7: The Art of Stalking

Paul had no idea why he was asked to follow Reneire. What was the point? The woman was a recluse. He found it hard to catch her in public, except when she ventured out for business. He did however; learn a bit about her business.

He had already known that she was a designer, an established and famous one at that, and she was also a rather successful business woman. Her latest venture was to bring her designs to those who could not normally afford them. She would design a dress, or whatever, and then let it be manufactured for mass production. Because these designs would not be one of a kind creations, but part of a new, fairly priced clothing line, she was obviously expecting to expand her market.

So again, why was he doing this? Oh yes, because 'Taker had lost his mind when the woman who had tried turning his head into mush had walked away from him without a backward glance. "Why can't he just settle for someone who is not a pain in the ass?" He asked himself darkly.

~!~

Fortunately for Sine, she had no idea she was being watched. Currently most of her attention was focused on her new business venture and the fact that she was bringing in more business then she actually needed at the moment. Late nights were becoming a normal thing for her, late nights at the office even more so, which she did not like but… that was how it worked.

One evening she decided she wasn't staying up until two in the morning. Instead she stepped out with Rab for a walk instead of sending him with one of the doormen. They had just turned the corner and she nearly ran into some guy she vaguely recognized from the Corporation. When he instantly tried backing away, she cocked an eyebrow. "Rab, heel." She ordered, the Dane sitting beside her though he didn't stop baring his teeth.

"Sorry about that."

"Hunter, was it?"

He nodded, slowly. "Well, that's my stage name, but my real name is Paul."

"Hmm, Paul is also the name of that odious little fat man."

"Hunter it is then." He frowned under her scrutinizing stare, having a feeling he knew exactly what she was thinking and raked a hand through his hair. "Look, it wasn't my idea. They just want to make sure you're not going to run your mouth about what happened." He wasn't about to tell her that he had been sent by both 'Taker and Shane who had joined forces. He wasn't telling her because that dog looked ready to tear a chunk right out of his ass. "For the record, I think they're all insane but this is my job, sadly, and they sign the paycheck."

"I don't care about your storylines, or your damn company." Sine said flatly, not believing how paranoid the McMahon's were being. She wondered why she even bothered leaving her penthouse anymore, honestly. "Tell your boss if he doesn't leave me alone, I will press charges." She said finally, knowing it wasn't this guy's fault but she wasn't going to have her privacy invaded either. "If I catch another one of you… wrestlers… around me again, following me…" She was beginning to get pissed off, shaking her head.

Hunter sighed, nodding. "Understood, just don't kill the messenger. I think it's absolutely ridiculous how they keep bothering you. You went too easy on them, you know, when you did your press conference. I would've buried the bastards."

She simply tilted her head to the side, studying him thoughtfully.

He looked down at the Great Dane, not surprised to find it still staring at him. "Thanks for not… letting him rip me a new asshole, even though I deserve it. God, I feel like a fucking stalker."

"Technically, you are a stalker." Sine was amused now, seeing how uncomfortable he was, especially when Rab obviously wanting to take a bite from him. "Do you have any idea how much jail time you are looking at? New York has severe laws regarding stalking." She said it slowly, watching him pale beneath his tan. "I'm not going to turn you in. Paul, right?"

He nodded, looking relieved and a bit surprised that she was using his real name after showing an obvious aversion to it.

Grey eyes sparkling in amusement, Sine gestured down the street. "Since you're supposed to be

following me, how about joining me for a cup of coffee?"

From across the street, the Paul she intensely disliked, watched as the two spoke. He frowned when he seen Sine sliding her arm through Hunter's and inwardly cringed.

"You know, you're a really cool woman." Paul commented with a grin as they walked down the sidewalk together, her dog on her other side.

"I know."

He chuckled softly at that. "That's a gorgeous Dane by the way, now that he's not openly imagining how my leg tastes." His own smiled widened when he seen hers, watching as it spread across her painted lips and swore to God he felt his heart skipping a beat. No wonder 'Taker wanted her.

"Thank you." Sine glanced down at Rab, patting his head gently.

They walked in amicable silence until reaching a small outdoor coffee vendor, the same vendor she came to every night. After ordering her usual, she sipped the hot liquid and studied him thoughtfully while he got his. "Who sent you?" She asked finally. "Shane or 'Taker?"

She knew that the Ministry and Corporation were merging, or had they merged? So it could be either one. She didn't follow the show however, she just knew what she had heard the morning after her one night with Calaway.

Paul was at a crossroads, having had no intention of going there. "Both." He admitted finally, watching as her eyes went from warm and open to cold slits. "Look Sine, I'm not going to lie to you, 'Taker is off his damn rocker."

She snorted, gesturing for him to tell her something she didn't already know.

"He thinks he really is this… lord of darkness, he's fucking insane."

Again, she already knew that.

"As for Shane, he just wants to make sure you don't ruin his reputation, or his dad's, or the companies."

