other shoe to drop your actions will push the shoe off the table. Rapture isn't Denton just because he gets more camera time it's not going to send him into the same downward spiral that it did Denton. I watched your ex-husband gain fame and yeah it creeped me out, but Rapture is a different kind of person. When I first met him, he hit on me but when I told him that I was engaged he backed off even with the life style he was in he didn't disregard my statement of being engaged. He looks at you like Joshua looks at Angel, Rapture is in love with you girl. Please don't damage that it's beautiful, and I'm just on the outside looking in."

Cassandra knew more than Candy about the lifestyle Rapture turned away from and why. Candy comparing her man and her ex out loud said a lot. Cassandra knew some of what Candy was talking about as far as the her and Bradley's situation. Bradley was surely over the moon about this little blonde. Cassandra takes another drink and says "I have been trying so hard to rebuild my life from where I was and in some way, I know I have gotten a lot better, but it's stuff like this that throws me. Now that I have pissed Rapture off I don't know how to undo it. He won't even return my calls."

Candy downs her drink and says "Give him some time, no one likes to be phone bombed by the person that is making them retreat. From what you said earlier I don't think you pissed him off more than you kind of hurt his feelings. Yes even 7-foot giants have feelings too and the fact he lets you so close leaves him more vulnerable." Cass said it made perfect sense when she used to fight with her ex she'd avoid his communication attempts for an entire day or until he suckered her back into the house. Candy points at Cass "see that right there, is what you and me both must stop doing. We both have to stop pulling our past into our future, Deon taught me a lot of life lessons but dwelling on them isn't good for me moving forward. Just like you are being afraid that Rapture is going to go all Hollywood nut job just because that is what you are used to. Bradley said something to me once and it made me think. He said that if he in any way mirrored what I had been through that we would not work out and he is right."

Cass changes the topic and says "I get it and I'll try to keep that in mind because Bradley is right even with the stuff I didn't know if Rapture had of displayed any of Chadwick's traits I would have hightailed it out of there with a quickness. So, Candy, you've helped me I have a question why would you go to a bar over a mile away at Caesars Palace in your stage attire? I thought I saw the limo pull in a while ago. I was heading down to our casino when I saw you."

Candy sits back in her seat and looks at the ground running her fingers over the flashy pieces of her skirt of her band romper that were there to catch and capture the stage lighting. Cass tells her not get quiet now. "I don't know, I have this friend that I have been talking to this weekend and she makes me feel like what I have to say is interesting, she is rich but doesn't give off the condescending vibe. You have saw her a few times when I was hanging with you and Rapture the other night downstairs. As for why I'm still dressed like this. I saw her today at the show and she wanted to hang out one last time before we went back to our busy lives. Well Angel comes out of the VIP box and just her personality went from open and natural Angel to frosty in seconds. She wasn't rude or anything just chilly in the look she threw towards my friend. So, I said that she is just protective of me which is true, and my friend accused Angel of being jSealous." Cass says that is bullshit Angel isn't the jealous type. "I know, or I knew that, and quickly brushed off the comment now I'm thinking why would Angel be chilly to someone she doesn't even know. So, my friend invites us both out to her hotel bar for drinks. Angel flat out refused to come with me the second I walked back in and asked, and then she tells me that I shouldn't be so quick to go off alone with Shae because Angel asked Sophie to look her up. I mean that was super rude anyway, internet stalking someone just to find out who they are and what clubs they belong to is so cold. Then Angel goes on about how my friend that married into money is in the GSSEC and how I should not go because Angel don't trust her." Cass repeats the group's name and makes a face, but tells Candy to go on. Candy noticed the face and would go back to that later. She explained about her words to Angel in the limo and how Angel was super confusing in the way that one minute she told her to do what she wanted, but then sent an off duty federal agent after her.

