Chapter 26

"Ow, ow, ow…OW!"

Nothing was quite as painful in a very annoying, aggravating way as claw gouges from sex. They were ragged and felt horrible, and GOD help if the person sweat and the sweat slid into them. Jon was a wrestler, he sweat a LOT. Vallea, while sniggering at him, was disinfecting the marks and it did not feel so hot.

"Babe, we're cutting those talons off… you got my inner thigh too…" She could have punctured a ball or something.

"Uh huh and how do you think my pussy feels right now?"

Probably swollen and bruised from the countless thrusts Jon gave her. The claw gouges would heal fast, he'd just have to wear a shirt while wrestling for the house shows this weekend. Luckily, they had two days off starting today, but they had a funeral to attend in Cincinnati, which she knew Jon wasn't looking forward to.

"You told me to ride you as hard as I could…" How was she supposed to know her nails would dig that far into his inner thighs? "Just hold still, I'm almost done…"

"Doll, your pussy is gonna be fine, those things are meant to pop out babies…a punctured ball means death!" Obviously, she didn't realize there was a major difference. "Or, it means my balance will be off because they'll be lopsided." Now he was just being a goof and her giggles made him smile. "Want me to do you next?" Not rubbing alcohol or anything, not in those delicate areas, but he had some salve that'd help.

Bruising is all she suffered from his big, strong hands gripping various parts of her body. "Salve would be nice, yes." She sat back while he grabbed a jar out of his bag and came back to start the process, her fingers sliding over his buzzed hair, dropping a kiss on his forehead. "I love you." His massaging wasn't sexual, only soothing and she turned to where he could get her shoulder blades, wondering how the HELL he managed to bruise her there. Then again, Vallea was smaller than him and the man had big hands. "Our flight leaves in a few hours, so we might as well get ready to leave." Both would be passed out on the plane before it took off, that much she was certain of.

"If we're quick enough, we can find a place to get something greasy for breakfast." The idea of bacon, eggs, and a million other things flashed through his mind and made his stomach growl. He needed to replenish everything he had just lost, she probably did too. "How about it? I'll even let you pick the place so you can have something healthy if you want." He had started eating a little better, but breakfast was something there was no compromise on.

Breakfast was the best meal of the day.

Turns out, there was a breakfast nook of sorts right inside the airport with delicious food. Jon got his bacon, eggs, pancakes smothered in syrup, hash browns, and coffee while she had biscuits and gravy with the same sides. They were in food comatose by the time they boarded the plane, both leaning on each other and completely satisfied. Vallea held his hand, lacing their fingers together, and leaned her head back, closing her eyes just as the plane took off. Just as she predicted, they were out like lights before the seatbelt sign came on to take them off.

Arriving in Philadelphia, Jon had woken up on edge and Vallea chalked it up to him hating this place. She noticed he became a little edgier whenever they were in the Midwest for some reason. All she could do was be here for him. The drive from the airport to the hotel was made in silence with the radio playing soft classic rock. She stared out the window as the snow fell and was glad she had bought some winter clothes to come out here with since it was in the dead of winter. His phone rang and Jon asked her to answer it because he was driving, doing as he asked.

"They found him, man." It was Drake Younger's voice and it was thick with sorrow and hoarse. "They found that Ryan guy too…"

"This isn't Jon. He's driving. I'll put you on speakerphone." Vallea murmured, pressing the button, and could hear Drake's agonized voice flow through the phone.

"Mox, they found him. They found Nicky…and that Ryan guy…" Drake sniffled, not bothering to try fighting his tears back. "T-They were dropped in vats of acid, dude! It's a miracle there's any remains left, but they managed to find scrapes…"

"Oh god…" Vallea covered her mouth with her hand, hazel eyes wide, and could see the different emotions playing on Jon's face. "Vats of…ACID? Who the hell would do something like that to human beings?"

"I don't know. Sick fucks, I guess? Shelly has postponed the funeral until next week. I know you're probably already here, but she didn't expect their bodies to be found at an old plant on the outskirts of Cincinnati." Drake still couldn't believe it, but at least some of the mystery had been solved. "Can you believe they dumped the acid out and the workers there found their remains?"

"Jesus…"

Jon was silent, his jaw working furiously as he took all of that in. "I thought the plants were closed?" He managed to ask finally, his voice coming out thick.

"They reopened them, man. That is…a horrible way to die."

Well yeah, that had been the point in Ryan's case. He didn't want the man to die immediately, he wanted him to be in agony and aware of how he was dying. "God, yeah…yeah it is." Jon inhaled deeply. That was his bad, last he had known the plant was shut down for good, and a lot of homeless had moved in. "So what next, Drake?"

"The investigation is ongoing… this is a breakthrough, but… with as mangled and… melted, as the bodies were, they don't think there's any evidence left to salvage."

The bodies were found together, in the same place, so that convinced Vallea Ryan and Nick Gage were somehow connected.

