Hostage

Apart from the khaki bomber jacket that hung from her shoulders, Kenna was dressed in all black for RAW. There was a sliver of tanned and very toned skin seen between her ripped skinny jeans and turtle neck tank, and the side right side of her hair was secured in a single braid, the other dark blonde strands falling in loose waves.

For a long while now, she'd been stood in front of a screen that was broadcasting the show— her arms were folded and she was taking apart each segment analytically, objectively, preparing herself for a few meetings later on in the week. It was the RAW leading to WrestleMania, and for the next year, she'd never have this experience again. It was the lead up to the big conclusion of the year, the big fight, everything the company had been working towards for the past eleven months. It was the crescendo. And, if Kenna wanted to help lead this company, she needed to note-take as much as she could.

But when her TV screen became Kane's face, Kenna was pulled from her thoughts.

"It appears to me that the only person we have to blame for last week's beating is Kenna Swan," the mask-less man spoke into the microphone. "And usually, I would let something like this slide because of our match at WrestleMania with her security detail. But we had our asses handed to us on a silver platter and that doesn't sit very well with any of us."

Billy Gunn and Jesse James stood next to Kane, both of them nodding their heads in agreement, and Kenna felt a presence peering over her shoulder at the TV screen. She knew it was Roman without having to turn.

"I'd like to believe that as Hunter Hearst Helmsley's little sister, Kenna Helmsley has the dignity to come out here and face us like she would anyone else," Kane continued, his voice becoming a sneer with the last name she'd changed. "I, personally, would like an apology. I wasn't the one that started this war, but I'll be the first one to try and end it."

Kenna stayed glued to her spot with narrowed eyes.

Roman's hand slipped onto her waist. "You going out there?"

"Didn't plan on it, no."

Kane was still talking, and the crowd was jeering at him harshly. "…and as Director of Operations, I have the responsibility to handle this in a way that is best for business. So, Kenna Helmsley, Kenna Swan, whatever name it is that you respond to— please, grace us with your presence. Come out here and we can settle this, business person to business person."

Silence followed his request.

"I don't know what he's talking about," Kenna sniffed at the screen. "Gunn and James are in their wrestling gear, and Kane more often than not wrestles in those exact pants. I'm not stupid."

Almost like he could hear her outright refusal, Kane's lips pulled back over his teeth in a snarl. "I'm not going to take silence as an answer, Swan. I won't leave this ring until you're on that ramp and I'm lookin' at you."

"He's not gonna leave," Roman said lowly.

Kenna nodded and sighed, kneading her forehead. She didn't know what this was about, but she wasn't going to go anywhere near him or the New Age Outlaws— the only thing she was aware of with the angle was that their WrestleMania match was being announced tonight.

When Kane stood in that squared circle for another minute, the boos got louder.

"Fine."

With heels that could knock a man out and a man hot on them, Kenna sauntered through the hallways until she found the gorilla, nodding at the sound guys to hit her music, and the sound of cheering deafened her for a long second.

Kenna turned to Roman. "Until I'm in actual danger, I think I can handle this on my own, hot shot." She caught a brief glimpse of a smirk as she turned back to the curtain.

The moment she scooped a microphone up into her hands and the curtains were pulled back for her, Kenna stepped out into the harsh spotlight and right into Kane's line of sight. From where she was, she could see his smirk and feel the smug air radiating from him. He'd got what he wanted.

"Business person to business person, always inform the person you plan to meet with about the meeting," Kenna said lowly into her microphone, eyes boring down at Kane. "And as a business person, Kane, I'd expect you would understand how busy it gets behind the scenes. I have a company to overthrow and bosses to undermine, and you're calling me out here for— for what? A scolding?" She snorted. "You want me to apologise to you, Kane, but the truth of life is that we don't always get what we want. I don't want to be out here, I don't want to answer to my brother and his bitch of a wife, I don't want the Authority in charge of this company. You want an apology? Well, sorry Kane, but you're not getting one."