Cass stands up and goes to get another bottle this little spit fire had just blown her buzz. As she returns and pours more shots Candy takes the glass and downs it. "Ok, so you think Angel was internet stalking the chick that kept randomly or not so randomly appearing at your side all weekend. Here is a question that you have to ask yourself if your meetings with Shae were just coincidence, why didn't she pop up with you and Angel and Joshua before tonight? Joshua has told me a few things about how Angel was raised and looking people up is just what they do. It not a deep search and if you think that at some point Sophie or Chase didn't look you and, I both up, you are kidding yourself. Hell, Jonathon did a deeper search on Joshua when they told him that he intended on getting married to Angel. As for the GSSEC and your comments to Angel that was low. With all the crazy stuff that happened to her and I'm not sure what she has shared with you about her childhood involvement with the group via her mother, but that group is forever going to be a red flag. You figured that you would get in your nice zing because you were pissed that she didn't want to hang with someone that is in a group that nearly killed her, her husband and her child on multiple occasions. It is lucky for you that it was her and not her sister that you said that shit to, because I think even Sophie's professional polish would have fallen off for a few seconds and she would have probably decked you one. When you repeated it to me just now, I wanted to take a swing at you myself and I wasn't even there, and you helped me and so I'll keep my hands to myself. Number one, unless you really want to extricate yourself from their lives don't make any more of those comments to her. If you don't know what to say, please say nothing. Number two, Angel doesn't trust easily I think she wants to, and she does trust you, but with all the stuff that has goes on and that have gone on it makes it extremely hard. What you said about Rapture letting me close because he loves me isn't that far off. The only reason you know enough about Angel to zing her like that, is because she let you close to her, don't make her regret it because if you don't patch it up quickly you'll lose not only her but Joshua as well. They are a package deal now. Take it from me, you don't want to be on the outside looking in. Don't throw your name in the hat of people Joshua will push away to protect what is his."

Rapture knew he had enough to drink after the little tussle for Candy's necklace. He launched himself for the thing like he was defending a person instead of an object. He waited awhile before he decided to just go back to his hotel and face the music. Cass was bound to be even more in a bad mood. His lack of experience with a real relationship was sure a main thought for him as he walked the almost two miles back to MGM hotel. He knew he would need to walk off some of the booze. He didn't want to do or say anything to his woman that would piss her off even more. He reaches in his pocket and drew out his phone. Turning it on, it dinged multiple times. Cass had called or texted him since she would have discovered him gone after the show. He listened to the anger and hurt in her voice and felt like a real dumb shit. One of her last messages she'd been crying and said she was going down to the casino, so she would have to force herself not to think on why her man would come with her clear to Vegas to ditch her. He heads into the hotel and up to their floor. He came into the suite and realized two things one, Cass had made it back up from when she'd said she was going down stairs and two, Candy had joined her. Cass surprised him she no long looked like a thundercloud in a dress when she looked at him. "Hey um Candy I got this back for you. He pulls out the necklace. Candy jumped up and charged at him or attempted to and fell on her face. All she said was "ouch" then started giggling. She then asked could she stay here tonight. Rapture looked at Cassy she shook her head and told Candy it was time she went back to her own room. Candy mumbles something about Angel and Joshua being mad at her and locking her out. "I'm sure they wouldn't do that, here let me help you up." After getting Candy back to the door of her suite Rapture takes her card and swipes it for her. "See it turned green just like it's supposed too." When he opened the door, he helped her to her room she stood on her tip toes and told him she wanted to tell him a secret. Seeing the look in her eyes Rapture decided against it and says "Just get you some sleep then tomorrow you can tell me anything you want." she looked so crestfallen he almost told her to go ahead and tell him her secret until she tried to jump up and kiss him, he quickly leaned away from her and she planted her lips on his chest. That pissed him off. "Look here little girl you nice and all but don't try that shit again." He stormed out of her doorway and out of the suite checking to make sure she hadn't left her damn lipstick on his button up he enters his own suite. Cass asked him was he ok. Blowing out a breath he says, "Yeah look about earlier. I just needed some air some time to be alone. You really dumped a heap all over my good mood earlier. I know I wasn't on the real show but honey like Mark said we all have to start somewhere, and I got a great start. If you don't want me to tell you about the wrestling I can do that I just wanted to share something that is important to me with you is all." Cass tells him her thoughts and apologizes for wrecking his good mood. She was afraid that he would repeat her ex-husband's bad habits from when he gained recognition. Agitation licked his tone as he says, "Have I done anything in the three months we been going steady that would lead you to think that I'd let some other female turn my head?" She says no. "Then honey I really need you not to punish me for someone else's misdeeds." She offers him a drink. "No, I think I've had enough booze for one day can't have my ring attire getting tight." She smirks and suggest they go to bed and work off some of the booze. In minutes they were ripping each other's clothes off leaving a trail to the bedroom.