"It's looking like my assumption was right as far as them working together and something going wrong." Drake scrubbed a hand down his face, feeling sick to his stomach and relieved at the same time. "Hopefully, they can figure out what happened and put this to rest, to give us some kind of closure."

"Yeah, hopefully." Vallea grabbed Jon's hand, not able to imagine what he was going through and feeling right now. "We're in Philly now, Drake. Are you here yet?"

"No, I canceled my trip and I meant to get a hold of you sooner, but…"

"It's okay, you don't have to explain anything. We'll just stick around Philadelphia since the house shows are coming this way anyway." Vallea figured there was no reason to fly home for a day, only to have to come back this way for the house shows and Raw.

"Sounds good, talk soon."

Vallea pressed the end button, feeling overwhelming sadness over Ryan and Nick's deaths. Nobody deserved to be killed by being tossed in a vat of acid – what a horrible way to go! She didn't bother asking Jon if he was all right and remained silent, knowing when he wanted to talk, he'd initiate the conversation.

Well, this put Jon in a pretty pickle. He had no intention of talking right now, focusing on driving and lost in his own thoughts. Ryan and Nicky's deaths were going to be investigated probably as a double homicide and he already knew where that road was going to eventually lead. They both had one thing in common and that was him. He and Nicky had been friends and he was dating the woman who used to work for Ryan. Jon had to wonder how opposed to fleeing the country Vallea would be… provided she didn't turn him in herself if that thought crossed her mind. He frowned, brows furrowing together because he hadn't ever meant for her to find out.

What would she think?

It wasn't a huge surprise when Stephanie called for an emergency meeting for all talent and employees in WWE who were on the road with the company. With Ryan's body finally found, the investigation was underway. Ryan and Nick's deaths were ruled as a double homicide, but authorities weren't entirely convinced that was what happened. It could've easily been tossed out, but Ryan and Nick's families wanted justice for their lost loved ones, especially Nick's girlfriend. She wanted to know what happened and why he was in Cincinnati in the first place since he hadn't told her a damn thing.

WWE was in Cincinnati for Raw the night both men disappeared and wound up in the same vat of acid. Naturally, the authorities started with the company and its employees, wanting every single person who was on the road that night questioned individually. Since Vallea was Ryan's personal assistant at the time, she was one of the first the authorities pinpointed. To say she was nervous would've been an understatement, even though she was innocent and had no idea what happened to her former boss.

Stephanie wasn't happy because her father had flown in once he learned about this investigation. The WWE was a globally traded company and the fact that a lot of the roster was being interviewed about murders did not look good to their shareholders, or anyone else to be quite honest. She had been indignant, her Superstars being questioned, it was insulting, but…the fact that this kid had been a sort of wrestler once and then Ryan had been working with wrestlers, was a bit too much to overlook.

"Where were you on the night of Stand and Gage's murder?"

"The hotel. I was sleeping." More like out cold and dead to the world, but Vallea didn't think that was the right thing to say.

"Is it true you are dating Jonathan Good?"

Vallea nodded with a small smile. "Yes, sir."

"How long?"

"Since late August."

The police officer jotted notes down, nodding. "So, it's safe to assume you two share a hotel room together, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Do you know the whereabouts of Mr. Good on that evening?"

Vallea frowned at the question because she didn't remember much past collapsing on the bed. However, there was one thing she did recall. "He told me he was going to a bar in Cincinnati called Madonna's Bar. Said he was meeting up with friends after the show since he used to live around here and I told him that was fine. I passed out in the hotel room shortly after and didn't see him until the following morning."

The other cop made a weird noise in his throat. "I see. Very well. We will be questioning your boyfriend, so hopefully, you've told us the truth about everything." It honestly wasn't much to go on since she'd been sleeping throughout the fateful night. "Awfully coincidental how your former boss and one of Mr. Good's best friends just HAPPEN to go missing on the same night, isn't it?"

Hazel eyes narrowed at the officer and folded her arms in front of her chest. "What exactly are you implying? If you want, slap a lie detector test on me and I'll pass with flying colors. I have no idea what Ryan was up to that night other than he shacked up with a prostitute." It had been in the newspapers, that fact. "My job was to make sure everything was organized and sent to the office." She didn't bother informing them Ryan had forced her to be a liaison of the company, without being compensated fairly, not to mention his dry-cleaning and laundry. "He never once told me anything about his personal schedule or where he was going. I wasn't his keeper."

The other officer held his hand up to stop the other from continuing. "Very well, Miss Scholar. Thank you for that information and we'll be in touch if we need anything else." That was his subtle way of dismissing her.

Nodding stiffly, she rose from her chair and walked out to head back to her office, feeling nauseous.