She could see his nostrils flare from where she stood. "You're going to apologise to me, or I'm going to make your life a living hell," Kane snarled. "By the time I'm done with The Shield, they won't be able to protect you— but you're the one that's going to be paying for their hospital bills and your own if you don't apologise…"

As Kane droned on, Kenna made a show of glancing down at her khaki faced watch, twirled the microphone in her other hand. He was midway through a sentence when she cut him off. "Look, Kane, you're not getting an apology and I don't have time for this, so I'm just gonna go."

Kane was yelling at her now, shouting her name, shouting "how dare you disrespect me" into the mic, but Kenna had already turned her back and disappeared behind the curtain.

Her eyes locked onto Roman's right away. Seth and Dean were perched slightly behind him, and they looked ready for a fight. "You know you want to," Kenna taunted, and the three of them smirked in tandem and sidestepped around her, walking down some stairs to use the side entrance.

And, once she found the closest monitor, Kenna watched as The Shield accepted Kane and NAO's challenge for a WrestleMania match.

Things were beginning to fall into place.

Now that she had Dean pegged, the only variable that unsettled her was Seth Rollins. She was still certain that he knew more than he let on about everything, but apart from asking him outright, she would never know for sure. And, if she was being honest, Seth reminded her a little of Hunter. He was observant, quiet, and that was more dangerous than Dean's unpredictability ever was. Nothing was more frightening to Kenna than a person who was content to just sit back and watch. Because eventually, she'd slip up— and he'd catch it.

With her gaze focused on Seth's figure, her back turned away from a small crowd that had started to gather, Kenna felt the hairs on her arms raise, almost as if someone was looking at her.

Maybe Orton, maybe Batista. She wasn't bothered, didn't turn away from the monitor until the next ad played, but was thrown a complete curveball when she turned and, of all people, John Cena was staring back at her.

He wasn't close to where she was standing, leaning on some production boxes a few yards away, but he was looking right at her. His arms were crossed and there was something about the way his mouth was pursed that kept her hairs right on end. Kenna had been here for a month and not laid her eyes on him once, but there he was— the face of WWE. The face of the company she wanted to control. The most polarising wrestler in the business.

She made a mental note to keep an eye out for him.

—

Later the same evening, when things had calmed down and Kenna wasn't so on edge, she made her way towards The Shield's locker room. Eventually, she wanted to tell Roman what had happened between Dean and herself. She knew it would find the light of day eventually, especially if Dean was going to keep dropping around to check up on her.

"Kenna."

Speak of the devil, Kenna thought, spinning at the same time she let her lips curve. Roman was in street clothes now, his hair almost dry and pulled back in a loose bun.

"Did you have fun earlier?" She teased, walking right into Roman's open arms.

He squeezed her a little, dropped a kiss onto her head, then intwined his fingers at the base of her spine. "We're in a match against them at WrestleMania," he said lowly.

"You'll win."

Roman grinned at the confidence in her voice. "You think?"

"I know," she whispered, and then she stepped up onto her tiptoes and looped her arms around the back of his neck. Kenna pressed a quick kiss against his lips. "You don't wanna disappoint, do you?"

There was a flash of a challenge in Kenna's eyes and a glint of danger in Roman's as they stared at each other. Yet, as quickly as it was there, it was gone. The grin at his lips became fond and he kissed her again, slowly now, his mouth and hold on her soft. Her fingers threaded loosely through her hair and she curled up and into his body.

She didn't even realise they had a small crowd until Dean coughed with a loud 'ah-hem', and Kenna found herself smiling as she turned her face away from him.

"This is an open space, y'know?" Ambrose muttered. "There are children around. Think of the children."

Roman snorted in her ear and slowly released his hold. He kept one arm around her waist and, uncharacteristically, Kenna curled her face into the beefy muscle of his arm so she could hide how pink her cheeks were. She was hiding from Rollins. No one seemed to pick up on it except for her.

"Can I help you two?"

"We travellin' to the next town together or what?"

Kenna could feel Roman's hum through her own body. "Give me a couple, I'll meet ya' out by the car."

"Yep, sure thing hot shot," Dean shot back, and then she could faintly hear their steps as they walked away.

