A new girl in town

Chapter 56

Kayla

Kayla got back to her room and flopped on to the bed. Then she glanced at the time on her phone.

Mother fucker, no you just didn't! She thought.

It's way too late for a bath, you... Arg!

She went to her text messages and started typing furiously.

Kayla to Sean:

I just checked the time. You are literally the worst fucking liar ever. If you don't tell me what the fuck is going on right now, I'm coming there. I'll steal Vince's jet if I have to. You can't avoid me if I'm there.

Sean heard his phone beep but just laid his head back down and tried to sleep.

Kayla groaned in frustration and fought the impulse to throw her phone out the window.

She got in to a more comfortable position and closed her eyes. Soon, she was asleep.

Kane/J.J.

Kane woke knowing they had some driving to do. But he wanted to get an early start, so they could swing by Mike and Ron's houses, since they hadn't been at the restaurant. He knew J.J. would want to see them before they left LA.

Getting up he packed all their bags and gear then he ordered breakfast. Once breakfast arrived Kane went to wake up J.J.

"Already hun." J.J. muttered. "I swear we just laid down."

"Hun I've got breakfast I thought maybe we could swing by and see if either Mike or Ron was home. I know you wanted to see them." Kane said.

"Yeah that sounds nice." She said sitting up and stretching.

They ate and Kane called Kayla.

Kayla/Kane/J.J.

Kayla woke to a ringing phone.

"I hope she's not still asleep it is only nine." J.J. said as Kane called her.

a Kayla awoke suddenly to a ringing phone. She thought that she was still dreaming, but when the ringing persisted, she groped for the phone and answered.

"Hey," she said with a yawn.

"Hey Kayla are you up?" Kane asked.

"Uh... No. Not really," Kayla said.

"Oh," Kane said. "We wanted to get an early start so we could try to see a couple of friends before we left town."

"Kay. Gimme a sec," Kayla said.

"We've got coffee." Kane said teasingly.

"Kay. Yay. Not fair," Kayla said.

Kane laughed and then hung up the phone to let her get ready.

Kayla groaned and nearly fell out of bed.

Mornings were created by someone in hell. She thought as she dressed quickly and repacked the few things she'd taken out the night before. Once that was finished, she picked up her things, locked up the room and headed to Kane's.

She got to the door and dropped her suitcases tiredly, and then she knocked.

Kane opened the door and immediately handed her a cup of coffee just the way she liked it.

Then he ushered her in and brought in her bags.

"Thanks. tired. Fuck," Kayla said.

"Sorry to get you up so early and rush you. But there are a couple of people I'd really like to see before we head to San Bernardino." J.J. said. "It'll be a while before we come back this way again."

"No worries, it's cool," Kayla said taking a long drink of coffee.

"I think you'll like them." Kane said.

"Yeah, Ron works out of his house he's a technical analyst. Mike is a cop but I don't think he's old enough to have known your dad so you shouldn't have any problems there." J.J. said. "I just hope at least one of them is home."

"Call them babe. It's not that early." Kane said.

"Yeah that's a good idea." J.J. said moving to the other side of the room to make her calls.

"So what's new?" Kayla asked.

"Not very much." Kane said. "We just spent some time relaxing then we went to bed."

"Is there anything new with you? You look a little worried." Kane said.

Kayla sighed.

"You could say that. I talked to Sean last night. He seemed upbeat... Too upbeat, you know? He isn't telling me something and I'm fucking worried... What if it's his neck?" Kayla said in a rush.

"He doesn't want to worry you. He used to do the same thing when we were working together. He'd be in pain after a match but tell me it was nothing then I'd catch him icing his neck in the bathroom where I couldn't see. Or late at night when he thought I was asleep." Kane said.

"But that makes me worry more! I just want to take the first flight back there and refuse to leave till I know what the fuck is wrong," Kayla said.

"He'll tell you when he wants you to know. Probably when there has been some progress in his recovery." Kane said. "It's just the way he is."

"I fucking hate this," Kayla said.

"I used to as well." Kane said. "But you can't go flying off and he knows it."

"I'm good at inventing reasons," Kayla said.

"I wouldn't. He is probably doing this because he's decided that by the time you see him again there will be enough progress that he'll be out of the hospital or at least well enough to show you he's alright." Kane said.

Just then J.J. came back.

"Ron is home as expected. Mike is going to try to meet us at Ron's house for a bit." J.J. said sounding excited.

"Cool," Kayla said.

"Yeah Ron is the one who roped me into forensic photography. His wife was a cop too." J.J. said. "Mike and I have known each other since I first started my job. I worked with him a lot. Since he was homicide and I was the one taking pictures of his crime scenes."

"They kind of made me. Then kept calling when I didn't call them often enough." J.J. said. "And when I took off after Kane and I split they went ape shit. But, what about your friends. They love you to pieces. Those are the connections that matter."

Kayla shrugged but didn't reply.

"You haven't talked to them have you Kayla? Not since they left?" Kane asked.

"Uh... No, not really," Kayla said.

"More likely not at all." J.J. said. "Kayla you need to call them. They are going to be worried sick."

"They'll be afraid you're hurt or angry." Kane added.

Kayla just shrugged again.

It's better this way. She thought. I don't even know what the fuck is going on anymore. First it was just easier cause I missed them so much. Now everything is all... Mixed up and complicated.

"That's not how this works Kayla. You may be on the road but they can't be. You have to keep in touch or well you'll wish you had." J.J. said. "Just because you can't be with them doesn't mean you cut off all contact with them."

"Believe me I know what it's like to be alone on the road. You don't have to be you can still have them even if you can't see them." Kane said.

"Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but can you just not right now? I'm beyond fucking tired and being here again is hard enough," Kayla said.

"Ok," J.J. said. "If you don't want to talk about it we don't have to."

Kane didn't say anything.

"Thanks. I know you're just trying to help but shit is fucking weird right now," Kayla said.

"Are you ladies ready to go?" Kane asked changing the subject.

"Yeah, whenever you are," Kayla said.

"Yes definitely." J.J. said excited once again.

They headed out the door carrying their baggage and went down to the SUV. Then they took off for Ron's house.

Kayla watched through the window as they passed familiar sights. Memories began to assault her but she pushed them away just as she'd been pushing away other things she didn't want to deal with right now. She closed her eyes and tried to think about something that wasn't complicated or fucked up.

As they arrived the door opened. There was a man close to her height about six feet. He was thin and pale probably from spending too much time inside.

"Ron." J.J. said walking quickly toward the man and giving him a huge hug.

Kane got out of the car more slowly and waited for Kayla to get out of the SUV.

Kayla climbed out of the car casually and lit a smoke before she could think about it.

"Shit, is he cool with me smoking here?" She asked.

"Here probably. But not in the house I'm sure." Kane said. "His wife wasn't a smoker and neither is he." Kane added

"Yeah, I figured," Kayla said between drags.

"Wait, was? What happened?" Kayla asked.

"Chris and their three month old were murdered just before J.J. came to the fed." Kane said. "I think that's why J.J. left."

"Oh my god. That's one of the most awful things I've ever heard," Kayla said.

"Yeah J.J. just quit soon afterward. I don't think she even stayed for the funeral." Kane said. "The first time I met Ron was the next time she spoke to him nearly eight months after."

"I don't blame her," Kayla said.

"The worst part is that she took the pictures. They didn't know who it was a first then J.J. realized who she was because of the watch she had given Chris. After she told Mike who it was she finished taking the pictures. I think she was in shock." Kane said.

"Yeah, probably. You never expect to see something like that," Kayla said.

"Hey you guys coming or what?" J.J. called out.

"Yeah, in a sec," Kayla replied. She quickly butted her cigarette and went to meet J.J. and her friend.

"Coming honey." Kane said laughing.

As they walked into the house Kayla could see beautiful pictures on the wall very well done some of them were a dark haired woman and a baby. Some of Ron with them or alone. He looked like he was out in the sun more in those days. Kayla couldn't help but look at them.

They're gorgeous. She thought. No one deserves to lose that much.

"Those are all J.J.'s work." Ron said. "She's my favorite photographer."

"I'm the only one you know silly." J.J. said laughing.

Kayla smiled.

"Yeah, I had her pegged as one of the best when we met," she said.

"Some of the stuff she had in the gallery caught Vince's eye. He hounded her for months to come work for him." Ron said.

"She didn't know a thing about wrestling." Another man said as he walked into the room.

"Oh Mike." J.J. said going over to give him a hug.

"Ah, another personal hire," Kayla said with a wink.

"Yeah." J.J. said laughed. "But I really made him work for it. From what I heard from Linda he was about to have me kidnapped."

"I'm in good company then. Wrestling was never my thing. Basketball and football sure, but not so much the fighting sports," Kayla said. "It was never my thing."

"Come on in have a seat." Ron said. "I have a heavy duty chair for you Kane." Ron laughed.

Kane snorted and took a seat beside J.J.

"So Kayla how do you like the fed?" Ron asked. "J.J. said you're new."

Kayla shrugged.

"Eh, it has its good and not so great points. Vince is definitely making sure I earn every cent he's paying me," she said.

"Yeah he did that with J.J. too. He had her taking ring shots, photo layouts and candid photos and developing all the film too." Ron said. "The other photographers too. Till she spoke up."

Kayla nodded.

"I've tried that. He just told me that working on my own was part of my contract," Kayla said with a sigh.

"I'm head of the new digital media division. In Vince speak, that basically means I'm doing everything: website coding and design, video package creation, and now the damn Network launch," she added.

"When do you breathe?" Ron asked. "He's not giving you time for that."

Kayla laughed.

"Dude, I know right? I don't. I've asked for a laptop and an extra monitor but all he said was he'd think about it," she said.

"I'm in computers. I know it's not possible to do all you're doing at the same time. He needs to get you at least a couple competent people or none of it's going to get done." Ron said.

"You're preaching to the choir. Hell, I'd take five or six interns at this point. College kids always need experience and they wouldn't have to be paid," Kayla said.

"You offering to join the fed Ron." J.J. asked.

"Oh hell no." Ron replied.

"Yeah he might make the same mistake you did." Mike said to J.J.

"Oh and what's that?" J.J. asked.

"Marry the biggest ugliest wrestler in the fed." Mike said.

"OUCH." He yelled a second later when Kane slapped him lightly on the back of the head. "Now I have a concussion I think I'm going blind."

Kane, J.J. and Ron laughed.

"Seriously though." Ron said after a minute. "You need to demand help. Tell him about the interns he might go for it if he doesn't have to pay them."

"Yeah but at least make sure they get travel pay. Otherwise they are going to be paying for their internship." J.J. said

Kayla nodded.

"Yeah, that's definitely a thought," she said.

They stayed for a while longer then said their goodbyes.

Kane and Kayla headed for the SUV while J.J. gave hugs and promises to not be such a stranger.

After they had driven for a while Kayla's phone when off. It was a text.

? be seeing you. When she clicked on it to try to figure out who had sent it the text was a picture of a mangled body.