Sunday night after they watched the wrestling show Joshua and his band were featured on and saw Markus win his match at the end. Sally gets up and starts cleaning up. Her mom helps her. Bradley and Logan help Michael put the furniture back to where it was before their living room became a home showplace for WrestleMania. Glenny had tuckered himself out jumping around cheering for uncle Mark. By the end of the match the entire room knew that uncle Mark beat snake guy. Bradley tried to tell Glenny what Randy's name was, but it was no use, Randy Orton had been reduced to snake guy. After the match Janet and Nikki had called to talk to Glenny. Logan handed his son the phone and Glenny talked to Nikki and Janet until he fell asleep. When Logan slipped the phone out of Glenny's hand, he was surprised to hear the girls still talking. He informed them that Glenny was sleeping, Nikki said that she'd got Glenny a few souvenirs and would give them to him the next time she watched him. Logan told her she didn't have to spend her babysitting money on Glenny. Before Logan could offer to reimburse her, she stopped him and said Chase had given her money to spend this weekend and the stuff she bought Glenny didn't even put a dent in it. Logan left it alone and just said thank you. Janet could be heard in the background saying good answer.

Out in the kitchen Sally talks with Maranda Sanchez her mom, as they throw away containers from where they ordered a large portion of the food consumed for this little party from Amy's catering business. "Yes, mama this lady is the one that Chase is involved with." Sally says as she holds up an Amy's Catered Delights container. Her mom for the second time tonight spoke of her wish to see her great grandson. "I'll see what I can do, Chase is a reasonable man sometimes." Her mother says it is too late and suggests maybe tomorrow before she leaves. "That's such a short time frame I'll call him now." Her mother asks wasn't it she that offered to watch Jonathon-Chase but then took back her offer. "Not exactly" her mother gives her a look. "Well yes, but I offered when he was in the hospital. Then the incident with Bradley happened and I was angered, and I pushed at our bond by taking back my offer and degrading his parenting, I miss having JC around, but Joshua has not called me or given me a chance to make it right in any way. He has spoken to Michael and told him that the show was great and that he liked the lineup. I figured I would make him speak to me. It backfired miserably, I took the phone from Michael and said Joshua long time no see or hear, and he said nothing. It sounded like he was in the middle of saying something and he just stopped speaking." Sally throws the last of the trash in the can with the force of her words. "Michael even gave me the too far look he has honed to perfection here lately. Are you sure you didn't teach him the look because it looks a lot like the one on your face right now mama." Maranda sighed and said that trying to force her grandson to speak to anyone was never a good tactic even in his childhood or did she remember the silence. "With going to this therapist, I learned that even then where I believed Joshua's silence was just his fear of Michael or myself sending him back for fighting with Bradley, the therapist says that was just the start of his emotional cave in, she says that he was probably angry at us, but also at himself for being so, because he would have saw us as his safety and when that bond was threatened and his situation could change back to where he was he stopped speaking to everyone he became the shadow in the room. It's hard a pill to swallow if that is what happened." Maranda asked why she would doubt it. "I was never use to his style of anger towards me. Cassandra would yell and scream, and Bradley would cause damage to the house. Sally retells when Bradley got mad and drove a hammer through the wooden clothes hamper. Maranda asked her a question that made her stop and think. Her mother asked and what were the consequences for those bad actions Cass and Brad did before nearly killing a preteen. The words were said in a feeble tone because Sally knew where her mother was going with this. "I would take away their allowance or send them to their rooms." Maranda asked and who would be in their room to pass the time? Or better yet did that punishment measure up to sending her youngest grandson back into the hell they saved him from. Sally gets defensive. "Mother you know I would have never sent him back." Maranda's tone sharpened and as she asked but did Joshua know that it was an empty threat. "He had to of known especially by the time the adoption was final."