Kenna waited for another moment before she put some space between Roman and his god-like body. He smiled down at her again. "You up for riding with us yet?" he asked her.

"I'll take a rain-check," she replied. "Too many things I gotta sort out tonight. Flights, accommodation, get my hair done, a dress for Saturday night…" Kenna trailed off suggestively and raised an eyebrow. "You got a date for that yet, hot shot?"

He smirked at the nickname. "Was hoping to ask you, actually."

Kenna raised a hand to the side of his neck and ran her thumb along the stubble on his jaw. "Dark red."

Roman frowned for the quickest second, but then he understood that her response had been the colour she was going to be wearing— and that he should be wearing the same thing if they were going together. "Dark red," he agreed with her. "Though I'm surprised you're not goin' in something dark green. S'all you seem to wear."

"Dark red, big dog," Kenna smacked her hand off of his chest a couple of times in a patting manner, smiling around her words. She inched forwards until her mouth was almost against his, her breath falling across his lips, and Kenna's eyes were darting between his sultry gaze and his growing smirk. "I'll see you tomorrow."

And then Kenna turned completely away from him and sauntered down the hallway, sending a wink over her shoulder at a flustered Reigns.

—

Kenna didn't know how long it'd been since she'd thought of Japan. The country, the people in it. She figured being so centred around WWE and The Shield and Roman Reigns also served to keep her attention away from that heartbreak— because that's what Japan was; heartbreak. It was something she was happy to not think about.

She'd lied to Roman when he'd asked what she'd done before WWE. Because she'd been at an organisation, just not a detention or juvenile camp. She'd been at a company called New Japan Pro Wrestling. She'd wrestled almost exclusively behind the scenes, never had any real job apart from being involved with the promotions and English commentary; for all of five months, and that was because Japan was only supposed to be a temporary fix to another problem.

And really, everything in her life was either a problem or something she didn't want to deal with. For example, like right now, Kenna just preferred not to deal with more pressing matters and instead chose to go out drinking with people who were supposed to be her enemies.

Randy and Dave and Hunter, the exact men she would find herself fighting against this time next week, and the exact same men that were cackling boyishly, most definitely at her expense.

"You remember that time Adam taught her to spear?" Dave reminisced, his cheeks tinted pink and eyes glassy. "She was like, twelve—"

"Fifteen," Kenna corrected.

"— and tried it on you, Orton, and fuckin' fractured her collarbone."

Randy laughed, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at her, and Kenna just pouted back at him. "I'll have you know that hurt like a bitch."

"If it makes you feel any better, Orton had a bruise on his stomach—"

"Did not, can't prove it."

Dave snorted and rolled his eyes at Kenna, his mouth tugging to the side just a little, and Hunter laughed at the three of them with a gentle smile. While Kenna was definitely younger, she wasn't at heart— Dave, the same age as her step-brother, was the child out of them all, and Randy wasn't too far behind either.

And both of the babies were piss drunk.

Randy, with his red neck and chest, ears flushed too, and Dave with glassy eyes, a never disappearing smile, blushing cheeks, and— something was different. Kenna's observant eyes flickered between the ring that belonged to the man who wasn't supposed to have one and the ringless hand that was supposed to have one. And what? Dave was engaged and Randy… didn't have his wedding band on.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked back at their grinning faces. "S'there something you two not telling me?"

"What?"

"Y'know, the fact there's a ring on your finger, Dave?"

A cheeky grin split his face. "Dunno what you're talking about, Kenzie."

"I would say congratulations, but… you're an ass for not telling me."

Dave sucked in a gasp, pulled a ridiculous face. "Hey! That's offensive!"

"Your face is offensive."

With these three men who were like her brothers, despite one being her actual step-brother, Kenna found spending time with them was easy. Probably, with all things considered, the easiest thing in her life right now.

"What about you, Orton?" Kenna asked after he'd finished laughing. "What's with bare finger?"