That made sense.

"Sine, about 'Taker," Paul hesitated, sincerely hoping this never came back to bite him in the ass. "You need to get another bodyguard, get all the security you can afford, I don't think he's going to stop."

"It wouldn't matter." Sine whispered, disregarding the Shane bit, her heart having plummeted when he said that about 'Taker. "He's chased me from Milan, Vienne, Budapest… all over the world. I had the best protection and he got past them all each and every night." Shaking her head, she threw the nearly full cup of coffee into a trash can. "Thanks Paul, I'm going home. Rab, come."

Before she could walk away, he reached out to gently grab hold of her hand, squeezing gently. "If he does come after you again, I will do everything in my power to help you." He promised, letting go when she tugged lightly.

Paul watched as she practically flew down the sidewalk, Rab at her side and knew that dog would wind up dead if she wasn't careful, just like her cat. He began plodding back to the hotel, determined to tell Shane he wasn't doing this anymore. He wasn't following her around anymore, it was just sick.

~!~

"Hunter told her." Paul said, giving his nightly report via the telephone, drumming his fingers on the ledge of his motel window. "I managed to get close enough to hear most of what he said. She knows now and she's got her penthouse filled with people. It looks like she is planning on moving again."

From the other end of the line, 'Taker growled darkly.

"'Taker, I say you just forget about her and focus on your career. She's more trouble than she's worth."

'Taker hung up.

~!~

"No, leave the furniture." Sine ordered tiredly, watching as the men she had hired put down the couch and instead went for the boxes she had packed. In the past twenty-four hours, she hadn't slept. Her penthouse was nearly empty now, save for these last two men.

Once the men were out of the room, she dropped down onto the couch, staring around the bare room. Rab was now with Monique while her belongings were being shipped to several different locations across the country, hoping to lay several trails. Now all she had to do was wait until her cab arrived.

"Christ…" She groaned, resting her head back and closing her eyes.

~!~

Edge watched from a distance as Sine dragged an armchair through the front door of her rundown "new" house, arching an eyebrow when she began cursing in French after getting it stuck. She had laid several trails but none of them had fooled 'Taker who apparently knew this woman's history quite well.

She had come to New Orleans, which is apparently a place she had spent a bit of time as a teenager. Did the woman honestly think she could trick 'Taker that easily?

Snorting quietly, Edge slipped back into the shadows alongside Christian.

"Do you think he's going a bit too far with this?"

"I think I'm going to follow orders and keep my head on my shoulders. You do the same." Ignoring the petulant look on his brother's face, Edge slipped inside the phone booth they were leaning against, digging in his jeans pocket for some change. "She's in New Orleans, living in a one story house here in the old French Quarter." He said, not even bothering with a greeting. In the background he could hear Hunter beginning to protest whatever 'Taker was saying. He waited a full minute, rolling his eyes. "Boss, orders?"

"Bring her to me."

~!~

Sine was walking up the cracked, uneven sidewalk to her house, a grocery bag tucked under her arm when her cell phone rang. Staring down at it, she frowned, feeling apprehension curling in the pit of her stomach. Only Monique had this new number and she didn't recognize the number on the Caller ID. "Hello?" She answered hesitantly.

"Sine, get out of there now!"

"Paul?" Her gray eyes widened when he shouted at her to run, dropping the bag and turned to bolt. "Please don't hang up, please! Talk to me." She urged.

"I'm right here Sine." He soothed, hearing the panic in her voice and tried to hide his own, glancing over his shoulder. He didn't hang up, but he had to also be quick before the rest of the Corporate Ministry found him. "Here, go to this address." He rattled it off to her, hoping she could make it. If she could, then he would be able to meet her and they could figure something out. "Hurry."

Sine ran as fast as she could. She had made it a habit to wear sneakers, jeans and a tank top, just for this purpose. She had started constantly carrying her wallet in her back pocket, just in case she had to literally drop what she was doing and run. Kind of like now.

"Merde!" She screamed when a black car cut right in front of her, right over the curb and onto the sidewalk. "How many of them are coming for me?" She demanded, not waiting to see who was chasing her now. She immediately halted, seeing two men she recognized vaguely from before, the cell phone dropping from her hand and landing in the grass.

"Sine? SINE?" Paul cursed when he heard nothing but dial tone a moment later, hanging up and shook his head. She was screwed.

"Hello little girl." Bradshaw drawled, his eyes narrowed as he watched her glancing up and down the street. "Now if you come nice and quiet…"

Edge was already coming up behind her.

Sine smelled the ether –what was with them and that damn drug?- before she felt the cloth over her mouth, beginning to struggle belatedly.

"Sorry lady." Edge apologized, gently easing her back into Christian's waiting arms.

Christian stared down at her, wondering if he was going to burn in Hell for all this. He was pretty sure he would, and chances were, 'Taker would probably be the one down there tormenting him.

Bradshaw just smirked.