"No, I will not let you lie or continue to lie to yourself. Sally Lu he was only 13 by the time he was a legal part of our familia, his shut down or whatever you or your therapist wants to call it was because he was angry and afraid of being sent back to his birth parents and he did the only thing he thought would secure his place in your home which was to move through the walls silently as air. If you didn't see or hear him he was safe. At least you stopped that threat after the window debacle." Sally looked away. "What, you did stop telling that boy that you would send him away after Cass and Brad moved out correct?" Sally said she may have said it a few more times but it was just to keep him in line when he would get unruly. "That would be like Michael asking for a divorce every time you got out of hand and you honestly believing it. I going to bed I have a long day ahead of me. Stop forcing yourself on him or we'll never get see my little JC again. I hope he loved you for more than the protection because now that you push him away with your words, he knows as a man he does not have to return."

Sally went outside and called Chase she would see her grandson tonight before Joshua came home and could keep him away.

Moments earlier over at Chase's home, Chase and Amy were making love when his phone rang with the tone of the Davenport parents. He popped his head out of the covers and glared at his phone. Amy giggles and says she didn't think glaring at it would make it stop she says it must be important since they rarely call him. Letting go a deep sigh he wrapped the cover about his waist and slides to the side of the bed. "This had better be life threatening." Sally Davenport spoke of having him bring JC to her home tonight. "No can do, Goodnight Davenport" She says can't or won't. "Both, now goodnight" Amy gets up and walks into the bathroom. Chase had made sure to lavish lots of affection on her body and had intended on a night of fun. Sally says she wants her gran baby. Chase wasn't in a nice mood for being interrupted. "Now see here Sal, you call me at fucking midnight asking to see our grandchild, at no time during the day did you want to see him. You haven't wanted anything to do with him for I know a week or so. This may come as a surprise, but he is asleep, and I don't and won't disturb him." She says that is not true about her not wanting JC over to their place. "My time is valuable, and you are wasting it. Lie to you, don't lie to me. You made such a production of not wanting Jonathon-Chase around you. You told my son that you would not let him pawn his son off on you any longer. My grandson is not a burden to be pawned off in anyone. Whoever feels this way be it blood or not should leave him alone. I did not want JC thousands of miles away with people threatening my children's lives, solely because his other grandparent decided to jump into the deep end of fucking insanity for the second time in mere months. I am glad you let you true self be seen. Now before Joshua and Angel return, you suddenly want to watch Jonathon-Chase. I know what game you are trying to play here, but right now is not the time. When they return you can ask his parents if they will allow you to visit with him. My advice and this one is free sweetheart, next time before you verbally rip out my son's heart and throw it in his face again, first look in your own parental mirror, and second, remember this moment and ask yourself are your next words worth what you feel right now? Goodnight Sally." Chase closed the call sent Sally's number to his answering service for the night, and got up in search of his lady. When he found Amy in his hot tub a smile reclaimed his face. "Now, where were we?" He says as he smoothly slips down into the hot moving frothy water.

Over inside Roman's private booth at Caesars Palace, Shae Prime paced the large space like a caged tiger. "It's been two hours since the last message she sent me. Seth are you sure Dean didn't tell her who I was with? Seth told her what Dean had said and then the blonde's reaction to seeing him. "So, she only got spooked by your presence and now Dean's for telling her that he'd been stalking her. Fucking idiot." Roman stopped her pacing by grabbing her by the hair. Irritation laced her voice "Would you please let go before my hairstyle comes off in your hand?" Roman waited a beat then let go. He tells her to stop moving around like that and sit her fine ass down on his lap. She sits on his lap, he pulled her back against his chest, then whispers that she will pay for talking back to him later. She loved the thought of some fun tonight in Sin City before she had to go back to her boring ass husband and her pretty house.

Roman tells Seth that they would handle Dean and his damned mouth. Seth put his hands up and says count him out of fucking with Dean, the guy was unhinged enough to try to blow a job like this after Roman talked to him tonight. Roman puts his hand around Shae's neck and squeezes making her shudder, letting go, he says to Seth "Don't worry I got others that will help us out thanks to my girl here. Can't have more fingers pointing in our direction." Shae nods and smiles back at him. "Besides, us three will be alibi tight when the shit hit the fan. As for Candy Bar, she still must go back to Grandville I see her bandleader and frontwoman didn't want to join you for tonight. I'm sure she just loved that considering she showed up alone makes me think she is alone in wanting to hang with you, which is a point in our favor. Time to go be seen just not together." They all exit the private bar area and enter the casino within minutes of each other. Roman even takes pictures with a few gambling fans.