Randy's gaze dropped from Kenna and his smile slowly faded, and if Kenna didn't know him any better, she'd say that she was ashamed. But she knew him better. And she knew that look meant he'd fucked up… big time. After a moment of pondering the safest way to answer Kenna, he raised a shoulder. "I cheated on her," he said lowly, "because I needed a way out where she'd hate me."

Her jaw dropped.

"You cheated on Sam?"

Randy nodded slowly and she saw the way his eyes fogged over with tears, that the fingers on one hand were tight around the glass and the fingers on another hand were wrapped tightly in a fist. "Well," she murmured, leaning back against the booth seat. "That's one way to do it."

Hunter cleared his throat and looked down at his watch, sending a pointed look at Kenna. "It's getting a bit late, so I'm gonna head off. Some people have a business to run, y'know."

"That's a new way to put it," Dave teased. He looked at Kenna as her step brother got up, smiled brightly. "I'm gonna go for another round, you in?"

"No chance," Kenna laughed. "You two should try and get back to the hotel, big couple of days coming up."

Randy nodded. "Yeah, think I'm gonna hit the sack, Dave. I'll see you tomorrow."

As much as Batista tried to get them to stay, Kenna and Randy were out of the club in the next five minutes, walking together back to the hotel that was just a little bit further down the street. There was an arm around her shoulder, more of a way to stabilise himself than a drunken gesture she should be worried about, and his speech was starting to slur as he tried to tell her that he wasn't a bad guy— he just needed a break.

"Yeah, yeah, tough guy," Kenna said lowly. "Can't have a heart to heart, always let your actions do the talking for you."

"Yeah, but— she's a bitch!"

"You married her. You've got a child with her. Randy, she's probably going through as much shit as you right now, and Alana's growing up and you're not there for her to see it," the smaller woman tried to rationalise with him. "She's probably feeling lonely and afraid and that's why she's been doing what she's doing. Yeah, you fucked up, but so did she."

Randy groaned, his head falling down on top of hers as they walked in through the hotel lobby, and he sighed again as they stood waiting for the elevator.

"Dunno what I did to deserve you as a friend," he murmured softly.

Kenna snorted and nudged him a little. "I mean, one of your best friends is my step brother, so…"

"You're horrible, I'm trying to be nice."

And when Kenna looked up, the way Randy was staring down at her sent the alarm bells ringing. Despite the fact he was drunk, there was a certain glint and a gentle tilt at his mouth and then he was leaning forward, lips dipping down—

"Orton."

His eyes snapped open as he looked at her— really looked— and then his face dropped completely. "Sorry," he slurred. "Don't gotta say anythin', I get it. So stupid. Sorry. I just… sorry."

Except she hadn't been the one who'd said his name.

Seth Rollins, who stood in the elevator they were about to get in, had spoken the name with a testing pull to his mouth, his eyes narrowed both suspiciously and cautiously. Kenna couldn't make sense of the way his body was tensed. Maybe he was afraid of Orton… maybe he just hated the man. And maybe he thought he'd finally found Kenna out.

Kenna slowly stepped away from Randy.

"Dunno what to tell ya man," Seth said as he broke the silence. "She's a taken woman."

The eyebrows on Randy's face shot to the top of his head. And Kenna realised with a start that she hadn't told Randy or Dave what the fuck she was even doing here— they'd not had the chance to talk about it.

Finally, Randy shrugged. "Thought she was with Reigns, but if you two share her…"

What?!

Turning bright red, Kenna stepped away from her friend in shock at the same time she raised an arm, and the sound of her palm hitting the back of his head echoed through the lobby. "Right, well then, you can stay down here and try and get your drunken ass back to your room, you shit."

His mouth dropped open as she stepped into the elevator, but she didn't miss the twitch of his mouth when the doors were closing.

'Hostage' by Nothing but Thieves and because it's impossible to just choose one song from them, go check out the entire album, seriously.

sorry about the wait? oh well... here's a longer chapter as an apology and i'm already partway through the next chapter, so that should be out soon.

bless the reviewers and silent readers, the followers, and those that favourite this story- it's all greatly appreciated and gives me more motivation to write. let me know what you think about this chapter!

all the love x