Jon was amongst the Superstars lining the hall, each of them waiting their turn to be called. He saw the greenish tinge to her face when Vallea emerged from the 'questioning' room the cops had set up in, the detectives. He wanted to say something to her, but didn't, frowning when his name was called next. Of course, he was next. He and Drake both had ties to Nicky. He slapped Drake's hand when Drake held it out, inhaling deeply before stepping into the room.

"Have a seat, Mr. Good."

That just sounds wrong, he thought, dropping down in the wooden chair.

"Where were you on the night Ryan Stand and Nick Gage were murdered?" The cop cut right to the chase while the other looked on silently, each having their pads of paper in hand.

"Madonna's Bar in downtown Cincinnati."

"Mmmhmm and how long were you there for?"

"All night, I left around 1 to head back to the hotel for some sleep."

The officers shared a look with each other. They had questioned the bartender at Madonna's Bar because Nick Gage had been spotted there earlier that night. "Did you see Mr. Gage that night at Madonna's Bar?"

"Yeah, hung out with him and a bunch of other guys I haven't seen in a while."

"And did you know Mr. Gage was on probation, prohibited from leaving the state of Maryland?"

This is where Jon had to lie through his teeth. "Nope. Didn't tell me a thing. I was shocked to walk in the bar and he was there with a bunch of our other friends." Drake had been there too, Jon recalled, but by the time he and Nick snuck out of the bar to kill Ryan, Drake had already left to go back to the hotel.

"Along with Drake Wuertz?" That was Drake's birth last name.

"Yes."

"Now, you were seen leaving and then coming back."

Oh boy. Jon sucked air through his teeth, managing a tight smile. "I was…"

"The bartender said you were spotted with a blonde."

He was? Jon had no idea where the hell that had come from, but he wasn't above taking mana from heaven so to speak. He didn't say a word, however, just in case. When they didn't say anything either, he groaned. "Look, my old lady will have my balls. What exactly do you want to know?"

There had been a blonde talking to Jon that night, but it hadn't turned into anything. However, drunk people tended to blur things and exaggerate, so naturally, the bartender had said he left with the blonde.

Now they were getting somewhere. "You left with the blonde, correct?"

Jon thought about it for all of three seconds and nodded. "Yeah…"

"And where did you go?"

Jon cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his neck. "The parking lot…"

The officers shared another look, knowing exactly where this was going, but they had to do a thorough investigation. "Did you have sexual relations with this blonde? And what was her name?"

"Mindy, I don't know her last name. She wasn't a prostitute, just a fan of mine and I wanted to show her a good time." He leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him. "My old lady was stressed out from her old boss and too exhausted to give me what I needed, so I found it elsewhere. You get what I'm saying?" This was the only way to save his backside and to keep them from finding out the truth.

"Uh-huh. So the parking lot could mean a variety of places. Where exactly did this take place?"

Jon groaned, hating the police who were nosy, and gritted his teeth. "Against the back of the building where it was dark. I didn't want anyone to see us fucking."

"And that lasted 2 hours?"

Now he was smirking. "I'm not a one-minute man…and we wound up in her car after I fucked her against the building. Backseat with her on all fours…"

"That's enough details, Mr. Good. We understand what happened." At least the man had a solid alibi, but it didn't help he didn't know the last name of the blonde he had cheated with. That would've helped even more so they could question her too. "You're free to go, we'll be in touch."

Jon walked out of that room feeling a few different things. One, he was pretty damn sure he was solid. People had seen him in the bar before and after the time of the murders, and the bartender had even given him an alibi during those few hours he HAD been missing. His dilemma lie with Vallea. She was going to lose her mind if she found out about what the cops thought, about what he 'did', and he'd own that too. He'd rather her think he was a cheater than know he was a murderer.

Cheaters could regain forgiveness, murderers went to prison.

Throughout the night, after the interrogation, Vallea went over the night of Ryan and Nick's murder in her head. Sleeping was all she remembered; she hadn't even heard Jon come in from being out at the bar or felt the bed dip as his arms encircled her. Vallea woke up to find him snoring gently, spooned up against her with his hand splayed on her stomach. He didn't look too bad for wear and it was obvious he had taken a shower prior to coming to bed.

Something bothered her though about that night, something she couldn't quite put her finger on. There was no way he committed the murders, but what if someone was trying to pin them on Jon since he was in the area? She frowned, hoping that wasn't the case, and decided maybe taking a trip to Madonna's Bar in the near future wouldn't be a bad idea. Nobody would know her there and she could easily ask some questions. Maybe Ryan was there too and Jon hadn't seen him since Madonna's Bar wasn't too far away from the motel where Ryan had taken the prostitute.

Hell, Drake Younger had been there too, so maybe he was trying to pin Ryan and Nick's murder on Jon. She didn't know Drake well enough to cancel him out as a suspect. Anyone in the WWE was a suspect and, for some reason, Vallea wanted to find out what really happened to her old boss. Nobody deserved to die the way he and Nick Gage did. Looked like Vallea would have to do her own investigation, wanting this feeling in the pit of her stomach to go away.