Down the street as he is heading to his hotel Dean is hit from behind by a car. He catches air and lands on the hood of the car with a moan. The driver gets out helps him to his feet just to gut check him, making him double over, the driver then shoves Dean into his trunk and drives away. After relieving Dean of his, phone, key card, and his wallet the drivers, took his shoes, and put tape over his mouth. The drivers reclosed the trunk and walked away from the car that was now parked at an abandoned hotel on the outskirts of town.

Up inside of Dean and Renee's room the driver enters silently, and closes the door behind him and his friend. A hand gesture is made between them on who is to do what. The driver's friend goes in search of valuables. The driver walks into the bedroom. Looking around he does not see the little blonde he looks under the bed and in the closet no woman. Where the fuck was she? He storms out of the bedroom into his friend they nearly best the shit out of each. The driver says the bitch is gone. His friend says there was no one in the seating area or the other bathroom either. They both agree to go look for Renee at the bars and the casino downstairs. As a calling card they wipe it off and place Dean's wallet on the bed and leave in search of Dean's woman.

Outside on the balcony Renee stands against the side of the building behind a planter, she'd seen two larger than Dean and Seth figures enter their hotel room and had quickly dashed out on the balcony closing the window behind her. Her being from Canada had helped with standing in the chilling night winds of Las Vegas. Yes, it was unpleasant but not unbearable. Risking a peak around the planter she sees the man walk into their room. She plasters herself back against the cold concrete of the building as to not give away her hiding spot. After the men leave she slides back in and when she found Dean's wallet. She picks up the wallet and sits on the bed holding it. Calling him was out because if he was mugged they would have his phone. Putting on clothes she went to the door peaks out and when she saw no one she dashed next door to one of Mark's student's rooms. A large dark-haired Samoan female by the name of Nia Jax was rooming with Seth. She had hung with Nia most of the time when Seth was busy. Knocking on the door she hoped she wasn't interrupting them. Nia came to the door and Renee tried to speak in a calm tone, but her fight or flight had waned, and the nerves barley let her speak. When Seth walked out in a bath robe, Renee asked when was the last time he'd seen Dean. Seth told her about 3 or four hours ago. When he told her that Dean said he was heading back to their hotel room Renee told him and showed him the wallet left by the two goons that had broken into her room. Seth looked alarmed and suggested she stay with them tonight. Renee agreed and called the police they came to the hotel room along with the night manager. After Renee gave her account of the two men stealing things and leaving Dean's wallet the officer told her the classic line about Dean being an adult and could not be listed as missing for another 24 hours, Renee told them that someone had obviously abducted her boyfriend and wanted her to know it. She went to social media if the police wouldn't help her the WWE universe would. She had to find Dean.

Later that morning on Chase's private jet, Candy tried to speak to Angel. They had all got up and finished packing before their noon checkout and made good time getting to the hanger. Cass and Rapture along with Connie and Trevor and Vashon buckled up. When the jet climbs into the air, except for "good morning" Angel still had not even acknowledged Candy's presence. Candy watched as Angel wrote on her tablet. Now that the seat belt sign was off Candy gets up and sits next to Angel. "Can we talk?"

Angel sighs and says "Candy, I don't have time for this, I have lots of stuff to get done." Candy says that she was working in airplane mode. "Yes, and when we land my father is going to get the data dump of his life when all this stuff he requested hits his email server. Now please just let me get this done." Angel then puts in her earbuds, and makes her tablet the center of her attention. She'd had a fucking nightmare last night that involved her mother, she hadn't had that nightmare in months, and felt bad about waking Joshua this morning with her tossing and turning. She didn't feel like being chatty with anyone today, and wasn't up for a round two of Candy throwing more verbal arrows at her ass about her distrust of a group all the way until they touched down in Grandville.

Candy taps Angel on the arm and motions for her to pull out her ear buds. Angel rolls her eyes, gets up says really and walks back to the bedroom closing the door. Joshua wasn't too pleased that Angel had such a rough night and wished Candy would chill out. "She asked you nicely to leave her alone." Candy asked was she ok. Joshua shrugs, gets up and follows Angel into the bedroom.

Candy looks at Cassandra and the auditory illusion of their conversation repeats as if on cue of Cass saying "The only reason you know enough about Angel to zing her like that, is because she let you close to her, don't make her regret it because if you don't patch it up quickly you'll lose not only her but Joshua as well. They are a package deal now. Take it from me, you don't want to be on the outside looking in. Don't throw your name in the hat of people Joshua will push away to protect what is his." Candy did want to mend the bridge that she set on fire between her and her girl but right now she had no clue on how to go about it. She didn't get it Angel sent Andrew after her and everything and now she won't even speak to me. Joshua didn't ignore me, but he wasn't itching to stay in my presence either just now. I've fucked up before, but I think Cass may have been on to something. This worried her she did not want to be in the same boat with Sally where her best friend warred with himself on whether to continue letting her remain close. The last time she stuck her foot in her mouth with Angel and Joshua, the band was on hiatus this was going to be difficult if she couldn't make this right soon.

This morning after his checkup, Bradley was cleared to drive. Middlebrooks had taken the stiches out of his head and the scar was easily hidden by his hair. He was happy the doctor had reduced the potency of the pain med they had him on and it was now to be taken as needed. Yeah, he had twinges of muscle pain here and there, but not having to take the med every 12 hours took him out of that dangerous risk of routine. He could not afford to get hooked on anything else. He calls Logan and tells him the good news and Logan comes to pick him up, so he can go back and grab his ride. He wanted to head to his place just be with his stuff for a while. Now that he was welcomed he didn't mind hanging with his family but by nature Bradley was a loner. As he was heading back to his home his attorney called him, pulling over he answered the call and Spencer informed him that the case against him was thrown out, he was no longer a suspect or even a person of interest. As if his mood could elevate more than it already had today he was once again free to live his life, his woman was on her way back he'd missed her and had lots of surprises for his honey. He heads into his home, showers, and drives back to Grandville South to pick up his woman and take her back to his place for some alone time.

Over inside Henriette Valentin-Vargo's hide out location, Deon Raphael Valentin-Vargo sits in what his new wife called the captain's chair, his old friends made fun of him for taking his wife's surnames, but his father no longer wanted anything to do with him, he would show his father, he would show them all. He had gone from a disowned failure about to lose everything, to marrying into a very powerful family with a record company and access to all the drugs he could ever want. He no longer worried about his court case with Candy or the legacy of LEGNA as he father called Angel. With Deon's wife temperately behind bars he had lots of power. A person in the family didn't want him to run the family, but Benjamin would have to get used to it or he would be dealt with. His wife once said Deon breathed new life into the family. He had by putting some of his old friends to work for the family. Their member numbers were once again on the rise. Deon no longer had to worry about being arrested for his drug use he had cops and other politicians on his payroll.

Back on the outskirts of Vegas, Dean comes to with a start. The first thing that hit his system was pain after that he realized that he is in a fucking trunk with tape on his mouth. He removes the tape and that was a little better for the breathing. He remembered walking back towards his hotel, getting hit by a shiny car, and punched in the gut. He'd passed out from the pain of being struck both by the car that hit him, and the man that was driving. Dean could get not wanting your insurance premium to go up for running into someone, but somehow, he knew that was no accident considering instead of making sure he was ok the guy punched him in the gut, and he was now waking up in a trunk. With Dean's history finding himself in weird situations was nothing new. He would admit it had been a long time since he was shoved in a trunk. Luckily for him he knew how to get out of most places. His father used to shove him in the trunk as a child when he would visit his mistress's one-bedroom apartment. Once he figured out how to get out he would roam the halls of the apartment complex until his father would be heading back to the car to free him, so he could sit in the front seat like a big kid. Many times, Dean would beat his dad back to the car with only minutes to spare. Back then was the first time he'd fell from a high place and had not broken anything. "Now time to put that training to good use." Dean found the release and the hood popped up not knowing what he would find on the other side he peaked out of the trunk and saw that he was alone in a deserted parking area. It was hot as hell out here. He wondered did the car work or was it just his prison. He had to call WWE the show tonight featured him and his Shield members. Looking for his phone he came up short. "Don't panic it probably fell out in the trunk." Dean searches the trunk throwing everything out on the ground. He did panic now, his wallet his phone and his fucking key card was missing. Some nut job fan had mugged him and threw him in a trunk out in the middle of the fucking desert. Considering it was day light he knew Renee would be worried sick. Another thought hit him as he hotwired the car and drove like a speed demon back to the strip. If they had stalked and captured him would they go after his girl as well? Getting to the hotel he runs to the front desk and the woman stepped back with shock on her face. "Look, I know I'm not looking my best but I need to get into my room." He gave his name and the woman asked him for ID. Explaining to her that he'd been mugged and didn't have his wallet on him he was on the edge of going completely mental on her ass when a fan ran up almost catching his fist and took a picture of him. The fan then said that Renee would be so happy he was ok. The fan asked for a pic with him. "I'll do you one better you let me use your phone and I'll clean up and take three with you and your friend over there hiding behind the newspaper. Do we have a deal?" The fan hands him her phone, Dean calls Renee. After he was able to get into the new room the hotel had put Renee in, he showered and went back to keep his promise to the fan that helped him get in touch with his woman. He makes it to RAW just in time to be whisked into wardrobe, he had to wear a Shield shirt because his normal attire of a wife beater would show the bruising from the car. He did the most work in the match tonight which wasn't the plan, but they secured the win. Now he sits on trainer's row holding his ribs. Big Show hit hard even when pulling his punch. Roman comes into the room and asks him why he was almost absent from the show tonight saying that he called him. "Sorry I missed your call as of now I don't have a phone. Whoever attacked me wanted to scare Renee with leaving my wallet for her when they let themselves into my fucking hotel room looking for her, they kept my phone and I just got it shut off but thanks for your concern." Roman told him just not to be late to next week's show.

Upon their arrival back in Grandville, the band along with Cass and Rapture went to their separate homes, that left Joshua, Angel, and Candy in the car. Since she had tried to strike up a conversation and got ignored for the second time Candy figured she would text her new friend. Shae was quick to respond and tell her that she was fine just bummed that Candy had blown her off. Candy quickly explained about Angel looking her up through her sister and refusing to come. Candy then tells Shae about Roman's people approaching her and how one of them had mentioned Shae's name and made her fear for Shae's safety. Shae said she had an excellent security team complete with her own personal bodyguard. Candy was relieved that her friend was not bothered by Roman's guy. Candy asked her about her position in the GSSEC. Shae said some of the same things Candy had told Angel about how the group was under new management and trying to erase the negative stains of its past and how she married into becoming a member. What gave Candy pause was when Shae said she understood why Angel and Sophie may not like her and that it was fine. Candy still trying to understand asked didn't Shae mean why Angel and her sister would not like the GSSEC considering they had never met her personally. Shae says they may not like her because of her husband's friendship with Mayor Jackson and her public support of the current mayor. Candy froze she wasn't classically a person that decided her friendships based on politics, but the current mayor had taunted Chase by threatening to remove Angel's protected status when she was arrested for shooting Deon. Something that Angel would have never done had it not been for the fact Angel saved Candy's very life that day from Deon who had held her hostage in her own home and tried to kill her. Candy shuddered she felt dirty and dishonest for sitting across from Angel and Joshua while texting a person that could support someone as evilly crooked as Mayor Jackson. She'd witnessed some of Joshua's emotional grid breakdown as they all waited for Angel to be released on bail. Candy swiped away from the text conversation, turned off the alerts for it, opened her photo album and watched the beginning of her friendship with Angel, a female that in one short year had proven to be the female best friend she never knew she needed or wanted. Candy gets a news alert from a gossip music hot sheet and swiped away from the photo of Angel, Sophie and herself at a mall in California earlier this year. When she opened the news app the headline jumped out and smacked her, she glanced at Joshua and then quickly back at her screen. "Joshua Davenport bandleader of LEGENA's Grammy award-winning band Personal Touch's biological parents "Out of Time". Candy read the first few sentences and then glanced back up at her best friend. If this article was true the Smyth parents were dead and a neighbor that refused to be identified gave Joshua's description as the last person that was in the home with them, but that accusation was quickly discredited by a fan who posted a time-stamped video of their live performance at WWE Access over 1000 miles away. It was ruled a homicide.

Author's note: I want to thank my beta reader team without you guys and girls I would be still sitting in front of a "writer's wall" i.e. my version of writer's block. I also want to welcome my newest reader Amandajeanrhodes thanks for reading. Welcome to my mental sandbox 😊 End Note